New Beginnings...

I am so happy to be back! I haven't been able to write for so long! Well, I have been sooo busy!

I have moved out of my housey... this took a whole day longer than anticipated so we actually moved out on Friday, had a sleepless night because of the onsite club that played banging house music until 4am (?!! why?!! it was a posh hotel as well. Arses) , and just caught the train on Saturday (the hotel locked us out of our rooms and we nearly missed our train because of it. Yes, I was stressed; no I shan't be staying with them again). We had a wonderful time in London with my nearest and dearest and then Monday we caught our flights here! we landed yesterday morning and spent most of yesterday sleeping I have to say. We are here for so long there is no point hammering ourselves in the first week!

I do have bad lungs though... It started just before we moved out and we think it was all the cillet bang from my obsessive cleaning (we are getting the whole deposit back though! wooty!) which irritated the lining of my throat and lungs because although I have a cough I have no other symptoms of a cold or owt. The I thought I was getting better so had some cigarettes at the weekend (I know, rank) and then came out here... to a very polluted city... Am getting better I think, but am generally pretty gross and coughing a lot of mankiness up. Nice. We have had such adventure though! Our Tamil is being generally understood and we have had two meals - both cheap as chips and delicious - and eaten with our hands... It is strange how full it makes you, because you eat so slowly. Is great fun though. And we have been ripped off a couple of times, but this is fine - we are beginners. we have had autorickshaw rides, chats with hawkers (children. Eek. Pulled heartstrings and moral confusion abound here), negotiated a restaurant, and got a lovely budget hotel room (in a pretty manky and poor part of town - but then all of it seems to be pretty much as bad). This pace is NUTS. I love it and am terrified at the same time. The roads are insane, people tend to drive with their horns rather than any indicators or anything, and everyone drives to overtake the person next to them - whichever way. The main roads are like the wacky races - you have cars, rickshaws, autorickshaws, scooters, motorbikes, taxis, cyclists - all on the same road and all going generally the same speed but overtaking each other every so often. It was funny. And dangerous, but mostly funny. Oh, and I learned not to walk around with a rucksack. DB and I thought we could find a Wi-Fi place (ha! What a joke. Maybe possible - but in a land where too many people don't have shoes, Wi Fi seems a bit flash at normal person level) so got our rucksacks on and were stared and and targeted like no ones, when in normal life we have been just fine and I have been surprised at the lack of attention we have had. I hated it, I felt like the worst kind of tourist. Gah, never again.

We went to the beach too. That was yesterday though and we were very tired and not in a beachy kinda mood. I wanted to take pics of the boats though, see what kind they were etc etc - after the Tsunami the style of boat changed a lot from funding from agencies. Workwise I am keeping my eyes peeled and trying to start some kind of field journal thing, although at the mo i think this will suffice. I want to get a notebook and keep some notes about what i see and think... we start volunteering in three weeks and so shall go and see a Tsunami affected area before that to get a feel of the physical effects of the event and aftermath... and then we shall be a bit more backpacker-y and make our way back up the coast to a few traveller enclaves and tourist spots. Should be relaxing after Chennai - this place hardly stops! everyone is on the move all the time, there are oxen hither and thither eating out of bins, children begging, disabled people begging, old people smiling - and begging - cars beeping, cats scavenging... wowsers. An assault on the senses! Amazing though; it is so much better than being at home. I have realised that leaving england was probably a really good idea, I was getting a bit down there. Now I am away and living life and busy busy!! Out of the groundhog dfay that is news on the global economy and gah! CREDIT CRUNCH! Even the channel four news - a station I usually rely on for news - has just said the same news for a month now like nothing happens in the world. It has been driving me barmy. It is nice to get my nose out of England and some perspective again.

And I have given up smoking! I only ever smoked when I had a drink anyway, but too much and unwillingly. It is a Bad Addiction indeed and one I wish to be rid of! DB was shocked - he didn't believe me obviously. We shall see how it goes.

Oh, as well, I have decided to put off having my wee baba until I have completed... I will get up the stick while doing it, but not have one. I have decided that if I wait until I finish then a) I *will* finish, and b) everyone will be super happy for me and congratulate me instead of being 'wow! How brilliant! but ah, what a shame - will you now be able to finish your course that you are funded for, that your Sup asked you to come along and do because he thikns you are a bit good? Ah, shame that.' And me being guilty because I know they have a point. No disappointment allowed!! and c) I will be able to spend allllllll my time with my baby, on the dole, while I work out my next move and won't be like 'ah! Little baby I love you so but I have data anlaysis and writing up to do!'

so there we go - evidence of my first grown-up, selfless decision.

Workwise, I am busy learning everyday skills and Tamil, and keeping my eyes peeled about society and issues etc. Not learned much eyt, apart from women tend to stay indoors. What an intrepid observer I am! I am so much better being here though, than in england. I was always so worried about coming here, like anything I thought there would be useless here but actually whatever I thought or wanted to 'find out', when you are here it starts to become more logistically positive. Whatever I find out, it will be ok dokey, and I will work with that info. i am trying to get a PhD in the end - not change the world!!

better go I spose, am in an internet cafe and the air-con is freaking out my wee throat!!

x J
PS. DB has found a pizza chain with Wi-FI!! Hehe. He wins, I was convinced it would only exist in the Sheraton or something. But, then again, I get an excuse to eat pizza! How deliciously naughty...