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Hello hello from indjar! Sorry it's been a bit of while (if it has, my perception of time here is a little warped), but it's all starting to get busy after the relative lull of the first few weeks. And yes, I've been here over a month already….. though it feels a bit like a year. The 21st November passed much like any day here - the light exploded, screaming children invaded my house and I got lost on the bus.
I've become a proper little delhite in the last few days (well about as proper as I'm ever going to get - I still get laughed at trying to cross the road) - namely using the buses, alone and after dark. First time involved me being hoisted up by motocyclist whilst five people grabbed hold of me out the door (yep, it was that full), the nearest one yelling, 'are you mad! People die here! You want to get a taste of real delhi life eh' with me hanging on for dear life…. But I'm getting much better (and safer!) One thing I probably shouldn't say because it will scare you, though it shouldn't really, but I never realized how dangerous India was. Sounds a stupid point, but it's dangerous not for me but for an Indian national. Violence here is endemic, whether it's political protests, religious fanaticism, socio-cultural conflict or just bored students. I had no idea of the number of bombings that go on everyday, of protests that end in violence and death. I was talking to a development worker (actually the crazy malaria guy, for those of you that remember. He's okay when he stops talking about our plans together!) the other day who was discussing his violent activist youth. As he was talking about a lot of his student friends dying and his absolute conviction that despite his beliefs in practice non-violence fails as well as his despair that the situation still hadn't changed, I asked what he had been fighting for. The answer: changing the university statute to include positive discrimination for a particular community. For that only people were willing to die (by the by, attempted suicide is still illegal in India. Apparently suicide is not). Today I noticed a happy sign saying 'There could be a bomb under your seat. Check It. Win a Reward' - I like the mix of capitalism and brutal honesty (and everyone here says the West invented 'do ut des' relationships). This people live with everyday - while the UK acquaintances reeled in horror as bombs went off in Lucknow where I was meant to be going on conference, Indians just said, make sure you check the news and don't hang out with any lawyers (it was a law court that was attacked).
Back to the not dangerous for me: whilst I'm vulnerable (young, a girl, blonde, white, non-Hindi speaking, clearly confused most of the time and without a permanent escort), it's as much as any young female alien anywhere, and I've learnt that if you ask in the right way (either boss like their mama would or screech like their sister would) most of the men aren't as horrendous as they're made out to be. Sure, I get some eve-teasing (molestation/sexual abuse in Delhi-speak, I love their flowery metaphors) - but I've never had 10 people in the most crowded bus attempt to find me a seat somewhere before. Plus some friends I've made here (as well as the trusty rough guide) demonstrated it's perfectly okay for a female to punch, so one unfortunate young lad (and half the crowded bus around him, oops!) learnt what it means to touch a girl's arse out of turn. Hah!
Life here is starting to get more seriously NGO now, though it continues to be an interesting mix of basic field areas (and I haven't even seen the proper rural yet), where people survive on very little and I've seen small children bathing in the run-off from a nearby industrial estate and parties with Ken Livingston and Richard Branson (it was only once, but I'm not going to let it go!). It's very strange that a toilet cleaner is paid Rs. 50 a month (and that's a reasonable wage) while a single dish at the Taj hotel costs Rs. 1250. I don't feel so bad, since I'm living a pretty basic life here - not least because the govt cheques the NGO is expecting have been delayed again (that 5months now!) so they don't actually have much money. I made the decision not to rely on my own funds out here but make my way as best I could with my monthly stipend….. which means that at this point in time all the money I have in the world is Rs. 62 (72p) and I haven't paid for the internet yet (nor do I know if the bank is open before work tomorrow, oops). My entire expenditure for the first four and a half weeks was 32 pounds: which includes food, travel, clothes, toiletries, diwali presents, internet, everything. Admittedly it's pretty easy to blag things here (I've learnt that if you have two big meeting in a day you don't need any other food!) and people are very generous (and I'm not paying accommodation), but still it makes you think.
Ooh, now I really have to go but wanted to say a lot about the endemic corruption in India, in the NGO world and in the government here-it's pretty terrifying. Spent the day 'meeting and greeting' (or trying to blag my way into govt offices) and "procuring projects". I didn't know that as an ngo you have brokers/middlemen with whom you have clandestine meetings in the backs of cars (a presumably a lot of money in the background) in order even to bid for, let alone win, government projects. It makes you think… (don't worry all you good british charity-giving people, ngos have separate accounts for this sort of thing - government projects mean a chance to earn a lot of money, so it all cycles round and round while the middlemen get richer and fatter - so your money is unlikely to fund it. She says, fingers crossed)..
… mwah mwah you all! It's nearly December, eek. Happy advent-times and hope it's getting crispy and snowy there. Was mighty chilly here this morn as I was driven from my bed by an earthquake at 5am…. ;)loving jess xx
ps. I finally have an Indian sim, woop! Number is +91-9899602151. though in protest my phone has broken again, so texts only shall you receive…
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