no_going_back

Sleepless in Pune

We made it back to Pune at 4am and had to be up for 7am. So 3 hours sleep later and we were on our way out of pune to someones home in the country. It was beautiful, it was somewhere I hadn’t been around Pune and the quiet was lovely. We spent the morning discussing the use of bamboo in disaster situations as a shelter solution, especially issues such as harvesting and treatment. It was the start of project being organised by Oxfam but coordinated by Dave there was a mix of humanitarian experts and bamboo experts so we got both sides to the story. After lunch we went exploring around someones bamboo plantation and to his factory where he experiments with different uses of bamboo and different types of coating. It was a lot of fun but I also learnt a lot!! After the course Me, Sarbjit, Dave, Lorren, Pradeep and a few others went out for dinner even though we were exaughsted and desperately needed sleep.

 

I didn’t get my sleep Sunday but instead ended up in the office for a meeting then taking Dave out for the day round Pune we had a civilised lunch and played on the internet before heading to Laxmi road to get some material and Dave wanted a sari as a present. While there we discovered a newly renovated building which we had to explore. It was once a small place, then a school but it has been recently unused. It was beautifly renovated. We were discovering the upper rooms when a local dance group arrived to reherse for a show. They do a dance show that can use anywhere between 70-250 people!! I had read about it in the paper, it is about the local warrior Shavji and his life story. They let us stay and watch, it was great it is local style dance and really intresting! After some of them helped us with the Sari shopping which ended up taking 2 hours. I bought a local sari and a Kashmiri sari, the kashmiri one I intend to turn into a western cocktail dress. After this Dave and I went to e street as it seemed as good a plce as any at 10pm and was open. At 2am we got home, I had to be up at 7.

 

So bright and early and beyond sleep deprived I got in the car with Rahul Pathk to go to Sangli for the day. It is about 4 hours, 200km, from Pune. We were going to Kiloskar Brothers, a pump manufacturer company, to meet the doctor who had asked us to conduct a monsoon rescue training course. We eventually got there and had the relevant meeting with the doctors. Kiloskar is a bit like the Cadbury family and have a complex with cool facilities for the workers. We discussed the course then went to look at the local village that we wanted to use for the water rescue part of the training. When we got there we had to meet with all the elders and discuss our plans. Obviously they were thrilled to have people intrested in helping their village with monsoon preparation. After our discussion they thanked me for coming from UK America, and we all got a coconut as a thank you! After lunch we headed back to Pune, I slept most of the way and after 8 hours driving went to Rahul’s for tea and to meet his family before going back.

 

I didn’t feel like going to the gym, but neither did feel like eating alone. SO I called Sonali who I go for tea with in the mornings after running and asked if I could eat with her family. So I went round and watched Chitty Chitty Bang Bang with dinner, it was great! Even if I did fall asleep before her 4 year old!!

 

Tuesday was back to the office where I was prepearing for the training course so pottered around the office and tried to make arrangements for Passover in Mumbai. I slept in the afternoon and meet up with Yonat in the evening, she came round for pizza and to watch Prime. It was a lot of fun!

 

Wednesday Again was preparation in the office and I don’t rembemebr doing too much, I did make it to the gym in the evening. Thursday was similar and again it was the gym then bed. SO Friday was a bit stresful our water rescue trainer cancelled on us at the last minute, so we spent the day desperately trying to find another before we were due to leave at 5pm. We didn’t do so well, the best we got was a guy who works with the merchant navy who would join us in the evening on Saturday, so we had to make do. This didn’t give the greatest feeling about the training but we had no choice. So we finially set off collecting Dr Vivek and his family on the way. After breaking one of our beer bottles we were finally on the 4 hour journey. At 10.30 we stopped for dinner and beer and made it to Kiloskar at around 12.30.

 

A nice early start and we set up the traing hall before the course was opened by various important people. The course was being conducted in Marathi so I did nothing all day except watch and offer help when I could. After the sessions eneded Me and Charu went to the pool so I could give him a crash course in water rescue, while the Vivek’s went for a swim. When we got back Ajeet (from the merchant navy) had arrived so we chatted as a group, with our beer before dinner and bed.

 

The next morning we were to head to the river where the water rescue was to be conducted. Once there the villagers did an inauguration ceremony and gave us all flowers. Then Ajeet started his session and I went in the river to swim. This caused quite a stir and many of the villagers started messing around. However the focous of the training was completely ignored, there was locl press there who didn’t photograph the training, only me-it was like being a celebritiy on holiday!! So the mornings sessions was not overly successful and many lessons have be learnt. The afternoon was more theory, I spent a large part on the phone to mum. After the training course we packed up and left, I was allowed to drive for 10 min, though the Marati van was sooooo heavy to handle it wasn’t much fun! SO we stopped for dinner at 11 and left around 12.30. SO I got back to pune around 1.30.

