Life in Vashisht
Aug. 26th, 2010 11:50 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rogerdogerOh what a surprise, its raining again. The weather has been really bad, nothing but rain almost everyday for weeks. Yesterday the temple had a big ceremony where they made puja to the god that controls the weather. The temps arnt too bad. When it does stop raining you can usually walk around in just a teeshirt and in the evening a fleece is good. I still work up a good sweat when i hike and the rain hasnt stopped me getting out. When the sun comes out, because its at altitude, 2000m the sun really cooks you fast. The trails have been incredibly muddy, waterfalls come pouring off the mountains at every turn. Sometimes I tread on what looks like solid mud and my boot sinks all the way in. Its apple harvesting season here in the valley and as I trudge and scramble along muddy paths I meet the poor laborers that harvest the apples. Little tent shacks are dotted all over the hills with people either making the wooden boxes that will hold the apples to take to market or used as the sorting and storage of the apples. The men and women that collect the apples from the hundreds of orchards carry baskets, sometimes with just the traditional strap across their heads. They walk barefooted and for good reason. I slipped so may times in my boots and nearly busted my ass on the steep slopes. A few of the guys were taking a rest and offered me an apple. I motioned to try picking up one of the baskets and they laughed but helped me into it. I could stand up but the weight was directing my feet, hell knows how they can traverse these hillsides.
In other news. I electrocuted myself this morning with my little hot water immersion heater that I use to boil the water for my ginger lemon honey drink. On reflection, picking up the wet metal cup pulsing with electricity, probably wasnt the smartest move.
Tried to finally pick up my plane tickets yesterday. travel agent had printed out the wrong thing. I told him so many times "print out the PDF" Indians just cant tell you they dont know something, so he just says "yes yes" when I get there and see he has printed out the wrong thing and show him where the PDF file is in the email from Air Asia, its clear he had no clue what that was. This is how life goes in India. Anyway I couldnt print out the proper files because yesterday the power for the whole valley was off!
I posted something about taxes for the map making business on a cycling forum in NZ. These guys are awesome, they always come to the resque for anything they can. This is the forum that when I originally was going to NZ and my bike didn't turn up, one guy let me a bike and another his race wheels. Another time I had offers to store my campervan before I found the camp site in Rotorua. Anyway this time I was just asking for advice about taxes and a guy answers me that works for a company that is based out of NZ. Turns out he is in the tourism business and advertises on a similar map. Its not a location Im looking at, at least not this year. But he brought up a point that I hadnt really allowed myself to take in. I knew Id be getting to NZ close to the start of the holiday season when companys would be looking at putting up their new season advertising, but he pointed out that even by Nov its already a done deal and I probably wont get any business for that year. Realistically I couldnt do the turn around in that short a time anyway. So, shit! looks like I need to figure out my next location that will be in season, which puts me all the way through to June of 2011 in India. Sheesh, no income still for another year. I will at least be able to meet with prospective advertisers in NZ and hopefully this time have a mock up of the maps.
Had an introduction to a Russian girl who is living here that is again another graphic designer. She seems to have more knowledge of Adobe that the other girl. Im meeting her again today to talk more about it and hopefully play around on Adobe and see what she knows. She looks pretty young but has two kids one maybe 9 or 10 the other 11 or 12. They are already in an Indian school here. Must be odd to be Russian, learning Hindi and speaking English.
Angela doesn't seem to be calling me or even replying to my last email. No big surprise there.
In other news. I electrocuted myself this morning with my little hot water immersion heater that I use to boil the water for my ginger lemon honey drink. On reflection, picking up the wet metal cup pulsing with electricity, probably wasnt the smartest move.
Tried to finally pick up my plane tickets yesterday. travel agent had printed out the wrong thing. I told him so many times "print out the PDF" Indians just cant tell you they dont know something, so he just says "yes yes" when I get there and see he has printed out the wrong thing and show him where the PDF file is in the email from Air Asia, its clear he had no clue what that was. This is how life goes in India. Anyway I couldnt print out the proper files because yesterday the power for the whole valley was off!
I posted something about taxes for the map making business on a cycling forum in NZ. These guys are awesome, they always come to the resque for anything they can. This is the forum that when I originally was going to NZ and my bike didn't turn up, one guy let me a bike and another his race wheels. Another time I had offers to store my campervan before I found the camp site in Rotorua. Anyway this time I was just asking for advice about taxes and a guy answers me that works for a company that is based out of NZ. Turns out he is in the tourism business and advertises on a similar map. Its not a location Im looking at, at least not this year. But he brought up a point that I hadnt really allowed myself to take in. I knew Id be getting to NZ close to the start of the holiday season when companys would be looking at putting up their new season advertising, but he pointed out that even by Nov its already a done deal and I probably wont get any business for that year. Realistically I couldnt do the turn around in that short a time anyway. So, shit! looks like I need to figure out my next location that will be in season, which puts me all the way through to June of 2011 in India. Sheesh, no income still for another year. I will at least be able to meet with prospective advertisers in NZ and hopefully this time have a mock up of the maps.
Had an introduction to a Russian girl who is living here that is again another graphic designer. She seems to have more knowledge of Adobe that the other girl. Im meeting her again today to talk more about it and hopefully play around on Adobe and see what she knows. She looks pretty young but has two kids one maybe 9 or 10 the other 11 or 12. They are already in an Indian school here. Must be odd to be Russian, learning Hindi and speaking English.
Angela doesn't seem to be calling me or even replying to my last email. No big surprise there.
