Sunday, April 28, 2002
Last Saturday, I visited Ragu's house & had a cup of coffee with some pickled mango.
I met his mother & brother, also noticing the rice flour drawings on the threshold.
(This is a blessing & keeps the ants outside)
Taking giant strides, I had lunch today with co-worker Bhanu, her husband Bhaskar & extended family.
It was their son's 1st b-day & Bhanu hovered over the table like an Italian grandmother.
(Yes, I taught her the word "manga")
They are from the next state north, Andhra Pradesh, speaking Telugu & cooking with spicy masala.
Their maid served Bhaskar & I first, Bhanu insisted she would eat later:
lamb biryani, prawns, brinjal (eggplant), more lamb, fish, onion raita (yogurt curd),
and to soothe our stomachs: curd rice, rasam (pepper water), & ice cream.
Contrary to practice, we ate with utensils.
Looking in their puja (prayer) room, I noticed more of the rice flour symbols.
(These were done with templates as the HelpDesk Indian has little time on their hands)
3:43 PM
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Saturday, April 27, 2002
Management style: big topic, writers of any opinion are getting rich.
How 'bout you? Big-picture type or micromanager?
Then there's Ozzy Osbourne
Speaking of biz, we all know that banks make money on our money.
You deposit a check, the bank works the interest & your funds are available in a day or two...
I discovered tonight that in India, my funds are available in 21 days.
The construction banging around my flat started at 9AM today after about 4 hrs sleep.
I was scheduled to look at another apartment at 4PM...that fell thru, but I've got leads.
While I was grocery shopping tonight, I priced out Celebrex, my arthritis meds.
$20+ per month rings a bell in the U.S. It'll be about $3 in India.
1:23 PM
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Thursday, April 25, 2002
After looking for weeks, I finally got a toaster (thanks to Saira).
What does the YardBoy toast when he gets home at 4AM?
(buns, he wishes)
masala bread: spiced w/ menthil & coriander leaves, ginger, chili & onion
ragi bread: a millet w/ slow digestibility & high calcium content from the state of Karnataka.
Cable TV is out for 2nd night in a row...
it works when my driver is waiting for me to get dressed.
6:55 PM
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Wednesday, April 24, 2002
Happy 79th b-day to OJ the 2nd
who's on a cruise thru Panama with mommy.
You're doing a great job of avoiding Inheritance Tax ;^)
4:27 PM
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Monday, April 22, 2002
The Pasha of Pavilion is living well.
7:24 PM
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A big, friendly wave to the Lord of Linwood! Please get in touch.
3:21 PM
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Sunday, April 21, 2002
Le Royal Meridian Hotel brunch with Jeff today. Excellent.
Haircut & Ayurvedic massage afterwards. Nice oil with camphor. Don Henley in background.
Girls should be returning from Ft. Myers vacation today.
Tomorrow, they'll be busy again.
Attention all Web SearchEngines: my ISP, Sify.com stinks.
After paying a year in advance, they've deactivated my account twice in the last 2 days.
They claim to be ISO9002, I've tried to submit a "Dis-satisfier" (to which they don't respond).
I may go to their office & get the Certification info off their wall.
5:41 PM
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Saturday, April 20, 2002
Jaideep postponed Pondicherry, so I went GeoDashing with co-worker Ragu & driver Rao.
Our venture took us 19km north to the unmapped, 5 hut villiage of Kottur:
-little kids swarmed around their first American, nobody begged :-)
(and I practiced "Yeppadi irukkireergal", "How are you?")
-we visited the nearby Red Hills Reservoir, one of Chennai's water sources
(water looked reasonable, but I think city itself has distribution problems)
-I saw symbols stencilled on rural walls: light bulb, ceiling fan, etc.
(independent political logos - see an appliance, remember the party)
-I noticed thatching & scarecrows on new building construction
(this is to block or absorb the "evil eye" and ill wishes)
I finished Clancy's "Shadow Warriors" & picked up new books at Landmark.
They don't have adult audiobooks, just a few children's.
