13th August

Attended my history class again today and I have to say I felt so proud that I knew about what he was saying about the Talukdars and the Awadh rebellion. It was nice to feel informed. We feel a little awkward in the class, as we are very obviously British and the class is taught from a slightly anti-British perspective.

Went and sat for hours in Coffee Day, which was just lovely to chill out in. We are meeting a couple of Lauren’s friends from school tonight, but we have our interviews for the hostel beforehand. I asked the Bangladeshi girl that I met in the computer room what they entail, and she says you have to tell them what skills you can contribute to the house. We have no skills it would seem, so I may resort to something like ceilidh dancing. Everyone loves a good ceilidh, though it may be difficult here if there is no drink and no men (generally two very essential things at a ceilidh).

Our interview, which was supposedly at six, was of course, not until half seven. In it they just asked me about why I had come to India, and then the skill question. They seemed quite enthused by the ceilidh idea, and I would happily teach someone the Dashing White Sergeant if they teach me how to Bollywood dance.

We headed to New Delhi station to meet Lauren’s friends, but found out they had found Metropolis, our old friend, in Parana Ganj. It must just be a homing ground for tourists and general white people. Somehwo, we always find ourselves back in there despite telling ourselves we will branch out. A bit like Khan Market really.

It is a very small world. One of the girls traveling with L’s friends is from Bearsden! Manse Road, in fact! It is very weird that despite being thousands of miles from home, somehow I have met someone who lives five minutes walk from my house. It was nice to hear a Bearsden accent actually as well, and we had similar attitudes to almost everything. I had an amazing dinner, a sort of cottage cheese ball with a thick almond gravy with little bits of apricot through it all. I think I will have to come back just to have that again it was so good. We spent a long time in Metropolis, but they chucked us out at half twelve. By that point only 5 star hotels have an open bar, so we headed to the Meridian Hotel in South Delhi. I have to say, I have never been in such a posh hotel. Everything was minimalist and perfect down to the last detail. We were escorted into a black and shiny bar at the back of lobby and got some extremely expensive cocktails. I swear, we may as well have been at home in that place. The bathroom was amazing, about twice the size of my room at home and many times as grand. I seem to have become obsessed with bathrooms since I have got here, but I now know what it is to appreciate a good bathroom, so I can be forgiven.

My gold chain with the spider web pendant from Paris has begun to give my a very itchy and annoying rash on my neck. It forms a perfect circlet of red spots. Attractive.

This was our last night of freedom before we have to submit to curfew of 11pm. A well done job I feel. We deserved alcohol to make up for the horror of Tuesday.