Goodbye Greece

Well, I'm about to leave Greece, tomorrow morning to be specific, but a little update of the last week.

I finally managed to get to that island called Tilos, last Tuesday, despite being sold a ticket to a completely different place called Leros. I am still not sure how that happened except that the guy at the agency was a total ass. But I got there, via Rhodes, which was pretty cool I finally got my first day on the beach there.

I got to the island, total deer in the headlights because of a guy from Senegal who would not leave me alone. I walked up to this little wall to check my guide book and heard the first fluent, native English I had heard all day. A man, later I found out his name was Alec, said to his wife, Val, "You really have to know what you are doing and where you are going when you get off that ferry." My immediate and somewhat clever reply was, "Um, excuse me. I don't know what I am doing or where I am going."

They set me up at their hotel, a really fantastic place where it took me, I timed it, 45 seconds to get to the beach. I spent two days on the beach and not doing much other than swimming, reading and walking about this tiny, tiny town. I spent a lot of time with Alec and Val, who were really lovely. They are from Yorkshire and like every other person on the island, it was there millionth visit.

On my last night, I went for a night cap a the one internet-spot/bar and ended up staying for the proprietor's, Kiriakos', Aunt's birthday party. As usual with get-togethers I got to, I was the only person under 60, except for Kiriakos. It was very, very fun anyway.

I came back this morning and was so tired that I have done little other than sleep. I got in at 5:30 am, after an all-nighter and a a terrible night on the boat, and didn't get into my room until noon. I figured I deserved a nap.

So that was Greece. I've really enjoyed my time here. I hope you've enjoyed reading about it.

Off to Sweden tomorrow.

I Took a Trip

I took a trip to Delphi today.

I became two and a half hours behind schedule because I had to change rooms at the last minute. And it was a three hour ride there, four and a half hour ride back. And only two hours at Delphi. But nothing on this Greek leg seems to be going very smoothly.

Delphi was just as I expected it to be. Very stunning and very interesting with fantastic views, but in the middle of no where. Can't be helped.

I am a bit tired from a long day, so I am off now.

Heading to Tilos tomorrow.

The Most Frustrating Day of My Life

Today was, you guessed it, not an easy day.

I spent three hours trying to get a bloody ferry ticket. It took that long. They haven't made it easy. I thought it would be half an hours work and then I could run down and see if all the haunts of my parents in Piraeus still existed. But after three hours, I was exhausted and none too happy. Also the key stretch of the metro that I needed was out, so that really complicated things.

But it is almost all sorted now. I leave for the tiny island of Tilos on Monday night and return, well, that's the question. I have a ticket for Thursday, but I am trying to change that.

So pretty boring, but very annoying day. I hope tomorrow will prove to be better reading.

The Full Catastrophe

Well, well, well. Here I am. Back on the road again.

I am in Athens. I have been here since early Thursday morning. Yesterday was one of those difficult and wasted days trying to find my feet and figure things out. But I got pretty sorted now. I'm just a little jet lagged which meant that I couldn't get up in time to see the Acropolis early. So I ended up going in the worst heat of the day with all the other people in the Universe. But, luckily, that didn't take away from the magic and beauty of it. It really was fantastic. So was the Temple of the Olympian Zeus. I really wish I had brushed up on my Ancient Greek history, because I am remembering only little tid-bits of it.

Yesterday I went to the National Archeoligical Museum, which was pricey, but worth it. I spent nearly two hours looking at statues, pots, urn, mummies, jewlery and other things that people had found. It was really fantastic.

I've just noticed I have tzadziki on my hand. Also I am very sleepy.

Goodnight ladies! We're going to leave you now.

Heading Off Again

I think the title says it all.

I have spent a very slow time doing not very much. I did swim in the sea with my friend Conor in Swanage, but that was a highlight.

I head up to London tomorrow, and from there I go to Greece. I plan on staying in Athens for a while and then moving on to an island. But I'm not sure which one yet. I then go to Sweden to visit people. Which should be good.

