Thursday, August 14, 2008

Lady Penelope and Parker

For the first time since I have been in India (4 weeks now) I found myself in the car on my own with my driver with no BMD’s in tow. Suddenly I felt like Lady Penelope and Parker was doing the driving.

When I’m with the girls in the car I’m normally so distracted by the constant whining of “those people are staring at us” (don’t know when the little darlings will get the concept of we ARE the exhibits in the zoo now, get used to it) that until now I never noticed the concept of the driver. Really. Actually – (whisper) how nice it is.

Thoughts of days when I could download a podcast or two and spend my time in the car listening to my favourite shows from BBC Radio 4 to keep in touch with Blighty started popping into my head.

Until Parker decided that this would be a good time for some therapy, on me.........


It kind of went like this.

“Madam join a gym?” Parker.


“Yeah, when I’ve got the house straight, BMD#3 in nursery, got the Staff together, organised our first R & R, watch my nails dry, bla, bla, bla......” (Not anytime soon, if you get my drift)

“Madam could get a running machine and bike and some dumb bells, and do an hour in the morning and evening” What in God’s name are dumb bells?!?


He then (no kidding) starts to tell me in his heavily Tamil accented broken English what sort of stomach exercises I need to do and how he gets up at 4.30 a.m. every day and does an hour in the gym before work and how it would do me good.

“Are you telling me your Madam is fat Parker?”


“Oh no Madam, just want to get my Madam in shape”.

By now I’m rolling about the back of the car in convulsions of laughter and I couldn't resist the next line.


“Are you ashamed of your Madam, Parker?”

“No, No, Noooooooo” came the reply.


“Yes you are” teasing him.

He shut up after that. I carried on chuckling to myself for a while but then couldn't help wondering if all the drivers size up their Madams.

I’ll make sure I’ve got my IPod with me next time.

Cheeky bugger.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

There's a lot to be said for noise-canceling headphones.

Also, we have a treadmill and free weights (dumb bells) for sale if or Parker are interested ;)

...I wonder how embarrassed McGyver has been of his fat madame??

Emma said...

I'm still laughing at this one, so I just had to read it agin!!

素子 said...

How did we not hear about this Friday night?

Dinahsoar said...

I may have already commented before--don't have time to look back..just wanted you to know I'm loving reading your blog...I find that India fascinates me and repels me at the same time. I became acquainted with a native of India here in the U.S. and have learned much about its culture. I'll be reading your blog regularly--even if I don't comment, know I"m reading...

Sejal said...

Hi Lady Penelope - welcome to the Chennai reality!! My offer to help in anyway I can is still on the table. You only have to call.

Sejal

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