How I Got Here Part Three

So when I left off my last post I had just brushed my teeth with the clove toothpaste. I decided that since I had about 5 hours before I needed to get ready to leave to go back to the airport it would be best if I could sleep for a little bit to start getting my body used to the fact that night and day had just been switched around. I requested a wakeup call for 6am and cuddled up in the bed to sleep. I had a couple of strange dreams and awoke sure that it must be almost 6. I then looked at the clock and realized I had only been asleep about an hour.

I was about as wide awake as I could be, so I knew sleeping was not going to be an option. I turned on the TV to see what I could find to watch to pass the time. (I wasn't about to walk onto the streets at 1am!) There was an interesting array of things on TV... I found a channel that just airs fashion shows and I decided I just don't get high fashion. I found Indian MTV and learned that they actually still show music videos all the time, unfortunately all the videos were for Hindi music and I didn't understand a word of it. I ended up watching CNN International and an episode of Friends for a few hours. The most amazing thing to me was I did not see one report on Anna Nicole Smith! I know when I was leaving Dallas I saw live coverage of her survivors in court, but for some reason the rest of the world doesn't seem to realize the importance of that case for the survival of humankind.

One alarming thing I did see on the TV was a public service announcement of "advance warning of sun outtage". I don't know about anyone else, but I hadn't heard anything about the chance that we could completely lose the sun for a period! That seems like something scientists would be pretty frightened about. After all, without the sun the whole global warming thing would go away... But as I watched I realized that the warning was about the chance that solar flares could interupt satellite signals and knock out TV stations. Too me that isn't so much a sun outtage as a TV outtage, but I guess that is where language differences come in...

When the sun finally came up I was able to see the garden out the window. It was very pretty, with palm trees and little statues. The air did look very hazy, it was obvious that the pollution is much worse than I've seen in even LA or New York. A new W Hotel was being built on the other side of the garden, it looked like it would be another unbelievably luxurious place. I then looked to the side and saw my first slum. What a real picture of what India is, people living in the worst poverty in the shadow of luxury hotels. I couldn't help thinking that what my company was paying for one night in this hotel would probably be enough to feed all those people for a year.

Finally it was time to check out of the hotel and head back ot the airport. I noticed that the hotel shuttle was a Toyota Corolla, it was almost like being in Mom's car -- if it had the steering wheel on the other side and a stick shift. Just like a little piece of home! In the light I was able to see much more of the city on the way to the airport, it was the strangest mix of shops, slums, hotels, and people that I've ever seen. I saw a bunch of kids in school uniforms walking past a guy riding a bike with a bunch of trays of eggs balanced on the back. Very surreal.

In the night I had repositioned things in my bags so I could check my new bag and just use my backpack as a carryon. I walked into the airport and was completely confused as to where to go. I finally found a checkin line for my airline and got to the front to check my bag only to be told I had to go get it x-rayed first. So walked back across the check in area to the x-ray line and had my bag scanned so I could go stand back in line again. When they scan the bag they then put zip ties through the zipper pulls, put a stamped sticker on the zipper so you will be able to tell if anyone opens it, and wrap it with a big plastic cord. It did make me feel like I didn't have to worry about anyone going through my bag while it was out of my sight. (Don't even mention to me that they could search my bag and then put the same safety measures back on, I like living in my dream world!)

On the way to the gate area I passed a "Hog Dog" stand, next to a Baskin Robbins.

Once I was finally checked in I moved on to the security check point. There was a long line waiting to go through, but I then noticed that there was a separate line for ladies. I figured I'd take advantage of being female and bypassed the line. I put my bag on the same x-ray machine as the men, but then went into a curtained off area to be frisked and scanned with a metal detector. I then emerged into the waiting area to board my flight. The waiting area was obviously just built up, it was very spacious, all marble and very pretty. There was a big flat screen tv showing a cricket match. I was really hungry and saw a couple stands selling food, but I was a little afraid of what it might be healthwise for me to try it so I decided to wait for breakfast on the plane.

Before boarding the plane I had to have my carry on xrayed again, and I made another visit to a curtained off area to be frisked and wanded before boarding a shuttle bus that would drive us to the plane. Jet Airways is one of the nicest of the Indian domestic airlines, so my first class seat there was very nice. Not as nice as the seat on the 777, but much more comfortable than most of my usual flights stuck back in coach! I was again presented with a menu of which nothing sounded good, so I asked for just the bread and croissants. I decided if I had no idea what the food was I probably didn't want to test it on my stomach this early in the trip. I probably looked pretty funny as I snatched croissants from the basket and scarfed them down like I hadn't eaten in weeks. They were really good though.

The flight to Bangalore took a little over an hour, and was pretty uneventful. When we landed I was interested to see where it looked like they were adding a new runway area. While men would smooth the wet concrete, there were women carrying the concrete from the mixing area to the construction area in baskets on their heads. Quite a mix of ancient and modern techniques!

I got off the plane and collected my bags and began to look for my driver, Murthy. I had been told that he would be waiting with a sign with my name on it. I walked out the door and was again confronted with about 100 men holding signs with different names on them. I walked to the end of the line and never saw my name. I stood at the end of the walkway for about 5 minutes hoping Murthy would find me, but I didn't see him. So rather than continue to be accosted by taxi drivers trying to help me I went back into the airport to call the manager of the office. I found a pay phone area. Basically it was a regular phone, but a person sat next to it with a timer and would tell you how much you owed after you hung up. I called Ratnesh and he advised that he would call Murthy and make sure he could seek me. (Seek me first is always my motto!) I waited about 15 minutes with no luck and called Ratnesh back. He advised that Murthy was waiting for me just outside... I had hoped he was coming in to find me, I didn't want to walk back outside again! Luckily as I walked to the door I saw a man arguing with the security guard trying to get in, and he was holding a sign with my name on it. I don't think I've ever been so happy to see anyone in my life!

He took me to his SUV, and it had a "Don't Mess with Texas" sticker on the back given to him from some of the previous workers from my office who had made their way over here. It was a nice piece of home. On the way to the apartment I saw my first Indian cow wandering the streets eating garbage. It was a pretty sad sight for something that is supposed to be sacred.

I've got to get off to work again now, I'll update tomorrow with details on the apartment and the office here. My parents shipped my camera off to me on Monday, and it is supposed to be here by tomorrow night so I can finally take pictures! On the Fed Ex tracking I can tell that my camera has made the journey from Irving to Memphis to Paris and is now in transit, I can't wait to see what kind of exciting places it heads to next!