28th February

Have spent the entire day today trying and failing to work in my room. The internet is killing all attempts to do anything however. Also, it is getting hot. All I can cope to have on my in my room is a cotton dress or perhaps my cotton pyjamas or salwaar. Anything that actually sits on my skin is becoming unbearable. It is still February, and yet it is already 27 degrees during the day. And it is no longer cold at night – I can happily take a rickshaw home at night in only a long sleeve top. This all bodes very ill for the coming months.

Egle and I got an auto rickshaw to the metro later in the day and she managed to fire water at a group of boys. We felt so proud. Pay back for the week we have had of running away from every man and child lest they should have a water bomb on their person. I don’t mind water really, or even the paint, but I mind anything else. My friend Sajedeh was hit by what she thought was just a water bomb but she later discovered that it was mixed with urine! A whole new level of human degradation right there. I think I would feel so violated! Uninvited bodily fluids!

In the evening we went out to the Habitat Centre for a civilized Holi celebration with dances, singing and food. There was a strange sort of dance-enactment of the Rada-Krishna Holi fight complete with dancers with huge peacock feather fans strapped to them so that they looked like they had a peacock tail. There was no paint throwing. Instead, 70 million marigolds must have sacrificed themselves for the night as people were chucking the petals around instead to simulate paint. I was there with Lauren, Ben, Elmira, Egle and her boyfriend Carlos, and another girl from France who sounded peculiarly Australian. It was sort of awkward sitting there feeling like a complete gooseberry every time Elmira disappeared and I was left with Lauren and Ben being awkward with each other. Nonetheless, it was a nice thing to go to, and I felt vaguely cultured by the end. After the showe we went to Mocha Café in Defense Colony. I had never been before, and I have to say it is really nice. It is a Moroccan atmosphere, with lots of different kinds of coffee and shisha on offer. We got a ‘Casablanca’ shisha that was apple and mint flavoured. The whole place is fairly reasonably priced as well for somewhere in Defence Colony, and it was really relaxing to be in. We spent a long time in there just sitting and smoking shisha – a pleasant alternative to our usual nights out to Urban Pind or wherever. I am not sure what it would be like in the day though, and it is definitely not a place to go if you are a bit older and not hippy-inclined.

On our way out the café I got hit smack in the side with a water bomb. Thankfully it was only water, but I did have a moment of panic remembering what Sajedeh had told us. Lauren and I just headed home – we had been told that the guards were letting no one in post-11 pm due to Holi dangers but we had realised this was just foolishness as what could they do? Let us sit out on the pavement? (And of course we were right – we were let in no problem.) Ben went off to JNU for the night as he is celebrating Holi there tomorrow. I think Shaina and Amanda are going to go to JNU tomorrow to celebrate as well. Elmira and Egle went back to Carlos’. They are going to a farmhouse in the South of the city for this big expensive Holi party. I am kind of glad we are just staying in the hostel, as it means that we will be able to get some work done hopefully once we have finished playing.