OK, OK, OK.

Just over 5 weeks here and I have already picked up this phrase, "OK, OK, OK."  I think in the US I said, "Gotcha" in the same scenarios, but my Indian colleagues repeat "OK" a few times to communicate understanding or "correct" in threes to affirm an answer.  I realized my triplicate use of "OK" when I was on the phone with a US colleague late last week and have noticed myself using the phrase a few times since then.  I am still trying to hear something Savannah has picked up, but have yet to catch anything.
The past week has been interesting.  Last Friday night I went with my co-managers out to dinner at Buhari Hotel in downtown Chennai (in India a hotel is a restaurant - who knew?) for some authentic south Indian cuisine to celebrate a colleague's confirmation (his treat - different than the US where we treat the honoree for celebrations... similar to birthdays where the person whose birthday it is brings in chocolate to share), which means the employee has been confirmed in his role with Maersk after six months. It's interesting, kind of like a temp to hire type scenario in the US, from what I gather.  The entire experience was funny. As you know, I work the night shift and my eating schedule (along with every other schedule of mine) is out of sorts, so I wasn't sure how "dinner" would go, but ate light before I came in and we intended on leaving around 9:30 to go eat.  Unfortunately, our departure was delayed due to a colleague having a medical issue that took our manager-of-honor down to the clinic with her to wait on family members (she was fine, thankfully!), so we did not leave until nearly midnight.  For dinner.  I was starving at this point.  And everything was closed.  So we drove around for a while (my gracious hosts played Hindi music and translated for me while they pointed out places of interest as we passed them) and finally arrived to Buhari close to 12:30 AM.  And I was the only woman there.  And the only foreigner.  Needless to say, I got lots of stares.  I have decided it's mostly entertaining to have all the looks.  I have decided that as Americans coming from a melting-pot society, we don't enjoy a curiosity factor that someone looks so different than ourselves.  I am always impressed when someone asks me where I am from and engages me in conversation, because usually it's just stares, pointing, and discussion about me in their native language.  The waiter asked where I was from and was very happy to hear the US, although he never said why it pleased him, but OK.  Go USA!  LOL  Anyway, I ate some red masala chicken, mutton and fish and a little bit of rice with prawn.  I also had a deep fried doughy something or other to dip and eat everything with.  It was pretty tasty, but I am going to have to work to avoid those carbs here like I did at home!!  And then, after all that, they talked me into eating this dessert (yeah, they really had to twist my arm...) called a falooda/faluda which was quite interesting.  I can't say I would order one on my own, but I'd probably share with someone if the opportunity presents itself again.  It was a fun outing and I am thankful these guys have decided to let me join their group because I am pretty sure I'd be lost without them :)

Faluda dessert

Speaking of this group, one of them was kind enough to find me some wine!  Some real, alcohol-infused WINE!  It's still in my fridge, unopened, but I sleep better knowing I have it in case of emergency.  haha  So now, if I can get my debit card working, I can pay him back and maybe not feel guilty drinking it.  It is weird to think that I will be enjoying a nice glass of wine as the sun comes up, instead of goes down, but, hey, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.  And if that means drinking before the lunch hour, so be it.

My debit card... and 3G for my phone... and seems to be lots of other conveniences are not so convenient for me these days.  We just got our washing machine hooked up yesterday.  Then on the first load, right in the middle of when I was cooking dinner, the power went out. This seems to happen periodically when I am trying to get ready for work.  And then you go to work with a dewy glow (read: sweaty-looking make up) because a fan in the dining area is just not enough when you're cooking on the stove on the far side of the kitchen.  I have been pretty grumpy this week because of this crazy infrastructure...  One night last week it took me 2.5 hours to get to work because of heavy rains in the afternoon that caused the 19 KM (10 mile) commute to extend nearly triple the norm.  And then last night my driver took off to celebrate the holiday and the substitute driver did not even make it to my place until I called about 5 times asking where he was and it was an hour and a half after I was supposed to BE AT WORK before I even left!  Sigh.  So I think God is teaching me patience.  I certainly don't have a lot of it... never have.  And I am not learning it happily (I am sure Savannah will attest to this).  But I am working on not being so frustrated and in so much of a hurry.  Mostly because I have learned that no matter how much of a hurry I am in, there are a billion Indians around me who are not in the same hurry, or even nearly as close to the same pace of my hurriedness.  So I may as well slow down and stop stressing myself out because it certainly isn't helping get anything done faster.

This week was a little tough for us not being back in the US, as we received news that Savannah's long-time friend, Alicia, lost her dad unexpectedly over the weekend.  Our hearts are heavy and we are sending lots of prayers for comfort, peace and understanding for the Steinley family, but sometimes a hug would help, and I know it's hard for Savannah not to be able to hug Alicia, squeeze her hand, and let her know she is there for her. This part is hard.  I know things will happen while we are gone, and it's not like we can really DO anything being nearby anyway, but we want to be nearby and show our love and support.  So we will try to do it through FB, Skype, e mails and texts until we can come home in December and give the hugs, I suppose.  We will ask for your prayers for the Steinley family as well.

What else? Savannah's new BFF, Ila, came to stay with us over the weekend.  I met her mom just for a quick minute, but intend to meet her for tea soon so we can visit and get to know each other. Her parents grew up here, moved to the US for nearly 20 years, then unexpectedly moved back almost a year ago when her father had a heart attack while they were here visiting family.  So Ila is an American girl at heart, an Indian girl by birth, and all teenager by personality. She's a very sweet girl and she's as silly as Savannah, so they get along famously. 

Wednesday was Indian Independence Day.  August 15.  Only since 1947 have they held Independence from Britain.  It seems crazy since I am used to American history - with our 1776 independence... just so different to realize this country was under British rule for so long.  I see the British influence in the e mails I read from my colleagues, which sound quite formal. I hear the British influence in conversations with words like flat for apartment, biscuit for cookie, mobile for cell phone, and so many more things I cannot think of them all now. But the country is so much poorer, dirtier and more antiquated than the UK.  Granted, I have never actually been to the UK, but I watched Love Actually, The Holiday, and Bridget Jones' Diary, so I consider myself an expert. OK maybe not, but I am going on the assumption that the power does not go out all the time and that cows are not laying all over the roads in London.  Just a guess, but Danielle W. or Kristin G., can you confirm that for me?  Thanks :)

On that note, it's almost 7 AM and I think I will crack open a nice Indian bottle of wine.  Well, I hope it's nice, anyway.  I'll let ya know next time.

Sending big love and hugs and thanks for the continued prayers for this adventure we are on.