Friday, December 15, 2006

12.15.06, 9:15am – CTS Offices, Chennai, India.

Back in the office and my freakin’ network connection is down again. It’s amazing how much I can not get done without the network. No email, no access to the network files, no nuthin’.

I have an update from Girish (who, I realized I have failed to tell you, is the manager here at CTS) about the guys on the runway. He didn’t have a definite answer, but he seems to think maybe they are workers at the airport. Something about upgrades and construction being done at the airport (maybe to the runways) so when a plane comes in they get out of the way and go sit in the shade. Excuse me? Seriously? Do they get hazard pay for that? I’m dubious. OSHA would have a field day with that one.

The first evening cab ride I took (back on Tuesday, I think it was) I staring idly out the window at the passing sights when I noticed a mosquito flying around in the cab. My first reaction was to brush it off and ignore it, but then I remembered, Malaria! Dengue Fever! And I had completely spaced applying repellent that day! Suddenly I was swatting and clapping and making a general ruckus in the backseat of the cab. My driver looks back at me and says, “Mosquito?” “Yes”. Resume flailing. Now there are like 10 mosquitoes in the cab. They’re multiplying! I’m doomed. As a last ditch idea I open the window. It works. They all get sucked out the window and I’m saved. I’m an idiot.

Don’t worry, Mom, applying repellent is part of my morning ritual now. That and my Malaria pill and my EmergenC packet.

This morning someone was smoking in the restaurant during breakfast. I didn’t even really smell it (they must have good ventilation) but it was a shock when I looked over and this big euro-looking dude with a mustache is puffing away. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone smoke in a restaurant since I was in Europe with the seestor. No one seems to smoke here, it seems. I haven’t seen a single Indian smoking. As opposed to Europe where everyone smokes. Everyone. And India is considered the third world country. Indeed.

More from the flight out here: Singapore Air (a very nice airline, by the way) has that cool thing where they show you where you are during the flight. I looked at it at one point and it said we were over Siberia. I opened the shade and looked out at a snow-covered hilly wasteland for as far as the eye could see. Just breathtaking. There were a few rivers but no roads anywhere. It was a truly amazing sight.

Ok, I’m off to the conference room to see if the network connection in there is working.

---Eric

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