I have probably been a little too whiny on here for my own good, or anyone else's, for that matter, so I will share a couple funny stories. Short ones. Well, I'll try to make them short - how about that?
Funny Story #1 - I wonder how many of you noticed how geographically challenged I am when, several blogs ago, I wrote about my view of the Baltic Sea from the balconies at our flat? Actually, we have a view of the Bay of Bengal. Yep, I work for a global ocean freight company and don't know which sea is where. I bet the girls on my team back in Houston are laughing right now about my other geographically-challenged moment a while back regarding a certain India-Asia-Africa connection... but I'll save that story for another time. Or not at all. haha But many thanks to my IT buddy for pointing that out a while back; I just never addressed it until now.
Funny Story #2 - Yesterday was Vinayaka Chaturthi, an Indian national and Hindu holiday that celebrates Lord Ganesha. At work there was a lot of present wrapping and hustle and bustle of the team I sit near and work with on occasion (sitting in Exports now, but working more with Imports, as we are all shuffling desks soon) and I just assumed it was all about this holiday. I was pretty busy, still catching up from being out last week, and meant to ask my colleagues a few times, but got distracted or never thought about it at a good time. Anyway, lotssssss of present wrapping, all the men on the team (which is quite funny because Indian men wrap presents about as quickly as American men... and probably with about as much skill) took turns wrapping a few gifts at a time and then they piled them up on a manager's desk. Then they were all compiled into a big box and a couple plastic bags, bound tightly with packing tape and ready for - well, I didn't know what they were ready for. I figured it was something like what we would do for Christmas, Secret Santa, donations to a local home or a White Elephant-type thing. But time ticked away, the night escaped me and it was time to leave. So I went home without seeing the big ending. When I came in tonight, I remembered to ask my co-manager what all the presents were for. And he said they were for our boss, Selvam, to take with him to his trip to visit our colleagues in NAM. What?! I thought this was related to an Indian thing and I had been intrigued all night. HAHAHA! Well, that will teach me to wait until the day after to ask a question. What a dork I am!
Funny Story #3 - Savannah has to go to school on Saturday. That in itself is funny, since I did it for almost 5 years, I kind of like the idea. She was out yesterday for the completely unrelated present-wrapping festival (LOL) and had a half day today, half day tomorrow, and half day Saturday. Really, she is still getting a half a day off, but it's the principle of the Saturday attendance for her. And I get it. I just don't have much sympathy. By the way, we often see kids in their common school uniforms if we make it out and about on Saturdays, so it's a regular occurrence around here.
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Funny Story #4 - Isn't really a story, just a few little snippets of the adventures of Dynamo:
Funny Story #1 - I wonder how many of you noticed how geographically challenged I am when, several blogs ago, I wrote about my view of the Baltic Sea from the balconies at our flat? Actually, we have a view of the Bay of Bengal. Yep, I work for a global ocean freight company and don't know which sea is where. I bet the girls on my team back in Houston are laughing right now about my other geographically-challenged moment a while back regarding a certain India-Asia-Africa connection... but I'll save that story for another time. Or not at all. haha But many thanks to my IT buddy for pointing that out a while back; I just never addressed it until now.
Funny Story #2 - Yesterday was Vinayaka Chaturthi, an Indian national and Hindu holiday that celebrates Lord Ganesha. At work there was a lot of present wrapping and hustle and bustle of the team I sit near and work with on occasion (sitting in Exports now, but working more with Imports, as we are all shuffling desks soon) and I just assumed it was all about this holiday. I was pretty busy, still catching up from being out last week, and meant to ask my colleagues a few times, but got distracted or never thought about it at a good time. Anyway, lotssssss of present wrapping, all the men on the team (which is quite funny because Indian men wrap presents about as quickly as American men... and probably with about as much skill) took turns wrapping a few gifts at a time and then they piled them up on a manager's desk. Then they were all compiled into a big box and a couple plastic bags, bound tightly with packing tape and ready for - well, I didn't know what they were ready for. I figured it was something like what we would do for Christmas, Secret Santa, donations to a local home or a White Elephant-type thing. But time ticked away, the night escaped me and it was time to leave. So I went home without seeing the big ending. When I came in tonight, I remembered to ask my co-manager what all the presents were for. And he said they were for our boss, Selvam, to take with him to his trip to visit our colleagues in NAM. What?! I thought this was related to an Indian thing and I had been intrigued all night. HAHAHA! Well, that will teach me to wait until the day after to ask a question. What a dork I am!
Funny Story #3 - Savannah has to go to school on Saturday. That in itself is funny, since I did it for almost 5 years, I kind of like the idea. She was out yesterday for the completely unrelated present-wrapping festival (LOL) and had a half day today, half day tomorrow, and half day Saturday. Really, she is still getting a half a day off, but it's the principle of the Saturday attendance for her. And I get it. I just don't have much sympathy. By the way, we often see kids in their common school uniforms if we make it out and about on Saturdays, so it's a regular occurrence around here.
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Funny Story #4 - Isn't really a story, just a few little snippets of the adventures of Dynamo:
- One of the guards at our apartment complex and I had a short conversation the other morning when I took him out to do his business: Guard - "Is that a dog or a cat?" Me - stunned silence, then, laughing "It's a dog." Guard - "Are you sure? I thought not because it is so little." Me - "Yep, I am sure. He's a dog." Guard - "Oh, OK, madam. I thought he was little like a cat, but have a good day."
- A young girl, probably 8 or 9 years old, quite mature, walked over to me one afternoon when we were out and asked if she could pet him. She asked lots of questions, including his name, where we were from, where we got him, and then she asked, "Is he veg or non-veg?" Well, this might not be as funny to most of you, not living in India, but everyone is either veg or non-veg here. Meaning they eat meat or they don't. Food is marked with a green circle if it's veg and there are strictly veg restaurants, etc. Some of it has religious implications, some does not. But when she asked me if my DOG was veg or non-veg, I fell out laughing. But I replied, as seriously as I could, "He's non-veg." Just as quickly as the breath she took, she asked, "And what does he eat, then? Pedigree?" It was so funny. There are not a lot of pet food choices around here, but Pedigree is one of the few, so, "Yes, he eats Pedigree."
- Back when we were at the Aloft Hotel, one of the staff girls asked him, "Dynamo, do you know your ABC's?" And she waited for his reply. Savannah and I looked at each other, stifled our laughs and said we had to go back to the room, where we then roared with laughter for the next 20 minutes. Sometimes if I am in a cranky mood, or if she's just feeling especially silly, Savannah will ask the wind, "Dynamo, do you know your ABC's?"
- And lastly, the sweet lady that stays with Savannah at nights when I work, Lakshmi, wants to feed him all the time. Like, ALL THE TIME. Keep in mind we are communication-ally challenged... Every evening when I am getting my stuff together and getting ready to go to work, she walks to the cabinet with the dog food (yes, non-veg Pedigree) and points to it. Generally, Savannah has already fed him. But she would like to feed him again. She motions to the cabinet, then her mouth with her fingers all closed like she is putting food into her mouth. Then she does the same motion toward Dynamo. Usually I laugh and tell her he already ate, but every now and then we will let her feed him again. They kind of love each other. It's pretty cute.
Great stories. It's so funny that the guard thought Dynamo was a cat. haha
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