Udaipur is known as the lake city, but unfortunately its name has been besmerched since the lake has shrunk quite considerably due to dought. It's also got two of the top 10 hotels in the world within a mile of each other, one in the middle of the lake (and that's the lesser ranked one).
Inside the palace there is a model horse with an elephant's trunk. The reason is, believe or don't believe- it's still ture, that in the days of the Maharajas and Moghuls, the Moghuls used to give their elephants swords in their trunks so that they they could kill to death anything that came near. So, cunningly, the Hindu army attached trunks to their horses so they would look like baby elephants and not get killed.
Also, they are obsessed with Octupussy- the Bond Film. That's because it was shot here. Almost every second cafe has a 7pm showing of Octopussy every day and one of the cafes had a "temple of Octopussy"
Sunday, 22 March 2009
Wednesday, 18 March 2009
Rajacamel
Been cameling around in Rajasthan for a few days now. Actually no, I've not really done much in the way of camels. There is the odd camel, and they definately look as if they're at home here, but I've not managed to buy one like I had hoped.
Got into Jaipur. Couldn't believe the bus service had actually got me there. Phoned Chloe.
"Can you see a horse?"
"Yeah I'm right behind a horse, hang on. (Rickshaw driver- follow that horse please) Yeah, I'll be there in a second."
Jaipur is cool. I like it. It's called the pink city because some lady decided to make it pink, which was nice.
There is an astrological... thing... in Jaipur. It's called Janther Manther. I didn't have a clue how it worked but it was like Alice in Wonderland, there were loads of oddly shaped astrological intruments.
I'm in Pushkar at the moment. Can you imagine being the first hippie to arrive at this tiny little town surrounding a pond in the middle of the desert? Since then its become a little tourist town. It's still a bit holy, only its got a few things holding it back.
One- it's a tourist town. There are some absolutely baked looking Sadhus sitting by the lake but they're far too preoccupied with tourists to take care of any real religious followers.
Two- Its FILTHY. The lake has rafts of scum floating around on the top. This was a lake which came to be when Brahma dropped a lotus flower on the earth. Thousands of years later and it's got litter, filth and poo floating around in it. They are having to dredge the lake to clean it up.
That aside, it's the perfect place to run away to. There's plenty of proper hippies stuck here, some of them seem to have packed up for good and have started shops selling fire spinning aparatus and paintings of Sadhus smoking chillums.
I got up early today, crept out of the room and climbed up the hill at the back of the town before the sun came up. You could eclipse the town with the palm of your hand, and then all you could see was desert, for miles.
Got into Jaipur. Couldn't believe the bus service had actually got me there. Phoned Chloe.
"Can you see a horse?"
"Yeah I'm right behind a horse, hang on. (Rickshaw driver- follow that horse please) Yeah, I'll be there in a second."
Jaipur is cool. I like it. It's called the pink city because some lady decided to make it pink, which was nice.
There is an astrological... thing... in Jaipur. It's called Janther Manther. I didn't have a clue how it worked but it was like Alice in Wonderland, there were loads of oddly shaped astrological intruments.
I'm in Pushkar at the moment. Can you imagine being the first hippie to arrive at this tiny little town surrounding a pond in the middle of the desert? Since then its become a little tourist town. It's still a bit holy, only its got a few things holding it back.
One- it's a tourist town. There are some absolutely baked looking Sadhus sitting by the lake but they're far too preoccupied with tourists to take care of any real religious followers.
Two- Its FILTHY. The lake has rafts of scum floating around on the top. This was a lake which came to be when Brahma dropped a lotus flower on the earth. Thousands of years later and it's got litter, filth and poo floating around in it. They are having to dredge the lake to clean it up.
That aside, it's the perfect place to run away to. There's plenty of proper hippies stuck here, some of them seem to have packed up for good and have started shops selling fire spinning aparatus and paintings of Sadhus smoking chillums.
I got up early today, crept out of the room and climbed up the hill at the back of the town before the sun came up. You could eclipse the town with the palm of your hand, and then all you could see was desert, for miles.
Wednesday, 11 March 2009
Sunday, 8 March 2009
Leavers Riots
I'm writing this in intense secrecy and I really hope it doesn't get monitored.
This school is insane!!
Some of the stuff that goes on!!
I only really learned last night
About a week back I got told to come to "Shanti House" to see something. What I saw were, sitting in the middle of the semi-indoor court yard, the remnants of quite a large bonfire which they had made last night, stoking it with their books and class notes.
I was fairly...surprised that this was what goes on in dormitories, but came to the conclusion that it was probably just a one off, and not as big a deal as it looked.
Fire crackers have been going off at intervals all week and when I was away in Sri Lanka, the prayers in assembly were interupted by a firework going off inside.
But if the talk is true, hell is about to break loose.
Plans are under way to smash tube lights, windows, throw chairs about, have fights with teachers, damage teachers cars, and a whole load of that kind of thing.
Just the other night two students stole a set of keys, broke into the library and tried to steal a load of cd's. Two students also jumped the wall and tried to run away and drink, while two others just got smashed in their dormitories.
