You know that Jim Carrey movie "Yes Man" where he decides to say yes to everything? Well, as I'm in the middle of a four-month solo stay in India, that’s what I've decided to do.
Ok, I don't say yes to everything. Feel free to say no to drugs, touts, uncomfortable situations, absurdly high prices, and sex with people you don’t want to sleep with. But mainly, I say yes.
Want to change your plans and come to Udaipur with us?
Want to come to my party?
Want to talk to my friend who needs a roommate?
Yes, yes, yes.
And I don’t just say yes—I put other people in a position to say yes. Hello, girl who went to my grad school years after me, want to get coffee? Hello, guy who plays in a softball league, can you get me on a team? Hello, random person on the expat blog who is also new to town, want to meet up? (this turned out great with Julie, who’s here interning at the Czech embassy, but didn’t work out so well with Mark)
But mostly, I don’t turn down invites, even when all I want to do is turn in early. I'm only in Delhi for 10, 11 weeks, and India for maybe 18 weeks, and I want to make the most of it. So when I hear, “Pauline, want to—”
Ok, I don't say yes to everything. Feel free to say no to drugs, touts, uncomfortable situations, absurdly high prices, and sex with people you don’t want to sleep with. But mainly, I say yes.
Want to change your plans and come to Udaipur with us?
Want to come to my party?
Want to talk to my friend who needs a roommate?
Yes, yes, yes.
And I don’t just say yes—I put other people in a position to say yes. Hello, girl who went to my grad school years after me, want to get coffee? Hello, guy who plays in a softball league, can you get me on a team? Hello, random person on the expat blog who is also new to town, want to meet up? (this turned out great with Julie, who’s here interning at the Czech embassy, but didn’t work out so well with Mark)
I admit, I've turned down a few things. Maria lives in Dwarka,
and that’s too damn far to meet up. Jon invited me to watch a cricket game the
same weekend I was heading out of town. And I bailed on badminton with Nitin because I was hungover.
But mostly, I don’t turn down invites, even when all I want to do is turn in early. I'm only in Delhi for 10, 11 weeks, and India for maybe 18 weeks, and I want to make the most of it. So when I hear, “Pauline, want to—”
“Shut up. You had me at ‘want
to.’ You had me at ‘want to.’”
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