So, back in India. Last time wasn’t hot. This time is hot. First week – constant 42 degree highs. That is rather hot.
And – that’s about it from me, I think. Ummm…. on Sunday a few of us went into Delhi. That was alright. Drove around in a hotel car – driven by a nice patient man wearing his chaffeur cap. Saw India Gate. That’s big, and surrounded by the normal tout type thing. Saw Gandhi’s Eternal Flame. And yes, there was a woman there selling Bangles. Well – wristbands. Saw the president’s palac, and government buildings. They’re pretty big. Drove past the Red Fort, but didn’t get a decent look. That’s big. Very big, and red. And then – had dinner at The Imperial. THE place to stay/eat in Delhi. Was not bad. Food wasn’t too expensive, actually about the same price as our hotel. Except the dish I ordered – which was three times the price of anything else. Hell – I wanted beef/lamb/lobster. I didn’t want weird mini macaranoi cheese thing (three pieces of penne, with cheese, baked/grilled into a kind of biscuit) – but got that anyway.
Oh – and yesterday, disaster struck. Here I am feeling smug, as my colleagues fall one by one to that affliction known by the Delhi Belly,Gandhi’s Revenge, the Delhi Weight-Loss Plan, etc etc (I chuckled politely the first time I heard each of these. No more.) Anyway – I was feeling smug, and rather superior at the weakness of these people. Then… no, I didn’t become sick. Of course I didn’t become sick. But – “Dry Day”! Stupid countries who decide people have to be sober to vote. Yep – election day in Delhi tomorrow. And, from 5pm last night until 5pm tomorrow night – every container with alcohol in it has a big ‘sealed’ sticker over it. They stole into our rooms and thieved everything out of the mini-bars while we were at work. The spirits at the bar have been taken away somewhere, and locked in a safe I presume. The beer fridges, wine fridges, and everything else have big stickers saying SEALED over the doors. And – they sprung it on us by surprise. Sort of. We had heard rumours – and I asked the barman about it. He said yes – it went from Wednesday evening through to Friday evening. Okay – I thought, and explained to workmates on Monday. I’ve spotted what seems to be a booze-store, well – booze-shack, nearly across the road. Named English Beer & Spirits, for some reason (it really does look like a shack/shed). So – tomorrow night, we’ll get the car to go via there, and we’ll stock up. Alas, Tuesday evening comes, and we hear the news from the hotel. Dry Day has started, with us unprepared. Well – the suckers unprepared, me… I still got most of a bottle of duty-free scotch. Still, not happy. And then – when I get back to the hotel, and the bar staff all tease me – I go up to my room. And my keycard doesn’t work. I start to panic. “What if they’ve de-activated my key, so that somebody can come and personally tell me they had to confiscate my whisky during the Dry Day period?” Yes – I really did. But – after spending a while waiting for somebody to let me in – and talking myself into and out of believing the worst – I entered my room, and my beautiful little boy was there. So – while my workmates drank tea and watched sookball last night, I drank whisky and watched a masculine violent movie.
And tomorrow – actual Election Day. Therefore, very few people at work, therefore very little need for us to go in, therefore working from the hotel. I suspect that this might be a ploy so that we can be at the bar as soon as the ban lifts at 5. Some people are so sad.
Anyway – off now. Workmates look to be settling in for some sookball. Might be time for a night-cap.
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