Back to India

On our way back to the hotel that evening, we spotted a magnificent golden statue. We discovered it had some special significance - bearing in mind that we were there just before "The Festival of Lights", so it may have had something to do with that. The pic below is of the traffic on the way to the statue. We had a thin little dusty skirting along which to walk - with all the craziness of the Delhi (well India) traffic.

The walk was definitely worth it. The pic below does not do the statue justice.

The statue was probably about three or so stories high, golden in colour and iridescence and beautifully under lit. I think it was Ivanka and Deidre who managed to convince a couple of security people to allow us to go into the park - which was meant to be closed. We were under strict orders that we were only allowed 10 minutes in there. I had obviously not clicked in terms of this arrangement, and so was busy trying to take it all in, when the whistle started. In India the way in which people are controlled is via the whistle. So I am afraid that this pic does not do it justice - but you get a sense of it.



I have to say that even with us walking down to the statue in the evening as three women - two or three of us with cameras and all with cells, I never felt at all in danger (unless one counts the traffic!). It was an incredible feeling as much of my time in India during the Pre-Conference tour I wandered around with my camera and cell around my neck, and barring one occasion when I had an inkling that it was time to go back to "more familiar territory" in Agra, I never felt at all ill at ease. And this was despite all the poverty and begging that took place almost continually.

That evening Christine spent the night trying to get some sort of response with regards her cell - she gets it synced for sms only when we travel, and it had not connected. The result of which was that after the changing of rooms and trying to sort this out, we ended up in bed quite late that evening (even if one did not take into account any time differences). I thought I was ever so clever keeping my cell on SA time (I am useless with time differences) and my watch on India time. I decided to set my alarm on my cell for the following morning - not remembering this little factor, and so, the following morning we were awakened rather suddenly and gathered our scattered wits about us as we were late and holding the entire tour party up! Needless to say the cell was then fixed on India time after that! :-)

The following morning we then left New Delhi in order to head off to Agra. Now, what I discovered is that there is New Delhi and the original Delhi. New Delhi is filled with the newer aspects of life – including the representatives of government. It apparently has a number of people who were in government still living in the accommodation that was provided when they came into their position. Then, somewhere along the line they were relieved of their positions – and now India sits with the problem that these officials have refused to move from the accommodation that was provided. What the new officials are doing for accommodation, heaven alone knows – but there we now have a myriad of rather plush and well-kept homes that belong, I would imagine to the “people of India” forming the residences of people who are no longer in power. I tell you one thing, India taught me that SA is amateurish in comparison to India when it comes to these rather dubious practices!

The heat and humidity in India was really quite something. I do not think that the rains that we experienced in the first day or so that we were there helped matters, as they did push up the humidity levels. So, the buses that were air-conditioned offered an enormous relief to that! It was possibly one of the gripes about the trip – the amount of time that was spent travelling in buses to go from one place to another. It offered us some sense of “relaxation” in terms of trying to catch up with sleep to assist the fairly minimal jet-lag, but the other side of the coin was the fact that the seats were not built for sleeping, and then if one sat somewhere near the front, there was a choice of looking at the driving-habits of the bus driver and other people on the roads or trying to sleep rather uncomfortably. I joined Deidre in the front seat of the bus on one occasion, and that was hair-raising to say the least. The amount of dubious driving practice that was followed, not only gave me a tension headache, but also caused me to feel more than slightly nauseous!

I was fascinated by the animals that simply wondered about the country – in cities, villages or along main or other roads. Some areas we encountered cows, others water buffalo and then of course the perpetual sight of dogs.

The water buffalo fascinated me – they have the most incredible hides – they almost look as though they had been polished each morning – all shiny and almost smooth. Quite interesting. And, they wondered wherever and however they pleased. The could be seen foraging for food in and around the road sides, wandering along the roads and in the roads, or wallowing in water-holes of various types. All rather interesting – but I digress.

We stopped en route at what appeared to be an eatery that was fairly remote, and yet when we arrived, we were expected and there was a buffet meal waiting us. In addition there was a pretty well-stocked shop that was attached to the restaurant. Some people bought odd things there, but in the main, I had a sense that the place was over-priced and that there was really nothing that I felt was really worth-while or that I thought people back home would appreciate. In fact, I was a huge disappointment to people in that I just did not find things that I wanted to spend money on. Either things were (in my book) expensive, and often badly produced, or they were simply kitsch.