 

My body clock woke me up early but my knee was hurting so id dint go for a run, instead I went to Sonali’s for tea and frosties before I went to the office. I was hanging around in the office waiting for my laptop to be delivered form the project it had been used for, then I was heading to Mumbai for the week. 2 hours after my laptop was supposed to arrive and a hissy fit later I left laptopless. I finally got to Shailja’s at about 7.30 to be handed a glass of red wine as I walked thorugh the door. That set the tone of the next few days…Monday night we had 2 bottles between us and not much food (we resisted eating the birthday cake early), then we went for crepe before we both fell asleep in the same bed. Shailja left when her husband called her to see where she was, so she stumbled next door!

 

On my BIRTHDAY moring, I woke Shailja as she is getting old and cannot handle her wine anymore! She went off for a mornings job interview while I had a lazy morning. After she came back we went to take my dress to be made then lunch and cocktails before my first haircut in 7 months! It was drastic! We went home and continued with the wine and birthday cake, though Shaulja’s daughter blew out my candle as pratice for her birthday on the 4^th of May! So after more wine Me Shailj and her husband went for dinner and ice cream before coming home and crashing with drunkedness!!

 

The next morning Shailja and the family were getting ready to go to Dehli that afternoon. So we chilled then collected Anithi from school before they left. I was hangiong around as I had keys to the apartment. I decided to go and find Chabad Mumbai as I was palning to stay near by from Friday for shabbos and Pesach. I went over to COlaba to find Chabad there, which is a whole apartment building with 2 floors of exc rooms for people who get paid more than me to stay in, a study floor, free internet and a massive eating area, which was being renovated before Pesach. I chilled with Rifki the Rabbis wife and had a good time, it’s the ususal story of if only I had met them sooner! After leaving them I met up with Joe from couch surfing, who is a pilot for the navy, apparently he is not allowed ot mix with forigners incase he gives away secrets!! We had dinner then went out to some of the POSH places around the gateway to India. While in Indiago I met some random people and joined them onto a club for an hour, before it closed at 1.30-India is far too strict on mid week drinking!!

 

Late the next morning I finally got up and successfully did nothing, its been a long time since I did that. Eventually I headed out to meet Neesha and Aparna to go to their Caperoia class to see wat it was all about. It was fun to watch but the heat in Mumbai kills you in the afternoon so I was still tired. On my way back I bought essential supplied for when Shailja gets back (wine, bread, ice cream and Heinz baked beans) and had beans on toast for myself for dinner, its deffinatly true, Heinz Meanz Beanz!!

 

Guess wat I had for breakfast? After fuelling up on beans on toast I headed over to Colaba with my stuff to stay in the hostel. The beans kept me going nicely and after a chilled morning looking at the tourist stuff I got chatting to a girl who happened to be in my room in the hostel and we had just missed each other in the morning. Due to the afternoon heat we went back to sleep away the afternoon, then I headed to Chabad for candle lighting. Having gotton on so well with Rifki I disappointed with the firday night. I was the only non Hebrew speaking person present and spent the whole night bitting my nails for lack of anyone to speak to. At the end of it I was dreading the seder, was I going to have another night of talking to noone and not know what was going on. However I spoke to Rifki after and she promised if I needed to to sit next to her and she would translate, I didn’t have any other options.

 

The next morinig I headed back to Chabad for lunch which was early to get round the not eating bread thing. Once there I chatted to the guys a bit then to Limor who became my saviour. Her English was great and she really made an effort to speak in English or translate. She was staying at chabad So after food I headed back to the hostel to sleep, the afternoons here are getting soo hot, its up to 45 degrees. After my nap I was hungary so went back to chabad to hang out in the air con! I chilled out until just before the seder when all the Israelis started to arrive, most young Isrelis speak English so most of them would talk to me or Limor would flip the conversation in to English. There became a small group of us who sat together through the seder and it was a lot of fun. There were around 50 people form all over the world. There were locals (some of them ex pats), isrelis, south African, french, Belgian all sorts. The seder itself was relatively painless and finished around 11.30 I left around 12 as I had a cerfew. It was weired though all the isrelis were there to get drunk on the free wine and feel like they were in Israel it had nothing to do with religion, but still they were there.

