Ka-Ching!

Well, i've finally earned my first real paycheck,for the princely sum of $371.82 , minus about $50 of taxes and medicare deductions...a surprisingly low amount, for about 12 days of work...but that's the way most people feel about their salary anyway. The tax deductions are not compulsory, but i felt it was a good idea to have it done anyway, so that i may get a nice fat refund in April.

We were sitting at our table this evening, sipping Sikkim tea and discussing what our objectives were for the next year. I feel that my time here should be spent in extracting the maximum out of what this country can legally offer, give back nothing except what i am legally bound to do, then leave. Squeeze the last drop of juice from the sugarcane, and leave nothing but husk. When the System allows you to take whatever you can get your hands on, do it. Be a modern-day dacoit.
Mom sees her objective in pretty much the same colours, but she has put a figure to it. that could change, but the idea will still be prevalent. Her prospective timeline may range from the extent of her contract, to as long as five years...my time here will most probably be limited to until i am able to join college in Delhi.

Black Friday Dawns...

The biggest sales event in the year has finally arrived, and the queues have finally begun to move into stores oozing with all sorts of merchandise. Stores like BestBuy have opened at 5 A.M to allow the customers camping outside the store in to burn their money.
Fortunately for me, BestBuy was man enough to give me a discount voucher, meaning that if the computer i purchased goes on sale, i can go in there and get a refund equal to the discounted amount. Nice.

Just about everything is on sale, and the madness is only beginning.

pictographical representations of our current lodgings.

here we have a view of our lobby/dining/seating/lounge/drawing room from the service counter of the kitchen....

...and here is the miniscule pentagonal kitchen, equipped with an eighties-era range...



this is our backyard, complete with its own pond stocked with game such as duck and turtle for our consumption(not really, they are for ornamental purposes only.)

Turkey Vs. Aloo Paranthas

Thought i'd become more american and wish you all a happy thanksgiving...a strange festival, given how you first thank the original Americans for helping stave off hunger, and then later down the line, you proceed to murder one and all. Nobody seems to be thinking of the Original Americans when they sit down in front of their HDTV's to eat turkey and drink beer until they pass out.

Anyway, there's no point discussing History and Genocide. Mom's aloo paranthas can beat any old turkey-and-corn dinner anytime.

Those Idiotas at ICICI Lombard seem to have Snafu'd my payment to the hospital for my emergency treatment after that bike collision. I recieved a letter from the hospital requesting more information, despite having furnished all details on the same night. What's more, that Austrian guy still on the loose, looking for me. Bart has had to face the man several times and tell him outright that he doesn't know me at all, and tell tall tales of how i've moved to Ohio or someplace...not that bart has a problem with it, though...

More Bad news- the Camera's SD card that contained all those lovely pictures of timmy, meenu and sanveer, niagara and our stay at bhuajee's got corrupted. I tried recovering the data, but to no avail. Fortunately, the card is OK, and i won't have to buy a new one.

Computor!

Hey all,

I've finally got myself a laptop, and an internet connection will follow soon. we have also applied for an Fixed line telephone, and the service will be activated from tomorrow.

Despite the advice from certain individuals, i have got myself a pretty basic but nonetheless brand-new machine, which i feel is a better investment than going for a suspect used laptop...the applications we may use this machine for include teleconferencing and VOiP, and it is essential to have a well-configured laptop for this.

Anyway, Our new apartment is nice and cosy(meaning small, rather; eentsy) and as of yesterday, has three pieces of furniture in it- a 4 seat dining table, a chest of drawers and a bookshelf, all purchased from a used furniture shop. We have no matresses or beds, and the carpeted floor serves as our bed. I'll put up some pictures soon, so you guys can have a look.

My job is going really well, and i like what i get to do at my workplace. the envoirnment is very relaxed and casual, the pizza boy has a crush on me, and my boss is a real swell gal. I get to do lots of pastry work, baking, and final prep. I also do other stuff like tarts and flans, cheesecakes, pies and the like. we are extra-busy these days, as thanksgiving is around the corner, and we have over 500 orders to fulfil.

i'll have to drop off here, as this is being written across some moron's unsecured WiFi network that i pried into, and sooner or later, he's gonna notice some unusual activity on his modem...actually, i'm just about ready to leave for work, and i don't want to miss that bus...