Pati and Beebee went to the Periyar tiger preserve. The trip involved a boat ride through what appeared to be a man-made lake. Pati had their camera and was taking pictures of birds, deer, and wild boar (nice ride but no tigers or elephants to be seen).
The man in front of Pati said "I don't get here often and I didn't bring my camera. Will you email me your pictures?" Pati actually suspected that the man did not want to pay the 50 Rupees charge to use a camera (Pati didn't want to pay it either but he did along with two special fees for being a foreigner). However, since Pati plans to put his better pictures on a web share sight, he said yes.
Soon the man started pointing out various birds he wanted Pati to photograph. Shortly after that he said "You are too slow with the camera and are missing the moment. Give it to me and I will take them." Pati surrendered the camera. The man admired the camera saying "You need a longer zoom!" Pati noted that the man with his camera was fumbling with it and not quite "capturing the moment" either. After a couple of minutes, Beebee (who had an assigned seat behind rather than beside Pati) said "Where is the camera?" Pati explained and smoke came out of Beebee's ears as it sometimes does (Pati has no idea why). She told Pati to get the camera so that she could take some pictures too. Pati ask for the camera but was sure the man who had it thought she was being selfish since they knew he had forgotten his camera and they had remembered theirs.
While Pati was trying to take pictures around the other passengers who were standing and blocking the "Do Not Stand" signs, a guide came and offered to take photos for Pati and Beebee. Pati agreeded and the guide would go to various points on the boat taking unobscured pictures of the wildlife. He regularly brought them back to show Pati and Beebee. Pati noted that the guide used the many settings on the camera with ease. In fact, Pati knows more about his camera now than he did before the ride. After the boat ride had ended, Pati and Beebee asked the guide if he would like them to email a copy of the pictures he had taken. At first, he said no because he didn't have a computer. Then he thought of an email address of a friend who might accept them for him. Pati and Beebee copied the address and gave the guide what they hope was a nice tip. Since no one else was tipping and the guide seemed both embarrassed and happy, it probably was a good tip.
After Pati and Beebee got off the boat, Pati looked for the man in the seat ahead of him to get the address he would like the pictures sent to. Pati couldn't find him but was strangely unconcerned. Later -- on the drive home -- their driver, Simon, suggested they stop at a coffee plantation for a drink. Pati has learned to say yes to about everything so he said "Yes." They climbed a steep metal ladder to a shop on the second floor. When they got to the top, they found that the shop keeper was a twenty-something American looking blond girl. She had the full San Francisco from the flowers in her hair to the anklet ring of bells that jingled when she walked. Pati said "Are you from around here?" She said no and asked if Pati and Beebee would like to hear her say something in her native language so they would know where she was from. Pati has learned to say yes to about anything so he said "Yes." The flower girl shopkeeper then said "Dingle fingle pringle bingle " or words to that effect. Pati and Beebee blinked so she said "Dutch."
At that instant the man who sat in front of Pati on the boat climbed in (out of all the gin joints...). He asked who the shopkeeper was and the flower girl said she was. The man said he had a headache and wanted coffee. The waitress kindly offered him an aspirin and asked if he would like some water. He said yes but he wanted tap water (a.k.a. the free stuff). He took the aspirin and turned to Pati --who again found himself setting behind the man -- and asked what an aspirin is. Pati and Beebee assured him that it cures headaches. After taking the aspirin, the man went to the flower girl -- who gave him the free aspirin with the free water -- and demanded to know why his coffee was taking so long. Pati admired the man's easy way with people!
Pati then asked the man if he was the fellow on the boad who asked for a copy of the pictures. After examining Pati like a bug, the man eventually said yes (since they were among the very few non-Indians on the boat even Pati thought that should be a simple question). The man gave Pati an email address and said Pati only needed to send the forty or so best shots as attachments. Pati said "Would a link to a web site be OK?" The man said "No, that would be too much trouble for me, just send the pictures as individual email attachments."
The conversation then turned to Pati and Beebee's travels. The man explained they were pretty much a waste of time since they had not made a detailed study of Indian history before their trip. "What a wonderful man!" Pati thought. He wondered if he could -- by paying a large sum -- have the man be their guide and share more of his wisdom. Unfortunately, Beebee said it was time to go.
The next day, Pati and Beebee spent the day on a houseboat in the Kerala backwaters. Soon after the trip started, Beebee saw the man leaning out of a smaller boat taking their picture! Pati was very pleased and wanted to see if the man would join them for a further sharing of his wisdom. Unfortunately, smoke started coming from Beebee's ears again. Pati turned to make sure her hair did not catch fire. When he turned back, the man was gone. What a lost opportunity.
(Except for the smoke, all of this is true.)
