Hate is a strong word. But, in this case, i think it's use is fair.

I hate Ants. I really do.

This morning, for the 2nd time in 4 days, the Ants in my room conspired against me to ruin my breakfast. Yesterday evening i'd gone once again to Satish's wonderful bakery in Mundgod to buy a packet of these 6 little cakes for 18 rupees (that's about 25 pence, prime value if you're asking me) and then proceeded to walk back to my hostel and put them in my room on my desk. I slept safe in the knowledge that Satish had wrapped them in a seal tight enough to keep those prying ants at bay.

But no, Satish failed. He left an opening, and anyone who knows anything about prying ants will tell you. Any opening, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant shall be exploited. And so it was, i woke up and had to fight a battle at an hour far too young for fighting battles in my opinion. They was shaking and scraping and screaming involved. But the ants eventually left alone my cakes, leaving my to enjoy them on my own. Needless to say, the feeling was hollow for they'd been soiled by the ants, molesting my breakfast of all it's goodness. I will have to be smarter next time for sure and find some way of beating this army mischievous pillagers.


On a lighter note, i've got a job. 2 classes a day teaching drop out kids with fellow volunteer Sarah "Whitey" Whitehouse.
After the Manvi dream died and the basketball well dried up ever so quickly, i know finally have something to do for a sustained period of time. So i'm teaching these rogues for about 5 weeks till we go back to Manvi.
It's better than just sitting around doing nothing but soaking in my Indian surroundings, i was getting a little tired of that.

Other news which is notable, i suppose, is the departure of Alice Bourgoin. Alice Bourgoin is a 25 year old teacher from Wimbledon College who was upset that i hadn't given her a mention on my blog. The most interesting information to be derived from that is that she is 25 years old. Yes, that's a whole 7 years older than me. How embarrassing Alice, how embarrassing.

Unfortunately, i can't think of anything else to mention in this post. Hopefully my next one will contain things more interesting.

Thanks for reading.
Ed x

Pigfight.

It is not every day that one sees a pigfight in public, not that one would expect pigs to scuffle when placed away from the eye of society either. Though as I stood under quietly under the street lights of Mundgod I did happen to witness a little skirmishes two vast monoliths of pork grunted their way through a battle that seemed to be disappointingly inconsequential. But, I suppose, what real consequences could a pig fight on the streets of Mundgod have? I really can't imagine that those hostile little chaps have much to live or die for, and even to less to bother fighting about for that matter.
Much as I thought,the fight was done and the triumphant began to munch heartily on the scraps of vegetable waste left from the market that day, the defeated also seemed to go about his business after the hostilities in a similar manner. He just retreated a few yards and then too began to munch heartily on some vegetable waste, to be honest I saw very little difference in terms of quality in the meals of both the triumphant king pig and the defeated pretender. Maybe there was none. Maybe the fight was based purely around pride. Though interestingly there was no tribe of pigs watching, awaiting to crown a new leader of the pack nor was there a group of young sows looking for a man to complete their lives. But I suppose these pigs really are a proud bunch and they need not such a reason of substance before indulging in a minor bout. For these are rogue scavengers not ones to abide by such laws as the rest of us.

On occasion you do see little families sticking together,but in this modern world of ours more and more of the young seek independence as soon as they can, and pigs are no different I suppose. As soon as they feel safe on their own they head where ever their snout leads them. The longer I stood observing them in this Mundgodian courtyard the more I see the stark contrast between India and back home.

For back in Britain one would not be able to so readily experience the clash of such meaty titans. And who would care to anyway? For those pampered pink piglets back home live in such an isolated world they could not possibly muster up a fight worth viewing, not like the rough merchants of war which stain the streets of Mundgod.These pigs have suffered, they have evidently been exposed to a harsh reality of life and to this exposure they owe their resilience.For i'm sure these very pigs have not fought their last battles just yet. And it is on this thought that I began to wander home. Wondering of how these pigs felt towards the oxen which have such simple, care-free lives in comparison?
I suppose i'll never quite know but it is just the kind of thing that you seem to think about when in a small Indian town.

Ah, home (mundgod) sweet home.

What a ballin' session i had today. I've become quite good at being on a basketball court looking like i'm influencing the game in a positive manner, without actually straining myself either physically or mentally. Though there was an occasion where big Joseph, a 14 year old boy of African descent, took me on the outside one on one. It was absolutely no contest, though thankfully he lacked the skill to go with his raw speed and power so missed a blindingly simple opportunity to score and i kept up my reputation as the best defensive player on the court. I'm in Tibet right now, well, at least a Tibetan colony in India. I really like these Tibetans. They're characters. For what it's worth I really think Tibet should be freed. I doubt there are any oppressive Chinese rulers keeping up to date on my Indian adventure but if you are reading this, I really think these Tibetans should get a shot at running their own country. This particular internet cafe has played a blend of reggae, hip-hop and darius danesh since i've been in here. What's not to love? Anyway, i've been in India for 6 weeks today! It's felt like 4 years. But anyway, the sun has become more bearable as has the potent, potent smell of the subcontinent. Last night I went to dinner at Sunil's house. Sunil is a high school teacher, his wife prepared a meal tailored specifically to my dietary desires. Sunil is probably the nicest 28 year old indian man i've met, he is of African descent. Bizarrely, i've found myself connecting with those of the Siddi tribe much better than the native indians. The Siddi's are african, so i think that must be due to my evident afro-carribean roots. Anyway, Sunil is a monster of a man, probably the muscular man i've seen in India, we really are two peas in a pod. And his wife is the best cook in Mundgod. I've never eaten so much food in all my time. They were almost tears of culinary satisfaction. Haha, to be honest, i've not got much more to report today, but thanks for reading anyway. x ps. oh and i got back from Goa on saturday after an 8 hour bus journey. Worst bus ever. Almost killed my back.

Goa.

I'm on holiday in Goa right now.

Holiday you say? But what work have you done, Ed? Fair enough, maybe i don't deserve a holiday, but i wasn't doing much and the other volunteers were going so i thought i should too...

I don't care anyway, i've eaten proper western food for the first time in 5 weeks.

I've been here for the past 2 days and today is my last day, i've bought two pairs of sunglasses, 2 hats and a headband. I've eaten spaghetti bolognaise, chocolate cakes, actual bread, jam, sausages, bacon, ham, eggs, prawn noodles, a "chicken" burger (that was actually a terrible culinary experience) and i'm about to go get a hawaiian beef steak on the beach.

Life is good, i won't mind too much going back to Mundgod because at least thats real India, this place is really fake and full of europeans who think they're so developing world.
But they don't fool me, oh they don't fool me.

More importantly, I see things are looking up back home what with football's answer to Martin Luther King Jr. (Henri Camara) having just signed for Stoke City, i think we will be able to fight 'till the end against the prospect of relegation. The thought of relegation has been forever playing in my mind like an unrelenting industrial drone, whirring away endlessly.


Not much really to report from India i'm afraid, except i found batteries for my camera so i will be able to commence with the production of my photo album "Ed in India, with animals".

I can't wait.


Thanks for reading.x