Purple or Blue?

This week was bittersweet.

Friends left to go back to Belgium. So that kind of sucked.

BUT.

I managed to convince my American Literature to let us watch Pocahontas.

So I mean the good outweighed the bad. Cause obviously Pocahontas rules all.

Can you guys believe its already almost October? I mean I literally only have two months left before my semester here ends.

TWO months.

I will miss JNU, despite its shortcomings. I will especially miss the fact that I can purchase a full meal (including chai) for only 25 rupee (0.334 euro).

On Wednesday I was walking the dog (see below for most adorable and fearsome dog) when he suddenly stopped and started wagging his tail at something. I looked quickly and determined it was a cat.

It was not.

When he didn't start barking at it I looked closer.

It was a monkey.

.......

WHAT.

What is a monkey doing here. Monkeys do not live here. I cannot handle a monkey.
Another dog? Sure. A cat? Why not.

A monkey?

I think not.

Stupid Monkey

Anyway. Wednesday I went to the airport and I think I went back to the '70s.

Indians, at least the men, who travel for some reason have decided that that time period is the best way to cut their hair.

I... disagree.

Thursday afternoon I skipped my class cause naps. Naps are a very crucial part for a growing person.

Or maybe thats just babies. At least I slept like a baby. Doesn't that count?

Hauz Khas Village

We then went out to Summer House in Hauz Khas. The people I hang out with are for the most part Europeans (read foreigners) so when they texted me saying they were there I expected to be able to find them quite easily in a crowd.

Nope.

It took me a good 5 minutes before I could find my foreign friends. I kept going up to random groups of foreigners thinking they were my friends. I went up to at least 3 different groups of people standing around awkwardly looking for my group.

It was an awkward 4 minutes and 40 seconds.

Anyway. This place is pretty awesome. I mean the fact that it was ladies night helped of course, but besides that the music is good, the rooftop is good, the whatever else you can think of is good.

Magically I managed to wake up the next morning at a decent hour and make it to school. Five hours later Laureline and I were trying to set up the projector to watch Pocahontas. Two hours after that I was back at Sarojini Nagar with my mother. Three hours after that I was back in CP.

Somewhere in the middle I tried taking a nap but some printing got in the way. So thanks for that. (You know who you are!)

For non-Delhi residing people, CP is Connaught Place. But I'm obviously super cool and call it CP like all other cool people. Like anybody who's cool will know what "whats crackalackin" is and that its actually cool and that when I wear my glasses I don't look like a nerd that I look like Supergirls undercover persona.

Pure awesomeness

We went to Lord of the Drinks, another rooftop bar. This place was pretty chill as well. And I can't believe I haven't talked about this as yet but Kingfisher is actually a pretty decent beer. Reminds me a bit of Belgian beers. The kind I drink anyway, which generally is none, but hey when in Rome.

And this place seriously has some decent dessert. It's incredibly heavy and portion sizes should probably be about half of what they actually are, but dayum. 

Caramel. Chocolate. Food.

This weekend though. This weekend was cray-zee. I mean I read an entire book, wrote two and a quarter term papers, exercized, took care of the dog and caught up on sleep.

Yeah. It was wild weekend.

Most handsome bearded dog ever

In other news, I need suggestions for day trips from Delhi and I need suggestions on where to go from the 5th of December till the 9th of December. 

Join the club

First things first. If you understand my humor, I recommend that you immediately go to YouTube and type: dog sail vine.

Secondly, its been brought to my attention that my friends (well, one in particular) in Delhi would like to be properly mentioned by name: so here you go Laureline.

Let's see. What did we get up to this week.

Monday. Let's see Monday. No okay not Monday.

Tuesday? Tuesday was a holiday. So Tuesday was spent at the pool, naturally.

But Wednesday. Oh Wednesday. What a day.

So Wednesday I had my first test at school. It wasn't exactly easy nor was it difficult. Nothing unexpected. What was unexpected though was the amount of people actually openly cheated. The teacher noticed some students looking at one another's paper and simply asked them to not look at each others paper.

...

Yes this happened.

...

Anyway. Wednesday night I had invited some friends (LAURELINE) to hang out at the house.

So you know that was alright.

I mean.

Food was without a doubt best part of the night.

(Sorry friends, but you know its true. Dat mac and cheese and dem brownies. No contest.) 

Thursday we went to Agra (read Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri.)

AND WE WENT BY TRAIN. (I feel like Sheldon). Creepily enough, I ended up sitting next to the same couple going to Agra as on the way back.

Dear Agra,

I've been to you 3 times now in the last 10 years. I think it's time we take a break from one another. It's not that I don't love you, it's just that I'm not in love with you.

Love,
Aditi.

No but for real, the Taj Mahal will always be an amazing imposing beautiful piece of artwork and all those who go to India really can't leave it without having seen it. Sure the town itself, Agra, isn't much to see, but you go for the Taj Mahal. The Agra Fort is the red fort of Agra and the Fatehpur Sikri is an old abandoned city about 30km from Agra. When I say abandoned I don't mean run down, ruined or left for dead. The "city" has been kept up to a prime standard.


Friday we went to the Agrasen Ki Baoli. It's only recently become a protected monument and rightfully so. Though no one really knows for sure how old it is, most people agree that it's been around since the 10th century.