The man in front of Pati said "I don't get here often and I didn't bring my camera. Will you email me your pictures?" Pati actually suspected that the man did not want to pay the 50 Rupees charge to use a camera (Pati didn't want to pay it either but he did along with two special fees for being a foreigner). However, since Pati plans to put his better pictures on a web share sight, he said yes.
Soon the man started pointing out various birds he wanted Pati to photograph. Shortly after that he said "You are too slow with the camera and are missing the moment. Give it to me and I will take them." Pati surrendered the camera. The man admired the camera saying "You need a longer zoom!" Pati noted that the man with his camera was fumbling with it and not quite "capturing the moment" either. After a couple of minutes, Beebee (who had an assigned seat behind rather than beside Pati) said "Where is the camera?" Pati explained and smoke came out of Beebee's ears as it sometimes does (Pati has no idea why). She told Pati to get the camera so that she could take some pictures too. Pati ask for the camera but was sure the man who had it thought she was being selfish since they knew he had forgotten his camera and they had remembered theirs.
While Pati was trying to take pictures around the other passengers who were standing and blocking the "Do Not Stand" signs, a guide came and offered to take photos for Pati and Beebee. Pati agreeded and the guide would go to various points on the boat taking unobscured pictures of the wildlife. He regularly brought them back to show Pati and Beebee. Pati noted that the guide used the many settings on the camera with ease. In fact, Pati knows more about his camera now than he did before the ride. After the boat ride had ended, Pati and Beebee asked the guide if he would like them to email a copy of the pictures he had taken. At first, he said no because he didn't have a computer. Then he thought of an email address of a friend who might accept them for him. Pati and Beebee copied the address and gave the guide what they hope was a nice tip. Since no one else was tipping and the guide seemed both embarrassed and happy, it probably was a good tip.
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| Periyar Guide |
After Pati and Beebee got off the boat, Pati looked for the man in the seat ahead of him to get the address he would like the pictures sent to. Pati couldn't find him but was strangely unconcerned. Later -- on the drive home -- their driver, Simon, suggested they stop at a coffee plantation for a drink. Pati has learned to say yes to about everything so he said "Yes." They climbed a steep metal ladder to a shop on the second floor. When they got to the top, they found that the shop keeper was a twenty-something American looking blond girl. She had the full San Francisco from the flowers in her hair to the anklet ring of bells that jingled when she walked. Pati said "Are you from around here?" She said no and asked if Pati and Beebee would like to hear her say something in her native language so they would know where she was from. Pati has learned to say yes to about anything so he said "Yes." The flower girl shopkeeper then said "Dingle fingle pringle bingle " or words to that effect. Pati and Beebee blinked so she said "Dutch."
At that instant the man who sat in front of Pati on the boat climbed in (out of all the gin joints...). He asked who the shopkeeper was and the flower girl said she was. The man said he had a headache and wanted coffee. The waitress kindly offered him an aspirin and asked if he would like some water. He said yes but he wanted tap water (a.k.a. the free stuff). He took the aspirin and turned to Pati --who again found himself setting behind the man -- and asked what an aspirin is. Pati and Beebee assured him that it cures headaches. After taking the aspirin, the man went to the flower girl -- who gave him the free aspirin with the free water -- and demanded to know why his coffee was taking so long. Pati admired the man's easy way with people!
Pati then asked the man if he was the fellow on the boad who asked for a copy of the pictures. After examining Pati like a bug, the man eventually said yes (since they were among the very few non-Indians on the boat even Pati thought that should be a simple question). The man gave Pati an email address and said Pati only needed to send the forty or so best shots as attachments. Pati said "Would a link to a web site be OK?" The man said "No, that would be too much trouble for me, just send the pictures as individual email attachments."
The conversation then turned to Pati and Beebee's travels. The man explained they were pretty much a waste of time since they had not made a detailed study of Indian history before their trip. "What a wonderful man!" Pati thought. He wondered if he could -- by paying a large sum -- have the man be their guide and share more of his wisdom. Unfortunately, Beebee said it was time to go.
The next day, Pati and Beebee spent the day on a houseboat in the Kerala backwaters. Soon after the trip started, Beebee saw the man leaning out of a smaller boat taking their picture! Pati was very pleased and wanted to see if the man would join them for a further sharing of his wisdom. Unfortunately, smoke started coming from Beebee's ears again. Pati turned to make sure her hair did not catch fire. When he turned back, the man was gone. What a lost opportunity.
(Except for the smoke, all of this is true.)
Posted with Blogsy
Other than the annoying man, it sounds like you had a good time. I can't wait to see all these pictures! :)
ReplyDeleteBut can Beebee wiggle her ears ?
ReplyDeletePati is well known for being a big tipper!
ReplyDelete