Hi,

So I finally have time to update my blog! I've pushed the ants in the kitchen aside, washed out the kettle for those ants that like a kamikaze ending and have made a cup of tea!

A lot has happened over the past month so I'll try to be succinct.

International Women's Day was great fun. Lucy and got a lot of help to get dressed from the ladies at work. To celebrate the day the men in the department were split into 4 teams and each team had to do something that would impress us ladies!! We had songs, dances, animal impressions (a donkey and a cow!), and whistles!! We then had to choose our favourite. At the end the men asked the ladies to do something, the Indian ladies weren't keen so the spotlight fell on Lucy and I. The first thing that came into my mind was to sing (and do the actions to) S Club 7's "Reach"!! Ha Ha!! It went down well!!

That weekend Lucy, Andy and I went to Goa for the weekend. We stayed in the south of Goa, which is much quieter than the north, and decided to have a relaxing weekend. All I did was eat, sleep, read and swim in the sea and pool. It was great! As it happens a friend from Bangalore - Gemma - was also staying at the same hotel with her parents (who were over visiting from the UK). So it was nice to catch up with her, go out for dinner and have a few drinks!

Overall, although I liked Goa, I'm not sure that the beaches were good enough to go there just for a holiday from the UK (I think that if I was just after a beach holiday I would go to Europe from the UK).

The following weekend Lucy and Andy went to Delhi, so I made plans with Gemma and some other friends.

But firstly on the Friday night I was invited to a Holi party at one of the guy's houses from work. Holi is where people throw paint over each other - it is kind of to celebrate spring time, and to make new friends (the theory is that when you are covered in paint you can't tell who is rich/poor or from which caste). All of team 1 went. First we played cricket - I surpassed myself for bowling out a really athletic Indian guy with my first ball (everyone including me was shocked!!), however, when I batted I was caught out n my first ball so I guess that is karma!! After playing cricket the paint came out and within seconds we were all covered! It was great! Afterwards we went into the house and were all given a lovely snack.

On the Saturday, Gemma (English, works for Tesco's), Dawn (American works in marketing at a hospital) and Zach (who was visiting Dawn from the States) visited the Nandi Hills. The hills are an hour or two outside of Bangalore - it was nice to get out to the country. Amongst other things on the hill is a temple, a sheer drop where people used to be thrown off, and a hotel where Ghandi once stayed. We were going to have lunch on the hill, the restaurant looked bad, so we headed back to Bangalore. On the way back we stopped off at a really old temple which was really cool.

That night I went to a BBQ with Gemma, Dawn, Zach, Michael (an American with a factory over here), Leanne (Gemma's house mate) and Luis (a Portuguese guy) at a Geordie bloke's house in Whitefield (one of the suburbs of Bangalore). It was a good night, and at one point I found myself singing songs with an Indian guy who played the guitar - unfortunately the only two songs that he knew that I could remember at least some of the words to were Hero and one by Oasis. It was quite funny!

On the Sunday I went to another Holi Party with Dawn, Zach, Gemma and Leanne. This time the Holi party was in the grounds of a posh hotel. I doubt I will see anything like it ever again in my life!! As we approached the entrance it was clear that people were already covered in paint. Just past the entrance was a dance floor with showers all around the side (to ensure the paint really stuck!!). After that was a large space where although paint was still being thrown, there was food in baskets hanging from the trees, as well as bars, and tables with food. I will put some more pictures on line to try and show this!!

The next weekend Lucy, Larry (American secondee) and Erica (American secondee) travelled to Mysore. We saw some temples, gardens, a prison, and the grand palace in of Mysore. It was a good, but long day out! I also bought some silk scarf's in Mysore (it is famous for silk).

On the Sunday I went out with some of the Americans for brunch at a restaurant called Shiro's. The food there was absolutely delicious!! Will definitely be eating there again! The brunch included alcoholic drinks, and in my drunken state I decided it was a good idea to go shopping! Mmm spent more than I really should of!!

To be continued..........

L x