Wallas

I just want to say that life is alot easier around here with wallas. Walla is a word in Hindi that distinguishes a person or a thing. Its kinda like saying "one who sells or delivers, type of..." I live upstairs and Heather lives downstairs so we are often called the "upstairs walli" or the "downstairs walli". If I can't remember some one's name I can just say "you know... the tall walla " In the store I can just say "voe walla" or 'that one' if I want to pick out a certain item.

Or there are all sorts of wallas to do my work for me. My favorite is the press walla. The one who irons my clothes. He comes to my door a few times a week, I just hand him my wrinkled clothes and for mere pennies he brings them back all nicely pressed and folded. We have the veggie or fruit walla who comes in front of my apartment and sells produce. As I am understanding more Hindi, I can tell the difference in the different walla "calls". They sing this little song that tells you what they have available. "allooo ghobee..." means "I am selling potatoes and cauliflower" I keep listening for "Blue Bell ice creammmm..."

There is the recycle walla that you can give all of your recycled items. Or just the other day, we heard the "call" of the 'gas stove, cooler, sewing machine' walla. If your sewing machine happens to be broken, he is the man to call on (I just think about ALL THOSE TIMES in the US my sewing machine broke and I could kick myself....) Heather was telling me about the 'knife sharpening' walla who will sharpen your knives for you.

I even tried to make up my own wallas. Some men came to fix my water taps. And I told my house helper the "water tap"wallas came. She just laughed at me... apparently wallas are predetermined and you can't just make em up like that. Lesson learned.