Hi Everyone!

Before I start today's entry, I just wanted to add a few things about my time in Singapore.

Water: It is recycled water in Singapore, tastes just fine to me, and so far I haven't sprouted any extra hands and legs - I will update you on any changes though!

Milkshakes: Very hard to come by (I was just hanging out for a Donut King milkshake). Alex found one at the zoo though - $10 he paid!

MRT system: Puts Brisbane to shame. It is so efficient, easy, simple, comfortable, everything you could possibly want in a public train system.

Fines: Singapore is extremely strict about everything. Don't flush the toilet: $1000 fine. Eat or drink (even water) at a train station: $1000 fine. Drop rubbish: $1000 fine. Funny thing about that though is, there are no rubbish bins along the street like in Australia - so you have to hoard rubbish in your bag until you find one.

Sitting on the backs of utes and trucks: In Singapore (as in Daryn' photos from Africa), you are allowed to sit on the backs of utes and trucks while driving. In fact, they have even made it so official to the point that on the back of utes and trucks, there is a number saying the maximum number of people that is allowed to ride! Some that we saw were all sitting around a table on the ute drinking beer!

There were lots of other things too, but that's all I can think of for now. It is a very interesting city.

Today is day 2 in Chennai (Madras), and I am surprised I have made it this far! After an average start to my India experience, things are slowly getting better.

After I logged out at Changi Airport yesterday, I literally ran to my gate to board the plane. Here is where the fun began. I was the only white person on the plane, and I have decided that I'm not going to visit zoos anymore. Now I know how it feels to be the rare, unique species that everyone oohs and aahs over and stares at! It was crazy in the plane. In Australia, if you see something a bit odd, you generally try to take a look without making it very obvious. Not in India. Everyone stopped as they walked passed me, and stared at me for the whole time in the plane. When I got up to go the loo, a couple of people even got up after me so they could stand behind me in the line and check me out! I honestly didn't think that it would be like this.

The man sitting next to me in the plane was lovely. He was Indian, but has been living in the US for 6 years, and hasn't been home for the last 4 years. As a Hindu, his parents are obliged to arrange his marriage for him by tradition. However, he has since met another Hindu Indian lady in America who he wants to marry. Her parents were angry with her at first about it, but have now accepted that she wants to marry him and have allowed her to do so. He hasn't been so lucky. His Mum has refused to accept that he has chosen someone, and is angry because she wanted to choose his wife. She will not change her mind, so he has flown home to beg her to let him marry her. By the way, he is 29 years old. Hadly a young chook for someone who still hasn't had his wife chosen. He was lovely to me. He told me where to be careful and what to do and all sorts. He gave me lots of advice on how to get out of the airport. Most of the guards are corrupted. They will open your bags and make you pay money to them otherwise they will take your stuff or give you a fine - well this is what he told me. So I stuck by his side the whole way, but we didn't run into any problems.

When I walked outside the airport, there was hundreds of people waiting. Great. Just what I needed. I found the man holding up the sign with my name on it. He didn't speak English, but he took my suitcase from me and walked me about 20m to this van thing, which was taking me to my accommodation. He then said "tip. tip." I wasn't prepared for this - I didn't think you had to tip in India (and later on I find out you don't). Well, as I had just exchanged my money, I had 1200Rs, in 100Rs notes. He didn't have any change, and refused to leave. I was getting all upset and anxious, as there was him and the van driver telling me I had to tip, so I gave the man 100Rs. A normal tip is 5Rs. 10 if your feeling generous and 20 if you are at an expensive restaurant. So, no wonder he couldn't wipe that smile off his face.

The van then headed off. The roads were crazy. For those of you who got that email about the intersection in India - absolute chaos doesn't nearly describe it - it is like that EVERYWHERE. Auto-rickshaws are everywhere. The van didn't have seatbelts. No-one wears helmets and everyone rides motorbikes. The ladies ride motorbikes sideways because of thir saris and 6 people on one motorbike is not uncommon.

When I arrived at the accommodation, the driver was like "driver tip. driver tip." Now, because he had seen me give a massive tip to the other man, he was expecting big money. I was really upset, because I could see my money running out very very quickly. So I went into the hostel and asked the receptionist man how much I should give the driver. He said 300Rs. This was fair enough, as it was about 1/2 hour drive. The man was very upset with this payment and refused to leave. Luckily, the security guard and receptionist forced him to leave without further payment. I am so thankful to live in Australia with set prices!!!

I then went for a walk to get out some money. As if 100Rs notes weren't bad enough, the ATM spat out 500Rs notes!!! I went back to the accommodation, because 5000Rs is like 3 years salary or something for the poor people. Then I came back to pay for my accommodation, and it cost 400Rs more than they quoted. Now the accommodation people are good people, so I think that it was a genuine mistake, and it is my fault that I didn't speak up.

So I went upstairs and met another girl who was staying. She is Indian and working in this area. After a bit of a chat to her, I decided to go out and brave the world once more. I asked the security guard how much an auto-rickshaw should be to Egmore. He said 30Rs. So I went in search of an auto-rickshaw. THe first man said 100Rs. I said 50. He wouldn't budge, so I walked away. Shock horror to the man! The next man said 50Rs so I went with him.

