Focus on the flowers...

I don’t think I make mountains out of mole hills but sometimes- here – it seems molehills pile up to be mountains.

Running away was great- we enjoyed ourselves but as I mentioned the return trip was gruelling and by the time we into the office very early the next morning, I might add, there was a lot to do piled up.

We jumped on it and started getting through things

Papu-ji and the gang had samples underway, the shipping of a bigger order had been progressing, Sagir our office guy was making good headway on Creative Arts Safaris details.

 

For the last 2 years we have been using the services of a booking agent, someone we know from tours who was starting up a move from driving to an office. Initially he did a good job, was great following up on details and so it was helpful…..the last while has been a hassle, not enough clear communication of what was happening, a bit of cost cutting we had not authorised…many niggles so we decided to bring all details back in-house.

We are starting to book a lot of private tours for people with a textile interest as well as our tours bulging again and – and well I go nuts with stress worrying over unclear details, Praveen knows how important the details are and patiently spends way too much time on phone calls to monitor things. Taking all details into our hands from the start will improve things enormously.

So part of our mountain is training for Sagir, formulating a new checklist system and compiling lists of details we need to hand.

For some while Sagir has been maintaining our “to do” and like a speaking diary regularly reminds us of the next thing to tick off, he is great at it too….so all is looking rather positive. 

 

In fact 2 days ago I was starting to think, keep this up today and I could sneak in an hour or 2 hand stitching today or tomorrow [great stress release]

Famous last words….half way through the morning my internet went down, went to ring Praveen and see if the internet on his phone was working, no phone, being the same company I presumed tower problem. Sagir has a different company on his phone…

When Praveen came back Sagir mentioned using the wifi on his phone for my internet access. Did you know phones can do this? My phone is too old but smart phones are REAL smart. I wanted a new phone- one that is smart.

Now that is something Praveen was happy to sort he was out the door so fast and back with a sample so quick- although the guy could explain functionally to me he did not seem to have enough English to tell me the price and P was out the door running before I could corner him…. Turned out a bit pricy but lovely, and Praveen was so pleased last night to be giving me a very flash new phone.

We got the shop to look at my sim as well…no tower problem.

New government decree – any phone where a foreign passport is the authenticating method will only last 3 months….WHAT!!! all our business details have that number on it, and our business stationary and I had a big balance….really I am sure they must have a security worry to do it, but no warning….days of picking up the pieces, blah, blah, blah.

Some days the stress and frustration of coping with India seem way too much; I decide to abandon ship and go home, feed my tortoise and remember all the reasons I like being here….along the way the car made a big  bang! And after a dramatic bit of weaving and missing a gaping hole I stopped completely blocking the road. No phone…a long dusty walk home to ring Praveen, broken axel, hire car today to try and start a new phone number……back to trying to remember all the things I love here!

Life isn’t it, really? Just seems here you get served bigger helpings of the challenges some days.

Ohh and an update on our driver- poor bugger. Couldn't get his wages before he left...then he gets back and owner rang us so sweet- how was my driver, did he do a good job, did he get a big tip??? I could hear Praveen on the phone, very non-commital and asked why play him down, he was great....Praveen said purpose of call was for owner to have idea of tip and so hassle half out the the driver- what a sleaze the owner is....oh India how are we ever to get ahed wiht no level playing field??