My morning lecture this morning by the amazing Sidney man was interrupted by some person from the Vice Chancellor asking us to fill in feedback forms. I feel they may be slightly confused when they see my form, as it discussed your previous courses and all that and seeing as that took place in an entirely different continent, I can see why there may be some confusion. But oh well. It was nice to be able to vent all my frustrations with the way things are run here, but I somehow doubt any one actually reads these forms let alone pays attention to them. The lecturer decided it was a lost cause and buggered off after the form man appeared. The ABVP, the student union associated with the Hindu Nationalist party the BJP, marched into the lecture room as well and started mouthing off about a less secular teaching model and Hindu rights and so on. I decided that was the moment to leave. I have seen pictures of the RSS training camps, with the boys with sticks in their hands, being taught how to beat people to death who believe in a different God or who don’t believe at all. I have no idea how such people can even come to University in the first place. How can you possibly reconcile a liberal education with such fascistic viewpoints? It just doesn’t make sense to me.
After morning lectures I spent about five minutes cooing over the puppies outside the Arts Faculty. It is a shame they will grow up mangy and scrawny.
We went to Kamla Nagar for some lunch at Barista. Attempted to read my Johnson criticism but failed to concentrate in any way.
Hindi today was absolutely horrible. I was just starting to get my head around the past tense when he told us the past simple, or the way to say ‘I went’ or ‘I ate’. It all seemed to be going ok and then he sprung the gender endings on us despite me asking if it changed in any way shape or form and him assuring me that no, this really was it. Liar. We did learn directions today however, which will come in so useful when we next get a rickshaw and have to explain where we live. Finally, a useful thing!
Lauren and Amanda felt ice cream was needed to pick themselves up after Hindi, so we went to Nirula’s and they got some food. I had taken out a muffin from Barista so ate that. I have to say, there is a lot of sugar in my diet here. I put sugar in my tea, there is ice cream in the coffee, there is sugar everywhere in fact. At home I would never even think to eat so much sugar, and yet here it is all we seem to do. Perhaps it is because everything is such a chore we need it to keep our energy up. Or we are greedy. It may be the latter…
When we came back to the hostel I did penance on the treadmill and Amanda and Lauren went to work. I said I would help the slightly crazy seeming Indian woman who also does history with her English tonight, and Amanda says she will help. I am slightly apprehensive, as she looks at you in a very intent way and isn’t so careful about personal space, and so is a little scary. She ran into Lauren while she was ill the other week and said the same thing but when Lauren said she was sick and couldn’t do it, she yelled “Swineflu!” at her and ran off. But I couldn’t say no, so we shall see.
She didn’t turn up! Amazing! Bed time instead. What did turn up though was my birthday cards from mum, dad and Euan. I feel special. They are stuck up on my wardrobe door.
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