Hi everyone!

Well, today is Wednesday, my 4th day in Chennai. I'm really beginning to enjoy India. In fact, I can honestly say that I didn't make any mistakes yesterday! I didn't get overcharged, I stood up to the shop keepers and I had a good day.

I have been making fairly slow starts to the days. It is a very long day when I am by myself. Yesterday, I hung around here until 11.30 or so, uploading photos. It took forever! So you had better look at them all and appreciate! To view them, go to My Photos down the right hand side and click on the day. Clicking on the actual photo will enlarge it more, and then press back on the top toolbar to go back. If you are good with computers, ignore all of the above! ;)

So, after doing things on the internet, I caught an auto to Spencer Plaza again. Everyone is so pushy! They stand out the front of their shop asking you to go in, and telling you what they sell. If you say no and walk past, they yell after you telling you to come back. If you go in, they have a field day showing you things. EVERYONE wanted to sell me a bedspread. Oh, and the typical... For you Madam, it will only cost... was very typical. I was thinking, yeah, only for me, for everyone else it will cost a quarter of that! So, if I wanted something, I oohed and aaahed and said I didn't have much money, after all, I am a student and don't have much money.

There was one shop, where I liked two things. One was 1500Rs and the other was 600Rs. I didn't really plan to buy them. Well, I really liked them, but I'm gonna have like 50kg of luggage coming home. I can't say what they are, cause they are gonna be gifts. Anyway, after just about walking away and oohing and aaahing, I bought them both for 1400Rs, extremely cheap for what it was. Actually, 2100Rs was cheap by Aus standards too, but 700Rs is 700Rs.

They make it extremely hard to walk away. I said I would just think about it to most shops. It really is quite a stressful experience, shopping in India. Even after I agreed to buy, they would still try to throw other things on me. When I was leaving the centre, like actually outside trying to bargain for an auto, one shopkeeper came out and got angry with me. 'He said you must come back into my shop. You promised!' Now, just for the record, I never promised anything at all! I said I would think about it! So I fought with him for a good 5 minutes, before walking away.

The auto home was another effort. I know it should have cost 40Rs, because that is what I paid the night before. The first man said 70. He wouldn't go lower than 60. Then a couple said 40, but only if we went to some emporiums on the way. Don't buy anything of course, just look. Well, I talked to Bindu, the Indian girl staying here, and they actually get a percentage of what you buy. So of course, they would make it very difficult for you to leave without buying. Then I found one man, he agreed 40, so I got in, and then he said, just one shop, so I started to get out again. He said 'No! No!', so I got back in. Very sternly, I said, '40Rs, straight home, no shopping'. That is what he did, but he fought the whole way home that I should be paying more. I was like 'No, we agreed 40. I paid 30 on the way here, I will pay 40 on the way home.' Man I was glad to get out! But I'm getting a lot better at this. And a lot calmer!

I came home around 3.30, because Deepa said that she would come and visit me after her son finished school. She came around 5.30. While I was waiting, I just chatted to Bindu and updated myself on Daryn's internet site. When she arrived, we chatted for 45 minutes or so and then she had to leave. She lives 12km from where I'm staying. It took her an hour to get here! The heavy traffic and bad roads combine to make very long rides! She has a car, but it is in getting fixed for insurance, so she caught an auto to me and home again! Poor thing! She was really lovely though. When I asked her how she is related to Fr Thomas, she gave me this funny look. She isn't related at all Mum! She is just a friend of his, and used to live in the village next to his in Kerala. She speaks the same mother tongue as Thomas, it starts with M, but speaks excellent English. Her one brother is in Brisbane on permanent residency. She is going to move with her husband to Aus asap, and wants to move to Toowoomba! They have to live in a regional area for two years, and that is closest to her brother. So we will probably be seeing a lot more of her!

On Friday afternoon, she is going to come up and pick me up, and I will stay with her family for Friday and Saturday nights, and then she will take me to the airport on Sunday. It's funny, I was actually sort of sad that I have to leave this hostel two days earlier than planned, but she has been so good to me, and it will be good to spend time with her family too. She brought her 8 year old son with her. He is a very well behaved little boy! Not like those Australian terrors! He just sat next to her and barely said boo or messed around for the whole time. Pretty good, considering she had to wake him up to come! So, on Friday, she is going to take me to the area where she lives. We will go to St Thomas Mount and climb it, which is where Thomas the apostle lived and was martyred. She is also going to take me to the Basilica of San THome, which is where his body was buried. I think it has since been moved. On Saturday, she is going to take me shopping at T Nagar, the big shopping district in Chennai. She is going to help me buy a sari and some gold. It is 22Kt gold, pure gold, and works out a lot cheaper than Aus for that quality! So I can't wait. The girls from the hostel were going to the zoo at Vandalur (1hour south) on Saturday, and I wanted to go because it is the biggest zoo in Asia, but it doesn't matter. I went to the zoo in Singapore, and shopping will be good!

On Sunday, she is going to take me down to Mahabilpuram, which I really really want to go to, 2 hours south of here. It has lots of temples and architecture dating back to the 7th century. I'm not quite sure how we will fit it in, because I have to be at the airport at 12, but she is certain that we will, so I will trust her. You have to trust people around here! Otherwise, if I was a cat with 9 lives I still probably wouldn't be around!

Then Bindu and I went out for dinner. We found a cheap Levi store. Well, it is expensive clothing for these people, but it works out at $30 for a man's pair of jeans, and less than that for women's. I couldn't find any that I really liked though, which is a shame. I am between sizes I think. And they are funny sizes so I don't know.

We went to a vegetarian restaurant for dinner, and I had the most delicious meal. It was... I can't remember the name... but it was potato and cauliflower curry. I asked for no spices, and it still came out extremely hot, my nose was running and eyes watering and everything! Oh, and of course, I had Naan bread.

On the way home, I bought a Kit Kat, for 10Rs, about 30c, so I will see today whether it tastes like real ones! Then we came home and crashed again.

Now, you aren't allowed to bring wood back into Aus, and I have bought a few wooden items. At Marina Beach, I bought a monkey made from a coconut. He is the cutest monkey you have ever seen, and I want him so badly! Are you allowed to get them treated so you can keep them? I also bought some hand carved pens and stuff in Singapore. Any ideas on if they'll get through. Would I be allowed to send them home? Please leave me a message on my message board. Now, that is the other thing. No-one has been message-boarding me! :( I really like hearing from everyone at home (and Africa... HINT HINT!), so please talk to me! It's all lonely over here by myself!

Not sure what I'm going to do today, I just don't want it to cost much! I have enough money, but will save the shopping for Deepa on Saturday.

Sorry I didn't call Mum. I ordered a head set with microphone so that I can call you, but it hasn't arrived yet. Hopefully it will arrive today. And then I will call Nan too. Please tell her that I'm thinking of her, and will call as soon as I can! I was thinking though, when I get to Fr Thomas', he doesn't own a computer, so I will text you everyday (make sure that Alex checks his phone) and call you when we go to internet cafes, hopefully every couple of days!

I love you and miss you all so much,

Love always,

Melody