Aliens!!!!

 

“Lucy auntie, look an alien!” I turned around to see this little face beaming up at me.

 

Workshops as always are full of life and excitement. Class 8 have put together some really funky collages. The girls are continuing with their earrings, whilst singing songs and joking.

 

Seated at the back of a bus is generally not the best decision to make on the journey to Arni. Because I don't think the bus drivers understand the reason for speed bumps. Instead of slowing down, they seem to speed up, so those of us sitting at the back fly a foot of the seat and try not to land on each others laps.

There is always something interesting happening on a bus. Men climbing up the side of the bus with massive boxes bigger than them balanced on their heads at certain stops,then the bus stops so tyres can be loaded onto the roof. Babies and children get passed around to relieve standing mothers. I haven't been handed a baby yet. Bags get passed from standing passengers to seated ones. Horns blown, Tamil music is turned up drowning out any conversation. There is the driver, the conductor and often a man at the back of the bus who hangs out of the back of the back entrance,he gets commissions for shouting the destination and getting people on. People fight to get on, people fight to get off. Some buses have glass windows, some buses have shiny chrome interior. Pictures of Ganesh are often lit up with flashing lights behind the driver.

The conductor walks up and down the bus, squashing people along the aisle. Rupee notes formed in a pretty cool fan in between his fingers and a bag full of coins. Although I have had some bad experiences on some buses, like my stolen phone and purse, the argument with the death stare conductor or when I thought my life was flashing before my eyes with the bus driver from speed, or on speed. I actually really enjoy commuting round by bus.

 

After a brilliant and long workshop I bumped into one of the female teachers and she told me, “You look tired! You look tired... and sweaty!” Cheers love, a much needed compliment.

 

We got paint messy down at the learning disability school. Now one of the highlights of my week. This week we were creating a hand print sun.

 

India has some of the most beautiful people I have ever seen. Men, women, old and young. The most beautiful woman sat next to me on the bus during the week. I saw her walk towards the bus and my jaw dropped. She was very petite woman, in an emerald green sari, probably a similar age to me. Stern and strong face, and long black plaited hair like most of the woman here. What really made her stand her out was her eyes. It was as though her eyes were full of opaque jade. As clear as water, pale green, with hazel outline and large. Every time I turned to look in her direction, I was struck with awe. I will never forget her.

I am always making eye contact,sometimes I think too much. I think eyes are wonderful, mysterious parts of us. The eyes can tell you so much about that person. And being here in India, I have looked into eyes as pale as honey, as smooth as caramel, as black as coal and as rich as chocolate. Sparkling bronze or the colour of coffee. It's very striking! And they probably are looking into blue eyes for the first time too.

Smells make up a large part of India, and a lot of them aren't too pleasant. The smell of urine at the bus stand so strong it burns your nostrils. Rubbish, just piles and piles of rubbish. I brought myself a kulfi ice cream on Saturday. Really enjoying the tasty taste, when wafts of rubbish seep into your senses. India does smell good too. Incense burning and the smell of cooking, spices and the neighbours dinner.

 

I am a big fan of chai tea, I always drank spicy tea in Nepal and the first time I visited North India years ago. I must admit I was slightly disappointed to discover South Indians don't really drink chai. Instead South Indians love and grow their own coffee, filtered and milky. Sometimes with added caradom or ginger. I've been converted, and I'll only continue drinking it if I can learn the magic behind the perfect cup.

 

After practising on paper and practising on the rooftop, I was allowed to transfer my newly learnt kolam design outside the front gate. A crowd formed as praised my efforts, I told them all I take commissions, more for my own humour really.