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Barcardi Sir
Entry 3 of 16 | show all | print this entry |
Hi to one and all, thanks to everyone that has been in contact, I appreciate it and will make sure to respond to everyone. Firstly apologies - this update is lagging by about 10 days but it's being so hectic I haven't had a chance to down sit (I do this very cautiously at the moment as I'm just back from a three day camel safari, I now completely understand the saying 'A neck as hard as a jockey's bum!') and write something.
So I was heading to Jaipur, the red city, I was extremely running late for my train and had a horrendous taxi journey over, I then had to literally run for the platform and jump onto the train as it was starting to pull out. I was exhausted and couldn't wait to lie down, do some reading on Jaipur and catch some sleep. When you book a overnight sleeper train you are assigned a kind of bunk bed with four to a compartment, mine was carriage 3 bunk 1A. I stumbled into the carriage lugging three bags and looking totally disheveled, at my bunk where sitting 6 Indian middle aged guys so I just wandered on until I met the ticket officer. He led me back to 1A and informed me this was my bunk. OK, there I was staring at these 6 Indian guys, what could I do but smile.
They welcomed me straight away and immediately made room for me on my bunk. I still was feeling kind of uncomfortable when one of the guys pulled out a bag with tones of food and three bottles of Barcardi, turns round and says 'Barcardi Sir!'.
I just laughed and said why not! So much for the relaxing train journey.
It turned out these guys where all managers for Pfizer (the guys that make Viagra!!) and they where heading for a 4 day conference in Jaipur. India's definitely have a fantastic work ethic, these guys put in 6 day week 12-15 hour days ( I was terrified to mention the fact I had flexi time back home and might sometimes even go to the gym at lunch!), it was like a philosophy of live to work rather than work to live, so I think when they have the opportunity to head away they live it up a little - who I was to argue.
The main man, Samuel, cracks open the Barcardi and the laughter starts. Samule claims he can continuously tell jokes for six hours and not repeat one - he decided then to prove it! Everything was going fantastic, I wasn't sure of all the punch lines or what exactly was being said but we were all laughing merrily and having a good time. Like all great poker players :o) I had picked up on a tell, Rajesh on my left, always laughed about 1 second early before the punch line hit (obviously working in Pfizer 15 years he had some of these before, else he was looking a promotion).
But then I must have let my play slip, I committed the cardinal sin of gags (especially when the supplier of Barcardi is the gag teller) I missed the punch line ...... I only realized when all the laughter died down and everyone started looking at me. My eyes raised timidly from my (borrowed) glass and I immediately started to laugh (in a nervous lose way) - it didn't wash. Straight away as in all crisis situation an emergency meeting to identify the problem was called, a root cause analysis was instigated, 'He didn't understand the words', 'You talk to fast', 'he hears too slow', blah blah blah.. It was then decided Samuel should repeat the joke as I obviously hadn't heard it right, so I thought no worries, I've heard it before, just wait for Rajesh and then let loose.
I'm not sure if it was the barcardi or the nerves maybe both but I then committed the second cardinal sin (there is only two) of joke telling when being supplied free food and barcardi - I started to roar with laughter before the punch line came, ah sh*t I thought and began a panicky giggle (I swear I was crying on the inside).
The time an extraordinary crisis meeting was held - I was excluded this time - it was then determined that from then on each partial of each joke should be rigorously explained to me so as too avoid another disaster. And hence it began, 5 more hours of jokes, barcardi and explanation!!!
It was a long journey made so much faster and entertaining by a wonderful group of men that welcomed me with open arms and showed fantastic kindness and tolerance :o) to a sleepy and clueless Irish man
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27 votes 
This is a top pick!
![[03] Cobra](/travel-photo/el_condor/asia_2005/1139221260/picture_019.jpg/tpod.html "[03] Cobra")