Our suspicions were confirmed at this restaurant/shop in terms of kick-backs. Christine bought something and then saw one of the tour guides pop back and receive cash. When she challenged him and suggested that this was a crooked deal – there was huge protestation and a great deal of “looking hurt” about the fact that we would actually suggest such a thing. Needless to say, the man did not travel with us on the bus for the rest of the trip to Agra – choosing instead to travel on one of the other buses.

When we arrived in Agra, we checked into the hotel (again a rather dubious sleeping arrangement, but at least this time we had twin beds as opposed to the double). It was then off to the Taj Mahal. I think that for me, I had expected a more spiritual feeling during my visit in India. Sadly, this was something that I did find missing. I found that there were just so many people at so many of the places that we visited, it was rather overwhelming. Even at the Taj, as I have described to a number of people, I felt as though I was shopping at Sandton City on Christmas Eve – such were the crowds of people. I am not too sure why, but for some reason I expected the experience to be a lot different – but then when one is visiting places that have value for so many different reasons, I guess that was a rather naive expectation.



The Taj was, funnily enough, the one place where I did ensure that there was a moment when I took the time to ensure that I was able to fully experience where I was. For those of you who have not been there, I will try to capture some of what the experience was. We travelled from the hotel to a parking lot, and the place where one purchases the tickets to go for the Taj experience. Included in this ticket-price was a set of those slip-on foot/shoe covers that one sees doctors wearing, as you are expected to remove your shoes when going into the mausoleum of the Taj. Once our tour guide had the tickets, it was then time to get onto a variety of smaller transport vehicles (I think many of them electrically motorised, but I stand to correction) and then we were taken the rest of the way towards the Taj’s enclosure. We were dropped off at a particular point, and from there, the rest of the trip was on foot. We then had the “fun and games” of battling our way through the traders – many of them young children, who were tasked to try and get us to come into their small stalls (similar in size to those at the flea market at Brightwater Commons) in order to purchase their wares. Again, as I have said, I found nothing that really "shouted out" to me that I needed to purchase it – and in any event, as I mentioned to a number of people, if Mum wants me to stop spending, all she needs to do is immerse me in that bartering/trading situation, because as soon as I was being accosted by people to come and buy their wares “at a special price, special for you”, it turned me totally cold in terms of the experience.

Once we had negotiated our way along this road (probably about 100m or so), we then entered enormous wooden “gates” that had become pretty common-place in terms of the entrances to may of the monuments. They were huge, sturdy and relatively ornately covered with metal work and panels. Through these, we then had to go through the “security”, which consisted of two queues, one for men and one for women, as they do a quick pat down body search and get one to walk through an electronic detector. They are also pretty strict about the camera equipment that one is allowed in any of these places – still cameras are fine, but as soon as one wishes to take in a video camera, there is a charge.

Once we had all passed through this security point, we then walked about another 100m between buildings on either side (and obviously an ex-military building (but possibly still one?) and between the buildings and the central walkway, the most beautifully manicured lawns that were blocked from human traffic via chain and metal pole protection barriers. Following this, I was then faced with a beautiful red stoned building to my right – which I foolishly took to be the Taj and was a little disappointed as I had certainly expected more. It was one of those things where I had heard that the Taj changed colour with the time of day and the weather, so not knowing what I was supposed to be expecting, ad being so used to being bombarded with “so much” that was my reaction.

Well the group turned right and walked towards the archways of this red building. Someone mentioned to me that if I wanted to, I could get a good camera shot if I looked through the archway. I followed the crowd up the stairs and into the red fort-like building, and there it was – the beautiful white marbled Taj ahead of me.


Between me (and the red building) and the Taj, there was a dual pathway. In the centre of this were a number of water features and on the outsides of the pathways more manicured (and protected) grassed areas. An indication of both the poor drainage of the area and the amount of rain that had fallen was evident in one of the lawn areas that was covered by quite a lot of water – probably about 10 to 15cm of water.