So yeah, stay in touch and keep reading. It's gonna get exciting again.

Hello There, Chicks and Ladies

Hello there, Chicks and Ladies.

I am currently in Oxford. There was a slight change in plans and I am just going staight on to Greece and Sweden in about ten days time. No Egypt, to Turkey. They can wait.

It's been funny adjusting back into everything again. England is a very good little middle ground spot for me. I'm in a good sort of limbo between normal life and totally crazy-Indian life. Not that I wouldn't mind being at home. I just don't feel like the adventure is over yet.

Since arriving ten days ago, I've been to Oxford, London, Swanage, Oxford, London, Oxford and and heading back to Swanage tomorrow. I've nearly lived at the Royal Festival Hall on the South Bank. I've seen three concerts. I've seen five concerts in total since I've been here, all consisting of my Godmother, Sarah's, daughters.

Tomorrow I head back to Dorset to stay with some good old friends the MccGwires. We've known them for eighty-some years.

Let the good times roll.

Last Post from India

This is my last post from India.

The weather was unbearably hot today, but we stuck to it and visited the zoo. I finally saw a tiger! It's been a pretty boring day, though.

I'm leaving in eleven hours. I absolutely can't believe it. I have been here for nearly eight months!

Thanks for reading. It isn't over yet.

Oh Goodness

I spent four, fantastic days in Kashmir with Asif. The boys left early day three, but that was ok. We met up in Delhi yesterday.

Asif must have shown us all of the Kashmir valley. His family lives in the capital city of Srinagar, which is the biggest Muslim area. And it is a very, very Muslim area. Very, very, very. It was like going back in time nearly, except for all the promotion of recycling and conservation.

We went up into the mountains, saw snow, and froze our butts off. We saw a Hindu temple, the only one left in Kashmir outside Jammu. We spent a lot of time with his family and a lot of time just driving through the absolutly breathtaking scenery of Kashmir. I have never been to a place so beautiful. The mountains, the foot hills of the Himalayas, are stunning and so huge.

It was a really fantastic trip.

I am now in Delhi, where it is 110 in the shade. This very well may be my last post from India, unless I post tomorrow, as I am going on Friday. Which I still can't believe!

Oh Goodness.

A Whole Lot To Report

It was a long, nearly 24 hour, hellish slog across most of Punjab and a lot of Rajastan to get to Amritsar. But now I am in Amritsar.

It is everything I hoped it would be.

I went to the Golden Temple today at noon and it was fantastic. Somehow very peaceful, despite the crowds and terribly, terribly beautiful. The guards all seemed terribly worried everytime a tiny piece of my hair showed. Almost all the other women had their heads just casually coveredm but I was repremanded three times for my scarf slipping and exposing three centemeters of my hair!!! I also got some dirty looks when a little boy who was supposed to me kneeling down praying wouldn't stop staring at me.

I also saw the place where a really big massacre durring the independence struggle happened, and the Pakistan/India boarder crossing ceremony.

The ceremony, while very interesting, was somehow quite macabre. There was something so sad about the one-up-manship of the partying before hand. It was like summer camp; the boys vs. girls or cabin vs. cabin shout out contests. Except it was two countries. With armies and weapons pointed at each other. So it was just, weird. Terribly, terribly weird.

On a brighter note, I am off to Kashmir and Asif tomorrow. Well, tonight actually. I am very excited. If I don't post for a few days, don't worry, because I am not sure of the internet situation.

Goodnignt and good luck.

Not Much To Report

I don't have much to report of the last 27 hours. I climbed up to the town fort, the name of which escapes me, and the view was fantastic. Unfortunately it was the middle of the day and so very hot. It must have been close to, if not above, 100. But that is the mistake of going to India in the middle of the summer.

So this whole trip just has less happening because nothing can happen in this frightfully oppressive heat.

Melting away in India... Signing off.

Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodpur... pur

Jaipur was fantastic. Very beautiful but a little too crowded and a too few tourists. So the attention of the salesmen was only on us.

