FRIDAY AUG, 8 IN INDIA

Wonderful weather. Sunny and not so hot and humid. Coming to the end of the monsoon season, and the weather should be very pleasant. It is weird to see people with jackets and stocking hats, it is in the 80’s still. Busy day at the office and writing up a power point presentation. I am learning a great deal about the culture and what the many differences are. In US, everything is hurry, hurry. Here it is a totally different pace. We leave for the office at 10 or 11. People greet on another and ask about the family and what is going on.. Then the office boy, Raju, comes around offering tea and water or whatever. He comes back wearing white gloves and serving in long cutaway coat.
Reba, the housekeeper, is very nice. She is a cleaning machine. I can hardly get out of bed and she is in making it, and cleaning my room. She does laundry every day, that is if the water is working. The city water runs out often, except this is the rainy season, so that should not be happening. The water issue is ongoing. There are too huge underground tanks that the water company fills when the city water is out. I do not understand where that water is coming from, but these huge trucks come in and fill the tanks on call. There is also a pump connected to the first and second floor. The laundry is located on the second floor and when they do not have water up there, no washing can be done. The water trucks cannot drive on the narrow road leading to our house, except at night when there is no traffic. They came at 10:30 at night to deliver. The driver, who spoke no English, wanted to know if we had a tool to open the tanks. They were out there for about an hour, only to find out that the tank was full. Then about 11:30 a repair guy comes and starts fiddling with the electricity wires outside. The landlady came out and started yelling that nothing was wrong, but the apartment up stairs had no water---no showers and no toilet flushing. Bill could come downstairs to use the guest room, but what a pain. Early the next morning different repair people came—plumbers and they put in a new pump, which we said was the trouble all the time. Whenever the pump ram, the fuse blew. On one of the pictures you can see the many wires hanging loose from the pole, in is a wonderment to me that anything runs. Electricity is off frequently and backup generators are everywhere. In the office the lights go out for a few minutes and everyone just keeps on talking or whatever without a pause, until the power comes back on. At the house, the ceiling fans are connected to the generator, a few lights, and of course the tv. Sometimes it is out for a few minutes, and sometimes all day.
We went to a place called the Leela. It is a beautiful palace, now a restaurant. Really, there are many restaurants in it, and it is a hotel as well. There is a gorgeous drive with flowers and plants and then massive marble and granite stairs and lobby. There is a doorman and several servants in exotic costumes to help you out of the car. The entry into the building is framed with maybe 10 foot arched doors and then you go into a palace. There are flowing, silky curtains marble floors and elephant carved tables and beautiful chairs all around, some surrounded by silk curtains for privacy. We choose the Asian restaurant. Everything was so beautiful. There were 4 waiters serving our table in long tails. The women hostess and greeters were dressed in pretty oriental clothing. One waiter poor the water, home to another puts your napkin in your lap, another takes the order. They all serve the food and move your plates and silverware around. We had things that I did not know existed but delicious. Andy orders for me and he did a great job. Again, many courses, and about 3 ½ hours of eating. We had many noodle, things and chicken in several forms. The vegetables were very unique combinations. Of course there was rice, burned garlic butter with chicken. It was so good. We had mushroom soup for a starter. Just about all the places we eat have more than one dish with mushrooms. The mushrooms are common here and they use all kinds to make dishes. There are mushroom gravies and sauces and dishes with mushrooms ground and just mushrooms, fried, stuffed and so on. I love them and am enjoying so many choices. We had luscious desserts chocolate with raspberries and a lemon sorbet with several layers of thin crust and a custard pineapple glaze puddings. Everything is served with panache and flair. Great fun. The hotel is very expensive, and Andy said that the big wheels from the states, as well as rich notables stay here. They have had several conferences and special events here, what a special treat. The palace is light up from the outside and oooooo…. to see. We sat in the lobby for awhile, soaking up the ambiance. The doorman calls our drivers name out, Ramu, and he drives up to get us. They have a footman with a plush stool to step up on to get into the car. I truly felt like a princess. Home to sleep and see what tomorrow brings.FRIDAY AUG, 8 IN INDIA

Wonderful weather. Sunny and not so hot and humid. Coming to the end of the monsoon season, and the weather should be very pleasant. It is weird to see people with jackets and stocking hats, it is in the 80’s still. Busy day at the office and writing up a power point presentation. I am learning a great deal about the culture and what the many differences are. In US, everything is hurry, hurry. Here it is a totally different pace. We leave for the office at 10 or 11. People greet on another and ask about the family and what is going on.. Then the office boy, Raju, comes around offering tea and water or whatever. He comes back wearing white gloves and serving in long cutaway coat.
