INDIA BLOG - WEEK 7

Once again I got Delhi belly, but considering I spent the whole day and night in, I didn’t get that bored. If I had an evening in at home with limited internet and no TV I would go out of my mind but here we just end up amusing ourselves.

I decided to have glance at Indian Marie Clare; firstly I was astonished that this even existed and secondly how similar it is to the UK version. The cover is plastered in controversial subheadings such as - ‘She’s 27, he’s 55 a modern day love story’, ‘how to get the Dolce Rita look’, ‘rain, shine and style - flirty sports wear, funky accessories, sexy skin, monsoon make-up and hair’ contrasting with more fitting subheadings such as ‘why are more Indian women lighting up?’

The media just doesn’t seem to fit the audience that it is catering too, since being in, I have not met one woman that I can imagine purchasing this magazine. The ads and language are as though it is for wealthy city women, but having visited New Delhi and Jaipur, I find it hard to believe this would sell at 75 rupees which is the equivalent of about £1 at home or a meal in India. The magazine is plastered in brands such as Dove, Mac, Samsung, Garnier all of which I have not seen since I’ve been here.

Fashion columns feature trends on super skinny white models, fashion that is apparent back home but fashion I have never seen on women here. The only Western fashion I have seen is on young girls and tragic displays in shop windows. As though it’s from the 60’s; crop trousers and hideous patterned jeans nothing like in the magazine. The majority of women tend to stick to Salwar Kameez and Sari’s.

Even the celebrity columns which we religiously monitor are incorporated into the magazine, images of Eva Longoria, Jennifer Lopez and Jennifer Garner.

Some aspects of the magazine reflect India; such as the true life stories, ‘Home alone and proud of it’ - an article about six women across India who choose to live alone in crowded urban landscapes. If this article featured in the UK Marie Claire it wouldn’t be remotely interesting but in India women’s independence is rare; I personally would never travel alone in an Indian city.

Over the past year in India there has been an 18% increase in female smokers; smoking is morally frowned upon for women in India. The article supports these moral implications with facts and figures based purely on women. ‘The choice to smoke is seen as a violation of the women’s role as nurturer.’

The school broke up on Friday for the monsoon summer so we played games, races and took some class photos; the Day Care Centre will be open as normal and the school will be open for volunteers to do bridge classes.

The government had donated tables and food containers to the school which was surprising and seemed strange as I could think of many other things that are needed in comparison. The school still has no toilet, real shelter, learning equipment, toys, cooking appliances or bins all of which seem more important.

We headed to Dharamsla again for the weekend, and as always the bus journey was memorable. We filled up on Jimmy’s (an amazing restaurant that does meat) and then spent the day shopping.

Walking into town the next morning there was a small dingy shop with chicken hanging in the filthy window and a van outside with plucked chickens exposed to the flies and general filthy surroundings. If 10 weeks with barely any meat and exposure to the way in which animals are treated doesn’t make me veggie I don’t know what will. When I think about the way which animals are treated world wide, it makes me want to become veggie but 10 weeks without steak has made me realise I couldn’t. Just the imagine a full English with no meat or a Sunday dinner!

I’m increasingly missing home and although I love aspects of India, I’m certainly not in love with India itself. The rip-offs, the begging pity show, the sexism, the pollution, the crowds, the weather, the injustice, the smells, the pushing, and most of all the cruelty. Whilst in Dharamsla there were women begging with babies that barely looked conscious. When we first arriving in India and told people from back home, they are appalled. I just realise how desensitised I’ve become to the culture and however much you want to help. There is only so much that we can do.

As it’s the monsoon season, the kids come voluntarily or because their mums want to get rid of them for a few hours. We only had four kids which should be a walk in the park but Abu and Acu added a few hills to the walk! Tamana is the brightest child due to her attendance and age; she’s so receptive and lovely to be around. Sometimes without her I’d feel as though we weren’t progressing.

Only 3 weeks to go! With that in mind I decided to give the monsters, Abu and Acu, the benefit of the doubt and actually saw a cute side to the pair! We had a full class and some from class one - challenging as always.

In the afternoon we bought the girls to the house to use the internet, the only thing was they were one hour late; punctuality is not a concept in India. We had a really good afternoon, we had some chai and biscuits, got them doing their profile on the internet, doing arts and crafts and their nails! The girls were just so happy to be there in the house and away from the village.

The days are beginning to fly by now. We are just appreciating all the time with the kids. We also went on the pregnant women run, but Pawana did not want us to visit her, or rather her in-laws are too proud for help and support. Two women are suffering with low haemoglobin so we have researched information for them, which is worrying considering we are two young women who have no experience within this field, but our help goes a long way as the support is just not there.

Since being here I’ve barely watched any films or kept up-to-date with the current media back home but today I watched a film and read some magazine from home. I’d forgot how image-orientated our society is.

When watching Indian films and ads here it’s almost hilarious, they are so corny. They imply that a handsome Prince will whisk you off your feet even in a Macy’s advert. Although the ads are sexual, kissing is not overtly presented as the actress would lose her reputation. After marriage, actresses usually lose their careers because Indian men do not want to see them on screen to pine over another man’s wife.

I hope everyone at home is well, only two and a half weeks now!