We walked along the pathway, and before being “permitted” to disperse our various ways the tour guide arranged for all the tour party to cluster in a group a fair distance from the Taj and then took a photo (which he subsequently had enlarged and printed – and then sold back to all who wanted a copy for 150 rupees each!). Then he told us that we had time to spend there and were all to meet on the outer side of the red building entrance at whatever time. We had arrived just before dusk, and so after a “photo opportunity” of the Saints group, we all made our way towards the Taj. There I passed people posing for the “famous” shot of catching the hand effectively grasping the top of the Taj – all part of the optical illusion that one can create with a photo; and then people posing for various photos of “the moment”.


As I moved towards the Taj itself, I was buffeted by the enormous throngs of people all heading towards or travelling back from the Taj. We got to the base of the building and had to turn either right or left up a set of stairs and then onto the outer-perimeter-raised-veranda (as it were). Shoes had either to be handed in at the base of the stairs, or simply covered with the porous covers that we had been issued with. Sillily, I decided to remove my shoes, leave them at the base of the Taj at a kind of shoe collection zone and simply cover my feet with the slip over covers. I say sillily, because the ground was absolutely wet, and so within a short space of time, apart from being protected from some of the dirt and whatever previous people had walked through the same area, I was left with wet feet!

None the less, I followed the phalanx of people up the first set of stairs and then to the “Entrance” steep stairs to the outer perimeter of the Taj Mahal. From this steep stair case the entire area was marble – whitish-grey marble – and in these weather conditions treacherously slippery. Apart from the babble of voices of the hordes making the same journey, there was shrill whistling from the officials trying to marshal people through the mausoleum. The Taj Mahal is “open” from sunrise to sunset – the sun was fast setting and the people were thronging in to absorb this monument to love.

We moved through and went into the inner chamber of the mausoleum. One needed to have your wits about you, as the entrances of the doorways often either had a lip or a small stair that had to be negotiated. It was dark, but for the dull light at the centre of the mausoleum where the Shah Jahan and his wife, Arjumand Banu Begum are both interred in their own sarcophagi on pedestals about waist-height. No photography is permitted inside the mausoleum, and darkness was all over due to the time we reached the Taj. In the centre where the Shah and his wife are interred, the public basically travels around the perimeter of the central island. The outskirts of this central island has what seem to be four rounded latticed walls, which prevent anyone from being able to get in – and where there are gaps in these walls, chains have been fitted.

Having been surrounded by people, people and more people, as well as feeling that I had not been able to capture the “essence” of India thus far on this trip, I consciously took a moment in the semi-darkness of this central room; withdrew myself from the thronging crowd and closed my eyes, shutting out the people, the whistles the officials trying to hurry us all through and as much of the external busy-ness with which I was surrounded, and then calmed my mind and focused on where I was.

Suddenly it all came flooding towards me. I was in a room in which a Shah who had had such love for his wife that he had had built this incredible, world-renowned monument on her death, as a tribute to their love. Suddenly I was filled with the power of their love, and the power of Mum and Dad’s. Suddenly, and almost probably for the only time on the whole trip, emotion filled me and I was drawn to think of the special love that my mother and father had shared and I was overcome by the emotion of the experience and simply burst into tears. They were tears of loss that Mum must and does feel for and of Dad; tears that Dad would never be able to share such an experience with me; and tears because I knew that Mum would appreciate being there – but I know that she will never travel there for a myriad of reasons.

For the first time, I became conscious that it was dark, and that the darkness afforded me a little privacy at this intensely personal moment that I was experiencing – and for that I was grateful. I joined the hordes, this time grateful of their buzzing noise as a mask for the tears and sobs that I was experiencing. Eventually we snaked our way to the outside, and this time we were on the other side of the Taj.

From here we could see the river that flowed at the base of the property and in the distance could see the Red Fort (that we were to visit the following day). Deidre, Ivanka and I caught up with each other out here, and took some time taking in this magnificent structure and the splendour of it at this lovely time of the night as the bats darted through the air. In time, we walked casually towards the base of the actual mausoleum and joined Christine and the other members of our tour party as we made our way back to the “meeting point” on the other side of the red building that served as an entrance-way to the magnificent Taj Mahal.

