Namaste!

Hello everyone.... so what have i done since i last wrote?! Well Caroline has arrived, shes nice.... We had our picture taken at the Lalbagh flower show and it was in the newspaper!! we didnt realise that people were taking pictures of us but to be fair its a common occurance there as everyones amazed to see foreigners!!! so that was well random.
School is going well, have been doing all sorts, mainly helping where i can and one on reading. Ive also been doing 'Buzz Words' so words the kids may struggle to prenounce or understand ie 'delighted' 'surpirse'!! We met the founder of the organistation last week, she was really nice, when she was younger she worked with mother teresa for 7 years so thats pretty cool!
There are also some other volunteers that ive met english/sccottish/austrian/indian so got lots of people i can meet up with which is always good... can get a tad boring just going home and reading!! We've had some funny moments like crazy auto rides that are free aslong as you go visit certain shops and pretend u are really rich and are gonna buy lots of the over priced stuff.
Have some clothes in the process of being made... cost me RS 125 so thats less than 2pounds! so good, and very exciting.
Have had a really funny weekend... had a pedicure... not good when uve got tickly feet, and it HURTS! nice to have clean feet for a while though before they get all dusty!
On Saturday evening me Sarah Milo and Richard ended up in a rude boy racer car, didnt think u got that kinda thing in India... but u do! we got a lift to this club called the ice club... inside a very very posh hotel! the club spilled out to around the pool and it has benefits being a western girl as is rare that u have to buy your own drink so that was pretty funny. although curfew is very annoying as have to be home at half 11. so wierd to be back at home before 12 on a saturday night!!! good for my health though im sure. !!!
on sunday a new girl arrived called Katrin who's also at Parikrma so met her at Hemas, and Alex and James who have been here a while but hadnt met them yet.
so yeah thats about it i think... im very bad at writing these things as have about 5 mins to do them in so they probably make no sense!!
has been a busy day at school today... kids can be ever so slightly too mental and is hard being a volunteer as have no authority but they are also lovely so its fine!!
off home now and then will be meeting ppl later for some drinks so keeping busy. gonna try and make it to a bollywood film some time this week too and then off to Hampi at the weekend.
Hope everyone is good back in EngalAndddd. cant say im missing the winter but missing the people lots of course!! Love to everyone. Keep in touch with what u are all up too! Mwah. xxxxxxxx.

One week down!

So it has been a whole week! Hahaha sounds like nothing but really does feel like i have been here for ages. Have got home sick at times... when u remember you are here for months more and im missing people a lot as everyone would love it here and i want them (you) to share my experince! But all is fabby, having a wicked time. At school right now, have got a bit of free time before i go back to teaching again! Im not teaching as such, more observing and helping at the moment, but have got a timetable and will be doing a lot of one on one teaching with students who need help with their english.
The school is lovely and so are all the teachers, they are making me feel very comfertable. The kids are awesome too, although can be a bit mental! they grap you and dont let go for quite a long time.!!
Im also going to be helping making costumes for the annual day in March, which is where all 4 Parikrma Foundation schools meet up and do a play or something like that. There will be over 2000 people there, students, teachers, parents, sponsers etc, so that will be fun. Cant wait to do arty fun things with the kids.
This Saturday my room mate Caroline is meant to be coming, so lets hope shes nice!
Im going for a drink with a couple of Parikrma volunteers after work today so im keeping busy.
Have also booked some weekend trips. Going to Hampi the first weekend of Feb and possibly Gokarna next weekend if can get train tickets. Gokarna is just below Goa, really nice beaches but less touristy so that should be good. maybe tan a leetle?! so far my neck is bit brown/red but thats it!
umm what else.... im not very good at writing these things, u forget all that u have done!! oh, have got some material so i can get some clothes tailored for me, thats indian styley, long top and then trousers and scarf thing. !! mums worried ill be dying my hair black next! Its so cheap to get clothes made though, less than a tenner, and thats including the material. gorgeouuussss material, so many colours. You also blend in more if you wear more indian styled clothes and they are more comfertable. i do get stared out quite a lot its funny, families shove their kids into your lap to take pictures of you with them.!!!
ohhhh and yesterday i saw indian drag queens!? surely thats not acceptable in the very conservative india? literally everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at them untill they walked past and then started muttering!! was pretty funny to watch and for once i wasnt getting all the stares!
auto rides are still one of my favourite things, near death experinces every time, as is crossing the road. auto drivers often have to push other autos along with their feet whilst driving, to push start them. ive had times when theyve got out to go for a wee too!
bet yes i best stop as have got to get back to classsss!
Hope everyone is well and lots of love.
xxxxxxx.
also maaaa or paaaaa, can u please pass this web address on to howard etc? if you havnt already. xxxxxxxx.

IM HERE!!

So here i am in India. Right now i am in the Parikrma School. Today is my first day. I am not really sure what Im supposed to be doing but there is an American guy here who is kinda helping me out and so has showed me the way to the computer!! so thought id do a quick post!!
I helped some people reading this morning but they were more interested in the fact that my name sounded like Alex, which is a boys name.. oh my goddd!!! but they are lovely and soon im hoping to get some arty things on the go.
Im living with Tara in Cooke Town, shes really nice and is looking after me well. Im eating well and coping with the spice and using my fingers!
Ive met other gap guru gappers aswell who all seem lovely. A lot of them live in Cooke Town so thats useful for meeting up and what not. Some of them are also travelling from April onwards so Ive got people to be with which is gooood.
I found out my visa runs out on June 12th and is gonna be very hard to extend it so may have to come home a couple of weeks early, but thats all good as will be home for my birthday and maybe Glastonbury?!
But yeah is wicked here, very noisy, traffic is completly mental. worse than anything in thailand. Dont think theyve ever heard of road signs!!! I stand out big time as not very many white people here at all, but is fine, i love gettting ripped off my auto drivers!!!
Im hoping to start taking some hindi lessons so i can understand people a bit better and blend in a bit more. Im also gonna try and do some yoga with Tara!!
so yeah everyhting is good. hope englands good too. Missing everyone, please keep me posted with what you're all doing!\Big big love, and will let you know when i get my indian phone up and running. MWAH/ XXXXXXXXX.

Parikrma Foundation

This is the website of the school I'm teaching at so have a look if you fancy it.
http://parikrmafoundation.org/

Off in 5 days, arghhhhh!

This is my blog for my time in India so keep looking for updates and all that malarkly and comment as will want to hear from everyone lots and lots. x.
I have also created a flickr.com account where i will put pictures up. My user name is AliceLint so find me and I will put pictures up as soon as i have some.
Right so yeahhhh, my next post will be when I'm in India, how wierd! Gonna miss everyone lots, dont forget me, haha!
Loads of love. Alice xxx.



And the picture is so you don't forget what I look like!