In previous years the principals window has been smashed and fire crackers thrown inside, acid bottles have been thrown at house masters doors and teachers have been hit.
But right next to me is a small boy showing me an animated clip of some dancing letters spelling out "Happy Holi" (an Indian festival). Completely innocent. The school doesn't appear to be a rough school at all. There's nothing in their teaching, or running of the school that would give rise to that sort of atmosphere so I'm completely at a loss as to where that sort of ungrateful, malicious intentions come from.
The more I write, the more I start to feel sick. These boys have horses. They are given the chance to go horse riding every day. How many people in this country have the chance to go horse riding every day? And now they want to go about smashing windows as if they have something to feel bad about.
This school is insane!!
Some of the stuff that goes on!!
I only really learned last night
About a week back I got told to come to "Shanti House" to see something. What I saw were, sitting in the middle of the semi-indoor court yard, the remnants of quite a large bonfire which they had made last night, stoking it with their books and class notes.
I was fairly...surprised that this was what goes on in dormitories, but came to the conclusion that it was probably just a one off, and not as big a deal as it looked.
Fire crackers have been going off at intervals all week and when I was away in Sri Lanka, the prayers in assembly were interupted by a firework going off inside.
But if the talk is true, hell is about to break loose.
Plans are under way to smash tube lights, windows, throw chairs about, have fights with teachers, damage teachers cars, and a whole load of that kind of thing.
Just the other night two students stole a set of keys, broke into the library and tried to steal a load of cd's. Two students also jumped the wall and tried to run away and drink, while two others just got smashed in their dormitories.
In previous years the principals window has been smashed and fire crackers thrown inside, acid bottles have been thrown at house masters doors and teachers have been hit.
But right next to me is a small boy showing me an animated clip of some dancing letters spelling out "Happy Holi" (an Indian festival). Completely innocent. The school doesn't appear to be a rough school at all. There's nothing in their teaching, or running of the school that would give rise to that sort of atmosphere so I'm completely at a loss as to where that sort of ungrateful, malicious intentions come from.
The more I write, the more I start to feel sick. These boys have horses. They are given the chance to go horse riding every day. How many people in this country have the chance to go horse riding every day? And now they want to go about smashing windows as if they have something to feel bad about.
Monday, 2 March 2009
More things the students have said
"You're eating a banana?? Here?? In front of everyone??"
"Sir, where are the exchange students from?
Gloucestershire.
...Greenland?
No, Gloucestershire.
...Glacier?
No, Glou-cester-shire.
Gl...Glo...Gl...Greenland?"
"Sir, can I show you an English song I have written?
Yes, certainly
(shows piece of paper)
(on piece of paper) "What you gonna do with all that junk? all that junk inside your trunk?
I'ma get get get you drunk, Get you love drunk on my hump..."
"Sir, what is your computer password?
Gullable
Sir?
Gullable
How do you spell it?
G-U-L-L-A-B-L-E
Gul-la-ble?
Yes
Thank you sir!
No problem.
(runs off to try and hack into my account.)
"Sir, where are the exchange students from?
Gloucestershire.
...Greenland?
No, Gloucestershire.
...Glacier?
No, Glou-cester-shire.
Gl...Glo...Gl...Greenland?"
"Sir, can I show you an English song I have written?
Yes, certainly
(shows piece of paper)
(on piece of paper) "What you gonna do with all that junk? all that junk inside your trunk?
I'ma get get get you drunk, Get you love drunk on my hump..."
"Sir, what is your computer password?
Gullable
Sir?
Gullable
How do you spell it?
G-U-L-L-A-B-L-E
Gul-la-ble?
Yes
Thank you sir!
No problem.
(runs off to try and hack into my account.)
Pre-Emptive Rajasthan entry
I won't dress it up very much, the students have become rather childish and recently their dialogue has degenerated from conversation to lists of sex-references. That's why of late, I've been farely dying to get out and see somewhere else for a while.
So since the words of approval were uttered from beneath the bushy moustache of the headmaster, I have been quite excited. I'm going to Rajasthan.
I'll confess the first time I heard of Rajasthan was on Monty Don's "Around the World in 80 Gardens"
But Rajasthan is something of a king of states. That's what the name means- "Land of the Rulers" It used to be home to the rulers of India. That's why it has so many forts and palaces, some of which are in the middle of lakes. Nowadays it's mainly home to camels.
It's funny how having something to look forward to changes your outlook. Your mind becomes less involved with the little frustrations and you tend to exaggerate the things you like rather than the things you don't. Bit like life really. :)
So since the words of approval were uttered from beneath the bushy moustache of the headmaster, I have been quite excited. I'm going to Rajasthan.
I'll confess the first time I heard of Rajasthan was on Monty Don's "Around the World in 80 Gardens"
But Rajasthan is something of a king of states. That's what the name means- "Land of the Rulers" It used to be home to the rulers of India. That's why it has so many forts and palaces, some of which are in the middle of lakes. Nowadays it's mainly home to camels.
It's funny how having something to look forward to changes your outlook. Your mind becomes less involved with the little frustrations and you tend to exaggerate the things you like rather than the things you don't. Bit like life really. :)
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