Internet access has not always been available. Geesh I can't believe reading this...I sound Indian...I have to make some corrections....:)
I arrived back in Bangalore on the 25th of Jan and Siddu had said that I could stay with him. In his fine fashion he decided 24 hours beforehand that he could not host me....er he wasn't there...go figure.
Update as of Feb 9th.
I just need you to know that I was pretty sure via the Mayo Clinic website that I had pneumonia.
The girls were so worried that they kept on me to see a doctor.
I went to the doctor here at the Eden shop. He works three days a week from 6-9pm.
So here is the Appointment:
He asks: What is your name? I give it to him
He asks: How old are you? I tell him
He says why are you here? I tell him I think that I have had pneumonia.
Why do you think you had pneumonia. I told him. ER VERY high fever, cough, rattling in my left lung, and it was relieved once I started antibiotics
He says I don't think so. Okay.
He says Can I see the antibiotics you took. I show him.
He says have you suffering from fever/hot flashes and heart palpitations: I say at my age that is something that pretty normally happens. He chuckles.
He says do you find your nose runs? I say only when I am eating Indian food. He says I see.
He asks where I am from. I tell him.
He says I need for you to hop up here and sit on the table. I do.
He listens to my breathing and then takes my blood pressure.
I ask him if my chest is clear. He says yes.
His professional opinion is that I have had a severe allergic reaction to the Indian dust (er do you mean Indian pollution?) and that I should go home. I told him that won't be happening soon. So then he goes about prescribing me a entire treasure chest of antibiotics...er didn't you say ALLERGIC reaction?
Oh, before you go can you pay me for my diagnosis? Sure what is the cost. R300.
Now when I get home Rano asks me what I paid. I tell her and she says to me that the last time she went to him it was R200. I told her that I am getting used to paying the foreigner fee.
Yesterday, I went to the movie Birdman with the ladies. I was very excited to see a movie but I must say what a painful movie to sit through. The Indian movies always have an intermission halfway through the movie. Does that remind you of anything? The reason Sangmu chose the movie was that apparently it is suggested for an Oscar....hmmmm I found it difficult to stay awake. PS don't waste your money.
So now today the 9th of February and I've decided to fly to Delhi. I have booked my flight and will will be leaving on the 11th.
I did so much want to head north to Darjeeling and then into Nepal but it is too cold and with my current issues I will forego going north for a while. Just a while....
So off to Delhi I go and then I will head north in the next couple of weeks to Nepal if I get to the point that I'm not constantly coughing. Altitude being what it is....
BTW I am getting pretty good at hoarking...just thought you should know....when in India......
So no problem when I came into the airport I decided that I will just purchase a ticket and continue my travels to Kolkata.
Obama was in Delhi and so the military presence at the the airport was crazy. I think all the airports were crazy.
I purchased at ticket outgoing for the next day to Kolkata.
My flight left at 11 am and I've never been through these kind of security checks. Every five meters you had to open your bag and go through a detector. The only thing they did not do is give you exlax. The only safe place was the bathroom... Even on leaving the plane in Kolkata they were checking bags as you came off the plane. I said to them where do you think I came from? Do you think that I dropped out of the sky? All I can say is thank goodness he is gone!
I was staying with a man about my age named Sumit but his 420 lifestyle didn't leave me too comfortable. So I got out of his place after two days. Other than his wanting to set up a NGO with me..could take 3 years, but we could have a child too...yeah nothing like moving fast...I'm outta here.
I finally had an offer by some young women to surf me and their names are Indu, Rano and Sangmu. All of them are working in IT and they make about $400 a month.
So you should know the Indian sleep together. They will have one large kingsize bed and then you sleep on the same surface. These girls sleep together on one bed and I have the single bed.
I am so grateful for these girls that I was able to make contact with women and ask them some questions about their lives, hopes and dreams. The first night I was feeling a little sick but the next day my fever exploded. I asked if there was somewhere in Kolkata I could go and rest and Indu said you can stay here. I went back to bed and pretty much didn't get out of bed. I was soooo sick that I couldn't move. I finally went to the pharmacy and got some antibiotics in a fever induced haze and Rano came with me. I was pretty much out of it for 3 days. Finally, now the cough is breaking up and this is where my plans are going to change.
