How lucky can you be? It only happens in India...

There are moments when you start to wonder if there really is someone up there interfering with the happenings on this small planet in the inifinite universe.

This week me and Amit went for a meeting at a fancy five star hotel that is being built. When we arrived we realized that the back tire was punctured. The look of Amit's face was priceless! (Yes it was Amit) What he was thinking? We just spent half an hour driving far outside the city and far from the civilization. How much time would it take to push it all the way back? I laughed at it and said it would be a fun adventure to blog about, but he could not let it go and he had a very hard time to focus on the upcoming meeting. (OK I'll admit he beat me three times in chess the other week to compensate for making fun of him here) The meeting was the usual. We went around checking the layout of the rooms and received some blueprints and specifications to work around. We agreed to make an analysis and give them a proposed solution and quotation later in the week.

So, time to start pushing. It didn't make it easier to have two bags with laptops and a lot of books and paper to carry also. Should be a few hours of fun to end the day with. It was the final thing we did during the day, so it was not like it would be paid exercise during office hours. When I asked if no repair stations have pick-up services he just looked at me... Since problems are just a matter of perception I decided it was just some good fun. Fun didn't last more than 200 meters though...

Look what we found 200 meters down the road! A tire repair shop! A tire repair shop in the middle of nowhere 200 meters from our "accident"! It costed us 3 euros to for a new tube and to get it installed. Amit must have had a good connection with someone up there since it really can't just have been a coincidence! (Or could it? ;) )

Now you might be disappointed that the lucky story was just about getting a tire changed. That is the world of media though; add an interesting headline and it sells! So don't complain, its just the same thing that makes you buy the evening newspapers! =)

Other things that happened this week was that me and Amit managed to get an order of three of our biggest solar water heater units to a domestic user. I can't say my role in it was much more than trying to look like an important foreigner though. :P

Compared to last year's work in the national office of AIESEC Sweden this one is a walk in the park. Now I actually manage to have spare time and a social life! This week I got second place in a poker tournament losing the final rounds to a Russian guy, Sasha, that never played before... It was going so well all the way through and then I lost two all-in's in a row and the game was over. DUH! At least I won 110 rupees which covered the travel back and forth and some of the snacks at least! :) I also went for a shopping spree and some ice cream for nearly four hours with a colleague of mine. I bought two suit pants, three shirts, one leather belt, one pair of ray ban copy sun glasses and some cologne for approximately 50 euros! My colleague, Jackie, played a tough bargain game with a local store ending up buying four pieces of clothes of which name I have no clue, tailor adjusted to her size and all, for 10 euros. I'll probably give all my old clothes away when I leave India and fill my bags with high quality tailor made stuff from here! :)

The week ended with another football game interns vs locals. We won with 10-5!

Next time I will share some thoughts about my reflections of my integration to the Indian society and culture. Stay tuned!