Delhi Belly

I had to leave work early today because I wasn't feeling well. The long and bizarre hours we have had to put in this week, paired with the fact that I never had an opportunity to adjust to the 9.5-hour time difference, finally caused my adrenaline to putter out, and I hit a wall 8.5 hours into what was supposed to be a 12-hour day today. In addition to the sleep deprivation, I'm begrudgingly starting to admit that the copious amounts of curried delights I have been consuming, may be causing a bit of Delhi Belly, as stomach upsets in foreigners are referred to here.

It's very difficult to lay off the Indian food - for one thing, it's readily available, DELICIOUS, and unbelievably inexpensive. At work, employees can opt-in to a daily lunch program for .60 cents a day! Hello?! That is THREE DOLLARS A WEEK for lunch!!! The lunch is two different kinds of rice (plain and spicy), a vegetable curry, two types of cooked vegetables that are spicy but prepared dry (sans heavy sauce), two types of sambar, roti, yoghurt (I get to put an 'h' in there 'cause I'm Indian now), and dessert. It's amazing.

I was fine up until the other night, tummy-wise, until we ordered Pizza Hut. That gave me a stomach ache that just won't leave. Funny that the "American" food was what set me off to feeling queasy! At my hotel, the food isn't quite as cheap, but still, my dinner tonight cost around $4(not that I actually had to pay for it). My room also comes filled with tasty Indian snacks - is it any wonder that I have been pigging out and suffering the consequences?!

The attorneys that I am supervising are the sweetest people imaginable, and have been very sympathetic to my plight. A couple of them offered me these "candies" that are supposed to aid with digestion: Hajmola. They are the WORST thing you have ever tasted, unless you tried the sodas I had at my party last week. They are the solidified equivalent of those sodas - tangy tamarind flavor but instead of just being sweet, they are unbearably SALTY! I hate them soooooo much, which means that I will be buying a shit ton and sending them to you!!! I bet you are excited!

Other highlights of my day:

- I bought two packs of Indian cigarettes for the equivalent of $1 from some old lady sitting in the dirt under a tree in my business park. The park itself is so strange. It's all of these high-tech companies in super-modern buildings, but the roads are totally unpaved, there are stray dogs running around, and old ladies that will sell you loose cigarettes.

- I would totally have a baby here, because from what I saw this morning, you can put a shirt on your toddler and no pants,and then make them stay outside alone crying while you do your thing and no one cares. As I was waiting for my ride to work at 6:45 this morning, I watched this fucking two-year-old that was hanging around outside with no pants on. The baby was all alone with stray dogs running around, and people just walked by the crying baby without even noticing! The fact that I watched with more amusement than concern says a lot about my suitability as a parent.

- I'm still not used to the total anarchy of the roads here. Every car ride is packed with excitement! They don't even have lanes from what I can gather! My boss's driver, Jagadesh, is one of my favorite people here, and he told me that he wants me to try to drive his car at least once. I'll take him up on it some day, but only in a totally remote area (don't worry, Mom!). Oh, and we got stuck behind a group of BULLS wandering down the street on my way home. Bulls. Wandering the street. They like to do their thing and they do not give a fuck about any of the cars on the road.

- I got invited to see a play on Sunday called "An Idiot at Dinner." I REALLLLLY want to attend this production, but my move-in has been postponed until Sunday, so it depends on how long it takes to do that and to buy the things I will need to be set up and comfortable. I know you want a full review, so I will definitely try to make it!

- I have to go to sleep or I am seriously going to die.