A few things about Babu I didn't mention. Firstly, I've been saying his name wrong for ages - it's Bablu. Okay then. So now we both know. In my first week alone here in Pushkar, this was something bablu said to me 3 times, count 'em, 3: "Many Indian people not understanding Western man and woman can sit together and be talking about the sex and they is nothing happening. They not having go bed together."
My thought bubble: Uhm, I don't think so. I don't know any men and women who sitting around and talk about the sex.
Only sometimes it was Western. Sometimes it was European men & women. Either way, I never let that conversation go further, yet he still tried to make small talk that way. (I felt like it was this type of thing: Namaste! Speaking of rocket launchers and why neither India or Pakistan should buy nuclear weapons, did I tell you what I think about the sexy? My interpretation entirely.) It's not like anyone's talking to me about politics here. In fact, the difficulty in connecting on a human level has been recently made clear by something someone told Sarah. Someone who has lived here a while and now understands Hindi and wishes he didn't. He says the Indians think we're all nuts, and anything and everything we do is proof of our insanity. They don't know why we would be at all interested in their culture, and they reject the interest. Of course, this is a sweeping generalisation but it can certainly be felt in the general atmosphere. It's not like that song "Love is in the Air" here. No, no, it's more like "Disgust is in the Air", along with the burning plastic, of course.
Bablu always commented on women found in strange circumstances. I need go no further with this other than to say he made a way too unmistakable reference to bestality, and I was not impressed. Again, I chose not to follow the "threat of his conversation" (oh, isn't that good? It's not mine though, it's from a writer I love, Amy Hempel)
So two nights ago, I was coming in and this weird thing happens:
Eufemia: Hello, good evening.
Bablu: Do you want to pay 1000 rupees?
Eufemia: For what?
Bablu: Ten days now.
I've been paying my hotel bill every week to 10 days to avoid a massive bill at the end and confusion. They don't give receipts in India. Prices change depending on who you're talking to, so to avoid a problem, I pay in installments. I was suspicious, with him bringing it up.
I'll give you the short version. It doesn't add up. I'm thinking "Lemme do the math, no I insist!" And when do I ever think like that? And just so you know, it's a difference of $3 we're talking about. An extra night's accomodation. So what happens carries over for 2 days, even after Mincho advises me, quite wisely, not to waste valuable life force this way. Do I want to waste my energy on $3? For 2 days I enter the Hotel quickly and don't stop to chat. I look at them like dishonest bastards, they look at me like a cheap bitch. No more small talk.
On day 2, when I tried to clear up the misunderstanding, I made it worse. And Day 2, I carried my stress to yoga. (See post: Your Pain is my Pain) I'm stressed and I decide to call my father again, to make sure he's okay. In the Hotel internet/phone area, Rakesh tells me too "cool down-", which made me laugh. He'd already explained why not to get so stressed, and I know a little of his circumstances working for this Hotel Owner and family. (did I mention Sarah nicknamed the owner Jabba the Hut before she wisely moved to the Lotus Hotel? The name is so appropriate) Next thing I know I'm crying - which just annoys Rakesh so he has to leave. But not before I say "In your country, I'm only seen as a walking bank machine or a whore, and it's not right, it's not right!"
On Day 2 I tried to pay and Bablu said, "No, pay tomorrow." I told Rakesh, "I don't understand this madness," knowing full well they probably all see me as mental, and less than worthy of the respect you would pay a fellow human being.
On day 3, today, I pay Bablu and I say "I'm sorry, let's fix this. You know what your job is, you would know better than me the amount. I'll pay up to this date and then it restarts, okay? And I'm sorry I got upset. You can ask my friends, I've been upset these last couple of days."
From what I can see, the crazy accounting they do, he's marked me down one night less. Or so it looks like. I don't know, I don't understand. But make no mistake, I did think they were lying to me because they changed the numbers in the ledger and then said "Yes, our mistake, fully our mistake," but made it sound like I was giving them a hard time about being fair and paying what was due. "Why are you getting upset over 100 rupees?" "I'm not upset about the rupees, it's not about the money, it's what this represents." I stopped just short of saying "I think you're lying to me. Me! and you said I'm like family." A few people have mentioned being charged an extra night at their various hotels here, including Sarah at said Hotel.
Eufemia: "I know you think we're all crazy. But I don't want you to think I'll argue about what's owed, proper, okay?"
Can you get over yourself, Eufemia? Okay, go ahead, think of me as mental, I'll just cry, but I won't argue. I just don't want you to think I'm cheap.
Just a ball of confusion, that's what the world is today, hey, heyEve of destruction, tax deduction, city inspectors, bill collectors, Mod clothes in demand, population out of hand, suicide, too many bills, Hippies moving to the hills.
People all over the world are shouting, 'End the war.'
And the band played on.
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