Monday, December 20, 2004
no star sports
more of the backpack saga.
december 18th was always a red letter day. besides all else we had to find ourselves a tv. crystal palace visiting the mighty manchester united. live on tv. all of asia supports man utd. it couldn't be easier. the game must be showing.
we arrived in agra a few days before the big day. no tv in the hotel room but there was one in the restaurant. the staff assured me that, yes they did have star sports, yes it would be possible to watch it and no, they wouldn't mind me staying up till 1am to do so (despite most of the staff using the same room to sleep in).
saturday arrives and we take our pews at 8pm for an 11pm kickoff. the evening goes rapidly downhill from here. it takes nearly an hour to establish (hard to believe I know but then you weren't there) that, no, they didn't actually have the requisite channel.
cue extreme measures. rather than admit defeat and go to bed, we decide to check in at another hotel, hopefully this time with the required tv. agra is now eerily quiet(everyone in india goes to bed about 8pm)and for good measure covered in very thick fog. we comandeer a passing rickshaw driver and explain we need to find a new hotel quickly, one with star sports. he enlists the help of a friend and now there are 4 of us driving through thick fog on a small rickshaw in northern india desparately trying to find a hotel showing the palace game.
we try 5 hotels. the first 2 have no rooms. the next 3 all assure us that they definitely have star sports. only after actually standing in the room and going through the channels do we establish they don't. eventually the final hotel rings someone who tells me that nowhere in agra gets star sports.
at this even I recognise the time has come to throw the towel in. not however the rickshaw driver who (anxious to get the commission from whatever hotel he finally deposits us to) would probably still be driving round agra now if we hadn't politely declined.
so no football and we lost anyway. such is life.
what else. well, we went to the taj mahal. world's greatest building and all that. wouldn't disagree. most of the other indian tourists were more interested in getting their photos taken with us than looking at site itself. the evidence is below.
december 18th was always a red letter day. besides all else we had to find ourselves a tv. crystal palace visiting the mighty manchester united. live on tv. all of asia supports man utd. it couldn't be easier. the game must be showing.
we arrived in agra a few days before the big day. no tv in the hotel room but there was one in the restaurant. the staff assured me that, yes they did have star sports, yes it would be possible to watch it and no, they wouldn't mind me staying up till 1am to do so (despite most of the staff using the same room to sleep in).
saturday arrives and we take our pews at 8pm for an 11pm kickoff. the evening goes rapidly downhill from here. it takes nearly an hour to establish (hard to believe I know but then you weren't there) that, no, they didn't actually have the requisite channel.
cue extreme measures. rather than admit defeat and go to bed, we decide to check in at another hotel, hopefully this time with the required tv. agra is now eerily quiet(everyone in india goes to bed about 8pm)and for good measure covered in very thick fog. we comandeer a passing rickshaw driver and explain we need to find a new hotel quickly, one with star sports. he enlists the help of a friend and now there are 4 of us driving through thick fog on a small rickshaw in northern india desparately trying to find a hotel showing the palace game.
we try 5 hotels. the first 2 have no rooms. the next 3 all assure us that they definitely have star sports. only after actually standing in the room and going through the channels do we establish they don't. eventually the final hotel rings someone who tells me that nowhere in agra gets star sports.
at this even I recognise the time has come to throw the towel in. not however the rickshaw driver who (anxious to get the commission from whatever hotel he finally deposits us to) would probably still be driving round agra now if we hadn't politely declined.
so no football and we lost anyway. such is life.
what else. well, we went to the taj mahal. world's greatest building and all that. wouldn't disagree. most of the other indian tourists were more interested in getting their photos taken with us than looking at site itself. the evidence is below.
// posted by courtney and pete @ 15:26 
Comments:
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You really have my deepest sympathy - it must have been awful for you. But think of me - sitting alone in the George in Winslow (the worse pub in Winslow and Buckinghamshire - and England - and probably the World)trying to watch in some sort of peace while the Winslow Rugby lads celebrate finding a brian cell between them and me thinking 'why don't I just give in and get Sky' and imagining you watching in 5* luxury in India when all the while you were touring round in a rickshaw - I am impressed by your dedication and stalwart support - well done.
Taj thingy looks nice.
Dad
Taj thingy looks nice.
Dad
# posted by 
: 10:04 am
: 10:04 am
Whilst your father is proud of you, I am ashamed! Seven paragraphs about football and a small mention about the taj mahal at the end. Where are you Courtney?
Mum
Mum
# posted by : 10:46 am
: 10:46 am
Your Dad is proud.
Your Mom is ashamed.
Somewhere along the line, Marsha is going to be "shocked and amazed" (That is her standard line, isn't it?)
I'm just sitting here wondering if this whole trip has been a set-up for a new sit-com. Or maybe a new reality show. Kind of a "Fawly Towers meets Survivor meets The Amazing Race" type thing. Excellent premise! You could find your stars on the Walk of Fame!
Enjoy,
The Canadian Hippie Aunt
(love ya both)
Your Mom is ashamed.
Somewhere along the line, Marsha is going to be "shocked and amazed" (That is her standard line, isn't it?)
I'm just sitting here wondering if this whole trip has been a set-up for a new sit-com. Or maybe a new reality show. Kind of a "Fawly Towers meets Survivor meets The Amazing Race" type thing. Excellent premise! You could find your stars on the Walk of Fame!
Enjoy,
The Canadian Hippie Aunt
(love ya both)
# posted by : 12:01 pm
: 12:01 pm
So here I am, finally! The Canadian Mom! Thought you'd like to know, Pete and Graham, that Bryan whatched the game here in our cozy loft, no rugby team, no rickshaws, just him and a glass of scotch. Life's tough, here in Canada. Oh, and by the way, it's 30 below here today!!
Love to all!
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Love to all!
# posted by : 2:51 pm
: 2:51 pm << Home
