The Glade 4.0

Jesus f*** drivers are maniacs here. There are literally no rules on the road. No lanes, no anything. Vehicles driving in random directions across the same streets. Nobody wears seat belts. And jay walkers who cross busy streets, even at night. Most motocyclers have no helmets. 3 people on a motorcycle. How can these people not know any better.

I think the jaywalkers are the most dangerous, but who can blame them since there are almost no crosswalks, which aren't respected even where they exist.

If I could do just one thing in my life, I would bring about 20,000 traffic cops from Massachusetts to Hyderabad. This is just getting on my nerves so much.

There's over a billion Indians, they don't mind if they lose a few here and there.

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There is absolutely one rule on the roads of India.

Cows always have right-of-way.

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Well Ali Baba had them forty thieves, Scheherezade had a thousand tales
But master you in luck 'cause up your sleeves you got a brand of magic never fails...
...Mister Aladdin, sir, What will your pleasure be?
Let me take your order, Jot it down -You ain't never had a friend like me
█ ♣ █

When in countries like India, with wildly unfamiliar driving circumstances, it's wise to hire a driver.

Very wise.

Because you are a rich American. If there is an accident, you are likely to discover the legal system is far more interested in extracting money from the rich American for the benefit of a local than they are in fairly assigning responsibility based on the facts.

I was actually involved once in the "extraction" of some Americans from a country where the locals were intent on doing that.

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"Hysterical children shrieking about right-wing anything need to go sit in the corner and be quiet while the adults are talking."

Well I'm back now.



My previously-Internet-gf/current-fiancé who lives there handled all that. We took taxis and autos (3 wheel taxis) everywhere. I would never drive there in a million years. Driving in America is stressful enough.

Another annoying thing is that beggars chase you around, even when you're getting in and out of taxis.



I didn't see any cows, but maybe it's because I was in the city the entire time.

You have chosen... wisely.

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"Hysterical children shrieking about right-wing anything need to go sit in the corner and be quiet while the adults are talking."

Pretty sure this is your first mention of this ever, so... Congrats? Unless it was arranged, in which case... Congrats!

Thanks! And nope, it wasn't arranged.

Anyways, definitely engaged still. And her parents are very supportive fortunately, and they talked to my parents on Skype today which went really well. Her mom is going to plan the wedding and I guess about 70 of her relatives will show up. The wedding date will be in a few months and I'll have to go back to India for that. It'll be awkward since it's a Hindu wedding, and I'm not Indian. Then she will come to the US and move in with me (I've been working stuff out with immigration lawyers for over a month now).

Here is the both of us from the trip (maybe this should be in the real life picture thread):

Congratulations!

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This cold and dark tormented hell
Is all I`ll ever know
So when you get to heaven
May the devil be the judge

Thank you

Good for you Lex.

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Raell Kromwell

Hey, nice goin Lex.

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Thanks, guys. Anyways, now it's Facebook official, which is about as official as it can be.

edit: somehow a single Sam Adams already made me prone to typos

<removed photo>

Congratulations!

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Thanks!

Nifty!

Well done sir!

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Holy shitsnacks!

Congrats

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Darksiege
Traveller, Calé, Whisperer
Lead me not into temptation; for I know a shortcut

Thanks guys!

So my employers gave me special permission to go back to India for 6 weeks while I wait for her visa to be processed. Hopefully she'll get it soon. If her visa is denied, I guess I'll have to move to India, which would be a pretty big life change.

Interestingly, I have an officer in my unit who was Indian by birth and just married an Indian woman and got a K visa for her to come here.

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"Hysterical children shrieking about right-wing anything need to go sit in the corner and be quiet while the adults are talking."

Yeah, we're going for the K-1 visa. I see no logical reason why she'd be rejected, but you never know 100% because it's up to the discretion of the U.S. State Department official who conducts the interview at the embassy. I saw some statistics that the reject rate for K-1 visas is about 5% or so (might not be remembering accurately but it's around there).

Well my wife has been with me in the US now for a month, and we've applied for her green card. So everything has worked out great.

Congratulations Lex and Mrs. Lex! Get her a handle so we can refer to her as other than Mrs. Lex.

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The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself. B. Franklin

"A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone." -- Tyrion Lannister, A Game of Thrones