Reba, the housekeeper, is very nice. She is a cleaning machine. I can hardly get out of bed and she is in making it, and cleaning my room. She does laundry every day, that is if the water is working. The city water runs out often, except this is the rainy season, so that should not be happening. The water issue is ongoing. There are too huge underground tanks that the water company fills when the city water is out. I do not understand where that water is coming from, but these huge trucks come in and fill the tanks on call. There is also a pump connected to the first and second floor. The laundry is located on the second floor and when they do not have water up there, no washing can be done. The water trucks cannot drive on the narrow road leading to our house, except at night when there is no traffic. They came at 10:30 at night to deliver. The driver, who spoke no English, wanted to know if we had a tool to open the tanks. They were out there for about an hour, only to find out that the tank was full. Then about 11:30 a repair guy comes and starts fiddling with the electricity wires outside. The landlady came out and started yelling that nothing was wrong, but the apartment up stairs had no water---no showers and no toilet flushing. Bill could come downstairs to use the guest room, but what a pain. Early the next morning different repair people came—plumbers and they put in a new pump, which we said was the trouble all the time. Whenever the pump ram, the fuse blew. On one of the pictures you can see the many wires hanging loose from the pole, in is a wonderment to me that anything runs. Electricity is off frequently and backup generators are everywhere. In the office the lights go out for a few minutes and everyone just keeps on talking or whatever without a pause, until the power comes back on. At the house, the ceiling fans are connected to the generator, a few lights, and of course the tv. Sometimes it is out for a few minutes, and sometimes all day.
We went to a place called the Leela. It is a beautiful palace, now a restaurant. Really, there are many restaurants in it, and it is a hotel as well. There is a gorgeous drive with flowers and plants and then massive marble and granite stairs and lobby. There is a doorman and several servants in exotic costumes to help you out of the car. The entry into the building is framed with maybe 10 foot arched doors and then you go into a palace. There are flowing, silky curtains marble floors and elephant carved tables and beautiful chairs all around, some surrounded by silk curtains for privacy. We choose the Asian restaurant. Everything was so beautiful. There were 4 waiters serving our table in long tails. The women hostess and greeters were dressed in pretty oriental clothing. One waiter poor the water, home to another puts your napkin in your lap, another takes the order. They all serve the food and move your plates and silverware around. We had things that I did not know existed but delicious. Andy orders for me and he did a great job. Again, many courses, and about 3 ½ hours of eating. We had many noodle, things and chicken in several forms. The vegetables were very unique combinations. Of course there was rice, burned garlic butter with chicken. It was so good. We had mushroom soup for a starter. Just about all the places we eat have more than one dish with mushrooms. The mushrooms are common here and they use all kinds to make dishes. There are mushroom gravies and sauces and dishes with mushrooms ground and just mushrooms, fried, stuffed and so on. I love them and am enjoying so many choices. We had luscious desserts chocolate with raspberries and a lemon sorbet with several layers of thin crust and a custard pineapple glaze puddings. Everything is served with panache and flair. Great fun. The hotel is very expensive, and Andy said that the big wheels from the states, as well as rich notables stay here. They have had several conferences and special events here, what a special treat. The palace is light up from the outside and oooooo…. to see. We sat in the lobby for awhile, soaking up the ambiance. The doorman calls our drivers name out, Ramu, and he drives up to get us. They have a footman with a plush stool to step up on to get into the car. I truly felt like a princess. Home to sleep and see what tomorrow brings.