THURS.,AUG. 7, IN INDIA
We are at the office again today, meeting and planning program. Anuj came in and we all had lunch. The food court has about 7,000 people trying to get food so we ordered in. Guess what? Dominos pizza. Kentucky fried chicken also delivers. We had pepperoni pizza on thin crust. It tasted just like at home, except the tomatoe sauce was milder. It is extremely weird sitting in India office eating Dominos pizza. Good time. Anuj has a sense of humor similar to Bob’s and he teases Andy a lot. He has come in several times to see if I am comfortable and if I need anything. He called for a diet pop (a special order) for me. There is an office boy that comes in, in white gloves to bring coffee, tea or water throughout the day. I think that Americans will miss this service when they are back home. A lot of services are done for them. They do practice a sort of tea time at 3pm. Hot tea and snacks. I like the tea very much, with milk and lemon. Andy keeps grainola bars, and we eat them for breakfast. They are quite large as big around as my hand and he likes the peanut butter ones. They are very coarse, full of all kinds of grains and seeds, and would not necessarily be my choice. Protein is the hardest thing to keep up in diet and this is a good source. Besides, this is all there is. The electricity has been off and on all day. It goes dark for a few moment and then the generator kicks in. No one even notices now, except for me, and any new people. The bathrooms at the house and in the office are very interesting, when you flush, so much water and pressure that it seems like the whole room is going down. Keeps things clean and unplugged!!! All paper products are very coarse and rough, kleenix, paper towels and toilet paper are all kind of like the paper towels in school bathrooms. I will have my eyes checked I think today. I am a little nervous. The ex-pats(Americans or anyone not for India) assure me it is just fine. We’ll see. I am very much enjoying meeting all kinds of different people here. Aju says, and he is right, that Americans are extremely curious and want to know all kinds of things. First, we ask if it would be offensive to ask a question(politically correct) and once we feel comfortable, we bring out a grocery store full of questions. See, it is not just me!!! He said to consider anything I asked to be non-offensive. I have realized that everything I feel so compelled to ask or act in is related to me. What can I do, what do I think , how do I act. As I shared that revelation with Anuj, he said that only Americans and not so much Europeans come at things in that way. The Indian culture is what is good for the group and how is it affecting the group and they get easily worn out of people always saying what can I do. Because it is always relating to the I. I felt good that I was sensitive to that fact on my own. It is hard not to think in that way though, and I am not necessarily convinced that it is purely selfish. He is very kind. He said that he felt that he and andy were raised in very similar fashion after they talked and compared how they grew up. His parents were strict, but not harsh. He could not get away with much. Sometimes he was jealous of other kids, who could get away with this or that or seem to do whatever they wanted. Now, as an adult, he realizes that his parents had his best in mind and now he is glad that many of these things kept him from getting into bad things and his education and present place have been influenced for the good, as was Andy’s. Andy whole heartedly agreed. Be encouraged all you parents out their. I asked if he would do the same when he has children and he said yes. He and his wife will greatly appreciate the grandparents help and advice raising their children(not and American way of thinking). I am beginning to be able to understand people better when they speak to me. I tend to make motions with my hands and talk a little louder when I do not understand or if I am not sure they are getting me. I think this may look strange to them so I am trying to figure out when to do it. The people in the Technology section are very educated some (according to Andy) are brilliant. Even so, many are very poor living in very wretched situations, but much better off than before. This disparity is hard to comprehend.