We aren't in our permanent home yet, but we made a big step into more comfortable circumstances. Until we find an apartment we are staying in a guest apartment in the same colony as the doctors. This means, among other things, that we now have a kitchen and we can leave for work half an hour later.
This first morning we left for work, however, the jeep got stuck in the mud less than a km down the road. A crowd gathered and offered advice on how to get it out. We placed stones under the tires, people helped push, but the jeep just sunk deeper and deeper. Eventually, we gave it up and the doctors hopped on a bus and Dolly and I walked home to work from there (and try to get the internet working).
I would now like to purge my system by venting about Hotel Sharda. First, when we first arrived, it was nice. Clean and air-conditioned, and more than what I expected for 650 rupees (about $13) a night, and some of my frustrations were undoubtably a result of the total of about 2 weeks of hotel living. But the small things do stop being small and start growing in size. The doorbell for the room made an absolutely horribly buzzing sound, a noise appropriate to be used as additional negative reinforcement during electroshock therapy. Every time we ordered something from room service, it was rang probably four times... once to deliver the food, once to pick up the dishes, once to bring the bill, and finally one last time to bring the change. Many of these times were in the later evenings or early mornings, when those kinds of noises are especially unwelcome. And sometimes they would ring it just to see if we wanted anything... but at least they mostly stopped that after a few days and us explaining that if we wanted anything we would call.
The food at the hotel was the most convienient dinner option, as we could call them up and they would bring it to the room. Often we would get home at 7 or 8, and were tired and preferred to stay in. The problem was that the food was pretty mediocre and only vegetarian, so every night it was a question of whether to go out and get something better, or stay in the room and relax while we waited for the food to come.
But now, thats all over, and we're getting settled nicely. We can once again eat home cooked food, and make our tea and coffee the way we like it. And now, our doorbell is a pleasant sound of birds chirping.
This first morning we left for work, however, the jeep got stuck in the mud less than a km down the road. A crowd gathered and offered advice on how to get it out. We placed stones under the tires, people helped push, but the jeep just sunk deeper and deeper. Eventually, we gave it up and the doctors hopped on a bus and Dolly and I walked home to work from there (and try to get the internet working).
I would now like to purge my system by venting about Hotel Sharda. First, when we first arrived, it was nice. Clean and air-conditioned, and more than what I expected for 650 rupees (about $13) a night, and some of my frustrations were undoubtably a result of the total of about 2 weeks of hotel living. But the small things do stop being small and start growing in size. The doorbell for the room made an absolutely horribly buzzing sound, a noise appropriate to be used as additional negative reinforcement during electroshock therapy. Every time we ordered something from room service, it was rang probably four times... once to deliver the food, once to pick up the dishes, once to bring the bill, and finally one last time to bring the change. Many of these times were in the later evenings or early mornings, when those kinds of noises are especially unwelcome. And sometimes they would ring it just to see if we wanted anything... but at least they mostly stopped that after a few days and us explaining that if we wanted anything we would call.
The food at the hotel was the most convienient dinner option, as we could call them up and they would bring it to the room. Often we would get home at 7 or 8, and were tired and preferred to stay in. The problem was that the food was pretty mediocre and only vegetarian, so every night it was a question of whether to go out and get something better, or stay in the room and relax while we waited for the food to come.
But now, thats all over, and we're getting settled nicely. We can once again eat home cooked food, and make our tea and coffee the way we like it. And now, our doorbell is a pleasant sound of birds chirping.
When a vehicle becomes stuck in mud, let almost all the air out of the tires then pull on it with a rope on the bumper while moving slowly forward.