Girl VS. Machine

Certain things just bug me.
I HATE self checkout stands, and they are everywhere now....even the library! I remember when they first put them in library...I was a teenager and I'm pretty sure I cried a little bit. Now grocery stores have them. Today I went to the bank...it wasn't the branch I usually use. I walked in the door and was greeted by a wall of ATM machines.

Inside!? 


OK, they weren't exactly like ATM's. More like the machines in the bank drive through. You put your transaction in the little tube, send it through the tunnel, and wait for the teller to talk to you over a little speaker. It made me very sad! I am a people person. I like meaningless small talk in a check out line. I enjoy greeting someone with a smile. I love awkward moments! I store them away to write about or tell someone about later. I love things that are personal...that force you to connect with a total stranger, even if it's just for a few seconds. But now, the laziness of our society is trying to take these things away from me. When I walk into Wal-Mart and see rows and rows of self checkout machines, I really see a sign that says "you have two hands, do it yourself".


I've always dreamed of living in a small town, the kind where everyone knows each other. A place where you can borrow sugar from your neighbor and not have to be afraid that you will get raped if you walk to the store. I don't want to live in a world where security is found in a cell phone. Where self confidence is acquired as the number of facebook friends increases. Where kids watch TV instead of reading a book or playing in the yard. 

Often, when I am in the library, working at a catered event, or in a coffee shop I like to create scenarios in my mind. "What if a natural disaster where to strike right now, and all these people where trapped in this room together for a length of time?"  Who would be the leader? Who would cause trouble? Who would fall in love?  So often we sit in a room full of strangers for hours and never connect. Pathetic, right?   

I'm going to end this rant with a quote from my favorite movie.

"What's so wrong with being personal, anyway?  Whatever else anything is, it ought to begin by being personal!"

Sometimes I feel so friendless.
I need to meet people, but I don't know anyone to meet.
This is a predicament.

Just one little bite.

I have been working an event for the last four days down at the University of Phoenix. It's a very important event for Bruce Brown Catering because we are bidding to be the contracted caterer for the college. One rule is very clear. Servers cannot eat in the room at anytime, if we need to take a break to eat we can go to the store room we have set up. I know the rules. I help enforce them. Today I was in there alone, between breakfast and the morning break. I was very very tired...and I was hungry. I had started working at 5:30AM and I needed something to keep me awake. So I ate a small biscotti...and sat in my little chair. I started to nod off. So I got up and walked around the room...toward the bread basket. Quickly I made a decision, I snatched a mini bagel and a cream cheese packet in one motion and headed back to my chair. I prepared my little snack, threw away my trash, settled in and took a bite....and my boss walked in. He was the first person I had seen in 20 minutes. I tried to quickly hide what I had done, I swallowed without even chewing. Of course, he scolded me, chatted for a minute or so and left the room. I felt so guilty. Of course, I was sitting in a room all alone so I had time to "sit quietly and think about what I'd done". 


Was it wrong to eat a bagel? No. But it was against the rules. So, is is WRONG to break the rules? Maybe. No one likes to obey rules. We all know that rules are there for a purpose...to keep order in life...but those rules rarely apply to us as individuals. No, the rules are for everyone else. But I am part of everyone else to someone else. Suddenly I felt like Eve. I ate something I KNEW wasn't meant for me, did something I KNEW I was not supposed to do. Then when I was caught, I tried to hide it. I've always wondered how Eve could have been so stupid, she ruined paradise for herself and all of us, when she had everything she needed. 


Today I realized, once again, that if even if Eve didn't sin, I would have. Because I'm human. Because I think the rules don't apply to me. Because it's just food and I was hungry. Because it looked good. Because I am a sinner. 


It was something so small. Just a bagel...but it made me feel ashamed. Because I was naked and bare before God. 

Up & Down & All Around!

Saturday night, 7:45pm, and I'm ready for bed! I stayed home from two parties tonight because I am so tired. I took a shower, ate a yummy salad, curled my hair, hung out with Cody and watched a few episodes of The Big Valley. It was actually a pretty good night for me!


