A few weeks ago Lance and I headed to Goa on the Indian Ocean for a long weekend getaway. As we arrived at the airport we immediately felt relaxed. Fresh air. Beautiful palm trees. Ready for 5 days of respite and quiet on the beach...
We get into the airport to collect our single piece of luggage and there is a gentleman at the top of the escalator directing traffic down to baggage claim. Lance is walking two steps behind me when I ask the airport attendant where you pick up the luggage from our particular flight. He waves me down the escalator with his hand. Lance quickly sees the sign for our airline over the gentleman's head and yells out my name, "Lisa!" and points over to another door heading away from the escalator. In a second I realize I don't need to go down the escalator so I quickly turn back up to take the ONE step back up to meet back up with Lance to get our luggage from the correct baggage area when the gentleman who directed me to the wrong place starts yelling at me in Hindi and waving me down stairs. I am like, "but..." and motion towards the other pickup area.
He then proceeds to start yelling at me in English..."This is the down escalator. You MUST go down."
I state loudly, "There was one step between me and the top of the stairs." I am down founded and by this point I am half way down the escalator. My husband is watching this interaction with his mouth hanging open.
So the guy keeps yelling at me..."DOWN. NOT UP! DOWN. NOT UP! DOWN. NOT UP!" He just keeps yelling and repeating it to me like I am the dumbest person he has ever seen. He is hounding me like I am a criminal and as though there are strict rules in this country for riding an escalator. Everyone is turning to stare at me and they are shaming me with their Indian eyes. I finally am at the bottom of the very long escalator and have to take the stairs to get back to my husband who is still standing at the top of the stairs. So on my way back up the guy has the gall to meet me in the middle of the stairs to proclaim again directly into my face, "DOWN. NOT UP. It is dangerous to go the wrong way, WOMAN."
'Woman!' I see my husband sign and close his eyes...like 'Oh God dude what have you done!'
I have had enough of this interaction with the airport attendant. So I yell "OH SURE, I am doing something illegal here with the escalator (pointing over my shoulder at the contraption) but your whole country drives cars like a maniac with no rules or respect for other people and that is legal! And don't call me woman, MAN. I have had enough of your male macho crap!" His eyes widen and he stares at me as though he has no come back to that remark or he has never been spoken to by a woman like this before. Either way he shut up!
Later I would laugh with my husband about my little snarky comments. I don't know where it came from but good grief it was just an escalator! No one was in danger or anything!
Another example of how I sometimes don't understand this country! :)
We get into the airport to collect our single piece of luggage and there is a gentleman at the top of the escalator directing traffic down to baggage claim. Lance is walking two steps behind me when I ask the airport attendant where you pick up the luggage from our particular flight. He waves me down the escalator with his hand. Lance quickly sees the sign for our airline over the gentleman's head and yells out my name, "Lisa!" and points over to another door heading away from the escalator. In a second I realize I don't need to go down the escalator so I quickly turn back up to take the ONE step back up to meet back up with Lance to get our luggage from the correct baggage area when the gentleman who directed me to the wrong place starts yelling at me in Hindi and waving me down stairs. I am like, "but..." and motion towards the other pickup area.
He then proceeds to start yelling at me in English..."This is the down escalator. You MUST go down."
I state loudly, "There was one step between me and the top of the stairs." I am down founded and by this point I am half way down the escalator. My husband is watching this interaction with his mouth hanging open.
So the guy keeps yelling at me..."DOWN. NOT UP! DOWN. NOT UP! DOWN. NOT UP!" He just keeps yelling and repeating it to me like I am the dumbest person he has ever seen. He is hounding me like I am a criminal and as though there are strict rules in this country for riding an escalator. Everyone is turning to stare at me and they are shaming me with their Indian eyes. I finally am at the bottom of the very long escalator and have to take the stairs to get back to my husband who is still standing at the top of the stairs. So on my way back up the guy has the gall to meet me in the middle of the stairs to proclaim again directly into my face, "DOWN. NOT UP. It is dangerous to go the wrong way, WOMAN."
'Woman!' I see my husband sign and close his eyes...like 'Oh God dude what have you done!'
I have had enough of this interaction with the airport attendant. So I yell "OH SURE, I am doing something illegal here with the escalator (pointing over my shoulder at the contraption) but your whole country drives cars like a maniac with no rules or respect for other people and that is legal! And don't call me woman, MAN. I have had enough of your male macho crap!" His eyes widen and he stares at me as though he has no come back to that remark or he has never been spoken to by a woman like this before. Either way he shut up!
Later I would laugh with my husband about my little snarky comments. I don't know where it came from but good grief it was just an escalator! No one was in danger or anything!
Another example of how I sometimes don't understand this country! :)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.