Finally here!

I'm finally here! Things are chugging along, slow so far, still got a bit of a jetlag, am sleeping all the time. Mom thinks it's the stress of the past four years showing now.. hehe..

The first thing I noticed as soon as we landed, were the stares. It was not directed at me because I was a woman, or because I was perceived to be from America, or any such thing. It was just plain staring -- from women and men, both.
No sooner than my feet landed on the walkway than I assumed what might be my attitude throughout my life here in India -- one of offense.
I stared right back at people, until they would look away. And if I thought someone was staring at me because I was a woman (backed up by no particular observation even), I started ignoring them and walking past as if I was above such petty staring games.

My offensive stand came in useful at the counter when one of our bags was reported to be missing. The woman at the counter said the bags would come home, but no mention of any compensation. Now, I did not really have many clothes in the bag that I needed right away, but the bag was mine and the airlines was British Airways, and I hated them.
So I asked the woman (by now, my tone to anyone outside my "known" circle was already belligerent) if we would get any compensation. She said, point blank, no.
I immediately started complaining like the good NRI (RI I guess), and wanted to know where her supervisor was. She disappeared for a few minutes, and returned saying the supervisor was very busy.
I saw an older man who seemed to be answering everybody's questions, and I shouted out to him, "Sir!"
The lady seemed to understand and said immediately, "This is not my supervisor," and pointed me out to a man in a pink shirt (real men wear pink, of course).
V., by now, had unsuccessfully tried to dissuade me from getting into the mess, and had retreated. I followed the man in the pink shirt, and said I needed to speak with him, and he said, "wait there."
I seemed to think that being a pest will work best, and told him, I'd just follow him around. He was a nice guy, though, I must say, he also had a cute lisp!
He said he won't be able to do his job if I followed him around, but I stood my ground, and I might have gotten on his nerves a bit, I think.
Anyways, long story short, we got about 35 pounds as interim compensation. Not that the money was important, as I explained to Vijay -- it was the principle of the thing.

As soon as we got out, however, another thing hit me -- something I had forgotten during my days in Boston-- the humidity. It was around 5:15 a.m., and we were sweating like pigs. The weather -- still not used to it, and I like the heat too! I guess I like it when I don't have much of it:)

Vijay was here yesterday, and we planned to leave for my in-laws' house today, but I wanted to stay over an extra day. Think that didn't go down too well with my parents-in-law. My brother, meanwhile wants me to stay here until Sunday, when I leave for Mysore with my mom. Oh, whatever!

Am at my parents' house now, and they have broadband, so Internet is easier here. Looking forward to the Mysore trip.