I have to be to work tomorrow by 5:30am and I am actually excited about sleeping in a little bit! Thursday and Friday I  had to be up by 3:30am. I'm pooped. We're doing a five day gig for the University Of Phoenix and it's torture! We're on two floors so I've been running back and forth all day. Up and down up and down up and down. I hate elevators. 

I hadn't posted in awhile so I thought I'd try, but turns out I don't have anything interesting to say. 
Bummer. 

Finally

When a person starts a story they ought to finish it. To leave it open isn't fair to ones readers. I apologize for not finishing the story of my journey to India, but to be honest I wasn't aware that I had any readers.... Besides, I don't really have anything serious to say. The trip was pretty boring, but peppered with humor. So I just forgot to blog it, I should have remembered that I have seven followers...maybe not faithful followers, but according to blogger.com they exist. I was surprised last week when I was questioned, more than once, as to why I didn't blog the end of our trip. Even if all of my (three) questioners happened to be related, if they wanted to hear the end, by George, I was going to write it. So Gammy, Grandpa, Mary and my seven followers who may or may not ever notice this silly little blog post, here it is.

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March 19th - 20th. One LONG day.

Lucknow to Delhi:
We arrived to the Lucknow airport about two hours before our flight was to leave. We had sections of waiting. We had to wait about thirty minutes before we could go through security. They didn't want too many people in the one terminal. The worst part about waiting in India is that whatever men happen to be standing around, also waiting, like to fill their wait time by staring. It's extremely discontenting. After going through security and entering the terminal, we had to hunt two seats out. Mom has a knack for taking me right to the middle of whatever group happens to be staring the hardest....but as this is our last day here I'm used to this little annoyance. I've learned that if I avert my eyes, eventually, the gazers will look for something more
interesting. So I tend to spend much of my time watching the ground. Which is why I happened to notice the small roach that was making its way down our isle of seats. In one motion, I picked my bag up and tucked my feet underneath me. Unfortunately, the man across the isle was not as observant as I. Maybe his eyes were worn out from staring at me. Slowly, the said roach crawled onto the shoe of the poor soul. Then back over it the other way. I considered saying something, but I didn't want to call attention to myself, so I decided to just enjoy the show. Eventually our friend, Roach, tired of shoe exploring and decided to brave new regions. It crawled into the mans pants. I gasped and held my breath! Thankfully, Roach quickly reappeared and I relaxed. With new interest, I continued to watch....as the little beast again disappeared up the unknowing mans pant leg. Now I waited with baited breath....
"Oh please, come back"
To my horror, I never saw that roach again. I knew I had to intervene. It was inhuman to simply sit calmly as another human is being violated before your very eyes. So I started practicing in my mind...
"Excuse me Sir, a roached just crawled into your pants. I know because I've been watching....perhaps you should remove it?"
Hmm.
Maybe if I just waited a bit longer it would come back. I'm surprised the poor guy didn't say something to me...I mean, I had been staring at his calf for about thirty minutes. Alright, that vermin wasn't making a reappearance, I HAD to say something. Big breath...
"Here I go...Oh no, wait! I bet the guy doesn't even speak English."
I knew once I approached him I'd be committed.
"I know! Signs." Everyone can understand basic human body language.
"Ok....signs. Tell him with signs."
*Taps shoulder.*
"Sir."
*Crawling motions, points to pants, makes a bug face*
"Bug. Bug in pants."
* Insistently pointing to pants*
"Pants, your pants!"

No....I couldn't go through with it. That stupid roach would just be allowed to live in peace for now. I hope it likes it's new home. It was time to board anyways.
Fare thee well Lucknow!

Delhi to Newark, NJ:

Once we landed in Delhi we had to take a twenty minute bus ride from the local terminal to the international terminal. We went to the bathroom to change into our travel clothes so we where the last to load and consequently had sit in the very back of the bus (I didn't feel cool. I think in India, the cool kids get to ride in the front). As it turns out, in India, the back of a bus is an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes. Now, I'm not sure that you'll remember, but I had defied my mother and refused to take malirone (anti-malaria), and amazingly hadn't gotten bit at all. I wasn't about to let that change now, as I am leaving the country. I prepared for battle. First I had to stir them up and get them off of me....so I started waving my arms about like a maniac. Now was time to attack. I tried to clap a few to death, but they are used to that approach. So I armed myself with the unexpected and came on full force with the element of surprise that my trusty weapon allowed me...my passport. It was perfect! I smashed 5 on the window within a matter of seconds. The next two minutes saw the demise of 10 more. They flew wildly about...now 15 where down and the survivors realized the danger in the air and stayed out of my territory. A few brave ones tested the area...the count was up to 17 dead. Now I was started to search them out. "Come on you pesky things!" A lone scout ventured

over. 18 dead. By now I was in stealth mode. I think mosquitoes are related to the T-Rex. If you don't move they won't see you. Two more entered my domain. prepared for speedy flight. I injured both with fetal wounds. "HA! There's one!" 19 dead, 2 injured and the bus ride was over. I didn't want to get off...but somehow I doubted they would let me stay killing bugs forever. The Hindus on the bus couldn't have been happy....Gee...I hope I didn't kill someones grandfather!

We've had to wait for about five hours in the international airport. We both got chair massages from a booth here and they kinda made me hurt and feel a little sick, but still relaxed me. I know I'll fall right to sleep when we board.

Two Hours, Six Minutes till we land in Newark:

I am so hungry! So far all they have served on this flight is Indian food and I just can't eat it anymore. They every have curry flavored chips! I HATE curry. I take back everything spiteful I have ever said people with food dislikes. If you know me at all you've heard me say something like"Grow up, be a man and eat it! You don't have to love it, but show some gumption!" I have spoked these words almost more than any other. Picky eaters are normally a horrible annoyance, but I never understood. I've never strongly disliked any food before...but curry. Ugh. Other than the food, the flight has been good so far. I've slept for a good portion of it, which will make everything easier.

We're sitting next to the funniest man. His name is Alfred and boy, is he chatty. He started going the minute we sat down. Heres what I know....He lives in L.A., has two college age sons, and was traveling to India on business.

Now, Alfie raised his sons right. He taught them that a woman is like a party; a man never goes to a party unless he is invited...So, how did mom raise her daughters? I think Alfred was digging for an invitation.

India was actually his last stop, He's been "around the world, heading west". China was his last stop before India, and he really loves India so much more than China. The Indian people are SO wonderful and eager to please....and so many speak English. He's in the furniture business. His company manufactures in factory's all over the world...he's not the owner, of course, but the real owner is a rich man who doesn't like to worry about business, so Alf (as I nick named him), is #2 and gets to travel and play with the Big Boss's money.
 (This is the part where I closed my eyes and tried/pretended to be asleep)
So naturally he has no complaints...it is a pretty good gig. Alf thinks what mom is doing is wonderful! Is her husband supportive? (This is where is really becomes apparent that he just thinks that mom is wonderful, and that he is totally crushing on her. She just kept talking about her eight children. With clear emphasis on the EIGHT part) Alf is no teetotaler. His drink of choice is Jack Daniels with a Diet Coke. He's from Germany and moved to the US about 20 years ago, and has never regretted it.

This is the part where I really fell asleep and Alfie started making sly comments to Mom to see if she was into him. As a result, Mom informed him, rather stiffly I imagine, that she was going to sleep. She than proceeded to turn completely sideways in her seat, with her back towards him, curl up in a ball, and go to sleep.

Well Alf, your life story has provided me with something interesting to write, so I thank you. Tell you sons hello from me. One hour, forty-nine minutes till landing.

Newark to Phoenix:

We are SO close! Just being in the US gives me a wonderful feeling of being home. When we landed my first words where "Mom, smell the air! It's so clean!" and we where in practically in New York! I love my country, this trip has been amazing and revealing to me in so many ways, but I am happy to be home. We are both so tired that we took turns crying over random things, and are both in somewhat silly moods.

If I was to sum up this trip in one sentence I would say "Never plan to lose weight in a country where the only things worth eating are bread and ice cream" Either that or "Don't Litter". I'm just kidding....I have gotten so much more than that out of this, but it's going to take some serious reflection to know what.

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Thats where my India journal ends. I filled every page, which makes me proud. Don't forget about me now that my trip is over...maybe I will still have time to blog every now and then.