The evening we were there, we climbed up the Amber Fort and were able to watch the moon rise and see a bit of the sun set. The door was locked so we could see the whole thing.

The next day in Udaipur, I just spent most of the time in the pool. I did go for a walk, where I was followed, harassed and miserable. So I went home. Later that evening I bought a winter coat. The town in on this hill in the middle of a swamp/lake surrounded by other hills. It was very beautiful.

Now I am in the blue city, Jodpur. It is blue, well, because the entire old city is painted blue. It is fantastic and the view from our hotel roof is, well, I can't put it into words. Just simply fantastic and mindblowing.

Off to Amritsar tomorrow.

Signing off.

Chennai and then Gone Again

I think my last post was in Pondicherry.

I left the next morning to Mahabs to go see Asif, my Kashmiri friend and then ended up staying over with him because all the buses were too crowded.

I arrived in Chennai and was met by Tamilselvin and Tejaas. I got to see Shakila's new house. It is really fantastic. Much nicer than their old one. I took Tejaas and Oviyaa out for ice cream on Monday, which was really fun. Tamilselvin had invited an old school friend over, so we had a really nice party that night.

The next morning was a different kind of party. I've been having some lice problems and so I decided to get Shakila's help in removing them. And we removed tons. Probably a hundred lice. And about fifty eggs. It was horrible, embarassing and just no fun. But I think I am clear now, at least I will be when I use the stuff one more time, next week.

But I did have a good day. We all three went to the old neighborhood and took some of the kids out for ice cream (a very popular activity) and then had lunch with Leela, another teacher, at my favorite resturaunt. After that we went back to Shakila's, did mahendi, had a nice goodbye and headed off to a 36 hour train ride to Jaipur.

So I'm in Jaipur now. I got here this morning. It's nice, but a very dry hot. We are going to a movie at 12:30 at the most famous theater in India. We head tonight to Odipur.

France

Here I am, back in Pondicherry!

It is beautiful, clean and terribly, unbearably hot here. But the clean and beautiful make up for the hot. Almost.

I saw the sunrise in Kayakumari and it was amazing. We went to a water park to kill time before our bus left. We then got on an '"ultru delux- video coach" to Pondicherry. It was filthy cramped and we kept having to get up and move out luggage about. Every muscle in my body is stiff from sitting and my knees hurt because there was not enough room for my legs. But being in Pondicherry, thinking of my black coffee and crousaint (sp?) tomorrow morning is helping.

Pondicherry was the last and really only, as far as I know, French outpost in India and the evidence is everywhere. The streets still bare their old names and the buildings look like Paris. Many Indian people here learn French before English which is kind of annoying for me. It is a very nice spot to spend a few hours or even days. But I've already spent five days here, at Christmas, so tomorrow morning I am leaving the boys and going to visit Asif in Mahabs. We are all meeting up in Chennai at Shakila's tomorrow.

I can't wait!

The End of India

I have seen the place where the Bay of Bengal meets the Indian Ocean meets the Arabian Sea.

I saw it today. I arrived today at the tip of India in a small, pretty boring town called Kanya Kumari.

We left Kerala early this moring after two nice days on the cliff-edge town of Varkala. There isn't much to report except a sunburned nose and a backpack that seems to get heavier by the minute. I am excited to watch the sunrise and set here. It's supposed to be amazing.

Back in my India

Finally, I am back in the real south. After leaving Goa, I took the train to Mangalore, got in very late at night and had to stay at a very nice hotel because the only hotel that had a free room didn't allow women. As Adis said "Goddamn Muslims..."

We got on a train the next morning, and hour late and at a different station than we thought it was leaving from, and then spent 13 hours getting to southern Kerala, to a lovely, reasonably sized town, right on the famous backwater, called Kollam. Deciding to splurge a little, we are staying at a nice guest house, a family home, with a huge bed room, private bathroom (with actual bath), a breath-taking view of the backwaters and a 20 something foot statue of a very busty lady. I am very happy to be in my own bed that isn't on the floor for two nights.