 

I wont annoyingly early the next day and again headed off to chabad, lunch was supposed to be around 12, but the men woke late so at 1.30 we ate, I was so hungary. After lunch me and Limor and her dad went down the gatway to India with sam an American guy it was so hot. Limor and her dad went off to see some sights so me and sam decided to explore the Taj. We walked around the foyer and decided to try to explore the residential part of the hotel. SO we got in the lift and started exploring, we expected to be thrown out at any moment, but wernt. We didn’t get into any rooms but did get into the free internet and paper part and chilled there! It was cool. The inside is quite Victorian inside and reminded me a bit of Jonathns in brum. After our explorations I decided to take sam to watch the locl cricket and explain the rules to him, as he is American I kept it simple!! We decided to nap the afternoon away, which I didn’t manage. Then we had arranged to meet to go to the seder together. However Sam overslept so I went without him. When I got to Chabad I felt guilty and so me and Limor went back to wake him (its 12 mins each way) so we rushed back to chabad for the second seder and of course we were late! So we caught up and downed out cups of wine and that was the theme for the evening, our ‘gang’ had doubled in size form the previous night but we still tried to drink anything alcoholic in sight! It was fun and there was much singing, espically to who knows one!

 

This time after the seder we decided to go to a club nearby. I got a box of matzos and left with the others the club was called ‘polyesthers’ so I couldn’t not go! We didn’t need money as it was free in and we just wanted to dance. At 3 me and sam headed back expecting to be locked out for the night as the cerfew is 12. The watch man hadn’t locked the gate properly so we just walked in!!

 

I was up at 7 to head back to Pune and show myself in the office. I got back around 2 and was starving. After a brief introduction to my new room mate Tushita I went shopping for veg to cook for the week. After much discussions in the office over various projects we called it a day. I headed back with Tushita and cooked. I attempted to make shakshuka after Yaniv had taught me how. I basically made lots of veg and tomato sauce and kept most of it for lunch and the rest I cracked eggs over and had for dinner.

 

The next day was the start of the Public Health Promotion (PHP) in emergencies course. So we headed off early for the first day of that, me with my lunch of veg and hard boiled egg. The group was of a large siz and is quite intresting. While im not interested in the course it is useful to be aware espically for Watsan engineers. The first day all the participants went out for the usual social dinner which I had to skip, I was gutted, while I went to Chabad for a cooked dinner. I met Shlomi there as he is leaving Pune so it was our farewell.

Another day on the PHP and as always it was long. This time Tushita and I made it back quite late so she ate at BIAF and I made Matzah bry when I got in, which she quite liked. I am very pleased that the two of us get on so well. Its nice to have company but everything takes twice as long cos we talk so much, so I always get to sleep later than planned!

 

So Thursday and another day of PHP, which I was beginning to get pretty bored of. This time we had to continue our group work in the evening. Tushita and I were in the same group but our other 2 group members disappeared so we just got on with it. At 9pm we left, both of us exausted. When we got back I had run out of pre cooked veggies so had to make salad for lunch and ended up making matzah bry again (im beginning to like this cooking, I espically love my chapatti plate!).

2.5.08 07:19, comment

Its all go!

SO my genius plan backfired. I headed of to the airport, not in the best state, to find out my plane was delayed by 3 hours. So I had plenty of time to do nothing in the airport. The delay meant I arrived to Mumbai at midnight so there was no public transport back. This in turn meant I had to pay a lot for a taxi back to Pune as I didn’t want to wait 4 hours. Though the drive was taking my life in my hands. The original driver was drunk so he got changed, then the other driver was literally falling asleep at the wheel, how we made it back alive is beyond me!

 

Since ive been back in Pune things have not stopped. The Wednesday night I slept. Thursday I was out with Ankur, Friday Chabad (I delivered Shlomi’s parcel from Israel) at Chabad I met a south African, Guy, who is here for a month on work. He had been here 2 weeks and so far had not seen any of the highlights of Pune. So we arranged to get together sometime. Saturday I went out with Tanmay for cake. Then Sunday I met up with Ewa, who I met through couch surfing. She made me pasta for lunch and I bought the wine. We also invited Guy as he stays round the corner. After lunch I went with guy to the cinema to see 27 dresses (not the best film ever) and then for dinner via MG road. Guy introduced to this place, e street, that is fitted out like an underground station and has the most amazing menu with every kind of food you can dream of!!

 

Monday during the day I had a meeting with the head of the emergency department at one of the large hospitals. We had borrowed a manaquin from them for some training and now they were running a course on extracting ppl from vehicles they wondered if we had any expertise. SO I met with them and explained my only experiences were from Israel and getting ppl out of cars. We decided I should attend and put across any ideas I had at the time. That evening I went out with a friend I met in Cochin who was passing through Pune. We had a Paddies day drink and dinner over in Koregon Park, it was very civilised, shame about the mozzies! On Tuesday we met up again at e-street and invited Guy as he was excited about Tuna pizza. It was a long nite, kat and I sat there for quite a while!! So Wednesday I decided enough was enough and had a nite in. It was much needed and the early nite helped me to feel a bit better, I had been very run down.