Christine, Deidre, Ivanka and I waited, seated on the raised wall structure that held the soil of a tree that was planted in the pathway, oblivious to the fact that the poor tour co-ordinator was trying to work out what had happened to four members of his tour party. It was only when the Danish head of one of the schools who was also on the trip with us came over and asked whether we had been counted that we realised that we had been holding the entire group up. Slightly sheepishly, we scurried over and reported that we were there safe and sound. We then began our journey back to the buses – through the myriad of people trying to sell their goods. While waiting for the transport to arrive, I was caught up with a number of the girls from the Girls’ College.

The one is Greek and I caught her speaking Greek to the poor befuddled hawkers. On enquiry, she informed me that she was doing it because that then prevented the hawkers from trying to get her to buy their wares. Before long one of the others was speaking Zulu, another Afrikaans, and soon we had the poor hawkers so confused that they eventually gave up – and in India, that is quite an accomplishment! I will never forget the look on the faced of the one little chappie who must have been about 10 years old. He approached one of the girls and started speaking to her trying to convince her to buy his wares, or at least just go and have a look at his stall. She returned his plea with a string of Zulu. That stopped him short in his tracks, and he looked at her rather quizzically before repeating his request. She continued to speak to him in Zulu and he finally looked at her with a somewhat quizzical last look, before bursting into laughter and walking off. I think he realised he had met his match – and it was a stronger match than him. I must say he took it all in good spirit.

While in Agra, we seemed to have been caught up somewhere or another, as we did not have a chance to visit the “Red Fort” on the day that we were supposed to, and so travelled there the morning after the Taj experience. Before getting to that I need to mention one of the interesting (but also a “backhander thing”, I am sure! On the night, as we returned from the Taj, we had a chance to go into a marble work and sale place. Here they hand-craft a variety of marble items in the most ornate way possible. The items on sale varied from large table tops, to cheese boards, to small trinket boxes and various ornaments. As I ought to have expected, but did not really, some of the hand work is done by young boys – and they sit on the floor with a fairly basic, yet in a rather bizarre contrast, sophisticated way in which the marble shards are ground so that they are then able to fit into the ornate products.





Then it was up the next morning and off to the Red Fort. This was built by the Shah Jahan’s son in order to imprison his father so that he could establish his power. There was a cruelty and yet at the same time, I would imagine some solace for the Shah, as he was able to observe the Taj Mahal where his wife was interred from the Fort. There are all sorts of stories that abound in terms of both the Taj and the Fort, but I think that many of them, depend on who you are talking to and where in terms of whether they are perceived as being true or not. I don’t know. I have attached a pic that is a little unclear in terms of being able to see the Taj from the Red Fort – but you can get an idea of it – we were there are a rather overcast day, and so this affected things. I do have another pic, but then you miss the “view” from the “window” as it were.

The third painting at last!

Spent yesterday afternoon and today painting to my heart's content - literally. It has been such fun. Am in process of applying the finishing touches to the fourth painting and will then publish that - possibly tomorrow. Am now busy with the final in this series of five.

I really have had such fun - but am now going to try my hand at oil painting - so see a steep learning curve there - but am looking forward to the challenge.

Started the holidays in the traditional teacher fashion - with a throat and ear infection - oh what fun!!!

Chaos and then a break! YAY!!!

Have a day of chaos as have a million and one things to do and then off to our Interact Club's Dance this evening. Up and on a bus tomorrow morning at 6am with our Grade 11s on their KZN trip. Return on Wed eve and then have a half day of school, before we get chased off Campus for the World Cup holiday. Am SO looking forward to that!!!

Going to spend a lot of time just doing personal stuff - bit of very controlled (time-wise) work, but having a break!!! That means lots of painting, a chance to catch up with friends and family and time with Mum!

Really looking forward to that - in case you haven't noticed!

Love to all!

My takkies

Well, for those of you patiently awaiting the next instalment - there isn't much of one - but I thought I would add the fun of my takkies that I am wearing instead of the Football Friday shirts - all painted by yours truly - as I said to Christine (our wonderful IT lady) - I can understand why people give up their day jobs to paint - such fun!!!!

