Friday (Day Three)

Things I have learnt about myself so far:
I look infinitely better with my hair down.
I don't like Guava (pronounced here as ''gwa-wa''.
I do like egg fried rice.
I don't like cherry jam.
I can survive life without large inputs of sugar.
and
I can take both pictures and videos from the back of a moving motorcycle.
Who knew?

Today we went to the Lighthouse (awesome) and as Mohan, Gideon and I went in they kept charging us more and more money; then, as they let us go, I said cheerily ''bye'' and they made us go back and charged us more because I'm foreign.
Reaction?
Shock and pride because they didn't realise I wasn't Indian, confusion because I'm so clearly not!!!

"English Girls wear short dresses."
I was asked today by the landlady of Gid's studio if I bought these clothes in India. I looked down at my Khaki combats and checkered blouse and replied "erm... no?''
*Hindu with Gideon translation takes place*
''Oh'' he said she said, ''she thought you had because she says English girls wear short dresses."
No, not all of us, but nice to know where you stand on the whole 'England' sitch India!!

2nd Kerela.
So riding along on the motorbike today, Gideon driving and Mohan on his, we whizzed through some beautiful countryside and I saw cashew-nut trees, banana trees and a prickly tree that is apparently used in medicine by some monoply/tycoon guy who has many financial interests.
Vizag (Visakhapatnam) is apparently called the ''beautiful city'' of AP as it is so green, I can deffo see why! Another name for the area in which we rode today is ''a second Kerela'' because of the resemblance in beauty.

''Orissa''.
We saw loads of people doing manual labour by the roadside today, apparently they are called ''orissians''as in from the neighbouring state Orissa. It is, I'm told, a very poor state with a bad government so they come to AP to earn money. Gid tells me that the AP gov is a good and kind one that pays well and looks after its people. He explains that they can well afford machinery but then how would the poor people earn money?! A kind attitude that seems prevalent here.

My toe is changing shape. I think the bites are to blame.

Feeling Hot Hot Hotter!
At the moment England is 32 oC to our 25 oC (27 in the city).The monsoon rain keeps down the temperature! I always thought that the monsoon season coincided with Summer but it actually follows their summer.
Something new everyday :)
We spent some time in Gideon's studio listening to his tracks with the air con on at 18 oC, mmmm! The heat is so non-stop here, and muggy! Still, an hour at 18 oC!!!