India, india, india.

It's been an interesting week. I got a prepaid internet plan about 3 weeks ago. I was told I'd get 3GB of downloads. My stupid ass thought the downloads meant, downloading documents, files, etc. I even asked the sales guy this question, to which he replied, "yes MAY-DAM." I asked him the same question in a different format a few more times, and got the same reply. So, I thought sweet, only RS. 500 a month (but I prepaid, so gave them 1500). Well...NO, that's not what it meant. Downloading a webpage is what 'downloading' means. And i used those 3 gigs in 3 weeks. With this company you're allowed to check your usage online, and I had been trying, but hadn't been able to get to that part. When I called after the net stopped (and when they told me I reached my limit) and told them about this, they said, "but yes maydam, we were updating our website, so it hasn't been working." OF COURSE! I should have known. When I asked about getting my internet back up and running, I was told that I had to email the helpdesk and tell them I wanted a new plan. Well, I had to do that at work, and though I did my best to flood their inbox with emails from me, they were non responsive. They said someone will call in a couple of days and that was last week. In the meantime I went ahead and signed on with another company, which, from many people, I've heard was pretty good. I'm in the IT hub of India and I continue to have internet problems. Let's hope this new company solves some of that. Ugh.

Ok, some stories. I went to the Police Commissioner's office to register. It's something I need to do, since I'll be in India for over 6 months (straight). I walked there on Saturday, and the day started out well. I had to wait in reception for awhile coz I was early and I chatted with one police guy and another woman for awhile. Both were working the desk. I got to use my Tamil which always makes me happy, since it's such a useless language in the U.S. Well, finally I went in to do this registration THANG. I get in there, and the man tells me that they can't do it today, coz it's a holiday (second saturdays are holidays for most, even me!). I was like, ok, not really sure why there were people inn the FRRO office if it's a holiday, but hey, India is weird like that. The man told me to come Monday and someone could take care of it. He was nice. Well, I asked him what exactly I needed to bring and that I had copies of my passport and PIO card, passport size pics of me, the whole deal. His reply, "yes maydam, yes." Ummm, ok. I asked again, is there anything else I should be bringing, "it's ok maydam, yes" Hmmm. ok. not really sure what that means. I wondered if I should have spoken to him in Tamil, but he was speaking english just fine. I ask him a couple of more times and then asked if there was paper work i needed to fill out. He said yes, but it was something I would do when I came back. Finally, after asking again what I need to bring, he went back, got some paper and asked me if I was a housewife. I was like, "no, I'm doing research." The look he gave was priceless, "Oh, I don't know maydam." It was then that I finally decided to leave because I think I was making this guy's brain work too much. Well, I was annoyed, I have started to accept the fact that people just don't understand questions. The whole idea of communication doesn't exist here in India. It's something I'm going to have to live with for the next 6 months. I think I can do that without going crazy...I hope?!?!?!?

One more story and I'll leave you all. So, it had rained pretty hard this weekend. It was awesome. Although, when I walked out of my place Monday morning to go to work, I saw a HUGE rat, DEAD RAT, lying under this table outside my place. I almost threw up. Well, this little kitten ran away when I had opened the door. See, the thing is, there have been these 2 kittens and a cat hanging out near my place a lot lately. The kitten are super cute. The cat scares me a little. Cats kind of scare me. I'm trying to rid that fear, but it's difficult in India, when my experience with cats has always been them hissing at me. I probably deserved it coz I was always messing with them, but I digress. ANYWAYS, I went to work, trying to figure out what the hell I'm going to do about that dead rat. I swear, it was about the size of Shaq's shoe. And the tail....oh god, that tail was DISGUSTING!!!!! I can't get the image out of my mind.

Well, I was at work, and one of the girl's I work with told me, that the cats probably gave the rat to me as an offering. Ew. The big cat, the other day, was meowing, and when i opened the door to my place, started to come up the stairs to my place. I immediately closed the door. Cats scare me, especially street cats.

When I came home, the rat was gone and I haven't seen the cats since then. I think they realized that their offering didn't impress me.

This place is crazy. The experience, already, has been interesting. I remember before writing that if I knew what I would be going through I wouldn't have said yes to this all....I take that statement back. As annoying and frustrating India is, I've become more independent, more confident in myself, more of a bitch (and less passive..ain't nobody gonna walk all over me!), and I've gotten to get to know a new city, which I love doing.

I'm also just happy I have internet again. Sweet, sweet internet. I love thee.

Oh, and Prem and Jenny (my brother and sister in law) will be in India in a couple of weeks and I'll be meeting the jerks up in Goa. I. can't. wait.