39th

It is almost too hot here already. Its quarter to 12. I am having a late breakfast at the hotel as the work I have to do can be done anywhere. I am reading up on Indian feminist views of the body for Alka's next project. I am also preparing for my Courtauld interview later today. The most important interview of my life and I'm doing it from a run down cyber cafe in Paharganj. Typical.

The house hunt continues today.

EDIT: Another photo from this morning

A portrait of the author melting in the Indian sun

38th

I've been chasing this girl for two days for a house in Hauz Khas and nothing doing, no response. I got a first message back but then nothing. Mandy said she thinks I came across a bit desperate. The place is perfectly located as well.
I have been in contact with other people so hopefully this will lead to something a little more fruitful.

I walked the whole of Jan Path last night and worked up a monster appetite for when I got back. Delhi is becoming normal to me and I am hardly seeing anything on the street that surprises me anymore. Apart from this semi destroyed shelter in the middle of a very nice housing district.

EDIT: At the (very real) risk of this becoming a food blog, here are two photos from lunchtime on this day.

This veg chowmein from Ganesha is not only great value (66p for a massive plate) but has just the right amount of soy and chilli in it

I can't explain the excitement that I - a Roald Dahl lover and chocomaniac - got when I first opened a bar of Cadburys here and there was this beautiful golden foil covering it. It actually makes it taste better :)

Thirty seventh

Today has been good. I'm back into the swing of waking up early and having a cold shower if I can't have a hot one. I've caught up with the work I need to and have started planning a trip to Bengal as Sabya loves it so.
The first photo is of the daily tease I have at lunch time walking past buffets for conventions and not pretending I am part of it to get food, it always smells so perfect.
The second photo is me and Mandy in an auto going to Khan market to find a drink.
The third is of us finding those drinks, 600 rs for 6 bottles. Wetherspoons prices yo! 

We than drank some rum on the street. Man, I need to bring some of that stuff back Sikim XXX.

37th

Today I have been got by Oxfam volunteers. 800 rs feels reasonable after so long walking past all of these people begging on the street and not giving anything. I feel like I never know the right ones to help. It was weird though because after I'd given them my money I received a call from the same number I'd got asking me to meet them (I'd said I would do it yesterday, and didn't have my card on me then) which hung up as soon as I'd answered. I then got a text asking me if I had Facebook. I asked if it was for personal or Oxfam and thankfully he replied personal. Friends are made very quickly here, I only spoke to this guy for two minutes.

36th

As aforementioned it was incredibly hard to get to sleep at night, however I managed an hour or two before we woke at 3.40 to get Annu's cab to the airport. She had had no sleep. We did one last check and went downstairs to find the cab was not there, so I had to wake the sleeping receptionist up and have him make a phone call. The guy drove extra quick and waited at the terminal while we said goodbye. Fortunately I wasn't allowed into the terminal building so we couldn't draw this out too much. I was glad of this because I was getting pretty sad at the idea of losing Annu and being alone again.
On the way back the guy told me his name was Lucky and we had a good chat about cricket and other Indian-English connections. He took me for chai at his favourite chai-wallah's, mainly to cheer me up I think. We were back in Paharganj within an hour of leaving it. No mean feat. I then couldn't get to sleep as I'd been up so long, so getting up for work was a bit of a chore. When I got in though the sun was shining and everyone was in a good mood so it felt nice to be there.
That evening there was the opening of an exhibition for the Bonjour India Festival (an Indo-French cultural celebration). The work is good, the photography of Michel Kirch being my preference. Its amazing being automatically invited to all these events because I work here. And the free food is always good!

35th

Annu's Last Day!

Presents needed to be purchased, and rupees spent. So we went to Sarojini Nagar again. The prices are good and once you've got the hang of the layout everything becomes quite simple. Annu bought jewellery and scarves and I bought shoes and a tee shirt. We then had McDonalds (I know, shocking. But you try having Indian food everyday, and tell me how your insides feel) and Annu got some henna.
Later that evening we went with Mandy to a festival called Unbox (which turned out to be closed) and then back to Hauz Khas. Mandy took us to a bar there called TLR (The Living Room) which is a name of one of the albums that I vividly remember Peter Crisp giving dad when I was very young. Funny in life how experiences trigger such varied memories. We had some lovely onion rings (again, I know) and went back to Hare Krishna to rest for a bit. Which was made extremely difficult by what sounded like the whole world having a party in the hallway outside our room.

Early doors at Sarojini Nagar

Idols etc.

Earrings etc.

Annu's 500 rupee purchase

A woman getting touched up

Annu getting henna-ed by two men

Detail

The result

Auto rick from IHC to Paharganj. I couldn't handle the thought of the metro with my big bag again.

Unmanned cycle rickshaw at the traffic lights on Punchkuian Marg

The reason for many sleepless mornings. Work continues in the hallway at Hare Krishna while Sanjay prepares Annu's final bill.

Probably a mistake - the map at Unbox festival

TLR roof bar

34th

Today we saw the Taj. Annu was treated like a major celebrity and was the subject of many photographs, some women 'clickers', but mainly men. I expected the queue to be massive as it was a sunny Saturday but I was proved very wrong. The Indian queue was big, but manageable for Sabya, and the foreigner queue was nothing! I know you can't see anything in India without other people there, but I wish the Taj had been empty and I'd had some personal time to enjoy it. As it went were shuffled round it in some kind of order with little time to appreciate the little details.

List of prohibited items on the golf buggy to Taj. 'Helmate' is my favourite

Annu posing in the sunshine

The Indian queue, and Sabya in it

The visual illusion of the Taj through the entry arch. The closer you get the smaller the Taj's arch gets rather than bigger.

First full view

Crowds and crowds and crowds

Beaut

Check the stance

Explorer Annu

Celebrity Annu being asked

... and then clicked

Glittering marble

Another fan

Some more fans

I hate to say it but this photo looks like Rossetti's The Beloved

Final shot on the way out

Finally! An honest window sticker.

We left the Taj and had another alcoholic lunch with Sabya. The food was excellent, and not even too pricey considering its location. Although I can't really judge that because he paid. We had a few hours to kill before our train was leaving so we went to the school that Sabya had built and that he will be opening in April. While we were with him he was constantly taking calls from prospective students and staff. I hope it goes well for him.

Front of Orchid School

'Agra's Sunset Boulevard'

Annu on her top bunk

Riding in style - Sleeper Class

When we got to Delhi I was panicking about missing our station (I didn't want to end up in Punjab) so we got off early and had to jump back on while the train was starting. Thank goodness for the doors being open during travel.