4:39 PM
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Friday, April 19, 2002
In line with my father's Quebec heritage, I am the "frenchmen"...
and the breath occasionally smells of eldeberry ;^)
Chief of Delivery Capability "Jaideep" has offered a weekend excursion:
140km south to the Union Territory of Pondicherry, once the capital of France in India (?) and
home to Auroville, utopian town of tomorrow conceived by the Aurobindo Ashram (??).
9:43 AM
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Wednesday, April 17, 2002
As "only" a few are being killed in Gujarat daily, it's pg. 11 news:
3 more died yesterday due to shooting, stabbing & incineration.
Another is critical after stoning (like Jesus, not hippies).
Border tensions continue with the Pakis:
a border intercept exposed a suicide bomb plan for Parliment.
Expresso pot doesn't seal well & leaks under pressure.
Nonetheless, I've enjoyed my 2nd glass of "mud".
10:13 AM
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Monday, April 15, 2002
I met Jeff, capo di HelpDesk, at the airport last night (minus his luggage).
Today, as I headed in early to meet him, I had my driver Rao detour to FoodWorld.
Once again, that store only had plain, white bread, so Rao suggested a market called Nilgiris.
I found some nice masala (chiles & spices) & garlic breads. As I left, I saw IT in the window:
an EXPRESSO POT
(Nilgiris has 3 different sizes & a good selection of "decoction" coffee).
I've been without for a month, tomorrow will start with hot & black!
10:22 AM
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Saturday, April 13, 2002
Is your company ISO 9002 Certified?
The manufacturer of my flip flops is!
Anyone else call them chappals, slippers/slippahs, sandals, thongs, or zori?
BTW, Happy New Year from Tamil Nadu!
2:29 PM
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Wednesday, April 10, 2002
CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) & the environment:
Delhi has more than 10,000 public busses, half of which run on diesel, the rest CNG
Supreme Court, attempting to reduce pollution, ordered the diesels off the roads & fined daily
Some say the infrastructure to convert them to CNG would take a year & a half
Others question the remaining remaining 30 lakh (3,000,000) vehicles in the city, many 2-stroke riceburners
Many ask why this couldn't have waited 2 weeks until school kids go on summer holiday
I actually got an MRI & never drank so much foul liquid in my life.
3:26 AM
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Tuesday, April 09, 2002
Problems with my flat continue to mount:
neighboring construction is louder than ever & they don't shut the doors/windows as asked
low voltage varies by wall & contradicts advertised genset backup
intercom works, but maintenance is always busy
lift didn't work today & I'm on the 5th (6th if you count the Indian "ground")
toilet continues to leak waste
AND, measuring my sanity, cable went out during "Bay Watch".
I've got a CAT Scan in 4 hrs...hitting the rack.
6:21 PM
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Sunday, April 07, 2002
No, India doesn't have Daylight Savings Time. I recommend my worldclock.
Watching some tube while I'm having breakfast & noticing censorship:
-cursing is blanked out & MTV gets a lot of blurring ;^)
-I'm not getting excited about field hockey
Just wanted to give credit to the Wilcox's & their Upstate Guide Dog puppyraising.
Suzy has spent years on these dogs: at home, at work, at events (including last week's bowl-a-thon).
Last week, Suzy took on a 2nd "highly energetic" pup as another raiser wanted to go on vacation.
The differences of dogs & their training come out when they're together, tangling their leashes.
7:40 AM
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Saturday, April 06, 2002
Took a Saturday off & went to a huge park in the middle of the city of Chennai (at least 100 acres).
The preserve is run by the Theosophical Society.
There were lots of identified trees, flowers, temples & one of the world's largest Banyan trees.
I'll be back to hide India's first NaviCache.
Afterwards, I removed my shoes (questionable, but I've got all my shots) & visited my first temple.
I learned a little bit about Vishnu, Ganesh, etc. AND the blessing of a brand new car.
The car received not only puja (prayer), but burning camphor, garlands of jasmine, smashed lemons & coconut.
At sunset, I took a walk along a beach & bought some roasted corn on the cob (stomach has been good).
India has nothing on NYS sweet corn.
3:53 PM
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Friday, April 05, 2002
Actress Tawny Kitaen roughed up husband Chuck Finley, pitcher for the Cleveland Indians.
