Being disoriented is OK, really

I'm still jetlagged, and still out of it, but I've come to feel that I'm OK with it. It was one thing to say it, and like the idea of it, but it's been an entirely different thing to feel it. Perhaps it's the arrival of two other Westerners (one from LA, the other guy's a Swede translpanted to LA) who are even more dislocated than me. And the latter dude's actually sort of phobic about everything, which makes me feel more like I'm getting the hang of things. Like taking the autorickshaws, which are basically scooters fitted with a covered backseat that they say fits three, but really fits two. I have, however, seen as many has six people hanging out of one (including the driver). Riding one is pure vehicular adventure, to be sure. As long as someone else is driving, I'm fine with the centimeters between cars, pedestrians, motorbikes, other autos (as the autorickshaws are called) and us.

I've been out in the world now a few times, beyond the office. The newness and heat and everything is starting to feel like adventure, rather than burden. For now, I'm willing to accept that I'll get tired and want a nap around 5pm, so I'll make sure I'm back at the flat in the afternoons. That way I can read, or nap, or just sit and gaze at the city from the balcony, over the pasture for the cows and goats that the Amand Prabhet village (which this bit of Hyderabad grew up around) keeps for them, next to the Anapurna movie studio, next to the surrounding shiny new apartment buildings. The expanse of white buildings that stretches out to the horizon, past the airport, is starting to be familiar. I'm starting to orient myself very locally (the airport is on this side; the park on that one).

I've been to the grocery store twice, tried going to the movies (but they're perpetually sold out), been to the "wine store" to buy some Vodka, ordered food in a food court, am learning the size and shape of the money, and can almost convert Rupees to dollars (I know its 40 to 1, but what about 1,000? or 1500? oh, yeah.) I can concentrate enough to read fiction again, and I think reading's given me some focus--reminded my brain how it works.

The housemate situation is very "Real World"; I keep looking around for a confessional closet. The flat we're in has three bedrooms, all for the use of company employees. Since the other guys got here there's an insistence on doing things together. Tonight might be the end of that. Swedish dude said to me this morning "You're a mean girl, aren't you" It was early so it caught me off guard. Of course I came up with all sorts of snappy comebacks later. At the moment I just gave him an evil look and said, "maybe." I think I'm going to start mentioning Cornell ever so casually. It's a cheap trick, but it works with blowhards.

The rest of the weekend will be gentle sightseeing--out in the morning, back in the afternoon, out again in the evening. We're here for long enough there's no need to kill ourselves.

I'll take the camera out tomorrow; we found our USB cable. Huzzah!