I have finished my next pic, but haven't taken a pic of it yet - so you'll have to wait! It is lovely - even if I say so myself! :-)

Friday - and a collapse time! :-)

Just had the most wonderful chat with Margaret, with whom I have hardly
corresponded for AGES!!!!

Our Chaplain at the school once commented that I was "blessed" - and that has stayed with me for ages. I truly am blessed and have some wonderful people in my life - who may be a long distance from me - but they are always near to my heart. It's funny to think about that when there are times when I really struggle and feel down at the same time - so, I guess that is something that I need to hang up as a memory that needs to be drawn upon whenever I am going through one of those "dark patches" in my life.

I have been reading Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, and this sort of fits in with my serialised reporting of my trip to India. There are a couple of thoughts that I found quite interested and thought I would put them out there for people to look at (if they so wish) and possibly even offer their thoughts about the two extracts. So, here goes!

The first is when the speaker of the book, Lin or Shantaram, who is actually Australian in the novel, but now living on the run in Bombay (I'm giving this background for people who haven't read the book), sits down on the border of a slum where he is currently living, on a large rock and looks out to sea contemplating life and love. He is joined by one of the other residents of the slum, who has a fairly senior position in the hierarchy of the slum in particular, but also in the "underworld" of Bombay.

"It is very beautiful, isn't it?," Johnny Cigar asked, sitting beside me and
staring out at the dark, impatient restlessness of the waves.

"Yeah," I answered, passing him a cigarette.

"our life probably began inside of the ocean," Johnny said quietly. "About
four thousand million years before now. Probably near hot places, like volcanoes,
under the sea."

I turned to look at him.

"And for almost all of that long time, all the living things were water
things, living inside the sea. Then, a few million years ago, maybe a little
more - just a little while, really, in the big history of the Earth - the living
things began to be living on the land, as well."

I was frowning ans smiling at the same time, surprised and bewildered. I held
my breath, afraid that any sound might interrupt his musing.

"But in a way you can say that after leaving the sea, after all those
millions of years of living inside the sea, we took the ocean with us. When a
woman makes a baby, she gives it water, inside her body, to grow in. That water
inside her body is almost exactly the same as the water of the sea. It is salty,
by just the same amount. She makes a little ocean, in her body. And not only
this. Our blood and our sweating, they are both salty, almost exactly like the
water from the sea is salty. We carry oceans inside of us, in our blood and our
sweat. And we are crying the oceans in our tears."

He fell silent..."

The next extract is much longer - I'll share it another time.
Yesterday, I took our exchange students, along with one of the Mums and Christine Ashton, my colleague from the Girls' College to the Apartheid Museum. I was intrigued to see how this group would react , as when I had taken the six we had with us in the first term, they responded with the comment that amounted to the fact that they could not get over how far South Africa had come in such a brief space of time. That group comprised two Peruvian students, a Colombian, a Canadian, one from Tasmania and one from Scotland.

This group was made up of two Australian students, one from Argentina, one from Oman, one from the International school in Thailand and the other five from India. Their experience was quite different - even within the group. There were some who found it so out of their frame of reference that I think all of it simply amounted to a case of going around and having a look at things "from the past". This group in particular were more interested in the possibility of going across to Gold Reef City's theme park rather than spending the time at the Museum. The rest were more interested, but my sense was that they had not got from it the same as last term's group. It will be interesting to find out their thoughts when I meet with them again next week. I had planned to take them to the Newtown Precinct and then to the Oriental Plaza, but I think I need to think about that a little more - especially after all the time I have been off this week - did a two-day Emotional Intelligence for Leadership Course, so, in effect was out of the office for three of the five days, and then had late nights on two of the four at school. Hate to say this but age is catching up with me!!!

Well all for now!

All my love to all of you!

Second painting complete

Morning all!
Well, here it is - the second of the series of five paintings that I am doing - hope that you approve! Mum has given it her stamp of approval - which is quite something when she is one of the arty ones in the family.

Planning to spend today making a good start on the third one - am SO looking forward to that.

Am also hoping to chat to Silks - who seems to be going through one of those awful patches again! Silks, we all love and miss you!

