Things appear to be slowing down...

Gecko-watch 2007 continues. No more sightings.

Rat-watch 2007 however, is a bit more exciting. After yoga last night with my new friend Vivian, it was pouring. We were the only two in the class - probably because it's from 7-8 pm which wouldn't be my first pick of time but it's all that is open right now supposedly. We took an auto-rickshaw to class which was fun. Vivian does not have driver so she was pro at navigating the streets and the rickshaw driver which made her seem infinitely more cosmopolitan than I. The driving seems alot more dangerous in the rickshaw than in a car. You can actually touch the other cars and scooters in the rickshaw and you sit surprisingly higher than in a car. But anyway, since it was pouring after class, and the studio/spa is set back from the street, we decided to wait to see if the rain would let up before catching a rickshaw back. The rain was not letting up so I called Chandan. Now, when it rains, some of the scooter drivers pull over and seek shelter. So a family of four had joined Vivian, me, the yoga instructor and a guard in the yoga place. I see a rat run by the door and just thank God it's outside. But then Vivian goes to open the door to see how hard it's raining and out of nowhere, the rat is running inside. She and I jump ten feet and the Indians just laugh at us. It scurries to the opposite side of the lobby and waits behind a garbage can, every now and then peaking out. Vivian and I move outside because getting wet seemed like the lesser evil. We're up to 3 rats seen alive, 2 dead.

When Chandan did come, he had to take 2 detours because the streets were so flooded. It was nearly 9 before we got home which is way too late. I think I can find another yoga class to join.

As my sister Laura might say, the whore of India was at it again today (see her comment from yesterday). There was a coffee for IBM employees and their spouses. And yes, I got more numbers. It was good to meet them but a bit intense as well. First of all, the woman hosting the party, Ilsa, lives in a 3 story, gorgeous house with her husband and I think 3 kids. When I told people we were living at St. John's Woods, they all said, "so where will you be living permanently?" Most of them - 95% - had kids so they all lived in this area just outside the city in houses. They starting asking me if he was on a "STTR" assignment or an "IRA" assignment, or "XYPDQ" assignment... I don't remember the initials specifically but i felt a little silly saying, "I'm not really sure." From what I gathered, the type of assignment determines what kind of allowances you get for housing and things. But realizing our situation is a little different (no kids), some people understood that we wanted to be in the city, didn't need a ton of space and didn't need to worry about being near a good school. But they all seemed to suggest there are nicer places out there. In the end, I got the names of a place not far from where we are that I think we'd like to see. I'm not sure either of us really feels like moving now that we are just starting to feel a little settled but it can't hurt to look.

I met a woman named Heather who is from Michigan and very nice. She said, "I'm used to getting stares in the US so I've really been getting them here." She was at least 6'1" with blond hair and light skin. She is here with her husband and three kids and was very down-to-earth and friendly. So I scored her digits. I also met another woman with 2 names, Mary Louise or Anne Margaret something Irish-Catholic sounding. She is also here with her husband who is Indian but is an American citizen and their 2 kids. They have been here for 4 years. Somehow it came out that she is one of like 11 children and was one of those people you instantly feel comfortable around. I actually did not get her digits but hope we run into her again. I did get the number of a woman Liz, who is married to a man named Marcel, who may have the name of another yoga place and another apartment complex. She and Marcel were into cycling in the US so we bonded over there being no place to bike or run

Many of you have been emailing me about the weather and what I've been wearing. It is actually very pleasant. It does not get hot, hot here like it does in the north (how counter-intuitive, no?). The first week we were here it was pretty cloudy and usually in the 70s - jeans and t-shirts were fine. It's been getting sunnier so it's also been warmer - in the 80s. It's been too hot for jeans and since shorts are a no-no for women, I've been living in the 2 pairs of capris I own and bought a third pair. I also have a couple of skirts that are below the knee that I wear. Although today is cool and rainy. Chandan says the rainy season lasts until the end of September, then it's "winter" but still he said doesn't go much below 15 (or 60 Fahrenheit) . We are on the Deccan Plateau which they say, is the reason why it doesn't get too hot or too cold.

So this was kind of a boring post...I fear our time of entertaining stories is going to be slowing down a bit in the coming days/weeks. I even had, dare I say, an uneventful trip to the grocery store. (Aside from my personal space being violated on multiple occasions and the cows, dogs and men doing their business that we passed on the way there.)

Unless, of course, we do decide to move...