Smile you are in India

Day 1
Landing in Mumbai was very interesting, far from all the preparations I had for a crowded airport with loads of tauts everywhere ready to con your very last penny, I must say I was quite disappointed!!
It felt like coming out from an airport in the middle of Africa or somewhere like that. (by now you guys must be thinking Dave did it again, he landed in the wrong airport) Ahemm!
It turned out that Mumbai has got 2 arrival halls, and I landed in the older and not so much used one...go figure!
Anyway there Lee was, short for Hayley, busy with her laptop as she stands out like a beam of sunlight on a clowdy day, nope its a blond hair ;) I hurried to her and we quickly set of on an amazing ride in the typical bollywood cab where neither the driver nor Lee knows where they were driving too half the time. I smiled quitely on the irony of getting lost in India, What a Start ;)
On the ride, Lee briefed me on everything and anything in India and the cardinal rule over here and that is..."everyone means well and will want to help, however it is best to at least ask 3 people before making any decisions" Very interesting philoshy I must say, from an Aussy gal in India. So we finally reached Somaya College, an open university that is privately funded by the Sumaya Group, an ol money company that has helped charity organisations in India and is big contributor to Atma. My place is a penthouse in the Engineering branch. (Just my luck!) It kind of reminds me of the ol days when I was Singapore and used to chill at Vindays college. Nevertheless its a nice apartment that I am sharing with a Chec chic named Inka and it has cable!!
Lee and I went shopping after that and I had the first glimses of my new home for the next couple of months whilst I am not in Narashswari school. After dedicating much of her day as my official tour guide, Lee left me at around 4ish to go back to the office.
Guess what, I took a nap ;) for an hour anyway, then I ventured around the campus and found myself a cybercafe or what looked like one anywat and I believe it is here I had my first con!!
Printed on the sign board it clearly indicated it was Rs10 forr 20 minutes thus I bravely went in and in my requested to use the internet. After about 19 minutes I enquired in my 'hindish' how much it was and the young man told me 'pendthra' aka 15 1 though...but the smart kid seeing my confused look only gave me Rs2 from my Rs20...hmmm ah well didnt want to make a scene so soon upon my arrival and I felt it was worth the experience ;)
By now you must be wondering how come there is no pictures yet!!!
Well I did pack my faithful digital camera and tried to take some pictures of my first sunset in mumbai....but guess what...no batteries! Yes in my anticipation of using the digital camera, I had charged up the batteries at vin's place and well you guest it....forgot to reload the batteries into the camera...SO JAS if you are readin this and smiling....well please find the charger and battery and bring it along to malaysia...thanks ;)
Well kids the moral to be learn here is (or in my case for now is)
1. Always go the extra mile to find what you are looking for.
2. Ask, ask and ask again before making a decision.
3. And yes, the devil is in the fine details, from traders to batteries
Cheers all
-dave-