Bangalore, baby.

Oh gosh, am I here?
I keep napping in the hope that when I wake up it may have sunk in a little further. During these naps, the mosquitoes at least have sunk in, regardless of the fact that I embalmed myself in spray and roll-on and wrapped up in my net like a mummy. They have found my ankle - which was already swollen from a fall on a wet doorstep in Cluj - and my left arm.

So I arrived 6AM local time Saturday morning. Located my assigned taxi driver, although many other people offered to take me home, or at least somewhere. I don't know that I can describe the scenery, but I'll try. Its a two-week old airport, built just for me, in the middle of flat flat land. The soil is reddy orange but there were lots of bushes and grasses and people standing by the road and trees which tops are flattened, with orange blossoms. Then the palm trees begun, and they are shockingly slim and tall compared to the rubble at their feet. As we got into the city, the roads filled with yellow rickshaws, turquoise trucks painted with faces and symbols and letters. Also, a million scooters, mostly silver. I was safely in a taxi what was a car, white.

Arrived at Casa Bella, and the taxi driver tried his best to overcharge me, but the landlord was having none of it. My room is a little white palace, a twin room with ensuite. The air is darker, if not cooler, and the floor is shiny. I accessorised for bed with earplugs and eye mask - thank you mummy and daddy for insisting, you were right. Slept until four in the afternoon.
To wash - do you want such personal details? - I knelt on the floor of the bathroom and poured jugs of water over myself. It felt quite picturesque, and also virtuous because it takes only about two or three liters to do it this way. I have my easy dry towel, which looks like blue felt, feels like blue felt and smells like pee. However it does dry up everything.
I went out for a walk, because British Airways recommended that this would make me feel better. Actually I was very tempted to stay inside the gate at Casa Bella, and just peek over the wall at the people filling up buckets, but then I thought, it's best to get it over with. The first scary walk alone, I mean. Well, it was not so scary, although it was as they say an assault on the senses. There are shops all down the road, bike maintenance and groceries and all sorts. All of these have at least 6 people standing outside, some doing something work-like, others just hanging out. There were lots and lots of children, and one group spoke to me, just saying hi, how are you, and showing me the bike they had. There were cows tied up by the pavement (sidewalk, american lovelies) , and the pavement goes from a half metre above road height to nothing. And it's right dusty of course, and the smells are wonderful and terrible. I walked past a place where they grind spices, and there are people selling melons, papaya and jackfruit by the side of the road. So this is sweet and rich and exotic, and contrasting with the smell of sewage running down the road, animals, and rotting food on the street, covered in flies.
I went to bed again - and when I woke up my landlord was very helpful in myriad ways. First, he lent me 1000Re. to survive on until I could change money, and when I mentioned I'd like to get a SIM to use here, he drove me in to town.
Ohh!!! It was incredible. And you know, I don't use exclaimation marks very often. But it was dark by this time, and I've never been on a scooter before. Let alone helmet-less and on Indian streets by night. All the shops, the groundfloors of bigger buildings were lit up, and there were people walking everywhere. Even more people were on scooters to, and it was so fun to laugh and smile at all the children looking at me (I always knew I was worth staring at). There was this balmy air like a florida night, and so much beeping it could be new york. There were people 's carrying all sorts on their shoulders, ladders and bundles and bowls. And obviously, there's no ridiculous right-hand only overtake system, so you can weave to your hearts content. I felt so alive.
Later that evening I ate dinner with the landlord and his wife. Vegetables called drumsticks that tasted a little like pickle, which you have to suck out the insides of, fried slices of sweet potato, and tuna and beef. And then, several types of mango. So good and so spicy and flavorsome. Oh and also I tried some of the red wine that the wife makes herself. She said it was very sour, but it was very sugary and fruity, more so than Hungarian wines, and I tried to explain that compared to English wine, this is very sweet, but she was most content when I conceded it did have a sour aftertaste.

And today is Sunday and I've been to commercial street in a rickshaw. That was bare jokes, and I know I was overcharged and he didn't take me right to where I wanted, but nevermind. I spent half an hour walking down a street looking for the number, only to find that there was no #96 because this was not the correct street. Showed several people the business card of where I was looking for. A little boy about the height of a ten year old asked me for money or food, calling me Ma'am, and it well sounded like he was saying Lizzy. I didn't have any food, but I was hungry too after no breakfast so I bought us some sweetcorn with butter and salt mixed in.

Attempting to get the rickshaw back I was harrassed (this is sarcasm) into checking out a handicrafts shop. It was actually very lovely, and air-conditioned -yess- and I bought a silver bracelet. I was so so tempted by the star rubies.

I know from reading the jewellery book in the Guild that they are as special as the salesman said they are, and they are so beautiful, that whitish star is from the light refraction. Anyway, maybe another day another dollar.

Tonight I meet my 'co-ordinator' and everyone else who's here to teach. I'd much rather hide in my room.