Lots of love
Wendy

India - Part 2

So, once we arrived at the hotel, drank the very sweet juice, we then off with the rest of our tour party to "discover the sights and experience a little of what New Delhi has to offer. I discovered that there is old and new - exactly because that is what the two parts of the city are. It seems to be the case in a number of places in India where new developments have sprung up and so there is an old part of the city and a new one. Most interesting!

I was fascinated by the fact that there were so many unfinished buildings all over the place, and it was only a couple of days into our trip that Christine made the comment that this was because this was a way that a building owner could avoid paying taxes - simply don't finish the building and then one does not have to pay taxes. So all over the various parts of India we travelled there were a large number of unfinished buildings.

The second thing that we found quite interesting was that there was a lot of general construction going on. We were soon enlightened that this was due to the upcoming Commonwealth Games that India is hosting - so I guess the road works that we have been battling in SA are fairly typical for any "host city" of any major event!

Part of our experience in New Delhi was to go on a subway. The trip lasted all of about ten minutes, and to be frank, I thought the tour operator was VERY brave herding about 70 people (adults and children) who made up our tour party onto and off the subway trains. It was quite an experience for me! I am sure that for any of you who have travelled subways before, this is a fairly common experience - but, it was my first! Standing in a crush where the designated markings showed the doors of the train would open. As the train came whooshing in, it was a case of people pushing to get off and us pushing to get on. We then travelled at a lickity split speed for all of probably a few minutes down three stops, and at the third we were all told we had to get off - at the door opposite the one we had rushed onto. So, the same procedure was experienced, the push-pull of people alighting and clambering aboard.

Once in the actual terminus things were pretty ordinary as such. No weird smells, etc. Clean and chaotic, but nothing untoward. Great fun was had at the turnstiles in and out. All were counted and had to go through detectors - I can't quite recall whether we were patted down, but I do know that there was, as is everywhere in India, a place for the men and a separate (and slightly more closeted environment) for the women. Once we were all through, it was back to street level, where we were then herded to the MacDonald's. The mind boggles!

The Metro corridors - in case you are interested! :-)

The trek through the streets of the city was rather chaotically snake-like. When we arrived, no forward planning had happened. Instead we crowded into what must be one of the smaller MacDonald's in the world, and from there there was a relay of messages as orders were placed. Firstly there was the issue of Vegetarian and meat, and then the cokes. We had all been told "DO NOT DRINK ANYTHING WITH ICE IN IT" - or you will get "Delhi-belly". Huge consternation! The drinks all came with ice.

Another relayed message and it was established that the ice was indeed from spring water and was perfectly safe. Some elected not to risk it - others were braver. Then it was a case of perching on whatever surface one could find in order to guzzle the meal, before off to the buses.

Once we were all aboard and accounted for, we went off to discover one of what I discovered were a number of "India Gates". We parked a distance from the actual "Gate" and then had to walk along a pathway until we got to the place. I was fascinated to see that there was a field near the "Gate" and in it were a large number of youngsters, all playing cricket - I think there must have been about 4 cricket games on the go while we were there - all at the same time!

Two pics of the informal cricket games

We then moved on to "India Gate" which was behind a barricade that prevented vehicles from entering at all. Within that barricade there were hordes of hawkers selling everything from henna applications, to pink candy-floss, to various toys, to you name it! Again that rising tide of "no thank you" and no eye contact was pretty perpetual with me. Although I have to say that I was sorely tempted to have a henna tattoo and swore I would do so before I left India - but sad to say, that was one thing I did not manage!




The various vendors and sellers as they tried to peddle their wares. Food open on the streets was something quite common - but I hate to confess, not something I tried.

This photo amused me. I tried to get the Saints crew together in order to take a pic of them in front of India Gate. Quickly the numbers multiplied until we had our entire touring party huddled together for the photo that was now "officially" being taken by the tour operator. While this was happening this crowd of rather bemused onlookers gathered. So here we have the photographed being watched!
And then finally to the magnificent statue that is one of the "India Gates" of India. The history and such like I cannot comment upon - but there you have it!

