Holi.

Holi, the Hindu festival of colours. I don't believe there's a Roman Catholic answer to such a celebration, fair enough though, I don't know if we'd be particularly good at it either.

The sight of a grown man trudging through the streets of Mundgod covered in pink, green and orange paint is one that I won't forget in a hurry. Nor will I forget running round a small building with more than 50 over excited Indian children pressing powdered paint mixed with water into each others face.

It was incredible to be honest, there was a heavy, heavy downpour of rain and the Social centre has an open courtyard in the middle of the building. So as water cascaded from the heavens, water was also thrown from the 2nd floor of the building by older students via buckets onto the younger ones and myself. I have worked out that Paint added to Water combined with Jesuits plus over excited Indian children equals genuine chaos.

Genuine chaos that could never be achieved in Britain, I fear. For they are too many safety regulations, rightly so in some cases, but never have I seen so many breaches of Health and Safety rules in one and a half hours. It was wonderful. I suppose that weren't really breaking any rules because the past 3 months have taught me that India doesn't really seem to have Health & safety rules.

Anyway, during Holi I was punched in the nose by Naveen, had a running duel with a previously mentioned fiend named Saifalli, was unfairly targeted with water by an older girl of African descent who can run like Usain Bolt and also I had the pleasure of Brother Shantraz, an absolute bear of a Jesuit, maul a few pesky kids using a rough blend of his own human flesh and powder paint.
I won't forget Holi for a long, long time.

Thanks for reading. Ed x