Service

ok, the service thing here is really super dooper freaking me out. Maybe if I were a Mrs. howell type I would like it, but as someone who opens boxes while locked in a basement for a living, I am having a wierd time with it. I mean it's nice and my first thought ( I haven't asked why ) is that there are SO many people and only so many people can grow a booshy enough moostache to be the machine gun guys at the airport. At the airport you pass through multiple points (WAY more than ours) at which you show your itineray to the Booshy Moostache Machine Gun men and this is before you get into the terminal. I had to show it to 3 different people to take the shuttle bus to the plane in Delhi. In line to get the boarding pass there is a young man who escorts you the 8 feet from the front of the line to the next agent. There is always a bathroom attendant but she did not hand me towels so I assumed that she kept it clean while we weren't looking. Once in Delhi I - ooh, National Geographic just showed some big bird gittin a sloth!- saw more people with name signs than i have ever seen. Also there were tons of young men who hung around the luggage carousel helping people with their bags. I was about the only person not using a luggage wheelie, and most of those traveling were families so I can see the need for the help. I HAVE ACE OF BASS "I SAW THE SUN" STUCK IN MY HEAD. When I got here, I showered then we went out for lunch at a realatiely nice place where a lot of office types seemed to go . I was shocked by the number of servers, but this was during the daily lunch buffet so I had NO idea. Saturday night we ate at the restaurant in the apt complex and it had a very casual vibe and lots of younger people in shorts and jeans, all people who live in the complex. When the entrees are brought to the table your server spoons each out onto your plate until you indicate 'enough'. Your soda or bottled ice tea is poured into your glass for you (after the bottle is presented like wine) and the straw inserted for you. If during your meal you want an additional spoonful of whatever to even it all out, the server will rush over and spoon it out for you, or if you are serving it yourself, will continue to offer spoonfuls from other plates. I find it very hard to concentrate on the food or conversation this way, but I'm not used to it. Lordy, then yesterday we ate at a NICE place. The table was set for 4, so a good deal of the meal was spent withthe server reaching over my food to take away the excessive cutlery ( yes he did this before we were served, but there was So much). There is usually a dish of pickled onions brought our before the meal and sometimes breadsticks with different sauces and chutneys. Plus water and sodas with glasses, so the table is entirely full before the meal even starts. This involves a lot of bringing over and taking away. The food was wonderful but at no point did I feel like I would want to eat out if I wanted to have a conversation or eat alone with someone. The restaurant was made to seem like an old style railway car and servers paced up and back the aisle, not even waiting for service needed, but instigating it themselves. Just not used to it. I think part of it is also because there is a service class here. I'm just reporting on what I see, I haven't asked what the 'reality' is beyond what I see. At every convenience store/stall/stand so far there is a young boy who will get your bottled drink from the cooler and either bring it to you at the register or your chair. At Crosswords bookstore I tried to order an espresso at the counter and was shown to a table with a fancy napkin and a dessert menu. I'm still so confused that I don't understand tipping yet. I've been told to just vaguely round up. In the apt my friend has a housekeeper who comes 6 days a week roughly noon to 6. My friend has enough money to have a driver and a cook as well, but I personally think an American who was not brought up with servants would go crazy with all those people in an apartment. Yesterday I saw a great example of Sarenjin's (housekeeper) forethought. He's been leaving something in the fridge each day fr me to try, the other day it was cut up mango. I really wanted to stop and get some fruit yesterday but was too tired. When we got home Sarenjin had bought about 4 kinds of in season fruit and had made me fruit salad of mango and apple because he noticed that I'd loved it. After I thought about it, it made sense that I shouldn't need to stop by a fruit stall if there is a housekeeper. He had also brought me the kind of cookies that I was eating for the last few days (cheaper than I could have found them) and what I think are dates. I don't have to think about or plan these things because it's part of his job. At some point I should learn to buy things here for myself, but he's going to get better quality and a better deal than i would. Ok, long enough, time for lentils.