I know I am past due keeping you all updated on our adventures over here, so even though I really need to get some sleep, I figured I will write a little something. It's 6:45, Saturday morning, and I've been home from work for about an hour. I made some eggs and ate, put a load of clothes into the washer and sat down to wind down before I try to sleep, but pulled out the laptop and decided to write. I made myself a note of a few reminder topics so I will start with those.
1. The phrase "I used to" in the US means: In the past, previously, not anymore or not now. Example: I used to live in Spring, Texas. I used to have AC all the time. I used to be able to go to the grocery store and buy wine. Heck, I used to be able to go to the pharmacy and buy wine! LOL I don't live in Spring anymore. I don't have AC all the time here. I can't go to the local store, grocery or otherwise, and pick up a bottle of wine. In India, the phrase does not mean in the past. I don't know how to exactly explain it other than to use it in context. I have seen this on IM and heard in conversation at work on several occasions and I just realized this week (I guess sometimes I am a little slow...) the completely different usage. Someone is explaining how they work a process, "And I used to click here and do this." Or "I used to check the system for this and use the information for that." Or "I used to verify the rates on this lane and confirm the transit time as..." These are all statements of present tense. This is how I do something. Not this is what I did in the past. It confuses me a bit still.
2. FaceTime and Skype: I don't even really like talking on the phone all that much. I did that for several years as a job... talked on the phone all day and got paid for it. It got old quick. As a teenager, I can assure you my parents would have bet BIG money I would never say that. But it's true. So not only do I not really want to talk on the phone, I REALLY don't want to sit in front of a computer and look at someone while I don't want to talk to them. It is nothing personal. It's not you. It's me. BUT, because I love my family and friends SO VERY MUCH, I will try very hard to self-sacrifice and do the Skype or FaceTime thing, or, at the very minimum, the phone thing. Really, if you haven't read this before - download the Viber app. It works on 3G (WHICH I GOT THIS WEEK!) or WiFi and international calls and texts just pull from your regular plan. No extra charges. Super cool.
3. Last week I heard about the holiday Onam. I did some research (research these days includes typing "Onam" into the google search screen) and found that this is not a Tamil Nadu-oriented holiday. It is a holiday of our neighboring state, Kerala. When several of my colleagues took last Wednesday off and I received several "Happy Onam!" text messages and saw FB posts, I thought to myself, "Why in the world are we celebrating this holiday here in Tamil Nadu? It's for Kerala. These people are just odd. Why would you celebrate a holiday for a neighboring state? That's just silly." And then I laughed at myself. And thought of King cake and beads and parades... Yep, Mardi Gras. We odd, silly Texans help our Cajun neighbors from Louisiana celebrate their holiday every year, don't we? Yeah. Plus, there are lots of people that have come to Chennai for work that originate from Kerala. So maybe not so odd or silly, after all. I should probably think about celebrations a little more thoroughly before I decide to write them off. Lesson learned.
OK, that was my list of reminders. But there are a few more things that I will add. The first of which will be prefaced by a "this is just my opinion based on observations" disclaimer and does not constitute anything other than that. And it's not meant to be offensive or taken in such a way that anyone gets upset. So, if you are offended, my sincere apologies. Please don't be.
I have noticed that Indian men pee everywhere. On the side of the road. Every road. Middle of the day without a tree or car door to stand behind. Ew.
It is so loud here. I like quiet. This is a big adjustment. Loud music playing from temples to celebrate holidays. Or something. I assume they are celebrating holidays, but I really do not know since I cannot understand what the loud speaker is booming when someone's voice comes across. Also, there are speakers down the main road I take to work and sometimes there is just really loud talking. Constant. For most of the 20 kilometers from the apartment to the office. That's a long 20 KM when you have a loud foreign voice yelling at you through the car windows. Cars like to honk. And motorcycles. And buses. All of them at the same time. And when we are all at a stand-still together at the same signal. And nobody is going to be able to move. But if we all honk in succession, it must make them feel like we will go somewhere faster. I really find the back of many trucks' phrases ironic "Sound Horn." Um, no need to have that painted on there, folks. Pretty sure it comes naturally to the drivers around here. And it's loud at the office. Sometimes really loud. I have a hard time focusing loud. I do realize this is my issue, not my colleagues', so I am trying to learn how to tune it out (Shonda, I know you thought I had that "tuning out" thing down, but turns out, notsomuch over here!).
Hmmm what else? Oh! Our container... was due in 8/24. Then 9/4. Then 9/8. Then I checked the website last night and saw it was due into JEBEL ALI 9/8, NOT Chennai. I was DYINGGGGGGGG so I e mailed the move guy and he confirmed today "Oops, yes it's delayed until OCTOBER 4." Ummmm, what? Nooooooo!!!!! (Yes, I am a little dramatic with the letters and punctuation here. You must understand my tone and inflection.) So after a few e mails and lots of four letter words, I was reminded about the great company I work for. Our Customer Service team in NAM does what they do best, and some great executives reached out to the consolidator (after we were advised the LCL contents were being de-stuffed and the steamship line carrying it now was out of the picture) to see what they can do to speed it up. So, we won't have it next week like I was hoping, but maybe sooner than October 4. Even though I was frustrated that we still won't have things that we have really been missing like Savannah's tennis shoes, our blankets and sheets, my work out clothes, our kitchen dishes and wares, shower gels, solid deodorants, and more, I am thankful for the great people I work with, both here in India and home in the US.
I am still enjoying my role here and meeting some really nice people. I spent some time with another team this week, watching the process and learning so I can help close some gaps on the import side, and one of the girls was so sweet and brought me in a pack of bindis, and proceeded to place one right on my forehead tonight. Sweet! And then she decided the plain "diamond" didn't stand out enough and promptly changed it out with a "diamond" on a red background. I laughed and said, "you can't see it because I am so pale," and she blushed a little and nodded. I am sure she was thinking, "Silly white girl!"
Well, I really better get some rest so I can wake up and take my kiddo on our first unaccompanied outing. We are going to Mahabalipuram, which is located about 25 KM from our home. I will try to remember to take some pictures and post for everyone soon. We appreciate your prayers and well wishes more than I can say. It's nice to know we have such a great cheering section, all across the world. We love you all and send big hugs from Chennai.
Wait, you're in India?
ReplyDelete