Further Thoughts/Observations on America

-People LOVE to talk about the weather and look it up constantly. I remember making this observation when I came back from Guinea, when it seemed particularly strange given I had only had to worry about a wet season and a dry season for two years. I think what's more impressive to me now is knowing that it is possible to actually get an accurate weather forecast in this country. I'm not sure why people bother looking at the weather in Britain, because 50% of the time it's wrong. I think the BBC weather people just have a wheel somewhere with every single possible forecast on it, they spin it every day, and report it as fact. Either that or they just guess.
-It's true, Americans are loud. But they're also really friendly.
-I love love love customer service. And I think the US might have the best in the world (except the USPS. See earlier post from today).
-New York and London are very different cities. 
-I'm sorry New York, but I don't think you've got anything on London. Certainly not your subway system, that's for sure. Although your buses seem to come more frequently, so that's nice. But they're not double deckers and red. So, a tie, I think.
-There is lots of stuff to buy in the US and lots of choice. Which, this time around, I'm mostly just happy about, rather than scared and disgusted about (post Guinea). There is nothing you can't find in this country! Au Bon Pain and Starbucks, keep up the good work with your little snack thingies. They're just what I was craving!

India Update

I'm still out here. Things have been pretty hectic since I've been back, which always seems to be the case no matter how long I'm home for. I'm currently in NYC attempting to get a visa for India. Because yes, I'm going to India the day after Christmas for a month. I only found out recently, however, that one's passport must be valid for 6 months from the date of entry into India, and since mine expired on May 22nd, 2011, that wasn't going to work. So I had to do a last minute expedited passport renewal, which still didn't leave me with enough time to do my visa application by mail, meaning I would have to do it in person at the consulate in NY. I already had plans to be in NYC (for the second time in two weeks) with my parents, so I decided I would redirect my passport to be delivered to a friend's house and just stay down longer and do it in person. No dice. The first time I called to redirect the passport I was too early, and the second time I called I was too late. Annoying. So my mom sent me my new passport yesterday to arrive today before noon. Well at noon I was down in the lobby of the friend's apartment where I was staying and there was no passport. After a minor freakout on the phone to the USPS, I was walking out of the building at 12:35 on my way to meet a friend for lunch, only to meet the postman in the lobby with my passport. He said to me, "Oh yeah, I had that earlier and forgot to drop it off!" and chuckled as though that was funny. I told him, "You're killing me! I've been waiting for this all morning!" to which he said, "Oh, really? Sorry." I don't think it had occurred to him that people pay extra money for things to be GUARANTEED before noon because they actually want it before noon. And before noon I mean, like, 9am is when I would have liked it.

I ran back upstairs to fill out the Indian visa application on-line and to make an appointment to go in and drop it off. Imagine my surprise when I saw there wasn't an appointment available until Friday afternoon. And you can't drop it off without an appointment. Rather than crying I pretended the problem didn't exist and went out to lunch with a friend from college who I hadn't seen since, I think, we graduated. Good times. When I got back to the apartment I looked again and was able to reschedule my appointment to a time that had opened up on Thursday. Better than Friday, but still not tomorrow like I'd planned on.

Soon after I checked my email and saw I had received an automated one telling me that my package had been delivered today at 11:56am. Which we all now know is not what happened. And meant that I wouldn't be able to get my money back because in their system it says delivered before noon. So that meant I got to freak out some more to random people on the phone who did not care and eventually was given the privilege of leaving a message on some random person's voicemail. I was still steaming about the whole situation when the guy from the voicemail actually called me back and actually seemed to be as concerned as I was about the whole situation. He said he'll investigate and call me tomorrow, and for some reason I believe him. We'll see how that turns out.

So that's the play by play of today's drama. I can't wait to see what else is coming. Taking care of the logistics of going to India has been a lot more stressful and time consuming than I'd ever imagined! I know, I know - it's good practice for India. I was just hoping that the Indian frustrations could wait until India. Oh well.

I'll be in Mumbai for about a week and will then travel up north to the Western Himalayas with a friend from London for another week-ish. Once he leaves I'll have about two weeks on my own with no plans! I'm a bit freaked out about that part, but feel confident that I'll meet fellow travelers and/or will figure something out. I fly back to the US on January 25th and then need to sort my life out. I have no idea what that will end up meaning and am hoping that I somehow get a better idea of where I'd like to be next and what I'd like to be doing. The US, Haiti, somewhere totally random? I have no idea. Cast your votes along with your amazing job opportunities for me.