I am currently staying in a flat-share type accommodation, sharing with other Indian university students. It is very much like student digs or something, but really cool. On my first night in
Bangalore, I went to see a student play, supposedly an adaptation of a Greek tragedy, and it definitely was a tragedy so to some extent they didn't do that bad! After that we also went to a rock bar, where I was expecting bearded men in leather biker's outfits, like an American rock bar, but instead it was a fairly civilised middle class crowd just rocking along to Black Sabbath! In that sense India never fails to surprise.
Also in
Bangalore right now there are a few other gappers from England; so that's really cool. I have also started my volunteer work as well. I am at an NGO which has four schools around
Bangalore working with slum and street children. It really is a fantastic NGO, they do more then just provide education, they also look after the child's healthcare and that of the family and they also take care of 80% of the child's nutrition and food intake. I started on a Monday and they told me they always order double food on a Monday because most of the kids won't have the money to eat on a Sunday. Even with the odds against them though, the kids are just like any other normal child, it just goes to show that if given the opportunity to succeed and at least compete on an even basis then these kids will embrace it. The thing is though you don't look at these kids as victims or anything like that because they are so normal that you just forget about the difficulties they face.
That brings an end to my adventure thus far, hopefully still got plenty more to see, hear and do! I hope all is well at home, again do keep me updated on what is going on! Just a quick thought though, it is only something like 10 weeks until I come home, time really does fly when you are having fun!