 

Thursday note was Purim and as I had a meeting scheduled for Saturday (a public holiday) and I had to work Sunday I decided to take half of Thursday and all of Friday off. In the morning we had a meeting with ‘the admiral’ who runs the RLSS in India and I had met in Bangalore. We were looking for some local water rescue trainers. Anyway after the meeting I went to the Hospital to see Dr. Rajans to talk about the training on Sunday. It was an intresting program though im not convinced of its value. Anyway after a nap I headed off to Chabad for Purim.

 

It was a really nice atmosphere, there were mainly Israelis and not many others. Some dressed up but most didn’t. After the mgeilah there was lots of dancing. One guy there, Yaniv, had got someone to wrap him up in newspaper, but he had a nice camera so I played with that while he danced. After the main celebration, I decided to join Yaniv for a party, I thought id make the most of some time off work. So we went on his Enfield to this random Iranin dance party. The place was really nice and while looking around we stumbled on a private party, a stag do, and got invited to join along with the free drinks!! It was a lot of fun and later I found out the whole place was closed down by the police cos of fights. We left at just the right time! Usually when I go out someone know where were going, be it the auto driver or the friend im with. With Yaniv I had to direct him, which presented a few challenges. Yaniv got locked out of his place as we were so late so I offered one of my 3 spare beds. While coming back we got lost a few time, but eventually made it and crashed out for the night.

 

Friday I was heading back to Koregon park to meet a frind. Yaniv was going back there too, he was due to get a train to Dehli but he was trying to see if he could get some photography work for Holi the next day and so hang around. So after having breakfast he went off while I went to meet Jwala. She is an ex-Oshoite, from when Osho was still there. She is American and comes to Chabad for the atmosphere. SHes fun to be around, though her health is only so-so. We bothe went to Chabad for the second megillah reading and then shabbos. There I wet up with Shlomi as usual and I met Yonat. She is half Israeli half American and is in Pune for the next month to study Indian classical singing, while her boyfriend learns tabla in Mumbai. A group of us went from Chabad fro coffee and had a really chilled night. Yonat and I decided to go to the Holi party Yaniv was being the photographer at (cos we got a discount).

 

First thing Saturday I had a meeting with one of the Red Cross guys, it was a bit pointless really but I was bound to attend. After the meeting I headed off to Koregon Park to meet Yonat and find the party. For Holi friends put coloured powder on each other. The big places organise a party with dance music and sprinklers so you dance under the water. It is a day time festival and goes on for a while. People walk around multi coloured! Anyway me and Yonat arrived and there were a few people there, but we hadnt bought any powder and there wasn’t any near by! So we kept going up to people and taking theres. Eventually we got under the sprinklers and started dancing. It was a great party. By the time we left there were thousands of people there and we had completely changed colour!! We met Yaniv for lunch then I headed home to try to wash. An hour under the shower and I still had purple spots on my face and most of my skin was pink! There was not much I could do.

 

Early Sunday I got up and attempted to get the last of the colour off, no joy I was still pink with purple spots and red hair! I had wanted to look professional as the course was being attended by doctors and ex military personnel but I was pink, and there was nothing I could do! The course was a mixture of things part of it was no getting people out of vehicles and the tools that can be used. I helped the SAR guy from the fire service demonstrate getting a casualty out of a car using a backboard and then we both over acted while they tried, it was a lot of fun!! After that I helped demonstrate water rescue, which I was desperate to do as I hoped the water would help get some of the purple off!! At the end of the day I was tired and treated my self to a nice dinner.

 

Monday I didn’t have much work to do. There are only bits and pieces here and there until contracts get confirmed. In the evening Yaniv had invited me to see the pictures he had taken with the guy who was paying him. The event organisers had some left over wine form some event so we got very drunk and had pizza. Unfortunately now im exhausted and from tomorrow I have a training course, urgh. SO this evening Sameer arrives from Gujurat along with a paramedic friend of his. From tomorrow all the doctors were working with are attending a 2 day training course on perfecting their skills and tidying up their presentations and demonstrations. So I know there will be a lot of drinking and food!! Then on the 30^th im off to Pondicherry for a shelter training, then I have a bamboo training, then a first aid and water rescue training which im supervising as its being conducted in Marati then a week before Pesach and my birthday. Its all go!!

25.3.08 09:06, comment

Bombay, Israel and on to Cochin

The next I went with Shailja to take her daughter to nursery for the morning before we headed off fro breakfast with the tabloids. We pottered in the morning looking at the flat they planned to move to in a couple of weeks and exploring the area (Bandra is very fashionable!). After picking her daughter up we went back to their apartment for lunch, I had intended to leave for Pune that after noon, however at around 2 the Peach vodka came out along with Casino Royalee on the projector screen in the main bed room (what a life!), by 7 the wine was opened, and I had a healthy meal of bread and cow cheese! At this point we realised I wouldn’t be leaving so found out when the first bus would be the next day, soon after that I crashed into bed (11ish).

