Indian Stretchable Time and more tidbits

When I was told that Indians marched to the beat of their own drum, or more so that they had a certain way about time, I figured how bad could this be???
Let me tell you how bad it can be:

1. Average time it takes to open a bank account: 4 days and counting!

2. Time it has taken for the company I work for to find me a place to live: 2 months and counting! (counting because I am still not moved in and the date keeps on changing).

3. When a friend tells you they will meet you at 7pm, expect them to show up no earlier than 8pm and that is being kind.
4. When I have scheduled training to start at 8:30pm, expect it to start for 9pm. It even happens at work.

Other tidbits you might find interesting:

• The people come and knock at your door to collect the Internet and cable money for the month. I don't know if this happens everywhere, but I've seen it happen in Hampi and where Tim lives in Hyderabad.
• The bars close at midnight. I went to a pub last weekend, and couldn't believe I was getting tossed. The cops were even there waiting to make sure everyone stopped drinking and left.
• A maid comes everyday to clean Tim's place and washes our clothes by hand. Tim doesn't have a washing machine.
• The power goes out at least once a day. Sometimes for 2 minutes, sometimes for 10 minutes, and sometimes longer. **** update**** after I wrote this post the power went off from 5am to 7:30am. With the fans off and not working, I couldn't sleep until the power went back on. (remember I sleep from about 4:30-noon) since I work the night shift.
• Indians gossip (both sexes) like a bunch of teenage girls in high school. It's ridiculous. I had a friend over for dinner one Saturday and on Monday everyone knew about it at work. I got a ride on the back of my friends motorcycle to work one day, and everyone was whispering about it. Being the only foreigner in the group I work with makes it worse too. Everyone wants to know what the white girl is doing, who she speaking with and who she is dating. They even gossip about who I take my coffee breaks with.

There are plenty of great things about India and about Hyderabad. But I don't feel like talking about those things today. So in the next post I'll be sure to write the good things.

NB: The weather is cooling off somewhat now (getting to about 35-36) it is starting to rain in the evening and everyone here is getting excited about monsoon as it cools the city down. I am really getting used to sweating, but I won't miss it once it cools off.