Friday night, the evening before I take off and head back to Seoul, I treat all of my colleagues to dinner and drinks in Pune. When you travel like I do, wining and dining the client as much as possible is part of the job description, but these nightly business excursions also stand in the way of me seeing the places I travel to. They suck the fun out of my international stays.
I did what Laura suggested, though. Besides the items I bought for her, I also purchased a few things for my apartment: a brass elephant; a dark blue silk wall-hanging from the same shop as Laura’s sari; and in Pune, a giant print of Ganesha, the elephant-headed Indian Hindu god known for “removing obstacles.” I think I need that. I had all the items sent home.