What about Bob?

Yesterday, when I got to work after my big train ride, I found out via email that my friend and fellow AJWS volunteer, Bob, was coming to Chennai...in a few hours!!! I was soooo excited to see Bob because A#1) I love him and B#2) it's nice for someone who knows me (even if only a little) to see where I live and what I'm up to. A fellow midwesterner, Bob is from Madison, WI where he is a theater professor at UW. He is 67, and I'm very impressed that he is roughing it here on his own in India. His wife, family, and most importantly, his adorable granddaughter are all back at home, missing him no doubt. Bob is so nice and has a great, witty sense of humor. Also, he was the last friend I saw in Mumbai before boarding my plane to Chennai. I could not wait to see him, I was smiling all the way home on the bus!

So today he met me at my office around 5pm. He met all my coworkers and then we walked together to my bus stop. I tried to leave early so the bus wouldnt be crowded, but no luck...it was sooooooo crowded! I'm glad Bob got to see what the bus was like, but I felt bad that he got crushed! I've explained the bus before on the blog (see Get on the Bus post), and it was great fun for me to watch Bob passing the money on the bus. Usually you just pass it to the person next to/on top of you and tell them where its supposed to go. But Bob would say, "Money, coming back!" or "Here comes some change!" really loud for everyone to hear. Once he said (Dan, you will love this one), "if you dont have change, I'll take a cheeseburger!" Mind you he's yelling these things in English. I thought it was hilarious, but was unsure how the other passengers felt.


After a crazy bus ride, we arrived in my neighborhood. I've been here enough now that most people have seen me around and kind of know me. But to see me with another white person, whoa!! For once, I was not the only outsider!! Bob got to see my house and then we walked to town for dinner. We had dinner (meals) at the local veg restaurant, and they were way more attentive then they normally are. Again, 2 white people is a spectacle! I was thoroughly impressed with Bob's eating skills, he plays with his food just like a native!

We caught up and it was so nice to see him. It was nice to compare notes on India and our interactions with AJWS. It was nice to speak American English and not have to repeat myself a lot. Most of all, it was really nice when we hugged goodbye. I dont get a lot of hugs here in India, as people here dont really do hugs. When he got in the auto to go back to his hotel, I walked back home, alone again. It was so nice to see him, and so sad to say goodbye.

Thanks Bob for being my one and only visitor!! 

Orange you glad we took that second picture?