OCT 12, 11 (1/2) .. For What It’s Worth
TID-BIT .. you will love this..
The @#&’g cockroaches are getting to me.. I am living in a cockroach infested room.. they are everywhere and I am killing them as fast as I can kill them.. I swear they get into EVERYTHING.. they go up vertical surfaces as quick as can be ..
ONE GOOD THING IS THIS..
Basically the little beasties are nocturnal creatures.. sleeping quietly in the light of day.. totally out of sight ..
EXCEPT when I pick something up.. like my pillow to take a nap.. and then THERE IS AN EXPLOSION OF ACTIVITY AS THEY RUN LIKE HELL to get away and hidden again..
Last night at dinner I asked my waiter about HIS apartment.. I said to him .. “DO you have cockroaches in your apartment ? “
And with an absolutely straight face.. absolutely seriously.. he stated to me .. WITH EMPHASIS ..
“Oh NO Sir ! .. I do NOT have ANY cockroaches in my apartment.. ALL OF THE LIZARDS IN MY APARTMENT kill and eat them when they can find them !”
AHHHH yeah.. all of the LIZARDS ..
AND YOU ALL HAVE THE NERVE TO ASK ME..
“‘CAP.. WHY IS IT YOU LOVE INDIA ?”
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For me to get from my hotel across downtown Calcutta to the Railway Booking Office on Fairlie (Fairly or even Fairlee) Place is about a 30 to 45 minute trip ..
Yesterday after being on the internet for five and one half (count them) HOURS.. I headed out of here at 3:45PM aiming to get there by 5PM to RE-BOOK my trip out of Calcutta..
I ALSO DESPERATELY wanted to go to the GPO to get some more of the special Philatelic Shop stamps.. two missions.. BOTH LOCATIONS are about ten minutes walk from each other.. kill two birds with one stone thinking..
So out and off went Gimme Some Roy to the land that knows no time..
I got to my room.. gobbled down some chunky peanut butter (I now get from my SPECIAL “K” cereal man .. see FWIW 32.10 top row photo on the right) .. with marmalade .. on wonderful COARSE AND HARD crackers ..and a cup of India nibblie treats .. inhaled a litre of water.. washed up a little and running late… at 4:08PM was on the street to catch a bus to get to Fairlie Place Booking Office..
AND I KNEW I WAS SHORT ON MONEY.. I had 200 Rupees to pay the cancellation fee and difference .. IF more costly .. for my new trip itinerary.. so I risked going to the booking office and coming up empty EXCEPT I have done this before and I KNEW I was probably OK ..
THE BUS FROM HEAVEN SHOWED UP.. EMPTY AND ROCKING.. and I was downtown in the vicinity of the Fairlie Booking Office by 4:30PM.. half an hour to spare.. so in I raced to a Bank ATM to get money..
WHA.. WHA.. WHAT !! .. the keypad of the Bank ATM machine had NO ZEROs.. all the key pad had was a row readng 1-2-3 then a row 4-5-6 .. and lastly a row 7-8-9 .. and NO zeros..
LORD YOU WONDER WHY I LOVE INDIA..
Five minutes shot.. BUT I dashed to another ATM and got Five Thousand Rupees.. good-to-go ..
I HAD GIVEN UP ON GETTING MYSELF TO THE GPO AND THE PHILATELIC OFFICE SPECIAL STAMP COUNTER THAT CLOSES AT 5pm..
With TIME TO SPARE.. at 4:45PM.. there I was .. and OH NO !!
The Railway Booking Office was totally SHUT AND CLOSED DOWN..
It was LAXMI’s PUJA day.. DURGA’s daughter LAXMI has her own PUJA on Tuesday after her mother’s Puja and..
I WAS OUT OF LUCK ..
Then I said to myself.. I am a ten minute run from the GPO .. MAYBE .. JUST MAYBE .. the GPO will be open..
So out and off raced Gimme Some Roy to the land that knows no time..
OFF I RAN FOR THE GPO AND THE PHILATELIC COUNTER..
WHAT ? .. WHAT ? ..
THE GPO AND THE PHILATELIC COUNTER WERE BOTH..
OPEN AND THE STAFF (who know me from many years) WAIVED ME IN WITH SMILES..
Patti is always saying to me .. “Cap.. people REMEMBER YOU” ..
And I bought two hundred and thirty (230 Rupees) worth of SPECIAL STAMPS TO SENT TO..
to YOU..
Today I went to the Fairlie Place Rail Booking Office EARLY .. was there on time at 9AM .. and.. and..
AND THEY OPEN UP AT TEN (10AP)..
So out and off RACED Gimme Some Roy to the land that knows no time..
BACK HERE TO THE INTERNET CAFE so I could get on line and write you and caption a bunch of photos ..
I will go back to the Fairlie Place Rail Booking Office this afternoon .l. and THE GOOD LORD WILLING..
I will RE-BOOK my escape from Calcutta sometime next week..
Much Joy..
AND SOME OF YOU WONDER WHAT IT IS I LOVE ABOUT INDIA..
giggle.. love.. cap..