Well, I have now been here one month. My original tube of Burt’s Bees chapstick, my original stick of deodorant, and my original package of floss have all lasted me the entire month without running out, despite that I use all three quite liberally. Perhaps my supply of stuff I’m picky about will last me after all. And I have still not gotten sick yet which must be some stroke of luck.

I was here when the guy who changes out my 20L drinking water replaced my supply… he apparently can’t turn the container over without getting his hands all completely wet with the same water going into my water dispenser. EWWW. (I think he thought my involuntary gasps of horror were just from him getting water on the floor and counter. Um, no. ) Chris had the same experience (and a similar reaction, so I feel less like I’m being a whiny germophobe.) On one hand, I kind of wish I did not know how much of my clean, filtered drinking water has touched some guy who doesn’t look like he washes his hands regularly. Then I would never know. On the other hand, now I am having trouble drinking it. I might just write a note and ask him to leave the sealed bottle and I’ll do it myself. I mean, I wouldn’t want to drink water that had touched my own hands in India. I mean, seriously. I have actually completely cold turkey stopped biting my nails since the day I arrived (…and this, ladies and gentlemen is how you get your bad habits and minor OCD tendencies to work for you. My nails haven’t looked this good in years.)

Incidentally, he took my two unopened bottles of water, as if in return, even though he doesn’t work for the hotel who provided them. WTF? Is he so broke he can’t afford drinking water? Except that he can apparently afford a cell phone (he took a call before he changed the water.) Random.

Statue of Maharani Laxmi Bai
Heroine of the Indian Rebellion

I took a walk on Sunday to find this park that I saw on Google Earth. Just blocks away from my apartment, on the other side of construction, there it was. Satellites don’t lie. I had to walk all the way around the wall surrounding “Swarna Jayanti Park” to find the entrance and pay the 5-rupee fee, but it was worth the search. A beautifully laid-out park, not crowded at all, with lots of statues. And the statues: every last one of them including the horse-rearing one are of women. My journey (that took me down to Shipra Mall; have added photo of it to my Crazy Pink Pants entry) is also evidence that I am adjusting to walking down a sidewalk-less Indian street, sharing with honking cars, auto rickshaws, bicycle rickshaws, and motorcycles. As Chris points out, the real secret is No Sudden Lateral Movements.

Google Earth Finds:
Swarna Jayanti Park

I finally had to pay my bill. My rent at my serviced apartment (which does include utilities, slow internet, fuzzy cable, free breakfast, use of the nice fitness center with stationary bikes and ellipticals, drinking water, a mediocre but English newspaper, and a daily cleaning with towel and sheet replacements) is about $1300/month. Which works out to $40/day. Not the best deal ever. But it could be worse. I’m not sure if it is worth it to try to find a cheaper place as this place is extraordinarily convenient.

So I now have my shiny PAN card, my crinkly FRRO sheet, and an ATM card for an Axis bank account that won’t have my name on it until next week (I could log into the account, but could not change anything.) I also have a phone and SIM card finally but that won’t be activated until next week either. Processes are long here…

Chillin’ Cows in My Neighborhood

Starting tomorrow, my taxi will pick me and Chris up one hour earlier from work… so, a normal amount of working hours now. I am not sure quite why I originally scheduled it for a just-under-10-hour work day instead of 9. Paranoia about getting work done, I suppose. But this will be better because I can beat the rush to the fitness center (since most Indians work on a much later schedule than I.) But, hey, Die Hard 5 is coming out this weekend. Finally, a movie in English in one of the two movie theatres within walking distance.

And what do you know, I did find something cheap here. Movies only cost around $3!