Today we went on a three hour boat tour of the village backwaters. They are the arteries of village commerce. We saw coconuts drying to make oil, traditional rope making (three old ladies and an old man making rope from coconut fiber), three Kingfishers, shrimp farming, and our guide climbed a tree. He was a very sweet guy, but potentially another person who would propose to me. He did let me steer the boat. It was driven with a long pole and oars. It was much better than the dolphin trip.

Funny Anecdote:

At the train station in Magalore, I was walking over to Kostas to help him with some tea, when an old aunty called me over to the waiting room window. She gave me a copy a medical dictionary and I think she explained someone left it and no one knew English so she gave it to me. I went to sit down and drink my tea, when she came up to me with this jar of Dabar (a food brand like Kraft) Ayurvedic (traditional south Indian medicine) powder. I had NO idea what to do with it, so I just nodded and looked at the boys. They were no help, so I looked back at her, thanked her, but didn't take it. So she said, I think, something like "Oh you don't want? Ok," and just walked off.

And that was all.

Goa-ing

I've been in Goa since last Friday. I am currently in the second of the little tourist beach towns we are traveling to, and am secretly hoping this is the last. The beaches are lovely, and the food in all the little western cafes is fantastic, but I am a bit tired of the thousands of people trying to sell necklaces, anklets, blankets, massages, space shuttles.... it's pretty difficult to relax or even concentrate.

The beaches are fantastic. I've swum much and sunbathed more. I miss Chennai very much, though. Adis and I miss it so much in fact that we are thinking about going back for a few days. Which would be wonderful fun.

The one main cultural highlight of this trip was driving on a scooter up to some ruins of a Portuguese fort. We couldn't drive all the way to it, but we did get very close. There is a lot of evidence of the old Portuguese days, especially in the way the women dress. The same sort of Anglo-Indian community that there was in Chennai exists here in Goa, but it is more of a Porto-Indian one. I haven't heard any Portuguese yet, but it I don't think it is out of the question.

I don't know if I wrote about it before, but I went to a really amazing modern art gallery n. There were some amazing pieces. A lot of it was quite traditional ; which is a multifaceted term because there were traditional Indian techniques with traditional Indian themes and some very traditional 20th Century Western Art pieces. The most interesting were the pieces that were western art techniques with Indian themes and a few traditional Indian techniques portraying modern Indian themes.

If you want to hear more, dear reader, just say and I will do another post by popular demand on "Art I have Seen."

Signing off for now. Missing home like Billio.

Goa-ing to Goa

I am leaving for Goa tonight. It's been a very pleasant stay in Mumbai. We are just about to head off to the Zoo which will be very fun.

We went to and Island called Elaphanta Island full of all these old man made caves and cave carvings. Yesterday we went to some markets and just wandered around the city for a few hours. It is very beautiful, but somehow a bit more calm than Chennai, even the real Indian bits.

One ancedote: we ate at Leopold's Cafe, which is quite a landmark. You can still see the bullet holes in the wall from the attacks in November. It is pretty eerie.

Oh, also! In Goa, I am planning to do my Padi diving certification. We will see if that pans out.

Arrived In Mumbai, All Is Well

We have been in Mumbai now for nearly 24 hours. From Chennai we wen to visit a friend of Louise's named Louise in a place in Kerala called Kovalam. That was a very nice weekend. But then we took at 31 hour train trip up the west coast to Mumbai.

It is a lot less hectic of a city than Chennai, or at least the little bit of it that I have seen so far is less hectic. We haven't done much yet, except dinner at the famous Leopold's Cafe. That was very nice, and almost worth the money. We are staying in a tiny but clean and tidy hole in the wall hotel right next door, so in the center of Colaba, the tourist district.

Adis is currently on his way back from the airport with his friend Costas which is exciting. Louise is leaving tonight which is very sad.

I am not sure what my plans are except I may be going to Kashmir sometime in May to visit Asif's family. I'll keep you posted.

An Unexpected and Annoying Happening

I am still in Chennai.

Because we missed the train.