And so now to one final thing before I end this chapter. The pic below is something that is not, as one would hope, an unusual sight in India. As we left India Gate, this entire four-membered family clung onto their motor-bike and as the sun was setting and darkness fell, so they disappeared to their routine lives - probably blissfully unaware that they would one day be able to be seen by all and sundry who happen to wade through my pages! :-) They were more than willing - quite delighted in actual fact - to pose for this picture!

All for the time being - and thanks so much to all who have enjoyed these posts! I enjoy getting the feedback!

Lots of love!

My trip to India - September/October 2009 - Part 1

Finally, a chance to put down some of what occurred in India when I travelled there last year for the International Round Square Conference and PreConference Tour.

Someone really special in my life, warned me that India would be an assault on my senses. She also told me of the abject poverty, the variety and so much more. She prepared me well! I was amazed at how much of a flood of experiences it was.

People often ask about the experience, and so from the outset, let me try and sum up a few things. I enjoyed the experience; and very pleased I went; met some of the most wonderful people; but, unless under a trip I was able to have more control over, I don't think that I would be rushing back - but at the same time, I would never having given up the opportunity for anything!

In addition, it was the perfect chance for me to get a better idea of what the boys who go over on exchange experience. It has also made me more aware that there are certain people who can make it, and others who would not. It also gave me an incredible respect for the boys who do go over on exchange - it is a very different experience from what we are used to in South Africa!

We left OR Tambo, flew Emirates to Dubai, the caught a connector to Delhi. Emirates was very pleasant - both there and back. During the lay-over in Dubai, I have to confess that I was expecting all sorts of wonders - instead it was a somewhat more sterile environment, but OR Tambo is just as wonderful! I KNOW that I am patriotic, but I have to be honest, OR Tambo is a world-class airport!

Our flight from Dubai to Delhi was my initiation to what I would come to expect in India - curried=effect eggs for breakfast - not my usual fare - so I gave the eggs something of a miss and found some other bits on the plate to eat.

When we arrived at Delhi, we were met by the brother who co-owns the travel agency who had organised the PreConference tour. As became usual I discovered, we were garlanded with marigold - beautiful (as were most wondrous sights in India) but hellish when the lovely flowers marked one's clothes (thank heavens for my wonderful mum!). Herewith a pic of my colleague on the Girls' College side, Christine Pope (Ashton following her wonderful wedding in December), the head of the Girls' College, Ivanka Acquisto, the Governor Representative of the College, Deidre Penfold, and me - all garlanded up!


Then it was into the Delhi traffic!


That has to be seen to be believed!!! I swear the vehicles in India can breathe! The numbers of times we squeezed through spaces that were definitely too small for the actual vehicles in which we travelled to squeeze through. But, we got to the first hotel safe and sound.


It was our next taste of India!


In order to save costs, we had booked three to a room. For future reference this is something that one should query. If you book more than one to a room in an Indian hotel - make sure that you stipulate exactly what you want - if you are okay with sharing a double bed when there are two to a room, then you will fine - we didn't have this information! So our first room was a double bed with a mattress on the floor. Christine's long trip and all the lead up to the trip finally caught up with her and on all our behalves she threw her toys and informed the tour operator that this was NOT something that one could expect from three grown women - Ivanka, Christine and me. He looked so mortified - and simply in his defence he stated that he hadn't been aware that that would be a problem, and we should have simply informed him! We were moved that evening to a twin set for Christine and me, while Ivanka remained in the double bed room.


It was a bit of a rush after our arrival at the hotel and soon we were hurried to get a glass of what was probably more sugar than fruit, posing as fruit juice. Very sweet, but palatable! It was also a moment for laughter as one of the girls in our delegation decided to "model" the collection of garlands, Here Melissa poses with her new fashionable "headgear!


And now, I think that that is the first of the serialised version - and as suggested by my sis, Brenda, I will now try a spellcheck! - Had a wonderful chat to her today!!!

Another glorious sunset - the colours - and yes! that is the moon in the far right corner of the pic!

Where the mist was rolling in from. The viw to the bottom - a pristine beach with the true beauty of this day!

The beauty from almost the top of Cape Point - you can see the mists rolling in on the left from the sea that is in the next picture. Note too the wonderful vegetation. This was part of the trail - and looks so easy here, but it certainly had me huffing and puffing for the first part in particular!

