It is Thursday 25th January 4pm. I have so much to write about from the past week so bear with me if this is long. This week has gone quite quickly so far but everyday is full of different experiences, it seems like I have done so much.

Last Saturday we went on a tour of Delhi by coach. It was great to see the important sites but far too much was crammed into the space of nine hours and by the end of it I was exhausted.

First stop was Qutb Minar, which is a huge tower, the origins of which are ambiguous but it was traditionally taken over by those who had power over Delhi. Modifications were made for each new ruler and we could see a crown nearby from when the British were here.

The next stop was a fabric outlet where we were shown many silks, pashminas, tunics etc. I had to test my will power as I restrained from buying anything, hoping I could barter for it at a local market. My decision proved to be wise as I managed to buy an 80% pashmina for the equivalent of six pounds and another silk scarf for one pound when we visit Conaught Place on Monday.

The third stop was the Bahá’í House of Worship, in Bahapur, otherwise known as the Lotus Temple due to its shape. Its founding principles are world peace, unity and equality and it is somewhere anyone from any religion can worship in. It was a beautiful building and had a very calming atmosphere with pools of water either side of the entrance, to keep the temple cool inside.

We then moved on to Swaminarayan Akshardham which was the most impressive building I have seen yet. It was built in five years, completed in 2005 and is enormous. Apparently 300 million hours of manual labour were put into its creation! (I have exclamation marks on this computer!) We did not have enough time to get around and absorb what it was all about so will go back again.

The fifth stop was the Ghani memorial but it was unfortunately closed due to a visit from the Russian President. However, by this time it was 3pm and there had been no sign of lunch so we were grateful we could move closer to food! At lunchtime we discovered dosa which is a crispy type of bread in a huge cylinder shape. It was lovely, especially for our empty stomachs.

Stop six was the Bira Temple or Shri Lakshmi Naran Temple. We only had fifteen minutes to look around which was slightly ridiculous. The most memorable part was seeing a young boy painting the roof of the temple, balancing on a very thin ledge, supported only by a piece of rope which worryingly looked like it could slip to his neck if he fell.

The penultimate attraction was Indira Ghandi’s house which was fascinating. They had marked the exact spot where she was assassinated by her own body guards in 1984. It was slightly eerie and felt very immediate to be standing in that place. I was also shocked to see a glass cabinet of the clothes she was wearing while she was shot. They did the same for her son, who was also assassinated.

Finally, we visited Nehru’s house – Mahatma Ghandi’s principle disciple. It was interesting to find out about the history of religious battles throughout India, primarily between the Hindus and Muslims. Again, more time was needed to absorb all the information but it was an informative overview.

So…as you can imagine we were pretty exhausted when we returned. Sunday was the day if rest and our first lie-in during our time here. Bliss. In the evening we all made a calendar of the weeks we have in India so we can plan afternoon and weekend trips to make sure we see everything we want to. We have booked a train to Agra this weekend which I can’t wait for! We were spurred on to make our little planner after meeting a local in the internet café on Sunday. He spoke very good English so I thought I’d make use of his knowledge and ask him questions. He kindly wrote down a list of must-see sites and gave us all his email address and said we could join him if he takes a weekend trip while we are around. He was an IT consultant and had a Dutch student shadowing him so I trusted he was legitimate.

I carry my little notebook with me everywhere and every time I meet someone interesting I take their details, as it is the best way to find out about India. One example was an American we met at our school who was just finishing an art project there. She gave me her number and said she was opening her exhibition soon. On Wednesday I texted her to ask when it was and the next day she came into the school to give us tickets for the opening that night. It proved to be the best night we have had so far. We met so many interesting people and I have made some good contacts for America! The location was only a minute from the dusty, polluted streets of Delhi, yet the contrast couldn’t have been greater. It was a tranquil retreat into art, music and poetry bringing together Indian culture and the cultures of the resident artists. There was also a free bar which I think made us appreciate everything that bit more! After viewing the art work, comparing Indian and American perspectives, we were treated to a concert by an American girl, Marissa who was a composer and singer. She played us traditional Indian music as well as her own work, written in the three months she has been here. Then another guy read his poetry, one he wrote in New York and one who wrote here. I asked him for a copy afterwards so I will type it onto the blog when I get a chance. All of the artists were in their 30-40s but acted as if they were in their 20s and had brilliant outlooks on life. We later found out they are pretty high-up in their profession s in New York. One being a director of documentaries for networks such as The Discovery Channel, MTV etc. and has written her own screen-play. Pamella, who was the artist I first met, is a fashion stylist when she is not painting, to stars such as Jennifer Lopez, Byonce and Gwen Stefani yet she only does this to fund her own artwork. We then went out to an Italian restaurant for the best meal so far! It was a lovely change from the rice and vegetables we have daily at the hostel.

Unfortunately Amy was ill this week so we are waiting in anticipation as to who will go down next. Touch wood, I am still feeling fine. I have however, like many others been getting vivid dreams, I think as a side-effect from the malaria tablets.

I will be brief on the rest of the news:

Tuesday 23rd was the Basant Panchami festival which was celebrated at our school. It is the first day of Spring and people worship the goddess of knowledge. We joined in the ceremony in the playground which we felt privileged to be part of. The children are as adorable as ever and their English is impressive. They are in exam period at the moment and we looked at their English paper and it was difficult considering their age. There are non-disabled pupils at the school as well but emphasis is made on non-segregation so when we teach sport next week we have to think of exercises that can involve everyone. It is lovely to see those who can walk helping those who can’t and despite how ill some of them are, they will always have a smile on their face.

Our main project this week has been decorating the music room which is nearly completed.

That is the news so far! I have written this all without a power cut, which is better than the frequent blackouts at our hostel. We no longer bat an eyelid when we have to eat part of our dinner in the dark. Something I haven’t got used to yet is the sight of someone pooing on the street. Crude as thissounds, I want to put it because it highlights the extremity of the poverty here. Some of the group are also getting black inside their noses because of the pollution, which is getting more and more noticeable. The artists who had been here for three months all had colds but we think moving North in five weeks will help our lungs!

I shall stop now. Tomorrow is Republic Day so the school is closed and we are going to watch the ceremony in the centre so no doubt the next installment will be just as long!

I hope everyone is well and I’m thinking of you all.

xxxxx