Water Tank Ledu. Idi maa illu!

I've finally found a place where Telugu is *really* useful outside of the interview window. I do use it to negotiate lower prices with autorickshaw drivers, to try to get a paper delivered to our house (still trying...), to communicate on the price of various fruits at the local stand, etc. But, no where has it come in as handy as on the phone.

For some reason, people have started calling our house the last month asking if this is the water tank. As in, the company that will refill a home's water tank (people have storage tanks on their roofs for when the city water doesn't run, which is a common occurence). The conversations usually go something like this:
Them: "Hello."
Me: "Hello"
T: "Hello."
Me: "Hello."
T: "Hello."
Me: "Hello."
(I'm not joking. Phone courtesy is to repeat "Hello" at least three times)
(Finally I get tired and say): "Cheppandi" (Tell me - this is also common reply to "Hello.")
Them: "Water tank kada?" (This is the water tank, right?)
Me: "Ledu. Idi water tank kaledu!" (No. This is not the water tank!)
Them: "Water tank ledu?" (This is not the water tank?)
Me: "Ledu. Idi maa illu. Maa sonta illu. Idi business kaledu." (no, this is my house. my own house, this is not a business)

Then, they hang up confused. Invariably the phone rings again one minute later. Usually the second time, the conversation is a little shorter, and involves a phrase: "wrong numbaru undi" (this is a wrong number).

I've asked at work for a new phone number, since we get these calls about 4x / week. In fact, those are the only calls we ever get on the home phone, unless I've misplaced my cell phone and Greg is trying to find me. In any case, at least I get to use my Telugu in a practical situation.