Sunrise - taken from our room on the third morning in Cape Town when we were staying at Rocklands B&B in Simonstown. The banks of mist rolled in - but when we went to Cape Point - there was virtually nothing - and what there was just added a certain mysticism to everything.

The view of Cape Town's Soccer Stadium for the 2010 World Cup. Surrounding it some of the beauty of Cape Town and a beautiful sea view!

And finally a pic of my first of five paintings

The pic isn't great, but it gives an idea of what I am trying to capture.

I am VERY happy with this one!!!

More from the beautiful Cape!

I live in a beautiful country! The sunset on the evening after our trip to Robben Island.

A beautiful sunset!

A beautiful sun setting as people gathered to view the new Cape Town Stadium.

What can I say - the beauty of the Cape - Table Mountain in the background and the harshness of Robben Island in the foreground. The beautiful sea in between!

Sunday afternoons and other thoughts

Well, been quite a while, and sort of wonder whether this is a simple entry into cyber space that is worth more than just my thoughts and ideas! Funny, I have often wondered whether the blogs have any relevance in other people's lives! I think they do when one is famous, but when you are just "little old me" that is something different! :-)

Been a crazy week after the most sublime week in Cape Town. I had to make sure that the exchange student who is visiting and I managed to get onto the Conference and Post Conference that the weather we experienced down there was NOT the norm - but instead, that was the weather we usually enjoy in Gauteng and the weather in Gauteng was NOT the usual G weather, but rather the Cape type weather - all rather topsy turvey.

I made my first visit to Robben Island and was amazed by both the meaningfulness of the place, but also of the dichotomy that existed there - the beauty from the island (on that day at least!) - and then the absolute stark almost cruelty of nature that reflected what the island has basically stood for for so many years. The trees and plants are completely "attacked" by the wind and there is no real place that one can actually gain protection from the elements when they do arrive and settle on the island.

On the day that we all went out we had a sea that was like a still lake with the beautiful idyllic sea as blue as any island destination that looks so beautiful! We went out on a large catamaran that seated over 350 people and travelled across the sea at quite a speed!

The rest of the week was wonderful! Lots of challenge mixed with a good deal of "catching up" with people I had not seen for quite a while. I walked from the bottom of Cape Point, up a rather steep (well, to me at least! :-)) climb, before settling on a relatively steady climb that I could manage quite well. It gave me great satisfaction to be able to look back on something I would never have thought that I could have done. Apart from the beauty that enveloped me, the pristine air that at times I gulped in and at others I was just simply able to fill my lungs with, it was such an incredible experience!

And then to the last week, where there just has not been a moment to catch my breath! I flew back lunch-time Monday and straight into school to ensure I had all "my ducks in a row" for the Colours Meeting at 6 that evening, and then from that point it was simply a case of trying to hang on for dear life as the week whizzed by with work, work, work.

This weekend has, in the main, been a case of catch up. A chance to try and find the DVD that we need to do with our Life Orientation classes and then the rest of the time has been spent as almost "down time". This morning I managed to start the second of my five paintings that I am doing - what a pleasure. Mr Sandman caught hold of me at midday, and so it was a snooze for Mum and I, and then this afternoon has been a gloriously techno intensive time, Skyping Silks, catching up on emails and such like!

And so to the week ahead. A relatively busy one planned - but one where I am looking forward to trying to make some sense of the craziness that exists in my office!

A tentative toe in the water!!!

Okay, so the night when I ought to be packing for Cape Town and getting myself organised, I am sorting out my music for my ipod and playing on my computer experimenting with this new-found freedom that the computer has now given me as a result of us upgrading our telephone line!

It's been a hectic, frenetic, but fun journey these last few weeks. What with building the two houses in Orange Farm with our Grade 11 Interact Club boys and Habitat for Humanity South Africa, two weeks back, to a week of overseeing from a distance and sometimes closer, an environmental project that "my boys" have been involved in' in addition to fighting throat infections and now a middle ear infection - and then this week!

A roundabout on steroids - but the end of the week has come, time to pack, sort things out , bath and then to bed.

So here we go ...