updates

Well, I've made a few new friends, but two of my faves are leaving: Ryan back to Goa (India) since his "mind is firm. I am staying for 2-3 years. It's not fair to my brother that he has to handle the family business" but in the good new dept I get to take over his apartment- a one bedroom Apartelle near the main gate, mall, and jeepny terminals, with maid service and all that, and Lindsey (new friend) back to windsor, CA, maybe forever, maybe she'll be back. (She's on a short term contract here).

So that's sad, but Antony's [Antony is a friend I met at a club] not going anywhere, and neither is any of my other buddies- and I'm slowly making more buddies- even with a high "attrition rate".

Night life here is very odd- everyone sits in banquets and smokes their brains out and drinks like it's 1963 and listens to cabaret style music. Most of the clubs we go to are heavy on the ex- pats, so horrible old men and paunchy, self satisfied Indians are everywhere- me and Lindsey call this one bar "little calcutta"- even Antony notes "you'll find a lot of Indians there, if you like that sort of thing."
Ryan was speculating on who I was hanging out with (before he knew it was Antony) and he was pointing out other, random Indian guys: "Is it that guy? I will kill him. I can't believe you would go out with him."

Me: "Ryan, I don't even know who that person is! I couldn't pick them out of a line up! GOD! Relax!"

heh. The funny part is they have no idea how comical it is that they're snobbish about each other, blacks, natives, etc- if only they knew how people in the States felt: all "colors" get lumped together, regardless. "Isn't that Sadaam Hussien there on TV, honey? Oh, it's Sal-man Rushdie? Who's that?"

Work is going well, busy- getting to know the people and the program better and making some headway. Nothing else much new to report- same killer hot weather.

Oh, and a little oddity: how do Pinoy beat the heat and sweat? With a trusty hankie! Everyone- and I mean everyone- carries a handkerchief, which they use to mop their brow when it gets too hot. For women it's a little printed like, miniature baby blanket thing, and for men it's either a bandanna or a regular linen hankie. It's so cute! And odd! Non European ex pats carry them too (Other Asians and Indians). So now I know how hankie companies stay in business- haven't you always wondered how "IMPERIAL EAST INDIAN LINEN TRADING COMPANY TO THE QUEEN" or whatever it is is still afloat at Target? Well, now we know.