And it kinda sucks.

But is ok, because we are leaving at seven tonight. So we are just having a relaxing day with Shakila, Tamilselvin, Oviyaa and Tejaas. Which is very nice.

I am very nervous and excited aabout this trip. I've never done this sort of backpacker travel before. We'll just have to wait and see how it goes.

Peace out.

Goodbye Chennai

This certainly is the last post that I will make in Chennai. That is a pretty sad thing since I think all the posts in the blog have been made in Chennai.

We've cleaned the appartment and packed up everything and are soon going to get on a train to Kerala. So more news next time.

That's all.

Last Day At Little Lambs

Well today was one of the top ten saddest of my life. It was nearly impossible to say goodbye to all my little darlings at the school. They all dressed up so nicely for school today. I was very, very sweet. I cried almost the whole school day, on and off.

Then I went to Shakila's and had a nice nap and had henna put on my hands and feet. And then we had dinner with all the teachers that we like. So it was actually a good end to what was a very sad day otherwise.

Now it's very possible that the internet will get shut off tomorrow, so this maybe goodbye for a some time. From here, I go to Kerala, and then to Mumbai and I the plans are a little not planned after that. I'll be leaving India in a little over a month. Well, just about six weeks. So my number still works for those who REALLY need to contact me.

It's been a fantastically wonderful experience and I cannot believe it is over. It hasn't quite hit yet.

Saddest Day

Tomorrow is my last day at Little Lambs. It is the saddest of all days.

I got all my things shipped off and am now almost ready to pack! It's going to be a rush the next few days. Also as of tomorrow I lose internet all the time. So post will become even less regular.

I've had a WONDERFUL last few days at the school. Absolutly fantastic.

It was Oviyaa's birthday on Monday. That was great fun.

Nothing Much

Now that exams have started, there hasn't been much of my normal activities going on. Which is nice but means I feel a bit useless. Also have been doing a lot of work for Leela Miss, the second standard teacher. But I really love her class, so I don't mind too much. Well, I like most of them.

I have less than a week left in Chennai, and only four days more at Little Lambs. It is very, very sad. I just had my last Saturday in town. Louise, Alice, Adis and I went out for the day. We bought some trinkets for presents for people, and then took a very long auto journey to MGR film studio. But it was closes. So we took a walk in 95 degrees to a very big, very nice children's park. Which was very fun. Then Louise left us to go and have dinner with a friend, so Alice, Adis and I went out for dinner at this really nice western place.

It's very strange to think I will be leaving in five days. I've been here for soooooooooooo long. I just can't imagine being anywhere but here. Alice asked me last night if I missed my home, and I do very, very, very much. But I REALLY don't want to leave Chennai.

The School Year Is Winding Down

Well, I gave my exams, and graded them. And my kids did not do that well. Which is quite sad. Especially because it means that I am leaving soon.

Maria has gone, but Adis and I are sharing out apartment with his friend Louise, also from Sweden. She came in last night and will be here until the end of the year. It's time to get serious about getting things sorted out and start packing. I don't think I am going to be very good at leaving.

Well, I am quite sleepy, so more tomorrow.

Good Night!

Pretty Normal Times

Well, since I have been back, very little has happened.

So - today was a pretty typical day in India, so I will tell you about it.

7:00 - Wake up. I am sleeping on the roof now, so I went down stairs to make coffee for Adis and tea for me. I also made breakfast in bed, but I've never done that before. I then get ready for school.

8:05 - Rush out of the house and catch the bus. It would comfortably fit 60, but we cram on about 150.

8:30 - Arrive at school and have assembly.

9:15 - Have my first individual reading student after second standard gets settled. I read one on one with all the kids. It usually takes 15-20 minutes per kid.

10:00 - English with my seniors who have reading problems. Today I taught them about sentence structure, but often we read and sometimes play games. I also get coffee at this time.

10:45 - Fifteen minute break in which I play with second standard, read, play with the older kids or get ready for later classes.

