8:30am – breakfast, toast & jam, sweet porridge and chai tea. Then a shower… Scalding / freezing / scalding / freezing.
10:15am – out the door in an Indian salwar shirt, leggings, a scarf & flipflops, with Bollywood songs still emanating from the house.
10:30am – finally got an auto-rickshaw to Pahar Ganj for the correct price (80 rupees) after much haggling.
10:40am – spitting orange seeds out of the auto as we sped past the India Gate.
11am – walk upstairs & into the beauty class, welcomed by a chorus of “Hello Kehh-tee! Sit here!”
11:45am – I’m taking photos of the girls smiling, doing dance poses & threading eyebrows.
11:46am – We are told to be quiet.
12pm – Parkashi has applied thick blue eyeliner on my eyes & is admiring her heavy-handed work.
12:30pm – Noelle & I are eating lunch at Darbar Restaurant. I’m trying to ignore the fact that my lips are burning from the spicy noodles.
1:30pm – 10 girls are in the computer room rehearsing with their dance teacher for a function coming up. Neesha is wearing western jeans & leans on my shoulder watching as I’m taking a video. Parkashi gets in trouble for mugging for the camera instead of paying attention.
2:30pm – Rehearsal is in full swing. The director ambles in & out to watch. I’m helping girls with PowerPoint slideshows which they’ve just learned about. They use it to make slides filled with 3D hearts and friends names. We keep getting bumped by the dancers.
3:30pm – I’m tired of the dance song.
4pm – Trying to get an auto home. A Punjabi wedding drums past. I finally get the 11th auto I try.
4:15 – We pass 2 roundabouts on Janpath that are so gorgeous & manicured with flowers. I’ve never seen them before.
5pm – we’re nowhere near home & getting further away. My crosseyed driver is asking motorcycles where he is.
5:15pm – he stops & refuses to go any further. I don’t buy it & make a fuss.
5:30pm – I’m home. Have a beer from the fridge. Put on “Friends” on the tv. The other girls start filtering in from work. All tired & dirty as well.
7pm – Dinner of chapatis, spinach & other veggies, and my contribution of leftover flaming noodles.
10pm – my bestfriend from home calls, her father is passing away. She’s bawling, I lose it. I want to come home. My heart is breaking for her. I call Jeremy & my Mom.
10:30pm – I lay on the couch in a stupor with the tv on. One girl gives me a big hug & lets me cry
11pm – I pass out.
Another day in India. And this morning, the horns are honking & another day begins.
March 5th, 2010 at 7:56 am
You write so colorfully…i can see, smell, feel and hear it all. what a talent for words and transmitting feeling! And your Grandma says the same thing.