Hi everybody, sorry it's been a while, strauggled with getting somewhere with internet. Anywhoo, so I have had a meeting with save the children bosses and orgnised a month or so away to see India and get over the whole culture shock. Had a really rough second week with illness and the inevitable homesickness. On the plus I know that I am deffinatly on the mend when I felt my self getting grumpy due to hunger. As most of you will agree this is a sure sign of me being back to my normal self! I welcomed it.
Delhi still shocks me on daily basis, with its stark contrasts of poverty and wealth, but also as one of the greenest cities in the world. a realy parody, as I am surrounded with all forms of transpot (wheeled, foot and hooved), concrete everywhere, constructional dust, metro and open sewers. Not hard considering that most people treat just about everywhere as a public conveneince.Often see (sorry boys) men pissing everywhere, and if I am really unlucky a few bare bottoms squatting.Not nice.
There is so much to take in on dailt basis that I find it a real struggle to relay it yo coherantly! It is all jumbled up.
I have been cotton shopping so that I can get the local tailor to recreate some trousers and tops that I recently bought. They are traditional indian clothing and very comfortable Ideal for the climate. I look really funnt in billowing baggy trousers and patterned tunic tops, but what the hell, I am lot cooler and less red in the face so not all bad. The cotton cost me around £10 and the tailor will be roughly the same and I will get two new outfits and trousers for mother. Not bad really.
Our ironing is done on a daily basis for 30 rupees about 40 p) by a man who stands under a mango tree.
I had a go at doing my own henna on my feet the other day, Irfan the driver brought back two packets of henna. It was ok, but a little shaky.
There is more malnoutrition now that 50 years ago.
Something like 60% of all Indian electricity is stolen!
I have seen elephnats on the road side, but not had my camera!
I have been to the national museum, where i could get an english audio tape tour. See many stone carvings and paintings. saw funnt Indian nativity scenes; a miniture painting of a amn holding the mona lisa painting!
went to a mall and epereinced dr.Fish pedicure, fish that nibble you feet and eat the deadskin, I also saw a tibetal monk walk out of a reebok shop!
Went to The Imperial (5*) hotel and had the best cheese burger in my life with wine and G and T.
saw Indians newset purchase of a russian radar plane as it came into delhi airport! Just arriving.
Should be going to Sri Lanka in a few weeks with Paul and meetin Marjory there, really looking forward to this trip. The maybe go back to Kedars in te mountains where he runs a small NGO. They provide seperate sanitation for women, really important for their safety and dignity. Sand latrines. And bio gas from their livestock for cooking and some lighs. really simple but effective support for poor village people.
Really can't say if I like it here or not. Somethings are amazing, like sitting out of an evening and listening to the peacocks settle into the trees, watching the bats come out to hunt (first the small ones and the progressively bigger). sparrow hawks diving on the noisy pigeons, crickets thrumming in the background. Cats prowling. But all of this is driven away during the day when we stop at lights and a youn mother comes with a little baby in her arms and she scratches and taps at the window, mimicking eating movements. How should you react to the situation? There are displays of affection to pigeons who are fed by the Hindus because it pleases some God. But very little is given to that young mother and baby? why is this we ask? How can you feed stupid pigeons over a baby. Infact kill the effing pigeons and make pie I say. Feed the starving, if I was a god I would be far more impressed by that act of genersoity that helping a disease ridden species survive. Have we forgotten bird flu?!
Anyway, rant over. It is a shitty world in so many ways, but if you care to look there are rays of sunshine, and real beauty. will try and get some photos up that illustrateall of the above. The beautiful and the bloody ugly.
Love to you all, B.
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HI lovely! So great to hear from you! Wow, sounds like you've seen an experienced some amazing things! These are the things that you'll remember in years to come -- like how we still reminisce about the Maori kids doing the haka in that shopping mall our first day in NZ -- and not the sickness or the missing home.
ReplyDeleteDid the fish eating your feet tickle?! Now you know what sharks or big fish feel like when they have little tiddlers swimming along with them and cleaning their skin! It's really interesting to hear about the cotton and the tailors too! Wow!
I really agree with you about the pigeons/humans thing -- but it's strange what some peoples religion makes them believe or do. Maybe they feel that in a country with so many people they can't help everyone, or maybe they're so poor themselves they can't help. Or maybe they just really like pigeons. :) It must be hard to see these sort of things but it's incredible that you are. When you come home you'll have all these experiences, good and bad, to draw from. I hope you're taking lots of photos, I can't wait to see them!
Not much happening here. Had a lovely bank holiday weekend, a real scorcher. Haha, not much for us to brag about considering where you are though! Anyway, our own little monsoon set in this morning, and it's definitely like october again here.
Well, good luck with your travels about the place, I think it's such a good idea to see as much as you can of the country!
Lots of love.x.x.x.