 

Up at 6am to get the bus was hard work but we managed it Shailja gave me a lift to the stop, where the bus was half an hour late! But the nice Chai guy gave me a free cup of ginger and chai tea, very nice first thing! I made it back to the office finally and pretended to work, which didn’t really happen but I enjoyed my self messing around! I was house bound that night as there were riots in Mahrastra the locals were fighting against the North Indians who move to the state and don’t learn Marati and generally do better than them. There was a lot of damage in Mumbai and in Nasik people were killed. In Pune it wasn’t so bad, but I wasn’t allowed out – except to the gym. Though I was told about this after I had already left to meet a lady from Couch surfing. However I left early and got back fine.

 

I got woken early that morning (4am) by Praveen returning and then by someone else (6am) dropping off a report to the office and wanting to freshen up before we opened. Praveen had been in Sri Lanka, and didn’t bring me a present! Again I messed around in the office, I had decided to go shopping with the lady who had come to deliver the report. We got an auto went to Laxmi road to find everything closed and so came back. The riots were still going on so no business was open, I just went to the gym as there wasn’t much else I could do.

 

Thursday was Valentines day, which is surprisingly big here. Varsha in the office dressed up especially and the paper was full of messages. We had no electricity in the office that day so we had a lot of fun messing around and chilling, which is good for the office Morale! The trainers for the security course arrived and so we had a briefing for that (I was a trainer!!) I slipped out to look at some equipment and on the way back picked up a rose for Praveen of which he didn’t give me one in return! Due to a lack of valentines date (Bhrahm had ditched me at the last minute!) I asked Ankur he fancied a non valentines date, which was nice. He bought me chocolate as he thought flowers would give the wrong impression! We went out, everywhere was full of couples or families on dates, I cant believe how India has valentines!

 

Early in the morning the Security training team (and extras) went out to the field site to do a rekie for the simulation exercise and where things would take place. We had to plan a circular route where the groups would have a corrupt police check point to deal with, get mobbed by afflicted community and then taken hostage by rebels. So after that the rest of the day was boring! I had promised Ankur I would join him for a random death metal gig at a collage that evening followed by a film (the gangster one with Denzel Washington and Russell Crow), that time he bought me non valentines flowers (cos id said id never been given flowers by a guy) he just timed it wrong cos he arrived while the guys from the office were outside so they saw the whole thing! So after a VERY late night (2.30am) I made it home.

 

At 7.30 I was up and on my way to training (I had a driver for the course to take me from the office to training!) with a flower in my hair! I spent the morning making maps for the groups simulation (very accurate they were too, uni isint a complete waste of time!) but that was about all I did as I wasn’t taking any sessions that day. One of the guys let me drive his car (first time in 6 months) I only messed around in the training area but he would have let me on the roads, not sure im up to that! After training I went to the gym before passing out with exhaustion (I slept so well!).

 

Another early morning, this time I took two sessions on GPS and Gender based violence(GBV). I spent my lunch cruising restaurants with Praveen to have our social evening which was suitable for the Muslim majority of our training (pleasant place if your not drinking!). Anyway after lunch I did my GBV session that was hard because I had to phrase things delicately where I would much rather be blunt! However it was a  good session with no major faupas! After we finished we went off for dinner, I got a bit frustrated as everyone except me understood Hindi (is is very similar to Urdu) o I spent the night being a bit arsy. 

 

Another early morning and this time I was doing the last session of the day, first aid. Unfortunately no one took it seriously and there was much more messing around then teaching. The next morning was to be an early start so I went back and packed for Israel and tried to sleep. However I didn’t sleep well.

 

So at 5am I was up and ready to go, we were starting this simulation early. We arrived and had breakfast followed by a briefing and a warning that this would be very realistic, the participants had no idea what was coming! I was to entertain them with a GPS exercise until they were called to start the exercise. I however wanted to see this exercise so decided to join one of the groups, which was an experience. The teams had radios, GPS and a map and were told to conduct a needs assessment. The first challenge (apart from following the beautifully made map) was the police check point, which was very beaucratic and corrupt. (the police sergeant was the RedR travel agent with one of the office staff to help out, along with locals from the village to ‘rough us up’ – we had costumes and everything!) It was quickly obvious that as a while women I was more trouble than I was worth, the police homed in on me wanted my passport, papers, visa and more. After 20 minutes of dealing with them we went on.

 

10 minutes down the road a group of disgruntled villagers mobbed us. We were removed from the land rover, the women instantly grabbed me and called my clothing inappropriate as it wasn’t a sari. The village elder (Praveen) was making demands and discussions were held in Marati. Once we cleared this point it was onto the last challenge, that I knew was coming. A group with guns (yes real guns) stopped the car, pulled us out and covered our heads and tied our arms. Even though I knew what was coming it was scary. They took all my jewellery (I had no money on me which disappointed them). For 10 minutes I heard nothing except a gun shot near by (one of the guy got himself killed!) then I was lead back to the car. It was scarily realistic! One of the other groups left without their women, the rebels had put them back in the car still blindfolded and told the driver to go, they didn’t know until they had left the scene! All in all it was an intense day, it has made me think twice about field work, especially in conflict areas. As a white women I am a very valuable target, I also will always have language issues which is hard when 20 women are grabbing at you and no one tells you whats going on!

