It is a struggle now to know the date, I just know that it is Friday and I have been here for a week. Time is flying by; each day is getting more and more routine-like. Breakfast, then some work, then often go out for lunch with Theresa and Adam, a bit more wok, dinner, watch a movie or read before bed…So with everything being the same, it is very hard to keep up with the date/day of the week. Today one of our western chefs Richard is arriving. Already Rita, our housekeeper in the staff house, has been getting the rooms ready so that he has a choice. This morning she was proud to show me and get my opinion about which room is better. And the name we have for him is "sir". It will get more and more complex to understand who she is referring to as "sir" or "madam" once we have full house. She also seem to complain a lot about how everything in the house needs attention, the washing machine, boiler, curtains need changing, sheets are mouldy…It is hard to find something positive coming out of Rita's mouth, but I wonder if that applies to everything in her life because last week I heard the long story about her kidney stone, her headache, how much medicine she takes and how much weight she's losing because she doesn't eat much. And yet when I told these to Theresa, she laughed and commented that I will be hearing a lot more of these stories because Rita loves attention and a lot of things she has are in her mind…I am currently reading the book Holy Cow by Sarah Macdonald and loving her observations of India, all of them I can relate to myself. There is no reasoning with India, it is what it is (how funny I heard this "mantra" from a friend today and I am already using it). You start by asking so many questions about the way people are, their behaviour, their reasons but the answers are so ridiculous and funny that in the end you realise that there are no reasons. For example the family we saw in a restaurant yesterday at lunch time, who ate their food with their sunglasses on when there was no electricity inside and already pretty dark. Or why a husband would change his name to a shorter version of his wife's name because people think it sounds good. Or why people create duplication of work when you know that things can be done quicker or more systematically. My amusement today has been the ability of people in getting information out of you. There is no way that in western culture you can ask such personal questions straight out, and get all the answers you need. Maybe it's their curiosity that you give into or the hypnotising headshake they have which can mean "yes, no, maybe" all at the same time, but you answer their questions. I was in the office with the girls for 30min and already they knew my whole history. Again this morning as they were staring at my laptop asking how much it costs, if I have a guarantee, how long I've had it for…It's a scary occasion because I don't know what else I'm capable of confessing to them if I spend more time with them. Hence I try to avoid their tea break time or lunch breaks. And they are very cruel to each other as well in a way of being too honest, there are no compliments or no white lies. If you're fat they'll tell you, if you have a spot (which they pointed out to me in 3 min of being in their company this morning) they tell you. I feel like a live freak show, constantly on display, and the whispers or obvious giggling is happening at my expense. But then regardless of it all I know that this is how it is and I better get use to itJ