11:00 - Half an hour of playing games and teaching phonics with the Upper Kindergarten. Today we played red-light green-light. Sometimes we have markets, color pictures, read stories or play Quack-Diddly-Oh-So.

11:30 - Try to fit in another second standard reader.

12:00 - Planning period/ 45 minutes of freedom. I usually read, grade papers or prepare for art.

12:45 - Lunch. Rice with one or two different curries. Fantastic. Sometimes a game with the younger kids.

1:25 - Fifth standard reading group. We read stories, play games and just work on spoken English.

2:10 - Break, but no coffee this time. I played with second standard.

2:25 - Art with third standard until the end of the day. We made flowers out of tissue paper and pipe cleaners and believe me, it took an hour!

3:30 - Bus ride home. It doesn't usually leave for half an hour.

4:30 - Arrive home. Adis made coffee while I checked face book and email. Then we switched.

6:00 - Went for walk and met Bravani, our washing woman, and her two sons, Nanda and Vasanth. That's a tragic story I will tell another time. Went out and found a place to buy corn and print pictures.

6:30 - Came home and played with Nanda and Vasanth for an hour.

7:30 - Had a shower and read for a bit. Began to organize packing.

8:15 - Got on the internet. Checked email and facebook and then settled into this blog.

So that's my day. I will now go and organize dinner. Then at around 9:00 which is 15 minutes. Adis and I are planning to watch a movie tonight which puts bed time on the roof at around 12:00.

And that's my life.

So I Went to Bangkok for the Weekend

I went to Bangkok for the weekend.

It was kind of sudden and out of the blue, but I enjoyed it very much. I got in on Thursday and did absolutely nothing that day. Friday I went and saw the Grand Palace, The Emerald Buddha and the the Reclining Buddha. The Grand Palace was pretty cool, and the Emerald Buddha made the trip to the Grand Palace worth it. But the really amazing thing was the Reclining Buddha.

IT WAS HUGE!!!!! Our house could have fit in the room it was housed twice. The toes were as big as my head!

I met a really nice German girl on the boat to see all this stuff. We ended up hanging out for the whole day, which makes me a little less nervous about meeting people when I am traveling on my own. Her name was Sarah, but we didn't establish that until we were saying goodbye.

On Saturday I went to this huge market and bought some cool clothes and had a really good lunch of bamboo shoots and chicken. That night, my guest house finally got other guests and I went to a local temple festival with two English girls. They sadly left first thing the next morning.

On Sunday I went on a boat trip, but before that got up very early to go to the produce market. I saw all number of not very pleasant parts of animals. And live turtles. I walked along and saw a Chinese Buddhist temple, which was very big and looked a lot like a Thai one, if you ask me. I could tell there was a difference, but don't ask me what it was.

After a very boring Sunday, late in the day, I decided to go out and see the Liverpool/Ashton Villa game. Which just turned into me hanging out in the backpacker area with a guy called Steve. But Liverpool won so that was cool.

But it's nice to be home.

After a Very Long Time

Hello everyone!

After a very, very, very inexcusibly long time I am writing to report some of the happenings in the past month.

Dad came back from his travels and we spent some time together. That was very nice. He was the honored guest at the Little Lambs Sports Day two weeks back. He passed out the prizes and shook every ones hand. I think they all enjoyed that very much. He did too, I hope.

Two weeks ago he and I went to Ooty, which is what is called a hill station. A hill station, as far as I can tell, is a city that grew up around a train station that the British thought frightfully necassary. It was very beautiful and very cold. We didn't have anytime to do any hiking or trecking, which was a shame, but we did go for a few long walks. The town was very sweet and an unexpected haven for international cuisine. I recomend Sidewalk Cafe, a little Italian-American all veg diner, (it was actually almost diner like) and Shin Kow Chinese, which was the best Chinese I've had since I was in Hong Kong (so pretty damn good).

