Week One

So ends my first week in Pune. I haven't been writing much, because to be honest there hasn't been a whole lot to write about. I get up, I go to work, I come home, it rains, I eat, surf and go to bed.

Did you get that? It rains. It rains. Not all day, not even most of it, just the hours in between when I get home and when I go to bed. Apparently it'll get better as of beginning of November, when the monsoon season is really over, but still, it's kind of depressing.

Not that it makes much difference in practice, though. I get back to the hotel between 5.30 and 6, and to be honest so far I've been exhausted every single day. I'm ashamed to say that so far I haven't even left the hotel, except to go to work! Well, except for Monday, when I went to the SGS mall to do some shopping. There are supposed to be some nice restaurants around here, but I've been too tired to go and look for them, especially as I have no one to look with (I'm working Pune hours while everyone else is on UK time). I've been enjoying the quiet, though, to be honest - after a full day of smiling and explaining and making small talk, I'm really not in the mood to socialise by the time I get back.

This weekend I'm going sightseeing, though! For tomorrow, I've booked the company cab to take me around the main sights (I still have to decide what I want to see, but a temple would be nice), and on Sunday I'll be either going to the Osho Ashram or the racing track (horses), depending on how I feel.

That is if I don't get sick first. One of the team was out today, and another left at lunch time, so we shall see...

Food-wise, I'm getting on okay. There's a complimentary breakfast buffet which looks amazing, but so far I've only had the yogurt with honey, partly because I never feel like eating before 8am, and partly because it's one of the few things I can scarf down in five minutes flat without choking... XD For the first three days, lunch was whatever Indian food was being served in the cafeteria at work. It was too spicy for me, so on Thursday I tried their 'diet' option, which basically consists of soup, sandwiches and fruit. That was okay, but yesterday one of the other SME's mentioned that the hotel snack bar would do you a packed lunch, so today I tried that. It turned out to consist of a very depressed little baguette with some rather tasty smoked turkey, and a packet of salted crisps. In conclusion: None of the lunch options are perfect, but none are terrible either, so I think I will just alternate between them from now on.

Dinner has so far been European/American/Vietnamese food from the buffet. I also ordered a lasagne a la carte once, and had a pizza delivered by room service. It's generally very nice, often not quite what you're expecting, but good nonetheless. It's currently being served in the hotel's Italian restaurant, since their usual buffet room is being renovated, and I'll be sad when they move it back next week. I'll miss the darker, cosier atmosphere of the Prego - Seasonal Tastes is very bright and sterile, very in your face and not charming at all.

The one thing I've discovered they can't do over here is chocolate. Not sure why, they seem to manage everything else just fine, but their chocolate deserts invariably come out bland and boring. Ah well, so much the better for me, I suppose!