Despite the faulty internet connection and inability to use any technology without it mysteriously breaking (we’re blaming it on the eunich who cursed me in Agra) I am, in fact, still alive and loving life. Routine has been established, sprinkled with a fair amount of bad habits and rather boring activities, and time continues to pass without a great deal of excitement.

Days, weeks and months have lost their meaning here, where we mark time by new, more interesting means. The trips and sites; Agra, the Chattris, the fort. The firsts; samosa (the beginning of an addiction), chocolate (the re-kindling of an addiction), motorbike ride (awesome fun) public perfomance (don’t ask) and a full interaction in Hindi (full of confusion and a few patronising smiles). The things we’re missing out on; the birthdays (Jess, Nat, Lory…), an election, parties and public holidays. All markers on the timeline, part of the fabric of the trip and the fun that’s thrown in with the daily routine of classes, curries and cable TV (we get to watch How I Met Your Mother!!!!).

We spend our time compiling lists; the different classes, students, teachers and servants, all divided into good and evil. The meals and what days they come on (most importantly ‘Samosa Days’; Tuesday and Saturday). The places we’ll go, the days we’ll have off, the festivals we’ll experience (currently one for Ganesh, who it has been decided is watching over my trip, following my Malaysia incident) Everything is noted and anticipated, countless plans made and then fulfilled (or more commonly broken in order to be replaced by spontaneous adventures, far more exciting than those originally planned)

In other words, even the mundane and repetitive is made exciting by the smiling faces of the (incessantly talking) children, the spicy aroma of the foods, the utter torment of the pot-hole covered roads (the worst in India) and the sheer frustration of haggling, all of which serve as an exhilarating reminder that I AM IN INDIA!!