This last weekend Adis and I went to Bangalore to experience India's most progressive city. And believe me it is. I even saw some knees. We got in very early Saturday morning and left late Sunday night. Unfortunatly the hotel we were in was only 24 hour, so after burning the midnight oil at a very cool club until quite late, we had to be up and out of our hotel at 7:40 am. Which was pretty good hell. But we had a very relaxing four hour lunch at a fantastic Italian place. We actually only had two meals the whole time we were in Bangalore and they were both at this Italian place. But the food was out of this world. A meal like what we had on sunday probably would have been in the 100-150 dollar range in the US. It was two hours of tiny bits of things on sticks and such and then a main and dessert. I was shocked. I still am shocked. Can't you tell.

Saturday was reasonalby uneventful because we were very tired and napped until around noon. We met some lovely people on the train. I haven't met any nice, educated not insane Indians since I've been here. But that was Friday night. Oh yes Saturday! I remember, the highlight of the day, aside from some shopping by me, was watching Manchester United get absolutly slaughtered by Liverpool. Apparently, according to Adis, it was a very, very important game. I really enjoyed watching it. Man U got the first goal, and then Liverpool got four which was very, very, very unexpected. Two of the goals were really brilliant. Even I can tell that. Sorry Mum, I think I might be becoming a football fan. And not just any football, but Liverpool.

Sigh....

Anyway, I wish I could talk a bit more about school, but it seems very mundane to me. Tomorrow I will write up a typical Tuesday. I hope it proves interesting.

And one final surprise. On Wednesday, after school, I am doing a visa hop to Thailand for five days!

Exciting, no?

All Over Now

The marriage was amazing.

I got up at two to go watch the actual rituals of the marriage. It started promptly (the first prompt thing of my entire trip) at 6:30 am. But by that time Sangeeta had already changed three times and had two blessings. The wedding was more like a circus; people milling about, loud music, walks, fires, people talking on phones. It was very hectic. But magnificently beautiful and colorful.

The reception was mostly pictures and gift giving, but the food was great. The food at both occasions was great. I wore two different saris for the two different functions.

One thing that was interesting was something Maria commented on. It turns out that Sangeeta feels the exact same way about God and religion as I do. She called herself a 'not very good atheist." But she still went through the whole thing. And what Maria commented on, and I agree but don't know how I feel about it yet, was that Hindus or at least the ones we saw at this wedding care more about what happens when on the outside than on the inside. Maria, as a modern Christian, cares much more about what happens on the inside. Here, take care of the outside and the inside will follow, at home take care of the inside and the outside will follow.

I don't know the answer at this point.

I don't know if there is one.

Wedding Bells

The wedding is in full swing.

I am just about to head off to go spend the evening with the family and prepare Sangeeta for the big day tomorrow. It is all terribly exciting.

Anyway, I must be off. Christopher just got here.

Do You Want To Go To The Seaside?

Well, we had a wonderful day yesterday.

We traveled all around the city by train and then had lunch and sat on the beach for a few hours. Perfect day away from school. We never did get to the book shop we have been trying to get to for two weeks.

On Sunday I am going to a Hindu wedding. So this is the next few days;

Tomorrow, I get up, put on one sari and go and watch Sangeeta, a teacher at school, get henna-ed. Then I go to school and teach. Then I put on anther sari and watch Sangeeta get blessed by her family and in-laws-to-be. Then I go home, go to bed. Then I get up, teach a day of school on Saturday. Then I go home and put on my fanciest churida. Then I spend the night with Sangeeta, put on another sari and watch her get married. Then I go home, rest and put on another sari and go to the reception.

Four saris in three days.

I am terribly, terribly excited. Reports to follow.

Goodnight and good luck.

Internet At The House

You are now reading the blog of a happy internet owner. We got it on Saturday.

When I say we, I mean me and my roommate, Adis. He is from Sweden.

And I have moved house once again. My address is;

26/18 3rd Main Road
Ram Nagar
Peravallur
Chennai
600-082
INDIA

We have no school today, because the bus drivers are on strike and our van driver has decided to go out in solidarity. So we can't get to school.

As soon as Adis wakes up, he and I are heading off to do some touristy things with out time off. I will give a full report tonight.