India, how do I love thee, let me count the ways...

Well, I am trying to make myself love it here.  But this week has been especially tough so I have decided to make a list and share it with you. I have been told by more than one person that later I will look back at everything that is going on, or not going on in some cases, and laugh.  So here's the list of things that are pissing me off or making me nuts or making me cry or all of the above - with a preface that this is going to be really whiney, but I figure once I get it out and move on I will feel better:

• My ATM card is still not working. 
• I still don't have 3G on my phone.
• The power was out for 3 nights in a row at our place and the lady that stays with Savannah tried to tell me but I didn't understand.
• The driver did not show up last week when he was supposed to. Twice in one day.
• 2 drivers showed up the next day. 
• The driver then showed up at 7 AM when I specifically said 7 PM. Evening. Night.
• The government put a 5 text message limit on prepaid mobile phones, directly affecting  communication with my child since...
• We can STILL not get Savannah and postpaid mobile phone.
• When I tried to talk to the guy from the post paid mobile phone company he could not understand me.
• I decided that my long distance relationship did not work out as we'd both hoped for this past weekend.
• The power goes out here ALL THE TIME. Most of the time back up generators run, but they do not operate the AC, washing machine and microwave. It is scheduled at our complex daily between 10-11 AM.  Today it was out for 11 hours.  Cranky Nikki did not sleep well for the third day in a row and was hot while getting ready for work which made for CrankiER Nikki (if that is possible).
• The water here is terrible and my hair is falling out in clumps.  Not sure if these are related, but guessing the heaviness of my hair is probably because of the water and the stress of this dang list is causing the wads I pull out of the brush daily. 
• Savannah's school was supposed to move from current location, Neelangari to Padur, where we live, in September... which is why we selected Padur.  They have postponed until December. Earliest.
• The driver's budget was made for her going to school in Padur.  I will be over budget very soon every month it does not move.
• Our container will not arrive Chennai until September 4. Then another week-ish for customs clearance and who knows HOW long to have it delivered.  I expected it August 24 based on incorrect discharge port information. It did not ship with Maersk Line.  I will address that with the relo department soon.
• I like the complex where we live but it is too far from everything.
• I sleep the weekends away because I am now acclimated to the night shift...

OK so now that all that is off my chest, I think I can move on.  Hopefully.  Here are some of the GOOD and POSITIVE things:

• I am now acclimated to the night shift with a sleep schedule. (Obviously this is good and bad.)
• I am LOVING my role at work!  It has really just started, but I am already enjoying it and really like the people I work with. 
• Savannah really seems to be enjoying school. 
• Savannah has made a terrific friend in Ila.
• Dynamo likes to sleep all day with me.
• Our landlord has been very helpful with everything we have needed AND he owns the on-site store so that's a big plus if someone's ATM card doesn't work and they need to buy food on the "hey you know me, I am the tenant in A1-603... put it on my, uh, tab" method.
• I am still so thankful we have Gideon from the admin team at work helping us out.
• I made a friend who lived in Chennai for 2 years a while back through another friend.  I am SO thankful for her listening ear and advice over the past week.  
• I am reminded daily how wonderful our friends and family are and how blessed I am to have them praying for us and cheering us on through notes of encouragement, texts, e mails, etc.
• Our WiFi has been working beautifully since we got it fixed the weekend after we moved in.
• We have US TV channels and get to enjoy shows like (for me!) Sons of Anarchy, Sex & the City and for Savannah all the CSI and Law & Order she can watch, and for us both, Friends, Rules of Engagement and more. --- Did you know there are, like, a dozen Next Top Model shows? I don't watch them, but they play America's, New Zealand's and Canada's ALL here!
• Coffee or tea is delivered to my desk (OK, everyone's desk) at work at 11 PM and 3 AM.
• I met 2 new ex-pats in the office tonight, a lady from Kenya and a man from Sri Lanka.
• I love our kitchen table, our curtains and our floors.
• We did not almost hit any cattle on the drive home from work this morning.
• My pants that were too tight when I left Houston are getting loose.
• I saw the most beautiful cloud/sunshine THING I have ever seen in my 35 years just the other day here.
• I know God has a plan for us.  I don't know what it is, but I am trying to deal with that part of it.
• My parents are coming to see us in October!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know it is important to focus on the positives in life, so I made sure there was at least one more positive than negative on that list.  I might have been reaching on some of those positives, and the list took me longer, but I refuse to give into the negativity on a long term basis.  Short term, yep, I am cranky and whiny and complaining.  Long term, though, we will master this "living in India" thing and be pros by the time we leave, and hopefully leave a little bit of Texas, and a whole lot of Christ's love, along the way.
Hope everyone has a great week and sending our love.