 

After this we headed back to the training centre, where we sat for 2 hours. I was getting more and more frustrated as I had things to do before I left that evening for Israel. Eventually I was taken back to the office to do my last bits of work before I Left. After the quickest trip to the gym ever I grabbed some food and waited for the doctors to arrive back from their training with my computer. I literally grabbed the computer and left. I was on the bus to the airport. I arrived to the airport (I got an auto with another guy off the bus, his company paid for the auto!) it was now 2am I had been up since 5.

 

At the airport I chilled in the bar with some tea. While there a lady asked me a question about the duty free, I knew she was Israeli straight away and asked if she was on the same flight, of course she was. We started chatting, thanks to Hean the journey was more than bearable. We sat separately for the flight but at Istanbul we had 5 hours to kill. Neither of us slept much on the flight and I was beginning to feel a little silly having been awake for over 24 hours! Istanbul dosent have anywhere to sleep so we sat in a bar, played cards and constantly got told of for dosing. After some cheese cake it was finally time to head to the gate. At the gate we played guess the nationality and watched professional womens basketball team (form Istanbul) and critised their team handbags! Eventually we were on the plane, and only a row away from each other, Hean and I made faces for a while. The flight was fine (the food the best Ive ever had, tomato and mozzarella salad!). The guy next to me had suspicious shakes, I wasn’t sure if he was diabetic so I kept an eye on him, eventually I offered to opened his water or something but he declined. After the meal I got tea and asked for milk, but the air hostess wouldn’t let me have it, as she said it was Turkish tea, not English tea, so I went for the lemon instead. This lead to the guy explaining to me how black tea came about (English tea). We chatted for a while he was from Hafia, he explained his shakes and was impressed I had noticed.

 

At the airport, very tired now (it was 5pm Israeli time, 8.30 Indian, over 36 hours awake) Hean and I got our bags and were chatting, when she was unexpantly met at the exit, by not only her parents but her boyfriend (of a month). I said my goodbye and got in the Sherout to Jerusalem. I made it to Lola and Normans at 7, exhausted, I was looking forward to my fist meat in 6 months, only to be told they were having vegetarian guests! I quickly changed and attempted to look more awake than I felt. I made it till 9.30 then I had to go to sleep. I love the bed there!

 

At 7.30 I was up again as I had to go to Tel Aviv to get a new Indian visa. I got there by 11, only to be told the consulate has contracted out visas to a travel agent, they couldn’t do it in 5 days it would take 10. Until I could talk to the consulate I rung Hean, she and I chilled at her boyfriends and she explained they had dated for a month before she went to India, she had been away for 4 months and now he wanted a normal relationship, she was a bit overwhelmed but he had a nice place so she was enjoying it!! After I spoke to the consulate they promised to do my passport in 5 days so I took it to the travel agents and headed back to Jerusalem. There I met Debbie and David at burgers bar for my meat fix! It was great to see them. I went back and slept, I was still knackered.

 

The next morning me, Lola and Norman went off to the zoo! It was a beautiful winters day and it was a very pleasant morning to amble around. After I left them I went to the Old city to see Chaya and try to find out about the wedding and what I needed to do for the Sheva Brachos.

 

I had a very relaxing shabbos with Lola and Norman, Lola made me meat, which was great. I slept so I was finally up to date with sleep. After shabbos I met Debbie and David in town and then went back to their apartment just to catch up. Time ran away with me and after getting a taxi back I got in at 2am. The next morning Lola told me off as she didn’t sleep properly until I was back. I spent Sunday morning not doing much, but decided to move into the old city so as not to wake lola and Norman again if I was out late. After tracking down the lesser spotted Moti Berger  and bumping into Gil locks I went to Heriarage House. Sunday night I met Kim and Deliah for Sushi!! I managed to convince Kim I was engaged at which she asked for a whisky, she wouldn’t believe I wasn’t. Then I headed back to heritage house in time for curfew.

 

Monday morning I decided, having promised Saul, to go to Sha’rim a seminary for jewish studies for the day. After I left I went to meet Moti Berger, a Rabbi who I like to talk to. After meeting with him I had a relaxed night with the girls and a bottle of wine in heritage house. Tuesday was the day of my friend Danielle’s wedding, I went to the mall in the morning to buy combats, which I cant seem to find in India. After a long morning of shopping I went back to the old city to prepare the stick we were planning to make Danielle laugh. After the beautification process all the girls from HH headed off to the wedding.

