India didnt tell me MJ died

I was a little annoyed this weekend... sad mood, downtrodden, but also a wee bit bitter. I found out Michael Jackson died, but very late, way after everyone else. All because India didnt even tell me.

You see, India and me, we are not on very good terms to begin with. I always seem to get sent there for the worst jobs, in the middle of the jungle kinds, where monkeys actually do throw crap at you, Holy Cows wander right into the middle of the street traffic like they own the place, and there is the ever present danger of a 5 meter long King Cobra killing me by just looking at me, and me dying from fright. (I swear, the venom, that wont kill me, its my poor heart from sheer horror)

Well its been almost 2 years since my last trip to India though, and since then Slumdog Millionaire happened. I decided to like India again, give it a second chance. I armed myself with the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack on my iPod, and with "Jai Ho" and "O... Saya" blasting in my ear drums, while I walked around in the heat and humidity, I was feeling good and ready for reconciliation. How can you not like a place with A.R. Rahman blasting as your life soundtrack? Its almost impossible not to be in a good mood. I even started bobbling my head loosy like Great Tiger in Mike Tysons Punchout.

India refused to cooperate though. My project, this was a commissioning job, went to shit. I was in the middle of nowhere of the Maharashtra region, Chandrapur to be specific. Nothing went right, everything went wrong with the job. And add to that I got Delhi Belly... also known as Put-parut-puts. This was going exactly the same as the 3 previous jobs I had in India.... up shit creek.

And I was giving India a chance this time. I really was, I was ready for water to pass under the bridge, had no preconceptions. But India just smiled and slapped me back. I did feel good though, or relieved maybe the better word, when I was finally on the way back to Ireland. I had a day layover in Mumbai, staying at the Intercontinental Hotel Marine Drive. Somehow I lucked out with the Penthouse room, with the bay view. Maybe India was making it up to me. And up on the roof that night, I had a great time drinking Kingfishers at lounge bar. Actually, it was a pretty good scene, roof top bar, perfect nighttime landscape view of Marine Drive Mumbai, great energy with all the younger Mumbai's clientele, all dressed up, good DJ pumping good music: so save the view and heat, I felt like I was at the Shark Club in Surrey (haha.. thats funny.. I apologize, but you gotta admit, thats funny). I was relaxed, enjoying myself, on this one night, trying to make up for the previous 5 shitty days.

India was being sneaky though, by lulling me with drink and great atmosphere, it was hiding from me that the most famous person in the world, the King of Pop had died. Nothing was on TV about it, only stupid choreographed bollywood singing n dancing and of course cricket news. No one was talking about it on the street even (well not in English anyways, maybe they were in Hindi, but what good is that to me?) I didnt actually find out until I got back to Ireland, when my taxi driver who picked me up at Dublin Airport, on the drive back home, had mentioned it in passing. So thats how I find out? In a taxi? 48 hours after the fact?

Me and India... we are divorced. Thats it.. dead to me.

MJ Personal Facts:
Favorite Song: Human Nature
Favorite Attire: Smooth Criminal- white suit with, top hat and black armband.
Favorite 'Non crotch grab' Dance Move: The anti gravity lean.
Favorite Character: Scarecrow in the Wiz, (Captain EO a close second)
Favorite ExWife: Lisa Marie Presley
Favorite suspiciously caucasian looking offspring: "Blanket"
Favorite Neverland Ranch ride: Ferris Wheel.

Now I have to say goodbye forever to one of my favorite artists of all time. Its a shame though that the man, however bizarre, has been ridiculed for almost 20 years, and its only at his time of death that people start to create a relationship with him again. Go read Lisa Marie's blog Post from Friday, its an interesting and intimately revealing read.