Thursday, April 20, 2006

Murphy's Law in India

When the day started yesterday I was in a bit of a Funk. Just been down about certain things in life, sleepy from going out the night before, and just not my normal peppy self. The day seemed to get better as it went along. Especially when I took a mid-day break to watch the DVD of Omeleshe & Tunigini (my dance groups from Namibia) dance that Nate had sent me.

So it's 5:30- quitting time, and I was thinking of running to my tailors to pick up a shirt and drop some things off as well.

When a delivery guy comes by with. . . TA DA my laptop. I turn it on and it appears okay. My mind suddenly races to spending the evening watching movies, updating my Shuffle and granting myself a new background picture. I read the service agreement (but Prianka the office manager advises me not to pay now).

Other than a strange smudge that was not on my screen before it looked fine. There's actually a new program for watching DVDs on the desktop- Which made me think that they've just kept my laptop to watch movies a few extra days.

I run down stairs to where the spare Internet connection is, unpack and. . . . my dongle is gone. Remember I still have a computer that requires (Naima’s dongle actually from PCOndongwa) one to get online.

Slightly dismayed by not being able to update my files and get new songs on my shuffle (I'm keeping about a Gig of music on the network to save my laptop and my variety). I figure I'll just settle down and check through my files, maybe find a fun new picture or something. Suddenly my laptop says . . . Shutting down, and turns it self off.

I think, “That's odd.” Maybe it was a battery thing (it did say empty) and I hit the power button. It turns on and I start to look through some picture files when . . . the screen goes white again.

Yep nothing has really been fixed apparently, and my laptop goes back to the shop today. It lasted a total of maybe 5 mins.

A bit frustrated, but trying to make the best of the day I head of to my tailors to pick up a top I have been getting made, and drop off more fabric to get fun tops made out of. (The most annoying thing about tailors here is that unless you want to get bitchy, things take 10 days-2 weeks to go to the tailors and get back . . . very annoying). So I go up the stairs and get out my service slip when she says. “Oh I’m sorry it’s not ready yet. Our tailor has been sick, maybe in two days.” Which was only upsetting because I’ve been planning to wear the top and skirt today.

Starting to get down, but trying to keep a stiff upper lip, I figure I’ll buy “A Midsummer’s Night Dream” to re-read it before I go see the play next week. (a very exciting prospect as it is apparently in 8 different Indian Languages and received excellent reviews in Delhi). Though there are a block and a half of Book-Wallas and almost every Shakespearian play and poem one could think of (“As You Like It” came up a lot) there was no “Midsummer’s Night Dream” and the only way I could get it is if I bought the complete works (which I had no intention of doing or sending home).

Really starting to get down I manage to buy peanuts, veggies, and fruits on my way home without issue. I head by the Laundrette where I get my clothes machine washed and dried. Unfortunately because the electricity has been going out my clothes won’t be ready until today.

Well after countless disappointments I decided that it is acceptable to just have fruit salad for dinner, wine, and chocolate. And try to see what lesson I was supposed to learn from that dreadful day. Though I still haven’t figured it out yet, eating fruit and chocolate does make one feel a bit better.

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