July 10th

I had to take a rickshaw by myself this morning! It was pouring when I had to leave for work but I was able to grab a rickshaw right away. I was able to direct him so well that I got exactly where I wanted to go (which is rare!). The rickshaw driver also charged me the correct price for the ride, which I was surprised about (15 rupees – about .33 USD). Once I arrived I headed towards the Front Office to complete my training in the Rooms Check Department. The employee I was shadowing today was named Benston and is a Catholic from Goa, India. The other employees love him (I think he is very popular) and call him “Blackie” as a joke because he is so dark – not good. I learned how to deal with special VIPs and requests. One man was so adorable, he was celebrating his 25^th Wedding Anniversary with his wife and called to request for three sets of 25 red roses in the room with a cake and the gift he bought her. The employees were so interested about how Americans apply to four year colleges. In India, if you get above a certain grade you are automatically allowed into the college. That would have been nice. I was able to ENJOY lunch today! There was a delicious onion fritter called onion pakod and yummy bread called puri. The main dishes today were vegetarian and was a potato curry (sabjji) and a delicious other dish which I cannot remember what was in it. I was lucky when trying to get home, I couldn’t catch a rickshaw but a female employee and her boyfriend were driving home and picked me up and told me they would drive me home! Once I got back, Heer, Shiny, and I went to the market to pick up eggs and bread. I loved it! It was scary, kind of, because I had a purse, but it was so interesting. There were different shops for everything. Each store was a specialty: Mutton, Chicken (live chickens and you pick which one you want from the cage and they kill in on the spot), coconuts, bread, eggs, potatoes, onions, ice cream, candy and so many more. My feet were SO disgusting once I got home. They were covered in mud and god only knows what else from the street. Shiny made dinner again, my favorite, potato soya and chappathi.