India definitely impacts the sense of smell – in both positive and less than positive ways. I surmise that is why there is so much sandlewood, incense, smelly soap sold here. It is a tropical climate and with that comes – well – perspiration and smells. Also, as a reminder, my husband's olfactory system doesn't work at all which on many occasions has worked to his advantage here.
All this as in intro to a situation that occurred the other night when Dar, my sister and I were going to pick up tickets for a safari at the end of this month. We had to go downtown to one of the high rise office buildings…I had been there a few times before and knew that the elevators were 1 – very small and often crammed full of people, 2 – slow, and 3 – operated by a couple of men who were lacking in personal hygiene.
The office was on the 9th floor and to my surprise when we stepped in the elevator we were the only ones. However, the smell was over powering.
NOW…Have you ever been in one of those situations that you can't make better and the person you are talking to is JUST NOT paying attention to what and how you are saying what you are saying and with each turn in the conversation, the situation gets worse…..well folks, that is what happened to us.
(upon entering the elevator, and the doors closing)
ME: "Wow, Dar, sometimes you are really lucky to have a olfactory defect!"
- (of course me purposefully using olfactory defect instead of "no sense of smell" because I do not want to offend the gentleman running the elevator who really smells)
DAR (loudly): "Why, is it really stinky in here?"
- At this point Amy, being sensible, just looks down -
DAR: "What?" (seeing my sister lower her head)
ME: – In a tense tone – "Darren, sometimes your olfactory defect is a good thing!"
DAR: "I don't get it, it must be really stinky in here"
ME: "Just never mind!"
Thankfully at this point, we reach the 9th floor and the elevator man mercifully does not acknowledge that he understands what has transpired. We walk out. Amy busts a gut laughing and I can muster is, in a sarcastic tone, "Why, is it really stinky in here"… Dar, still trying to figure out what he did wrong……..
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