h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

October 15th 2006

There is still no internet connection. The apartment block does provide free internet but it has been set up under a ‘fair share’ policy. This means that a set amount of free internet hours are allotted on a monthly basis. The hours are shared by all the residents in the building. But once the hours have been used up for the month the internet automatically disconnects.

The apartment manager informs us that one of the residents has probably been downloading overnight, and that’s why it’s all been used so quickly this month. So much for the fair share! I find this thoroughly frustrating especially when he tells me that the next month’s allotment doesn’t begin until the 23rd October. He’s determined to find out exactly who the culprit is, and then he intends to cut them off. Great! Go for it! But that isn’t much comfort to me right now.

James decides to order our own internet connection. In the afternoon he takes me back to site to check e-mails. Malesh the tea boy has been asking James every day where Madame is. Bless him! Malesh brings me a cup of coffee and I tell him that’s its okay to call me by my Christian name. But I think he’s just as uncomfortable with calling me Pauline as to what I am with him calling me Madame. He calls me Pauline a couple of times but soon reverts back to calling me Madame. He tells me more about his life here, and that he intends to join his girlfriend in France in two years time.

Once we leave the site James happens to mention just how much the tea boys are paid. I tell him that’s a pretty poor wage for a week’s hard work. That’s not for a week he replies, that’s for a month. A month! I am well and truly horrified. It runs thru my head that I had spent almost two weeks of his monthly wage in the beauty salon the previous day. That is so unbelievable. James explains that Malesh will be earning enough to keep himself, and support family members back in India. That’s beside the point. For me it kind of brings the different lifestyles people have here into prospective. It might be the way of the world - but it doesn’t mean that I don’t care about it. It only serves to remind me of just how lucky I am - and to remember this the next time I feel like moaning about something.

October 16th 2006

There are two guys from the south of India who look after the apartment block where we live, Shams and Jaya. Jaya has been here for almost twenty years and Shams has lived here for about fourteen. Sham is cleaning the apartment today. Part of their duties is to clean the apartments twice a week, a task they share between them. They also do all our washing and ironing, but that’s something they are paid for. They are more than happy to do this. It gives them a bit of extra cash, and I’ve never liked ironing that much anyway.

Shams and Jaya are both from a place called Kerela. Shams explains that 80% of the people from Kerela work in the Middle East. That’s roughly about a million people. Most of them do not have their families with them. Many would be employed as construction workers living in labour camps, restaurant and bar workers, maids, nannies, cleaners etc. Few would get the chance to see their wives or children very often.

I’m reading when Shams arrives. He asks if I enjoy reading - and I explain that I do but that I’ve only brought a couple of books with me. Later in the day he arrives at my door with an armful of books. These are books that have been left by other residents when they’ve moved out. He’s actually given me some good stuff to read - apart from the two German books. I hand them back and we both laugh about it.

Jaya tells me that he hasn’t seen his wife for two and a half years, and although he’s here in body, his heart and his thoughts are back in India. He’s reaching the point where he feels he really needs to go home. He writes poetry, and he expresses some of his sadness about his situation through his writing.

wow

this is great stuff my friend ... it's good to see that your adventures are going well....... i need to read more....better still ..i need to find you for a chat ... lol