one
read
May 2002 June 2002 July 2002 August 2002 September 2002 October 2002 November 2002 December 2002 January 2003 February 2003 March 2003 April 2003 May 2003 June 2003 July 2003 August 2003 September 2003 October 2003 November 2003 December 2003 January 2004 February 2004 March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008 January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 April 2009 May 2009 June 2009 July 2009 August 2009 September 2009 October 2009 November 2009 December 2009 January 2010 February 2010 << current
two
worthwhile
adrianne
ben
farsheed
girl with a movie camera
jacob
julia
kirk
margaret
todd
tony

email : me
three
Brendan's  book recommendations, reviews, favorite quotes, book clubs, book trivia, book lists
four
red
August 30, 2002

Last Night in Memphis



What’s the worst smell you can imagine? To me it is the smell of human waste smeared and evaporating on the side of a hotel toilet for an entire day. With the windows closed.

That’s what we came home to on our last night in the city that never sleeps with Ben Popik. "Hi, I’m in room 215, and there is human waste smeared on the inside of our toilet, I wonder what you might be able to do about that, because it’s ruining my life….I see…Uh huh….Are you Indian? No way what part?…Oh, you know, I was supposed to study abroad in Hyderabad….That’s so funny…Yeah, I loved the God of Small Things…"

They sent a man up to clean. While the caste system may be a post colonial relic, I know that this man was an untouchable. He couldn’t do anything about the smell or explain why there was human waste smeared on the inside of our toilet and not water in the bowl.

So we got a new room. Actually it was exactly the same room, but this one was "Deluxe" which I guess is Hindi for "with microwave and ironing board."

2:43 PM | [permalink] | 0 comments

Secret to Happiness