Google tourists: Mango lassi in paradise
This guest report comes from a Google tourist — not the boring kind surfing Google Earth, but the lucky folks who drop in on the Plex. A reader comes back from Mountain View glowing with the Glory of the Presence. No photos, sadly — "And dang it my cell phone was dead (i'm surprised it wasn't detected and then dynamically charged)."
Well I had my lunch at Google last week. And I can describe it in one word. Paradise. Make that two words. Freaking Paradise. Allow me to give you a flavor:
The sun was shining, the smell of meat grilling in the outdoors, a good-natured volleyball game in progress, the tinkling sounds of children's laughter (I don't know where they came from, maybe they were avatars.)
Googlers drinking their lunchtime libation out of coconuts. Yes. That's right. Out. Of. Coconuts.
Deep breath, Nick.
There was a mango lassi machine. As if everyone is entitled to a mango lassi. What kind of world is this? Mango lassi is special, exotic, meant for only those who deserve such a treat. Unless you are at Google, where it's mango lassi madness.
Oh and the people. They were happy and polite. Doors were held open. Eye contact was made. Hello, how are you. Again I ask, what kind of world is this? A world where there are umbrellas at every door to prevent the awkward and undignified "run across the compound with a newspaper on your head" moments during inclement weather.
Did I mention that we had to valet the car because the parking lot was full. Well I didn't have any spare change on me so I asked my host if I could borrow two dollars for the valet. He threw his head back and laughed heartily. "You don't pay them ya dummy". He is part of a privileged world, the world of Google where one is entitled to mango lassi and valet parking FREE OF CHARGE.