mission accomplished

Yesterday, around 5 PM, I entered a restaurant that I had never been to, dressed in my lungi and a green t-shirt that says FBI- Full Blooded Irish. I was the only customer, and I greeted the only employee (owner?) there with a nice Bangla "kaamon achen ?" He responded with about 15 seconds Bangla, to which I responded with " ha, ha, ji . I noticed at this time that he was blind in one eye. I requested ek eggroll. Another employee (the man's son?) came in after about two minutes, exchanged a few words with the older fella, and then started talking to me in Bangla. After he said something with an upward inflection (implying a question) I finally confessed that Ami Bangla jaani na, ektoo ektoo . The younger man then asked, "ah, hindi?" I finally told them that I was American. The egg roll cost ten rupees as opposed to the eight I am used to paying at many locations, but was the most delicious one I have had yet in India. On the nicer blocks of Park Street, I see them sold for twelve.

When my friends from America come to tourist sites with me, I may try to pass off as Indian to avoid paying the steeper prices charged to foreigners. Maybe I will wear my lungi and pretend to be their tour guide.

Today, for the first time on my trip, I wished I had a digital camera. I saw the bottom ten inches of a goat's leg severed on the side of a busy road. No other sign of the goat, probably turned into stew by this point. Right after this, a man was talking down the street wearing a white lungi and a Confederate battle standard towel wrapped around his upper body.

Briefly visited the Park Street Cemetery today. Lots of old colonial British tombs overgrown with moss and vegetation. We had to go quickly because it was closing (15 minutes early, simply a part of "Indian Time"). I might go back tomorrow.

Here is some advertising information about Thumbs Up:

"Coco cola india offers thumbs up. This soft drink is a leading carbonated drink and the most trusted brand in india. It has a strong cola taste with an exciting personality. thumbs up is know for its strong, fizzy taste with its confident, mature and uniquely masculine attitude. This brand clearly seeks to separate men from boys."

So true, so true.

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