The Queue

On our first day in Hyderabad, we were taken to the local mall (Inorbit) so that we could pick up essentials and try to keep moving through the horrid haze of jetlag.  We first found ourselves at Hypercity, Hyderabad's own version of Target.  It has everything from groceries and cleaning supplies to furniture and tourist trinkets.  Since that day, Hypercity has become a weekly stop.  We need lined paper... Hypercity.  We need a shoe rack.... Hypercity.  We need chicken.... don't go to Hypercity.  They keep the chicken in with the fish, and it is mighty stinky. 

Anyway, on our first foray to this soon-to-be home away from home, look at what we stumbled upon.

Lowman Denim!  Jeans named after my family.  A little "hello" from on high.  Of course, we quickly realized that the sign was a typo, and they are, in fact, "lawman" jeans, but who cares?

After our shopping, we headed upstairs to the food court to try and find something that would tempt our jetlagged appetites.  Nothing sounds good when you haven't eaten a proper meal in 36 hours, and your body feels like it is 4:30 in the morning.  So, like every good old American family, faced with dozens of strange and scary options, we went to McDonald's.  We settled the children into a close-by table, where they all promptly put their heads on the table and fell asleep.

We chose a register with a reasonably short line, and proceeded to wait and wait and wait.  In our sleepless state, it took us a while to realize that while we politely waited in line (or "on queue",) more and more people were just sliding in front of us.  Like this.

Screenshot from Facebook Local Expat Group.  It made me laugh.

And so, we learned our first lesson in India.  Lines are a fluid thing here, and if you aren't actively working to make your way to the front, you'll be stuck waiting forever while everyone else enjoys their McSpicy Paneer. 

Needless to say, we don't get stuck at the back of lines anymore, and we've branched out quite a bit with our food options.