Here's the clickable link on her arrest for spousal abuse.
She's a 42 year old redhead who knocked Finley out of his season debut against the Anaheim Angels.
A 3rd party called police who arrested Kitaen after seeing Finley's wounds.
A judge has issued a restraining order against Kitaen, but she gets their Newport Beach, CA home
while Finley stays elsewhere. D'oh, get a lawyer, Chuck!
10:46 AM
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Thursday, April 04, 2002
The day at the laboratory started with "we're going to check you for thyphoid"...
"No, I don't want to be checked, I want prevention, vaccination, immunization".
"Oh, we don't do that here".
"Let me make make a call & have my people tell you a few things".
I ended up getting Hepatitis B. Then I went to a pharmacy, buying my own Hepatitis A (and syringe!)
I got conflicting stories about needing/not needing Typhoid, so I'll get that at a real hospital tomorrow night.
The physical was pleasantly comprehensive:
my first ever abdominal ultrasound
EKG
full blood work
diabetes reaction test (I just love a glass of sugar)
chest x-ray (technician took my biz card)
doctor's exam & consult (including the presentation of his son's resume).
All for Rs.1400=US$28
2:17 PM
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The day started off with "we're going to check you for thyphoid"...
"No, I don't want to be checked, I want prevention, vaccination, immunization".
"Oh, we don't do that here"
"Let me make make a call & have my people tell you a few things".
I ended up getting Hepatitis B. Then I went to a pharmacy buying my own Hepatitis A (and syringe!)
I got conflicting stories about needing/not needing Typhoid, so I'll get that at a real hospital tomorrow night.
The physical was pleasantly comprehensive:
my first ever adominal ultrasound
EKG
full blood work
diabetes reaction test (I just love a glass of sugar)
chest x-ray
doctor's consult (including the presentation of his son's resume).
All for Rs.1400=US$28
1:46 PM
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Wednesday, April 03, 2002
Downloaded software often contains hidden "SpyWare", an invasion of your computer's privacy.
Do a websearch on "SpyWare" & if it still doesn't make sense, turn in your computer for a refund.
Here's a clickable Link on the suspect Kazaa music trading program.
Today's trip to the "doctor" turned out to be a lab where I left urine & got nothing.
I start over again tomorrow (today) at 7:15AM.
The banging continues next to my flat & I'm so tired, my cheeks hurt.
1:41 PM
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Tuesday, April 02, 2002
At the nunnery next door to work, I often hear "slap-squish-slap-squish..."
and it's not deja vu of 5th grade's Sister Mary Elephant!
It's someone doing laundy against a rock.
While the officeboy takes my wash to the cleaners, I've noticed many buttons come back smashed.
Not totally missing, but smashed. I'm making a connection here, lights are flashing.
On the way to work, I'm driven by the building that houses the cleaners. What's inside?
Rows of buckets with a rock beside each? Or do they put the rocks in the washing machines?
Time to crash. At 7:15AM, I get immunizations for Hepatitis A & B, & Typhoid (co-workers have it).
And, I get a physical so I can jack my insurance to the max (d'oh).
1:13 PM
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Monday, April 01, 2002
A big shout to Juiced Jenny! Fun lady, but then, I'm a fun guy (at least for a little while).
I had a BIG weekend...HUGE:
bought a TV & cable is US$4/mo
-clarification: bored in an empty flat & bought furniture that happens to have a 21" screen with a remote
-modernization: when I had a 1BR flat with cable internet, I bought a 13" TV...now I have 3BR
bought extra sheets & towels
bought Kingfisher beer (Rs.46=US$1/650ml bottle=22oz)
bought papaya, bananas, & guava juice (I feel like I'm back in de islands, mon)
bought John Grisham's "The Summons" (for sale in India only, Rs.195=US$4) & read 3/4 already
houseboy cleaned the flat & took my laundry away
converted Georges to Rs. & got the evil eye over stamp/highlighting
I awoke this morning, turned on ESPN2 & there was Opening Night, Cleveland kicking Anaheim!
Dial-Up just got installed. I'm on sify.com @ 49.2Kbps ($90/yr. plus a WalkMan, but no webspace)
3:55 AM
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