India is a place of unexpected surprises. In order to survive, you must come to expect the unexpected and not let it phase you. Driving the wrong way down the street, no problem. The tuk-tuk driver is facing you rather than the road, furgetaboutit.
However, there needs to be a new qualification to the phrase “expect the unexpected” and that is “expect the unexpected, particularly when you are not expecting it”.
This happened to me this very morning when the ringing doorbell slowly filtered in to my mind at 6.30 in the morning. It took a minute or two for it to actually sink in that it was the doorbell that was going, so I thought hey-ho, let’s go and answer it.
The person ringing the doorbell was a guy from work, and he had another guy with him, apparently someone from the Bangalore office, who was coming to stay.
Expect the unexpected.
Someone knocks at your door and announces that they are coming to stay. You’ve had no indication or forwarning of this visitor, it’s completely unexpected.
Particularly when you are not expecting it.
OK, someone knocking at your door and announcing they are staying at yours is just about bareable, but when it’s at 6.30am and you’re awoken from a deep sleep, it just goes to show that in India, the unexpected can happen at any time!
Mosquito Bite Count: 19
Alright Pedro,
Just reading your blog during my lunch hour. What’s all this about temples, french towns and elephants? Sounds to me like you’re absorbing some culture…
How’s your hindi coming on?
Yes, I was very nearly in danger of soaking up some culture, so I countered it by getting drunk in the roof top swimming pool at the hotel!
In a land where there are 14 official languages, Hindi is just one. Tamil is the local language in Tamil – and yes it’s coming on very well! I can say “one chicken tikka masala, thank you”
Hi Peter,
Just try more words to taste different delicious foods in our home land.Taking “Chicken Tikka Masala” daily will give some trouble, so atleast to have some good food learn some more words in Tamil 🙂 We are here to assist you.