 

It was at a beautiful location in Jerusalem and was amazing. Danielle looked like and Edwardian bride. There were also a lot of people I knew from the hostel there so I caught with lots of old friends. The only downside was the fact that it was a vegetarian buffet! But the food was great so that made up for it. We decided to get the late bus back, on which I met a Brummie! He has been in Israel for the last 7 years. I vaguely remember him from the Reform, he has to have been the only black convert there! But it turns out he is well known in the Jerusalem parts!

 

Wednesday morning I dint have much to do so I ambled in the old city. I went to Hadaya to get a new ring, which I like a lot. Then I met up with Jason before heading to town to meet Debbie for swama (she had falafel). We ambled in the Shuk and Saul rung which both enjoyed as talking to him is always good.  I met kim and Jackie (from MDA) for dinner, which involved sushi and what I though was non spicy spicy beef, but kim said otherwise!

 

Thursday morning I was desperately waiting to hear that I would get my passport that evening otherwise it would be $75 to extend my ticket. In the morning Chaya asked if I would take her son to nursery, which I didn’t mind. After that I went to find where they think King David is buried just outside the old city, ive never been there but its really nice. I also went to the holocaust museum just there. After that I went to Bonkers, the best bagels, for lunch. I had offered to pick up Pinchas so was killing time and got chatting to an American (there are a lot in the old city) who said I should join him for the burnt house museum that I had never been to, I had just enough time. It is a house that was discovered after the 1967 war with soot all over it. It is from the 2^nd temple period. The ruins and finds are interesting. However the cheesy film with a story they have made up is a waste of money at 20 Sheckles.

 

After getting Pinchas I went to Chayas while there I decided to go and buy the stuff for the Sheva Brachos the next evening then rather than Friday. I did it in an hour (good stuff) before getting the call about my passport and jumped on a bus to Tel Aviv, I was there less than an hour before heading back to Jerusalem. My phone charger had broken when I needed my phone and I was desperate to get my dying phone charged. When I got back to the Old City Jason plugged my phone into his room mates charger for me. This left me phoneless. Jason said Gideon and some others were in a grill place if I wanted to join them for dinner, I did. I walked in, having not seen Gideon in a while and asked for the biggest piece of cow they had! It was AMAZING steak. After dinner Gideon and the others went to Daven at the wall, while me a Johnny went for a drink! I was supposed to be back by 12, but after a dash back, I arranged other means of entry to HH and ended up talking till 2 with the guys.

 

At 4 I was awake again. This time I was meeting some of the guy from the mens HH to go to Hebron and the tomb of the patriarharcs. I had been over the summer and really liked the place. It had been suggested I should go and someone mentioned the bus that leaves at 5am, so I thought why not. I was regretting it though after only 2 hours sleep! I got on the bus and stared out the window. The bus stops briefly at Rachel’s tomb in Bethlehem. It is surrounded by guards and has the wall going right up to it, its like entering into a prison but it was worth it. I had not been before and it is supposed to be a place more for women than men. It’s a lot like the tomb of the patricharcs and is very atmospheric. However 10 mins is not enough time! Back on the bus and it was off to Hebron. This time a nice lady originally from Holland sat next to me and we chatted about many things. Her daughter is in the army’s search and rescure unit and she asked about other things.

 

At Hebron morning services were being conducted and everyone from the bus went to do their own thing. There are buses from all over that come on a Friday morning as people want to go before Shabbos. I Davened and walked around, the area is surprisingly peaceful considering the tension in the area. I like it at Hebron I find it more moving than the Wall and it is less busy, those that are there (espically at 6am) are not so much tourists as there for the religious reasons. I suppose it’s a more spiritually moving place, especially as your not fighting for space like at the Wall. So after an hour it was back on the bus, one of the guys on the bus I knew form Tsvat in the summer, it was great to meet him again! I was sitting elsewhere this time and was happily watching the world go by when the Dutch lady came up to me and gave me her Siddur (prayer book). I was speechless and I said I couldn’t accept but she insisted (it is an interlinear book, where the English is below the Hebrew word, I had commented that I wanted one to improve my Hebrew) in the front it had her name and telephone number and I promised on my next visit to stay for shabbos. I couldn’t help smiling all the way back!

 

I was back in the old city by 8.30 (just as the others were getting up) and as I wasn’t tired I went to Parsha class to learn about the bit of Torah to be read that week. At around 11 I went to Chaya’s to crash on the sofa, but Pinchas had other ideas! Eventually after a 20 min dose I went to for pizza and to meet Jason as I wanted something from him. He escorted me to Jaffa gate as I had to meet a taxi with a package for me. One of the Israelis I know form Pune is from Jerusalem. His brother had just got married so his mum sent the photos on CD along with 2 jars of olives in liquid and 2 jars of coffee. I was worried how I would carry it all! Anyway after another afternoon wandering the old city and some crazy conversations in a book shop with Jason and David I went back to change for shabbos. I had still only had 2.5 hours sleep!

