'Can I help you find something maa'm?'

I heard myelf repeating these words for the millionth time.

'No....I am just browsing'.

Came a terse reply from a middle age woman. Who would have thought a genteel female in her forties with a Louis Vutton purse and prada shoes would actually sound so acrid. But then it is how it always is in Ocean city Maryland. Salesperson never give up and customers never give in.

I did not know what took me there during one of the past summers. My tuition was waived, I was living modestly and was quite successful in making both ends meet....but perhaps I wanted a fine toyota and get rid of my rickety chevy or wanted to wear armani colognes and sport a nautica polo....reasons were plenty...I can see it now. I sometimes hate myself of being so materialistic.

I worked on a store which sold almost everything....from diapers to dentures.It overlooked the azure atlantic...each morning me and my boss used to gape at the blue water....eyes half closed....trying to find a dolphion or two...as if they would make or day. My boss was a funny little jewish man who never got tired of his libidinous jokes...and thought it exhibited his good sense of humor.

Ocean city becomes more secular than the city of Baltimore during summer.Nepalese people dominate the working crowd along with Russians, pro-russians, Irish, Israelis, Bulgarian, Romanian and few other east european countries which you thought never existed.Shrewed jewish businessmen hire and sack them more often than a six month old peeing in his pants. I still wonder how they try to make a better salesperson out of people who never spoke english before.

I lived in an apartment with seven others. Soon there would be four more.I worked like a zombie and devoured my food as if I were dungeoned hungry for years. I had tried to keep the apartment clean .... I succeeded for few days. There were some bravehearts who tried to cook too...but failed miserably. There were differnces in opinion all the time...but then there was one thing in common.....drinking together....thanks to heineken....it bonded all of us together.

We had a few females working in our stores...one of them was Jana, a Bulgarian belle who never understood what customers spoke and vice-versa. Needless to say, she was in awe of my immaculate English ( at least she thinks so).

'Jaownhy, let's go see spiderman',

She used to ask me out....our relationship was simply platonic...don't get any ideas....she was a vulnerably innocent girl who wanted to learn american slangs and some swear words too. Good for both of us that our day day offs did not match....I prevented her from profanity and myself from felony. We never saw a movie together....later I discovered that she thought leonardo di caprio was playing spiderman and couldn't help smiling. She was a good friend...and I had hard time protecting her from my fellow nepalese people.

By the time summer was over I realized nepalese people came to ocean city to two major motifs....earn money and get laid. Some people get both....people like me only earn...and some unlucky fews end up getting none. I can still remember some angry faces.

I loved visiting Maryland, it is a beautiful state. But for some reason, while crossing cheasapeake bay...I vowed never to return back again. I would visit Baltimore, Annapolis, Bel-air, Hagerstown, even blairwich (????) but not Ocean city. All I earned was a few thousand dollars at a cost of bristling feet, sore back and tanned skin. I care least about my back or skin, but I love my feet (hehe), always kicked butts. Can't afford to ruin it.

typos again....apologies.

Hi JohnG:

Another Awesome account. I like your penmanship.

Your account of Illinois to Maryland to Alabama are just superb, and it reminds me my years back in down south Georgia, while I was doing my undergrad and heading up north-east during summer for goodjob hunting. The difference is- I eventually land on the city where I used to go for summer vacation, but with the fine pair of steve madden shoes (but it hurts sometimes............)

Quiet a nostalgia-bittersweet...

SuvaChintak
Quest

John, smooth, really smooth narration! Your wit kills! :)

superb! brings back the old haaainikin days.

Thanks quest, I really appreciate it. Are steve madden only for women? In those advertisement they always portray an animated version of Christina Aguilera look alike.

Sitara....my guru...you flatter me.

Thanks jira....it really feels good to get compliments from creative people like you.

John, sounds like u worked in sunsation.......i am not sure lol

or CVS pharmacy?

None of those bhale.

John, You write very nicely. Keep them coming.

nice:)

Then where?
I went there once and never decided to go again............fun place for others but too much exploitation for us......

thanks ruina and newuser....bhale you are right...there is too much exploitation

finally a real guy's tale! thanx for sharing!

anytime snurp.

Dear JG:

Recently I have seen an animated version of Justin Timberlake, and fly dancing to get one.
I cannot help myself- Materialistic World, you know...

Hoping to hear from you a lot in future...

SuvaChintak
Quest

Not only students, I heard some Nepalis come to the US just for those summer months on Visitor Visa every year, work their ass off, make a neat $15K, go home without overstaying and live like a king in Nepal. Not bad. Three months of hard work and nine months of vacation.

fifteen thousand dollars!!!!! are you serious?
where?
did they rob bank of america?

quest, thanks for the info....shall check it in the malls.

Hey get a job at Jolly Roger's selling tickets...you might make more than 15k in your second year at Jolly Rogers....ask those folks who really works there how they make more than 15 K (if you happen to be there this summer)
You don't need to rob a bank but you surely do have to Rob the Jolly Roger's to make more than 15 k i.e I heard Some nepalese have done that in the past

Peace

Lambu dai, I heard some similar story too about looting a store.

John Galt nice story there.