Still in McLeod Ganj after about 3 weeks. Another 1 week to go then we're heading down towards Punjab and Rajhastan. Looking forward to leaving as you need either only one week or one year here. One week will give you enough time to sample the restaurants and see the interesting things around the town and one year will make a lasting difference to any volunteer programme you are on.

Weather improved a lot over the last few days. The rains have stopped (temporarily, I think) and this has meant we don't need to hairdry our washing any more. Actually, just received a parcel from mum today. We had asked for some little Scottish souvenirs to hand out to people we meet along our travels which she has duly sent along with some extra pressies for us. She has sent me some pants but I'm not sure if they are for me or for children at Nat's settlement. They say size 10-12 but not sure if this is years as they look a little tight for me. They are also pink, yellow and one pair have butterflies on them. Mum, I stopped wearing these when I was 14 years old. The tops are great though. Jelly Babies finished. Feel a little queasy though.

I missed my English class this morning with my Kazak women. Overslept as Nat and I seem to wake up at 6am every morning, have a chat then fall asleep again. We're staying in Green Guest House on Bhagsu Road.

Not the quietest of places but unless you live out in the sticks you're not going to have silence anywhere in India. For 3 weeks I have been telling Natalie that all the stray dogs get together at about 2am and have a "Who can bark the loudest competition?" and she still doesn't believe me. Local authorities had poisoned some dogs last week as they are being a nuisance (apparently killing goats and waking people up at 2am...) but they have missed the dogs on our street. Nat went on the wee protest against the poisoning and they have stopped for now.

We have another problem now though. There are kids who play on our roof (we live in a small 'flat' with kitchen and bathroom - 200 rupees a night) and bounce basket balls, poles, other kids. Natalie went to them and with her little knowledge of Tibetan managed to convey the message of "I'm having a siesta and you're pissing me off". They have stopped bouncing the balls and poles but they insist on tapping messages with their feet, jumping off the roof and looking in the window for the "crazy white woman with funny hand gestures". I omitted to tell Natalie the kids speak English as I see them every day...

McLeod is a good place to try out some courses whilst travelling in India. Everything on offer from Indian cooking to yoga and from Tibetan conversation to acupuncture. We have stayed away from the poster reading:

MISSING
fulfilment in relationships?

Nat and I have done the Indian cooking class and now moved on to Hindi lessons. She tells me that I'm not good at learning from other people. I am on the verge of being rude to the teacher. If he was teaching me properly I wouldn't have a problem with him. I'll try and lead him onto the right path tomorrow. I tried a yoga class, thinking I would follow a week-long course. We live and learn. Now avoiding the teacher in the street.

Other than cinema outings (lots of pirate videos with dodgy subtitles, missing scenes, the original audience coughing and eating crisps), Sunday service in Hindi at the local Catholic church (Nat's idea...), feeding HobNobs to stray dogs and a Hindi wedding (not one of us but a colleague of Nat's) we haven't much more to report.

Oh, on a peculiar ending to my day, Nat was helping me with my prep for my English lesson on food for tomorrow. I was looking for phrases like "I'm a vegetarian" etc. We said what about "I'm a bulimic" and she said "What, you don't believe in unicorns?"

About time we left this crazy town.