Today is my 36th day in Lincolnshire...and boy am I bored!!! I keep saying that over the last 4 years I have spent more nights in Lincolnshire than I have spent at home !! and it is a fact.
How do I know that i am bored ?? Well I know the song that the bird sings every morning outside my window..I know the tune. I stop getting sales call from credit card companies on my India mobile and miss that Haryanvi Hinglish sales pitch and I know that I am bored. Boredom is when I wake up on weekends and miss my wife's "honey do list" something that I run away from when I am home . I know that I am bored, when the only pastime that I look forward to is washing and ironing clothes.And defenitely know I am bored when I enjoy my Budweiser more than I enjoy Blogging :). Enoughhhhhh of boredom...now let me move on to some blabber.
The best part of this hotel, Staybridge Suites, is that it is mini India. At any point of time there are over 30 /35 folks from India. They come from different parts of India, with different food habits and different companies- Panasonic, HSBC, Siemens and Hewitt. And then there is an Indian store, Spice Bazar, very near to the hotel. It is run by Nidhi and Mikki , an Indian couple. I keep going there for my stock of Chicken Biryani , ready to cook parathas and chole and samosas. Nothing like having couple of cold samosas and then washing it down with a Zintac..enough to make me homesick.
Over the last few weeks I met some interesting people in the hotel... I met Ruth and her husband Alfred. They are in their late 70s, always smiling and and always ready to talk about their life experiences. They are from Florida and Lincolnshire, Staybridge Suites, is their Summer home. I have been seeing them for the last 4 years- they are here every summer to escape the heat of Florida. Alfred goes to play handball on Thursday evenings and Ruth is my sundowner partner. Great couple ...with lot of interest about India... Then there is Tim. He works in the front office of the hotel, handsome guy with quite a few girls eyeing him...He has been here on a Summer job and he leaves in 2 weeks time to join the army. All the best Tim, hope we meet again in the future . Friday evening I met " navy mom", i did not ask her name and will call her "navy mom" , because thats what she called herself. She was the proud mom, whose son graduated from the Navy school that morning. I could see the pride in her eyes... we got talking and she told me her elder son is in the US Army and her younger son will soon join the Marine. She told me something very interesting...she told me that she had always taught her sons- honour... Interesting ..this is the first time I heard someone say that they taught their child honour- Normally parents teach respect, honesty, standing up for oneself, success...hmmm...honour is something very different that I heard. I saw the flashes of love and pride in her eyes for her sons..All the best "navy mom", I am sure your sons will do very good for themselves and they will bring honor to the country, to the family and to YOU.
I need to sign off now, my beers are chilled and I am hungry. I am going to make some peas parathas and chettinad chicken today...anyones joining me for dinner??......
Miss you all .
Ramen
