By the way this picture does not represent Bangalore in any way shape or form.

Louise -

Volunteering

I started my volunteering project on Tuesday, apparently everyone was told what they were doing before they arrived - I was obviously missed off this mailing list. I am volunteering at SKID which is a school for the deaf. I really wish I had known before hand so that I could learn some sign language but I am picking it up fast, I can do the alphabet, apple, banana, doctor, father and bell but I really need to learn more. The ages of the kids range from 3 to 18, some of the kids are orphans but not many. I am teaching in a class of 5-8yr olds and there are 9 kids. I am there as a teaching assistant, there are three children that started very late and need extra tuition so I am taking these children out of the classroom and giving them some extra help. The kids are great but really cheeky and naughty and the often cheat by signing behind my back to get the answers from the smarter kids! I am really enjoying it and getting to practice my colouring-in skills at the same time!

There are 9 volunteers in our group:

Simon (dorset), Sukhi (Manchester), Cameron (Tazmania) RAVE

Lucy & Jane (Lemmington Spa), Lorraine (Aberdeen) James (Peckham) Margaret (Canada) Preema (london) Community work

Bangalore

Bangalore is a very cosmopolitan city it is very modern and much cleaner than the other cities that we have been to. There are millions of shops and some really great bars and clubs. The only problem with Bangalore is the live music & alcohol ban. All bars and clubs have been ordered to close at 11.30pm and it is now against the law to serve alcohol anywhere where there is live music and dancing. So in the bars you can drink but you can't listen to a DJ or dance. The ban came in in August as a way of preventing prostitution but it is killing the night time economy.

White folk

Its weird but I hardly ever notice that I am the only white person waking down the street I suppose spending so much time in Birmingham would have that effect. That is until I see another white person. We saw 2 white people on Friday, pointed and stared at them for a full minute. Its not right.

VIP treatment in Bangalore

Now that James is working for RAVE Magazine we have become minor celebrities in Bangalore and were even featured in The Times of India in todays paper:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Bangalore/A_Scottish_Affair/articleshow/4029399.cms

On the website the photo is of Jane, Simon and Lucy but me and James made it into the newspaper! Sukhi is very upset that he was missed out of the paper (not white enough!), I am in as Lauren and I will kill Preema when I find her!

So far our celebrity status has gained us:

VIP to a club opening with free food and drinks

VIP to a concert in the Palace grounds where we met Raghu Dixit of 'The Raghu Dixit Project' and the Guitarist God Vijay Joseph (me and Jane actually had a three-way hug and plan to have t-shirts made!). The next day we actually went to Raghu's appartment and drank beers and chatted.

VIP to a club re-oppening, this was actually a bit crap and it was 250ruppees for a small beer!

Over and out.