I can't tell you how thankful that I ended up at this place with three young women of 23. They have been absolute angels Fussing and taking care of me all the while working very long hours.
This is my first place to connect with women and its been sweet. I have to talk to them today and see if I can stay another couple days. I don't think they are concerned I'm pretty harmless, but I don't want to overstay my welcome. I'm a bit of a project which I think they enjoy. Otherwise it would be boring for them and they would just watch their soap operas and Indian music videos.
What I have found is that the Indian people like you as the distraction and so they don't want you to leave. So they say that they worry about you and then they say they will meet you somewhere all along you think that they will, and I do believe that the intention is good, but they cannot.
They care about you deeply and I've had people text me saying that they have heard that I am sick and want to know that I'm okay. They have a genuine concern for you and they bring you into their family quickly. It is amazing. We treat travelers differently. I'm not saying that you wouldn't get attached but you also know that traveler's...well travel.
So I was recovering at home when I sent an e-mail to Yuliana who is the first CSer I met when back in Mumbai.
Here is the drama. She is 21. She met an Indian guy and all her plans went south. (I had told her to make her own plans and let him pursue her).
She then got pregnant and is looking for funding to get a termination. Well, that will certainly take a toll on your holiday. So there she is in Mumbai crying because she doesn't have any money for either the termination or a flight back home. So if I think I'm in bad shape and feeling sorry for myself...obviously I'm NOT in bad shape after all!
Jeesh, shit really does happen in India!
Update as of Feb 9th.
I just need you to know that I was pretty sure via the Mayo Clinic website that I had pneumonia.
The girls were so worried that they kept on me to see a doctor.
I went to the doctor here at the Eden shop. He works three days a week from 6-9pm.
So here is the Appointment:
He asks: What is your name? I give it to him
He asks: How old are you? I tell him
He says why are you here? I tell him I think that I have had pneumonia.
Why do you think you had pneumonia. I told him. ER VERY high fever, cough, rattling in my left lung, and it was relieved once I started antibiotics
He says I don't think so. Okay.
He says Can I see the antibiotics you took. I show him.
He says have you suffering from fever/hot flashes and heart palpitations: I say at my age that is something that pretty normally happens. He chuckles.
He says do you find your nose runs? I say only when I am eating Indian food. He says I see.
He asks where I am from. I tell him.
He says I need for you to hop up here and sit on the table. I do.
He listens to my breathing and then takes my blood pressure.
I ask him if my chest is clear. He says yes.
His professional opinion is that I have had a severe allergic reaction to the Indian dust (er do you mean Indian pollution?) and that I should go home. I told him that won't be happening soon. So then he goes about prescribing me a entire treasure chest of antibiotics...er didn't you say ALLERGIC reaction?
Oh, before you go can you pay me for my diagnosis? Sure what is the cost. R300.
Now when I get home Rano asks me what I paid. I tell her and she says to me that the last time she went to him it was R200. I told her that I am getting used to paying the foreigner fee.
Yesterday, I went to the movie Birdman with the ladies. I was very excited to see a movie but I must say what a painful movie to sit through. The Indian movies always have an intermission halfway through the movie. Does that remind you of anything? The reason Sangmu chose the movie was that apparently it is suggested for an Oscar....hmmmm I found it difficult to stay awake. PS don't waste your money.
So now today the 9th of February and I've decided to fly to Delhi. I have booked my flight and will will be leaving on the 11th.
I did so much want to head north to Darjeeling and then into Nepal but it is too cold and with my current issues I will forego going north for a while. Just a while....
So off to Delhi I go and then I will head north in the next couple of weeks to Nepal if I get to the point that I'm not constantly coughing. Altitude being what it is....
BTW I am getting pretty good at hoarking...just thought you should know....when in India......
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