Arrival

Well then. For a first day, I can’t say it wasn’t hectic. Ben and I arrived into Indira Gandhi airport at about 11 in a cloud of dust and heat. Walking out of the plane was like hitting a wall made of fire. I have no idea what temperature it is outside, but the heat and the city have created a lot of dust. So not only is it hot, it is also humid and over cast. Suffocating is the word really. I hope I never have to suffer any bathroom like the airport ones ever again, though I fear I may have to yet. What a ‘Welcome!’ Sick in the sink and a dead cockroach on the floor of the “toilet” (though I think it must be a humorous euphemism) that had most probably drowned in piss and god knows what else. Not a pleasant start to your day having had three hours of sleep. The taxi ride from the airport was also a little interesting. Just to note, the taxi to the Uni only costs 300 rupees for to including bags and if they are charging you more then they are ripping you off. There is no regard here for such simple road rules as lane designation, or safe distances. Every car looks smashed up on Indian TV programs not because the drivers can afford nothing else, but because they drive like lunatics so that even a hummer would have a sizeable dent in the bonnet by its third outing. They like to use their horns too, and swerve at the last minute. They also have no seatbelts: safe and reassuring! Getting to the Guest House was ok though, we didn’t get lost like the other two did. Once we arrived Lauren took Ben to get his photo taken and I had a shower. I couldn’t cope with this oppressive blanket of smog. Met the Dutch exchange students who we may be sharing a building with if all comes off. They all seem lovely if a little loaded. I think they have very different ideas to us about what being here should be like, but they seem nice enough and it is nice to have friends. Lauren showed me some of the courses available for history and when they are on. I will need to go and speak to Deepa, Prof Sahu’s infinitely competent secretary, who can hopefully provide some clue as to what is going on. Apparently Sahu did not even know we needed assessment, which is always encouraging. Classes seem to be run on a ‘turn up and say hi’ basis where you submit essays and that way they know you took it. Not encouraging either, really, but we shall see how it goes. I also need a SIM card and internet access would be a god-send. I want to talk to people at home so much!

 We went with the estate agent man to find the flat Lauren and Amanda found as well. He has one of the most annoyingly whiney voices imaginable. He took us for juice, gave us a view of the lake, and then took us to our flat possible. It is a lovely building in what looks to be an OK area of town. There are a lot of cows in this part of Delhi it would seem. The flat is unfurnished, with marble floors, balconies and a roof terrace. Not bad for 130 a month. Though, we have to pay A LOT upfront and we don’t know how we will manage that one. But we will see. Mr Agent also took us to a Hindu temple. He had decorated the pit thing to Lord Shiva with all these flower garlands himself, and felt very proud it would seem. It was quite nice to actually see inside one of these places, though I don’t know if we were very welcome to be honest. A lot of people gave us a lot of weird looks. But oh well, such is life. It was probably Lauren’s blonde bob more than anything else.

 

 

In other news, I want a purple glittery sari. Now please? Kthanxbai.