We've been without the internet...

Our connection to the internet has been down for a couple of days. My connection to the real world had been severed. Is it awful to feel that way? That somehow, I’m not in the “real” world? Of course I know this is absolutely not true. The real world is one where some people live in high rises with pools and some people live in a 50 square foot box maybe with a window. Where some people ride in SUVs and others squeeze into a filthy bus so over crowded that limbs literally hang out of open windows and doors. The poverty, it seems, has been on my mind.

I know it’s just the way of the world – some people are rich and some are poor and there are lots in between. I’ve been trying to believe that even those who seemingly live a meager existence, the people of Bangalore seem happy. Or that maybe they don’t realize (or particularly care) how much money some people have. As George said once, “if you’ve never had a hot shower, you just don’t know any different.” I guess this is true but I’m really starting to understand “gratitude” in a whole different light. On the way home from yoga, Vivian and I pass by this street that during the day is a street market and at night smells (and looks) like a garbage bin. The other night, I saw a man with a bag, picking through the discarded fruits and vegetables (along with the stray dogs and cows) and put the food in his bag.

On a lighter note, we obviously got our internets fixed (sort of) with the help of the ever-efficient Indian technology geniuses. Sir tagged teamed into the Geek Squad and set us up with these cards that allow us to connect to the internet "anytime, anywhere." Three trips to the store later, we have an extraordinarily slow connection but a connection nonetheless. I went with him on the first trip but did not go back the second and third times. But he came home the second day and said, “today, was very frustrating.” With that I will tell you the story as I have seen and heard it…

Saturday, we went to see if we could purchase one of these cards (the size of a credit card). Thinking this would be a quick in and out (ha ha), I decided to wait in the car with Chandan. We are getting these cards through the same company we got our cell phones which was fittingly a production – at first we couldn’t call internationally, then we were on the wrong plan, then we couldn’t pay the bill online. As George put it, “I used 54 minutes since we’ve been here and 52 have been to the phone company.” The pessimists reading will think, “well, you should’ve expected this to be a hassle.” The optimists however, “since, you’ve already been dealing with these people on a regular basis, perhaps you have already gone through much of the red tape.” Pessimists win this one.

A half hour later, George emerges, no cards (and no bruises) but with about four forms. Oh, how Indians love their paperwork. As it turns out, we need to fill out these forms that ask for everything from our address and phone number to passport numbers, to the name of a friend, and of course, they need passport sized photos. They require photos for everything – to get a phone, a gym pass, basically anything that also requires a signature. There are enough passport size photos of us floating around this country to cover every existing milk carton.

So, he goes back on Tuesday armed with the forms, photos, passport, marriage license, blood donor card, Blockbuster card – very well prepared. There is someone ahead of him but apparently, they brush that person aside to help George. He ends up working with like three different people who ask him to fill out more paperwork, all essentially asking the same information. I should also mention that these forms have carbon copies – like old school, slip the blue paper underneath the paper you are writing on to make copies. (Most stores, in addition to the cash register receipt, will also hand write a receipt on carbon copy paper. Just in case you lose one?) An hour later, he ends up with two cards and these other separate chips that go in each card and a folder full of papers.

As it turns out, the card works on his computer but is not compatible with mine…so, he made his third trip last night. It should come as a shock to no one that they weren't going to take the card back but, what a charmer that George. Because we had taken everything out of the package, they said they couldn't re-sell it. But he and two other employees worked out a deal where the company will try to re-sell it at a discount and if they can't within 2 weeks time, George has to take it back and will try to sell it at work. Only in India. To make a long story short, the internet is back but it is REALLY slow - like we are using a dial-up which defeats the purpose of buying the stupid cards anyway. After speaking to multiple tech-support people, we have a "reference number" for a complaint and they are supposed to be resetting something so we have normal connection speeds.

Other than that drama, I decided not to work at that international school. It took me about and hour and 15 minutes to get there yesterday and it just opened a few weeks ago. Visiting there, I realized that I really do miss teaching more than I thought but I also know that if I said yes, I would be spending all my time planning and reading up on my 8^th grade math and science. Oh, and maybe I would be interested in taking both the 7^th and 8^th grade and teaching them “holistically.” I still don’t know exactly what she meant by that. (There are less than 20 students between both grades but still.) She would require lesson plans to be turned in in advance. And she’s really looking for Western teachers to take on more of a mentor role to some of the “associate” teachers. Logistically, it would be hard to get there with one driver at which point the women said, “Well that’s not a problem. You can ride the bus.” (Which she later mentioned also means you are the supervisor responsible for any "issues in transit.") They are also a quasi-Montessori school which in theory, I’m not opposed to but I don’t really know enough about it. I just got the feeling that this would be turning in to way more of a commitment than this lady of leisure was looking for. That sounds awfully spoiled and terrible, doesn’t it? But I would end up being the girl who goes to India and ends up saying, “That’s ok, you go to the Taj Mahal. I have to correct papers and get my lesson plans ready for next week.” Besides, there are still tutoring opportunities I’d like to explore…

Oh and I don't think we're going to move. I don't know if either of us can handle another round of "settling in." A new man called yesterday asking if he could come up and have 5 minutes of my time. "To discuss what exactly," I ask.
"Your passes."
"Our passes?"
"Yes, ma'am to use the facilities."
"Um, sure. Come on up."
His name is John Paul and he introduced himself as the "manager" but I don't know if he meant the manager of the entire building or just our flat...his card lists an entirely different apartment complex (the Diamond District where we also looked). We know there is a woman who actually owns the flat and we met the "landlord" on the first day. I think Krishn is the landlord's #2 and then he appears to have a staff. So I don't know where John Paul fits in but, his English was excellent and he was wearing a tie. He gave me a form to fill out with our names, addresses, etc. and yes, when I have completed the forms, I should return with 3 photos of each of us. (But these have to be "stamp size," passport sized will be too big.) This would be to get us access to the gym and pool. (Have I mentioned that I was barred from going to the gym one day because our flat number wasn't on the right list? This form apparently gets us on the list.) He said he would bring me a curtain rod for the kitchen and "really, anything else you need is no problem." I've replaced the living room curtains and got a plant. So, I think with some more love we can turn this place around. We do like the location and it is far enough from the main road that it's not too noisy.

There is a happy hour tonight for members of the OWC and their spouses at one of the fancier hotels tonight. It should be interesting.