Saturday we went to Dilli Haat and had momos.

Momos.

Life is good with momos.

Sunday we went to Sarojini Nagar and had clothes.

Clothes.

Life is good with clothes.

<3 Delhi.

Read a book*

So Monday my Belgian friends arrived and boy did we go cray-cray. Well, I mean we did our best. But hey, its the thought that counts, right?

But Tuesday. Oh Tuesday. No okay we didn't do anything much to crazy. I mean we did unknowingly walked 5km looking for a bank. 

Thursday we went to the zoo because we're 22 and thats just what we do. (Ha that rhymed.) 

While at the zoo I witnessed something that I had only heard about in some distance past: people actually went up to my friends (blonde and redhead) and asked to take their pictures.

Why! Why would you want strangers in your personal pictures! 

Besides that lovely experience, the zoo was very nice. And actually they should be charging more than they are (200 rupee = 2.6 euro). The animals deserve it. 

We saw lions and tigers and bears. 

Oh my. 

The next day we went to Red Fort and Jama Masjid. The Red Fort is an old, massive fort build in 1648 constructed by Shah Jahan. The Mughal emperors lived there until 1857, the rebellion of the Indians against the British. The Jama Masjid is one of the largest mosques in India and honestly it is an incredible sight. It was also build by Shah Jahan around the same time as the Red Fort. You cannot go to Delhi and not see these two. But don't believe the tariffs from Lonely Planet or any other tourism website as they're not up to date. Price for foreigners has gone up to 500 rupees (still not a huge deal, but just warning.) Jama Masjid remains free entry, but you have to pay for cameras (including cellphones). 

And so of course at the Red Fort people kept coming up to my friends asking to take pictures with them. I crowned myself their bodyguard and came up with a few responses when asked:

1. If you want to take a picture of them, go to Europe.

2. Why do you want to take a picture. They're not in a zoo. 

3. No. 

And one we should have said:

Sure, but it'll cost you 20 rupee. 

Yes I am that vain that I would use a picture of myself. Picture credit: Riana Musschoot

Friday night I invited some people over to hang around at the pool for a while and eat. Now I feel pressure to write something good as I know they're reading this. 

Heeey. 

No just kidding. It was a lot of fun. We ate, we drank, we conquered (the pool and for some of us, our fears of jumping from high places). 

Night swimming. Definitely recommended. 

Saturday, as some of us weren't exactly feeling our best, we slept, we ate and we slept. In the afternoon we went to the "Pop it up: Fashion Flea" event in Nehru Park. We decided to take the dog, who ended up being photographed more than the clothes at event. 

I'm not even joking, we were walking around when the guy organizing the photography asked if he could take a picture so I said sure. Then he got on his walkie-talkie and called everyone to take more pictures. 

I felt like a proud...

... something. 

Also new this week, I matched the interior of my rickshaw: 

*Look it up on youtube. It's funny, but be warned, it uses foul language. 

UCD

So here I am.

A week later.

AND I HAVE NOTHING TO BLOG ABOUT.

Not every week can be as genius as the last. But I'll give it a try.

I had another peculiar auto drive this week. Ah Delhi. You never cease to amaze me.

I asked the guy how much and he mumbled something about a meter. Not wanting to risk anything, I grabbed someone from of the street to help translate. I told (okay not told necessarily but rather forcefully explained to) the guy that I was not about to pay above a certain price. The auto guy actually decided not to rip me off and said "no problem, pay me that price."

So I get in, still a bit frustrated at the fact that my classes had yet again been cancelled for lack of reason. But everything is going great, I'm even thinking I'll pay the guy a little extra.

But then.

Then he decides to stop at a gas-station.

So I ask him: kya hogia? (whats wrong?)

And he mumbles something: ...gas.... ap niche... (...gas...you down...)

I figured okay fine I mean I guess its fine to this now. It's not like I needed to be somewhere or anything.

Suddenly he starts yelling at me: Niche! Niche! (Get down! Get down!)

By the way he was yelling at me you would have thought that I had tried to do something *insert whatever you find is a horrible crime that is within reason.*

And then.

Then he starts yelling at all the bad drivers on the road. ALL OF THEM. And this is Delhi. There are a lot of them.

Needless to say, I was deaf by the time I got home.

This goat emulates how I feel.

At JNU its nearly student election time. Which means:

It's protest tiiiiiiiime!

You get a protest! And you get a protest! And you get a protest! 

(Yes. That was meant to be read like Oprah.)

Friday there were student protests outside school.

I have absolutely no idea what they were saying, but it kind of sounded like what Belgians sing when the Belgian football team scores*: Waar is dat feestje? Hier is dat feestje! (Where is that party? Here is that party!)

Clearly very exciting days in the lives of international students at JNU.

Monday two friends of mine are coming from Belgium. And knowing these two, I can guarantee some good stories.

So keep on reading to find out what happens next week on The Bachelor. 

No wait I don't mean that. I mean keep reading to find out what happens in my life which is clearly, clearly more interesting.








*Belgium better beat Cyprus Monday. They better. Or else.

(Or else I'll be very very upset. Come on guys. I'm not a malicious person.)