Thursday - Part II

How is it that I can wake up and be annoyed with people already? I keep daydreaming and then forgeting what country I am in.

I figured today I would snap some photo's on the way to the TATA office so that you could get a flavor for Mumbai. here goes...

So the whole city is not completely crap, there are some nice parts. But then there are some not so nice parts...

You have to admit that the tree growing out of the awning here is a nice touch.
This is another view of that bridge that is built in the ocean.

This picture is of the building that I have been meeting in. It is the TATA International offices.

I still have not figured out what these roadside kiosks are selling, but they have them all over. How do you like the old Fiat taxi's? India is full of them.

So my meeting lasted 16 hours today. I took a small break at lunch and went to the US embassy where I met the Ambassador - Tim Roemer (where do they get these has been politicians?) and the other US Commercial Services people.

I decide at 8 during dinner that I was going to try to fly home tonight. I am tired and done with India.

So when the car got back to the hotel I asked the driver if he would take me to the airport is 15 minutes. So the Volvo guys are now mad that I abandoned them. So sad for them. And I headed off to the airport to get onto the next flight out of India.

Once I got out of the car and was on the side walk a person came up to me, grabbed my suitcase and took off. I had to chase the criminal to get my bag back. Finally he stopped, turned around and told me that if I gave him $20 American dollars he would give my suitcase back to me. I was yelling so a (I think an) airport police officer came over to find out what the problem was. I told him that the man had stolen my suitcase. His reply was "don't you have any money you can give him?" I ended up giving the guy a $20 since I had spent all of my India money at the hotel and did not have any left. So I got my suitcase back and went into the airport. While I was at the check in counter another guy came up behind me and grabbed my suitcase. I turned around and grabbed him and my suitcase and yelled at the couterperson to help me. He said "just let him help you with your suitcase to the x-ray machine and give him a few dollars and there will be no problems. " I told the theif that I didn't have any money left and he said that hi know that was not the truth. I gave him $4 and told him to get away from me. I cannot believe that I was extorted at the airport twice! It still amazes me what a shit hole this place is.

Good news though. I got on the earlier flight home. Yeah. Will be on my way in 20 minutes. USA here I come (through a short stop over in Frankfurt).

Ok, here is another wierd thing in the Mumbai airport... they are playing Christmas Carols over the loud speakers? Go figure. These people deserve coal for sure. I am starting to think that there is a reason why these people got India and other people get to live in nice places.