 

For dinner I was at Chaya’s. After going to the Wall with the girls I headed over. When Danielle had announced her marriage I had offered to do a Sheva Brachos (for 7 nights after the wedding friends host the couple for dinner). When she agreed I emailed Chaya to ask for help. Since then no one told me anything. When I arrived to Israel Chaya had done all the work and most of the cooking, so I never really did anything, though I did buy desert! So for dinner we had some Yeshiva boys, and some of Danielle and Adams family and that was it. It was really good. Adam is vegetarian, but Chaya had asked if we could have a meat Sheva Brachos as I was coming from India and needed my meat fix!! So there was no chicken soup but the beef was amazing and Chayas first attempt at cooking tofu wasn’t so bad, not that Matan would give the leftovers freezer space! My desert was a mix of healthy (from danielles favourite bakery) and non healthy (from my favourite bakery) biscuits and fruit, I went to great effort! I had also done the decorating, I got Danielle a princess hat and adam a kings hat, I preferred it to his black one! After dinner I walked with everyone to Jaffa gate and said my goodbyes – I still cant believe danielles married!

 

The next morning I slept late for me, till 9. Then after a slow morning me and Tirzah left for the long walk to lunch. We were going to Debbie and Davids, they didn’t know Tirzah, I picked her up in HH. Chaya had drawn us a map with writing neither of us could read, it turned out when we asked for directions we were on the right road! After turning up on time to find Debbie with no hair on and David in his slippers, we ate. It turns out Debbie knew Tirzah as she had met her on a bus when Tirzah had first got here and invited her for shabbos. Tirzah not wanting to go to a strangers for shabbos had never called. It was obviously meant for her to eat debbies cooking! Debbie is an amazing cook, she has been married six months and her food is amazing, I hope when I get married my cooking is as good! After eating way too much and talking and fighting we headed back for havdallah. Neither me nor tirzah fancied 3^rd meal so we ambled until we knew shabbos was out.

 

After shabbos I decided to face the task of packing. I had to really wrestle with my bag to get those 2 jars of olives in, but I did it. I had to be up at 6 for my bus to the airport. So I met Debbie for soup that night. One of the girls who had been at HH but was now staying at her seminary came back for the night to say goodbye, I was really flattered! So the 3 of us went for soup in the new mall near the old city. I was moaning cos they didn’t want meat and I wanted my last meal to be meat. But its was fun none the less. Davis joined us and another girl form the hostel and then Jason came to take me for meat!! After an almost tearful goodbye to Debbie, where she tired to convince me to stay, we headed to town, where Jason saw everyone he knew and Johnny! Finally we got to burgers bar and after saying I wasn’t hungry I ate half a steak salad, I love steak! I got to bed at 1.

 

At 6 I crammed in the last few bits to my bag and left. For the first time I wasn’t ready to leave Israel, I realise how many friends I have there, and as it is a good compromise between the UK and India I like it. I realised soon after I arrived to Israel that the traffic I was thought dangerous, was sedate. The streets were not dirty but clean and there is no animal problem, not compared to India! The best way (for those of you that have been to Israel) to describe India is like Israel on acid!! Israel is a nice in between ground where I don’t stick out as much and I feel part of it, not an observer.

 

SO at the airport I called Debbie who said it wasn’t too late to change my ticket! I considered macdonalds for breakfast but chickened out! I wish I had though as they didn’t have me as veggie so I couldn’t eat the cold meat stuff I got on the plane. My 5 hours at Istanbul were not as much fun as the last time, once my laptop died I only had my book let. 4 hours of reading later I was on the plane to Mumbai. As usual I couldn’t sleep so when I arrived at 4 am I was knackered. Someone I met through couch surfing had offered me a bed, even at that ungodly hour so I got a taxi over to her place. I was a bit of a mission to find but I did it, after refusing to give driver any extra (it was prepaid). I fell into bed. At 10 I got woken by noises. Because of the extra stuff I had in my bag I decided to head to Pune. At 1 I was on my way again. I made it to Pune at 6 at went to the office as I had a deadline for some work. I worked late before unpacking all my stuff and repacking for Cochin. I met Ankur for dinner and very tired got to bed at 1.

 

At 9.30 I was back in the office and desperately trying not to fall asleep at the computer! I finished off the proposal and left again back to Mumbai and back to Neesha’s. I am now getting ready to go to Goa tomorrow night then from there to Cochin for the weekend. It is for a womens couch surfing meeting. It looks like fun and I don’t have much else to do so I thought y not, ive not been to Cochin. Apart form being thoroughly drained I am enjoying this busier life style!!

7.3.08 09:07, comment