July 17 & 18th

Sunday, July 17th

     It has been raining a lot here, which means the streets are flooded, which also means cars and trains are all delayed. The trash pickup in the smelly spot was delayed too. I’ve learned that this is a drop off spot from the slums across the street who obviously can’t afford a service. Of all the places to choose to drop it, I don’t know why it couldn’t be somewhere besides the small distance between home and work.
     I thought Matt was kidding about the rats and homeless, but today I learned otherwise. Several birds were picking at the remains of a rat that was about the size of a kitten. A thin man with dingy clothing and bare feet was also searching through the trash. I can’t imagine what could possibly be useful in the trash from a slum. It’s sad, but with 60% of the population here who are either homeless or living in slums, I’m pretty sure the other 40% can’t pay enough taxes to fix the problems here.

Monday, July 18th

     I went to the mall after work today. I have been looking for a place to buy nail polish for several days (I forgot mine). I discovered a spa and made an appointment. After tomorrow I will once again have pretty toes and nails. I also found 3 new shirts for Rs. 2,000 ($45.00). They are soooo cute! If it weren’t for the smelly spots and kitten sized rats, this place might start to feel like home.
     After shopping I stopped at McDonalds. My purse was searched at the door. My first thought was ‘who is going to hold up a McD’s and steal french fries?’ but then I realized they were checking for explosives. I guess everyone wants to make sure they’re not the next one to be blown off the map. I’m grateful for that.
     After an Indian breakfast (Ubma-a spicy potato dish) and Chinese lunch at the center, I was ready for some all American. Well, sort of. I had planned to try the burger which Brandon said is made from buffalo. I guess ‘hamburger’ isn’t the correct word for it so I was served a McChicken. They also had a Chicken Maharaja Mac, but I decided against that. The chicken wasn’t very good so I was really glad to see that Rakesh made dinner tonight. Maybe I’ll call over there one night and get a McDelivery of a buffalo burger.