World Sojourner : 3760

The intern experience is starting to turn into an Agatha Christie novel. During the day, it doesn’t seem so different. The work is about the same and lunches go pretty well. It’s at dinner the plot of the novel thickens. Interns normally mosely down to dinner around 7.30pm to 8.00pm. Before, one never had to worry about who was down there because with 70 people there was always someone.

Until now.

Every night, there’s a little less people. 10 little Indians, one by one, 10 little Indians … you get the idea. No, I didn’t pick ‘And then there were none’ because of the reference to Indians, but in a way it works (yes, I know it’s not referring to real Indians – unless of course Columbus is consulted). The mass exodus from Bangalore started last week and continues this week. By Friday, in my axis of friends there are only around 3 or 4 people left, which is fine. Smaller numbers does require more a little more communication to make certain we’re not dining alone.

Similar to the start of the programme, I now carry a book to dinner – just in case.

I’m preparing my final presentation, Shadowing project and Spanish this week. The work is going well and my anticipation for Mexico and three weeks of 24/7 Spanish is building. Of course, way before that I actually get to go home, see my lovely wife – celebrate her birthday without crutches – and enjoy a Guinness at the Windsor.

Next week, I too disappear from the hostel leaving a few behind. 10 little Indians … and then there were none.

ESPN.com – OLY/WBC2006 – USA puts Australia down under 40-point rout

Woohoo! Laid the wood to the Aussies! Go, uh, what’s our nick name – Eagles? B-2s?

Yanks?

Oh hell, who cares – up next the Germans.

I can hear the interviewer clearly in 2050 (in my head)

Interviewer: “So Mr Martine when did you realise you were starting to become out of touch with the younger generation?”

Me: “August 25, 2006, Chip. See that’s the day when my science education was deemed incorrect and Pluto lost its planet status. It started a downward spiral of becoming more out of touch by the year. Now, when asked I no longer know the proper mnemonic trick when naming all nine, err, eight.”

The interview will most likely go on to discuss how I think today’s ‘music’ is reprogrammed crap and yearn for the days of Vanilla Ice and MC Hammer, while hope to see more quality movies like Evolution coming to the big screen.

It’s not just science that I’m out of touch. When it comes to language in business I’m in the 1950s as well. See, I loath business speak. Up-skilling, strategical and transformational should be filed along with Beta, DNC political policies and ‘The New Coke’ in the giant circular file destined for the dump. I can’t bond or even respect people who regularly use such non-sense and then feel they’re cutting edge.

Yet, I digress. Today is dedicated to our little pal, Pluto.

Old friend, like many corporate policies you’ve become a victim of people who have far too much time on their hands, and I apologise. We will continue to think of you and fight against the new ideas because, like the metric system, we just like the old way better.

You’ll always be a planet to me. Yes, you’re a little weird sphere crisscrossing the galaxy circling the sun every 248 Earth years, but that adds a flavor and context to the Milky Way. And, it will be missing if you’re gone.

Sadly, this rally cry will be read by about 50 people so it won’t lead a revolution but to me, it makes all the difference. So in the late future when I’m in black socks and sandals carrying a metal detector on the beach of southern Florida and a little kid asks, ‘Hey Mister, how many planets are there?’

I can confidently answer, ‘Where’s my pants?’

Dinner at Ruby Tuesdays
Originally uploaded by Sujata Thomas.

Wanted to post a pretty good picture of Sujata and I at the Bangalore Ruby Tuesdays. We ate there to see if it was the same as home. The look, menus and service was similar but sadly the food wasn’t. Sure, it looked the same but there was definitely something different.