Hi all,
It's been a while since I last wrote but that's because i've been really busy with my voluntary work and have had the usual problems with internet access etc. - apologies in advance for the long post! In the last couple of weeks i've been working from 9am-3pm and then doing my conversation classes at LHA (a volunteer organisation that provides free training for Tibetan refugees) or yoga classes. Despite doing yoga at various points over the past few years i have rapidly come to realise that I don't know my Asana from my elbow when it comes to the real Indian stuff so i'm only going a couple of times a week, when i can face 2 and a half hours of pure torture. I took part in a clean up round town and can honestly say that going down into the open drains at the side of the roads was one of the least pleasant things i've ever done but it did feel good to make a point to the locals (who looked quite embarrassed that a Westerner was picking up their rubbish).
I did a Tibetan bread cookery class yesterday and learnt how to make all sorts of steamed and fried breads using really simple ingredients. They have really funny names for some of the forms though - one of them was named after the nose of the animal created when a cow mates with a yak, and another was named after horse shit (their choice of word) because that's what shape it is!
We've recently discovered a little 'cinema' underneath a fruit and veg shop. With a mininum of 4 people you can pick any film you want from their selection of (pirated) DVDs, pay Rs50 (60p) each and then go down into the basement where a massive screen and about 20 seats have been set up and watch your film - it's great!
As the title of this story mentions, we've been having a serious problem with mice in the office and while it started off as cute it's now just a bit horrible, particularly as they are hiding/nesting in the ringbinders and jumping out onto different shelves etc. Unfortunately the ladies are all Buddhists and so they don't want to kill them - i don't have that problem myself so 3 have been thrown over the balcony! I did feel a bit guilty though...
I ended up having to go to the doctors this morning after a night of head-to-toe itching nearly drove me insane. I was convinced it was either bed mites or something to do with the mice so i went to get it checked out. I turned up at the doctors surgery and, once the doctor, nurse and dispensary staff had finished their morning prayers, went in to get their opinion. The doctor and his assistant both took a wrist each and checked my pulse by hand. I then told them i had a skin problem and they said they thought it was a reaction to garlic (or something, i didn't really understand) and also said they could tell i had problems with my sinuses which was quite spooky seeing as A) it's true and B) they had only checked my pulse. So they sent me packing with 10 days worth of herbal medicines to take and some very complicated instructions - i'll let you know how it goes!!
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