Independence Day

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

India celebrates its independence from British rule today.

A public holiday for me.

I went out with a colleague who was going back to Singapore and needed to buy some curtain material. A local colleague in the office suggested going to Crawford Market. So after lunch, we hailed a cab and told him to bring us to Crawford Market.

The cab driver asked us what we wanted to buy at the market. I thought it was because the market was really big so he wanted to know where to drop us. After we told him, he said that Crawford Market was closed because it's a public holiday today. He offered to bring us to a shop nearby. We didn't want to but he insisted so we said we will just see where the shop is and go on to Crawford Market.

Instead, we brought us to the shop and turned off his engine. Being nice people, we went into the shop and took a look. When we came out, we just paid him 50 rupees and told him we didn't want to go to Crawford Market anymore.

In the end, we ended up shopping at the streets behind our hotel. My colleague didn't get what he wanted to buy but at least we both bought something else for ourselves.

How infuriating. Even on my day off, away from the office, I still meet people who just don't listen. What is it with these people?