Why is Everything so Hard?

Many times we find ourselves wondering why it is so hard to do simple things. We have resigned ourselves to an Indian-like kismet that there is no straight line between where we are and where we want to be.

Each evening, going to bed involves a mini-ritual. Without much thought, we adjust the blankets we have hung outside our windows to deaden the evening road noise of honking horns, autorickshaws with broken “silencers” (mufflers) and a host of rumbles, roars and rattling from nearby Airport Road. The blanket strategy has been a smashing success. Yet, yanks on blankets are only part of the evening ritual. The bathroom doors must be closed to block both the noise streaming in from unscreened windows and to deny access to mosquitoes. Small mosquito repellent devices that plug into hip-high wall sockets are turned on to spew a chemical concoction to repulse mosquitoes, stave off the threat of malaria and, no doubt, fill our bodies with some vile carcinogenic. Surely no product like THAT would be placed on the market here in Paradise!

If the washing machine is operating and the electricity goes off, the machine stops and doesn’t start again by itself. More than once Helen’s gone to the back porch expecting to hang up clothes (no, we don't have a dryer) and instead found a washer full of water and wet clothes. Unfortunately, it’s not possible to just turn on the spin cycle. When the machine is turned on, it starts at the beginning every time. In order to stop it one has to keep an ear out and turn the power off at the appropriate time to keep the water from coming back on.

Flag down an auto rickshaw to get from point A to point B. Not so fast, Buckaroo. Although there are regulations regarding refusing service, auto rickshaw drivers are masters of their domain. If they don’t care to go to the place you wish to go, they just shake their heads and drive away. Luckily there are over 80,000 auto rickshaws in Bangalore. Another driver will come along with a more agreeable disposition.

Call a city taxi and arrange for a scheduled pickup. Odds on hitting the Power Ball in the lottery are better. We call, get a dispatcher, give a pick up time and destination. We wait. We call the taxi service at the pick up time. “Oh, there’s no record of your call.” At least we can flag down an auto rickshaw. Egad!

Our 256 Kbs Broadband service from Tata Indicom typically runs in the evening hours at 9 to 16 kilobits per second. We once saw a whopping 101 kbs …but that had to be an unintended engineering fluke. E-mails to Tata customer service return a polite form letter asking for our “patience” and reaffirm that they understand our “inconvenience.” Then nothing happens. We are still struggling with this problem. We hope to return to AirTel, our previous broadband provider.

We have learned, however, to adjust our expectations on predictions of future events. In January, AirTel indicated they would be in our area by February. That just means they will not be in our area in January. “It will be ready tomorrow,” only means it will not be ready today. Once you understand the language it's less irritating and frustrating.

Crossing the street, even at a traffic signal, is a high risk endeavor. Red lights are suggestions. When a light turns red traffic continues to stream through the intersection for another 5-10 seconds. We believe if a driver saw the light green at one time, he felt he had the right to proceed forward. Pedestrians do not have the right away here. Heck, two wheelers frustrated with the ever-present traffic grid-lock will simply ride up onto sidewalks and keep going. It’s hard for village ways to give way to urban disciplines. Another day on Planet Chaos.