I arrived at George Town, paid my entrance fee to the Fort Museam and Complex, and entered. Then I got accosted by this tour guide. I was still not very good at saying no by this stage, so I got a tour. He said one hour minimum. After 10 minutes, I was bored out of my brain, and sick of the stares. After 20 minutes I said I had had enough, and was going to go and call my Mum, as I had missed a call from her while he was boring me. He said no. I said yes. And on it goes. Then I said how much? He said 3x 500Rs notes should cover! Here I was, getting taken advantage of again. I said no no no. 2x 500Rs notes then. After all, it all goes to charity. Or so he told me. Well, I gave him 400Rs. He still had a smile on his face, so I got ripped again. Tour guides no more for me!!! Oh, and as if that wasn't bad enough, he then asked me to send him JUST $100AUD every 3 months for his 'charity' work. No matter how many times I said no, he continued to push. Eventually I said no - I give money to charities in Aus. Pushy Pushy! I ended up walking off.

I then tried to get a rickshaw to an internet cafe. Silly me, when I left the hostel, I didn't write down the adress to get back home! The rickshaw driver was ok, although he have me his mobile number to call him so that he could take me shopping. What they do here, is if the rickshaw drivers take you to shops and wait for you, they get paid hefty commissions by the shop. The shop owners make it very difficult if you walk away with nothing. So I refused and took his mobile number to keep him quiet.

So I went to an internet cafe, supposedly 6.25Rs per 15 minutes. I looked up the address. 20 minutes later, the man charged me 20Rs. Ok, so I know Australian dollars go quite far, but my money was going way faster than I was expecting, and I didn't know how to deal with these people.

I then walked outside to get another auto home. This man had the same idea as the previous man - take me to shops and wait for me. THough, this man wanted 250Rs for an hour, the other one only wanted 50Rs. Regardless, I said no, I just wanted to go home! He refused to take me home, so I just walked away. He caught up with me down the street and said he would take me home, only after I had tears in my eyes. Funny what walking away does. We agreed on 50Rs. He brought me home. Damn those 100Rs notes. Surprise surprise, he didn't have enough change. So I lost another 15Rs.

I came into the hostel and went up to my room. And I cried. So I am a cry baby, but that is just me. I cry at absolutely anything. And my first extremely overwhelming day in India was enough to do it. I called my Mum, who called Fr Thomas, who called his niece who lives in Madras. She called me, and offered for me to go and stay with her family. I felt bad, but I refused the offer, as the accommodation here really is nice, and I had already paid 3240Rs for the week. I told her that I would still like to meet her and her family though, and spend some time with them.

She is driving down to meet me tomorrow, after her son finishes school. She has been calling me 3 times a day since to make sure that I am ok! She is a really beautiful person. As for my phone bill, I would rather not think about that! It is going to be huge! Mum - don't call my phone anymore, I get cheaper calls from the hostel. I just use the landline here and then pay them. It only cost me 4Rs to ring Deeva (Fr Thomas' niece).

After all of this happened, I hopped in the bath, which was just what I needed to help me feel better. Then Claire arrived home. Claire is 26, and a registered nurse from Australia. She made me feel heaps better. She said not to tip anyone, as it is not part of Indian custom and has been brought by the Americans. She said it isn't mandatory and just walk away.

We then went out for dinner to an Indian restaurant. Last night was a Hindu festival worshipping the element of Fire. Everything was lit up and there were firecrackers and fireworks going off everywhere. Walking along the street to the restaurant was interesting. You have to be so careful. Stray dogs are everywhere and treated terribly. Electricity lines (I didn't test to see whether they were live) were just lying in the street open. The ground is everyone's rubbish bin, and people just sleep anywhere and everywhere. It is incredible to see how people just live on nothing.

We went to an Indian restaurant. Here, I ordered Kerala Chicken Gravy - supposedly not spicy at all, though I was sweating furiously and drank 1L of water, rice and Naan Bread. I LOOOOOOVE Naan bread! This in total cost me about 110Rs, or $3.50. And no, I didn't tip. I'm glad they gave us cutlery - all of the Indian people get right into it with their right hand. They mix it all up with their fingers, scoop it up with their fingers and push it into their mouth with their thumb. I stuck to cutlery!

On the way home, she showed me where she buys her food. I bought some cornflakes and milk from the 'supermarket' (half the size of an Australian cornerstore) and she showed me where to buy fruit. I think I will buy a pineapple or something today. They are 20Rs, about 60c or so, and can be peeled which is ideal because everything is so dirty.

Claire is working in a hospital here. She was telling me about the conditions, which are terrible. She is just doing about a month missionary work. She said that she wouldn't like to get treated here - if she gets sick she would rather go home. Most things are washed and resterilised, such as the gauze used in theatre to catch the patient's blood! No wonder there are so many diseases! THis is at a christian hospital with only 14 beds, apparently the public hospitals are better equipped. She said the doctors here are just amazing though. Imagine what they could do for people if they had the resources. On the other hand, it can't be too bad, there is a UK couple here, they have come specifically for the wife to get a hip replacement, as the doctors here are the 'best in the world'. As so many people say, the vastness of India is unimaginable.

Well, it is now 11am, and I think I will go and have another go at this place. I'll look at temples and stuff today, I don't think I could handle shopping until I know the place and prices a bit better.

I can't believe that you had the day off work Mum! I thought you really wanted me to come! I'm really sorry about yesterday - the phone bills are gonna be huge, but thank you! I'm feeling a lot better now, and Claire is gonna spend time with me in the afternoons and evenings.

Love you all,

Mel