It was the International Men's Hostel night the other day. It all started out quite nicely. My friend David was hosting alongside this woman with brilliant hair who was apparently a radio show woman. He looked like one of these wierd paintings you get from the EIC Raj of officials 'gone native' in a red kurta and white pajama trousers and these woven leather shoes. If you had placed him on a brocade chair, given him a hookah and stuck some ships in the background you really wouldn't have been able to tell him apart from these old lunatic orientalists from days gone by.
The cultural program they put on was a bit slow in organisation terms, but the actual acts were generally very good. There was a Sri Lankan tribal dance that we all really liked with two guys wearing loin clothes and blue paint all over their bodies. The Ethiopian guys did a dance as well, which was very fun to watch as they all shook their hips and shimmied. I have noticed that there is a great love of shimmying here. All the Indian men do it as well. Many is a time that we have been dancing and then find ourselves backed into a corner as soon as a Punjabi song comes on as all the Indian men are shimmying at us. It's like some bizarre mating ritual. If they had peacock tails they would be up and wafting. Actually, it all reminds me so much of those wee birds of paradise you see on Planet Earth with the black feather fan with the bright blue stripe. These wee things back their mates into a corner, confuse the hell out of them and then swoop. Perhaps these guys think that is evidently the way to go about things. Getting back to the show, there was also a Sufi band that played some really nice stuff. They were very good, it was a shame they came on at the very end when everyone was starving. Ben, David and our Mauritian friend Kaveesh also played a few songs on guitar and singing. David and Kaveesh sang, and they are both very good it has to be said. They played one nice relaxing reggae number from Mauritius that would be great to listen to in the summer in the evenings and some Beatles and John Mayer. It was really well done.
Bit annoyed with Marie who has broken up with David for the umpteenth time and who decided she had to leave when David came on as it was all too difficult for her to bear obviously. We all told her not to come when she had started going on about not wanting to hear him or see him or even be in the same building as him, but she had insisted on coming just so that she could create some drama. It has now got to the point that we get either angry or bored of the Dutch people's ridiculous friendships/relationships...ah well. I am sure they will be back together in a week or so. And then the whole rigmarole can begin once more...
Unfortunately the lights all went when we were meant to get food. So everyone ended up a bit grumpy as they were hungry and in the dark. Finally got food however which perked things up and by eleven the power was back. Which meant it was time for dancing! We got in tow with our Ethiopian friend from history and the other guys who had been dancing earlier (one of whom was evidently styling himself on Bob Marley so much it hurt) and some cool Nigerian guys as well. All of them were really good dancers and we had a lot of fun careering about with them. Amanda and I ended up so sweaty it was disgusting. Not as bad as Omar though. Omar is our friend from Paisley (of all the places in all the world, he even knows where Inchinnan is!) and he sweats so much when he is dancing it is like he is on E. Either way, a good night was had by all, and the dancing went on till half one in the morning. My thighs hurt by the end of it. The 'bird of paradise' thing happened A LOT at first, but once we insinuated ourselves into the African group we were well protected. Some of these Indian men are just bonkers.
In other news, I found a tiny spider on my bed the other day. What was far worse though was that the spider could JUMP. It could leap an inch or so under its own tiny steam. I nearly cried. I was very good though and manage to immobilise it (read: bash it to death with a large book) so that I could pick it up with tissue and chuck it in the bin. I was really proud of my near-lack of freaking out. I didn't even scream. I do however think every little itch or twitch on my skin is a spider. Continuing the bug theme, there are these giant bright acid yellow wasps everywhere and they are really huge and scary. I don't even know what happens to you if they sting you. Goddamned spring. Makes everything be alive. The mosquitoes are back as well. Sigh. Slightly nicer wildlife: there was a small falcon on my balcony the other day. It's the smallest I have seen. There were about thirty eagles swooping about inside our hostel last week too. Most exciting and slightly menacing.
Had a really interesting talk this morning on Indian foreign policy in the years after Independence. Talking about the non-aligned movement, and the personal role of Nehru in the whole thing. He basically decided India should not go into military alliances with the US or USSR block so that he could use both countries for aid and for economic and social links instead. It is quite interesting how the relationship with China deteriorated in the period and how that basically put-paid to the non-aligned movement in practice. Also quite interesting how these countries viewed the coming of the Hydrogen bomb and the atomic bomb as well as the sure path to the destruction of humanity. Ironic that for a government so convinced in earlier years of the evils of nuclear weaponry, India is now a nuclear power and quite keen to make the rest of the world, especially Pakistan, know it. All under the dubious excuse of 'self-defense'. I might try to write an essay on Indian foreign policy as the relationship with China and the USSR is really interesting, especially since the USSR's neutrality during the Indo-China war of the 1960s basically cut the USSR off from the People's Republic, acting in the interest of a capitalist democracy...
Tonight we are going to the cricket. It is Delhi vs Mumbai. I have never been to a cricket game before now, and I hope it is worth the hassle. The cricket here is much shorter than the stuff at home. Sort of on a par with a football game. All us Europeans are going. Shall be a fun outing. I don't know the rules of cricket, but I am sure there is no problem with that. I will cheer when everyone else does. I have been interested in seeing a match actually ever since ShahRukh Khan brought it all to international attention after he denounced the IPL's decision not to elect Pakistani players into the teams for 'security reasons' and the Shiv Sena went completely bonkers as per and attacked cinemas showing the actor's latest film in Mumbai.
Other than all this, I am so excited for Emma coming on Friday. Her father is evidently a well-respected cheese as people from his company base here in Delhi have been calling me sorting out how Emma will get to and from places and offering me services. Its all very civilised and I am tempted to abuse their offer of a car to ferry us around the city. Then again, might be more hassle than it is worth, considering how terrible traffic in Delhi is.
Ah well. Enough for now. Wish us luck at the cricket. Dilli Jao!
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