Indian Logic

Everyday the tax paying citizens of Hyderabad experience a power cut of 3 1/2 hours a day. When the cut happens depends on where you live. For me it happens daily from 8am-11:30am. Lucky for me, I'm sleeping (since I work graveyard), and it's not hot (about 25-26 degrees) out so I don't need the fan or air con. But others experience their power cuts from noon-3:30 or 3pm-6:30pm. THAT would be a pain in the ass.

Now the reason for these power cuts, well, a new politician (some minister or other), promised while campaigning, to give the farmers free electricity, so the logic is to take the power from the working and paying citizens to give the farmers free electricity. Now that's Indian logic for you. If this happened at home, there would be riots! But like people tell me when something silly like this happens, "Welcome to India."

Here is a conversation I had with a friend about power cuts:

Me: (After hearing the reason for the power cuts), wow, that is retarded logic
J: Ya, it is. It doesn't make sense
me: Well I guess I'm getting used to them now
J: How often does the power go out in Canada?
Me: silence ( I don't want to brag)
J: so, how often?
Me: Maybe once....
J: a week
Me: no
J: a month
Me: no
J: So....
S: Once a year maybe, sometimes twice a year, I guess it depends
J: silence, starring at me
Me: But once the power went off on the whole eastern seaboard, it was cool we lost power for almost two days (I was trying to make it look better).
J:When was that?
Me: errr....2004
J: 2004!!!???
Me: But we're not a third world country.....
J: shrugs..."welcome to India" and goes back to eating his dinner

Now, power cuts happen, I've gotten used to them. And sometimes the power goes out above and beyond the 3 and half hours allotted to the fine citizens of Hyderabad. When it rains the power goes out. Now it rained for 30 hours that last 2 days. My power went off and on intermittently during that time. And some of it included during midnight-2am when I am still awake. I have 2 candles that give off only a glow. And actually I don't mind them all that much now, because this way you can get other things done. Here is a list of things you can do when the power is cut, and none of them include sulking and cursing.

1. Read (unless the power cuts happen at night. Invest in a a good flashlight for night time power cuts)
2. Do your laundry by hand
3. Cook your breakfast, dinner or lunch (thank God for gas stoves- I can still eat when the power goes off)
4. Ponder life
5. Dream of home where the power goes off only when there is an electrical storm, and then it becomes fun and exciting. Even romantic if you are with a loved one.
6. Paint your toe nails (girls only please)
7. Get out of the house and run some errands or go to the gym
8. Clean the house (providing power cut is during the day)
9. Listen to your Ipod - providing it is charged
10. Stay in bed and and sleep until power comes back on!
    

I've had no power cuts today at all!!!!! Knock on wood! I do not want this post to be construed as complaining. I'm not, I love life here. You learn to appreciate so many things. I'm just trying to paint you a picture of part of my life here and what it is like. Now many of you are probably thinking, I could never live like that, or put up with that. Well, you'd be surprised how nice life can be without the distractions if electricity. The area just becomes quiet, and peaceful and it allows you time to tear yourself away from all the things that take up our time.
Life just becomes a little more meaningful and believe it or not, I find myself more active and less bored than I've ever been. I'm not ever glued to the tv, because I don't have one. I'm not chained to my computer, because I've learned there there are other things to do than to be a slave to it.

I'm so very very fulfilled. "Welcome to India."