Now where did I put that metronidazole...

I've been back from Mumbai for several days now, but a little piece of India decided to come back with me. I don't know if it was the food at the fancy hotel or stuff I ate later in the week, but my stomach's been out-of-whack. It's getting worse daily, and I today I noticed light rash covering my body. I'm assuming whatever it is will not leave without encouragement, so I gave up on letting it run its course and popped some pills.

Mumbai was ok. I didn't do anything exciting. Josh and I hung out and had snacks. I never got proper chai masala (the tiny cups of sweetened milk tea brewed with ground cardamom and other spices), nor did I take any auto rides. Autorickshaws are simply not permitted in South Bombay (the uber-snobby, wealthy area of Mumbai). I had some nice fresh juices (mango and pomegranate, and, no, I don't think that's what made me sick) and ate panni puri and other treats at Josh's favorite chat place. We also fake-shopped for more rugs and felt smug that Josh's rug guy gives us nicer rugs at good prices.

Mumbai on Too Many Rs Per Day

I've spent most of my first three days in Mumbai in the 4-star wanna-be hotel by the airport. It was sort of like not being in India, except for the pods of obsequious staff in the hotel who tried so hard to make my experience exceptional and ended up annoying me. Nonetheless, it's been a good trip. My travel companions are upbeat, and we had several hours of productive meetings. I'm excited about the implementation, despite the fact that I couldn't get proper chai in the hotel.

I've since shifted to a smaller hotel in south Mumbai, the most expensive are in the city and possibly all of India. The staff here is trying hard but hits closer to the mark. My room isn't as schmancy (no hardwood incense burners to match the chairs ans a smaller flatscreen), but the hotel looks and feels cleaner. Unfortunately, this hotel is as pricey as a nice hotel in downtown Seattle but doesn't have the nice room.

You can take the girl out of India...

...but she just turns around and goes back. That's right--call your aunties, I'm headed to Mumbai. Chai. Autos. Proper breakfasts! MORE CHAI!

However, instead of working for The People, I'm going on behalf of an Atlas client who has a customer in India. I'll be in meetings most of the week, and then a couple friends are coming from Bangalore and Kathmandu. I come back Sunday. It's a quick trip, but with this client, I'll be traveling to India at least a couple more times, and--if I'm lucky--I may get to visit totally new countries, too.

Growing Soft

I have to say--this new client is later-stage than our usual partners. I have an office, a desk phone, a laptop, and a global cell. They provide free snacks. I never have to wonder if the lights will turn on. In fact, my office has a sensor and lights up when I enter. It's this strange, lovely world where all the bills can be paid and you get whatever equipment you need.

Of course, it's still a start-up, and that means chaos, huge workloads and nutty people, so I still feel at home.