Dispatch from the Future

So I figure it's high time for another update of the old blog face. Join me, won't you?

So things are still going really well in India. I was pleasantly surprised to learn when I got here that we are now getting to the end of the hottest months in India. Apparently because it's a tropical climate, the hottest months are more like March-May. I'm not exactly sure how that works, but it's good news regardless. Also because Bangalore is at a relatively high elevation, it's even nicer here. So far the weather has been pretty nice, and in general it's been hotter in my apartment than it actually is outside. It does rain about once a day, but that's usually while I'm at work, so no biggie.

So here are a few more things I've noticed since being here:

• Auto Rickshaws - In India they have these auto rickshaw things that are like 3 wheel motorcycles with seats in the back. They have little two stroke engines so they are noisy as hell and pump out a ton of gnarly exhaust. However, they are also an extremely convenient and fun way to get around. From my apartment to work (I've been taking one for the past few days) is 12.5 rupees (like 25 cents) and it takes about five minutes. They're really small, so the drivers are always trying to weasel their way around other cars and motorcycles, and they have this giant lever on the inside that they have to yank up in order to start the engine. The best part is that because the whole thing is open, you really feel like you are out on the streets rather than sealed up in a car, and I think it gives you a better feeling of the city. That being said, I really wouldn't won't to be hit by a car in one of these things...
• Polution - So the polution is a little bad here, and I'm not the first person to notice this. There always seems to be something burning around, or at least that's what it smells like. Combined with the aforementioned rickshaw exhaust, and you have for a rather polluted city. It honestly doesn't bother me that much, but I guess I do kind of feel sorry for the people who live here, since I wouldn't want to have to breath it day in and day out for the rest of my life.
• Power - The power goes out so often that people don't even bat an eye, at work and at my apartment. At work all the computers and Internet equipment are on UPS, so it doesn't actually matter, but it my apartment it can get a little hot without the fans...
• Santosh - Santosh is the guy who works at my apartment (other people call him a 'house boy,' but I can't really bring myself to say that). He does a ton of stuff like cleaning the rooms, making the beds, bringing up our food, and filling our water. But an amazing thing happened when I came back a little late last night. I tried to get in and realized that the gate was locked. After banging around for a little while, I got worried because I realized I had no key to this gate. All of a sudden, I saw a head move on the porch, and Santosh hopped up to let me in. He had been sleeping on a bed on the porch of my apartment, and that's when I realized that he really did live there and was basically working all the time. Sounds like a pretty hardcore way to make a living.

There are a couple more things worth mentioning, but in order to keep this entry from getting out of hand, I'll cut it there. In summary, good times all around. Of course I like to point out the strange and interesting things, but honestly, it's been pretty normal here, and adjusting hasn't really taken all that much work. That probably has a lot to do with where I am and who I am working for, but it was still a surprise to me.