tuk tuk adventures and the death of a hair elastic

Today I woke up, rolled over, grabbed my computer, and tried to figure out if it was a good idea to run around south delhi. The Gujjar protests have been looming, but it sounds like they are not going to hit really...a few burning tires here and there perhaps, but nothing compared to Jaipur. 

I grabbed one of my precious nature valley granola bars (yes, I brought them with me) and headed over via tuk tuk to Jawaharlal Nehru University to do research for my Apne Aap project. The tuk tuks tend to gather in the morning at the end of my little road, in front of the big white temple. The drivers are perpetually trying to rip me off. I don't really blame them. I find myself arguing with my 2 words of hindi shaking my head "Naiy, I am not paying 100 rupees to go to Anand Niketan, 80 rupees. That's it." I have won all the barters recently. And I do a little victory dance in my head every time.  No more little-miss-ignorant-tourist. They're beginning to get the picture. 

Tragedy did strike however. My hair elastic broke. This is no small issue. In the open air tuk tuk my hair managed to balloon out in a foot long radius around my head. I've taken to wearing a head scarf over a tight ponytail, which cuts down on about 10% on the stares, if I'm lucky. Without the hair elastic all was lost.  The knotted mane made bouncing all over the extremely male dominated campus of JNU very interesting. I wasn't exactly blending in.

I got a visiting membership for the week at the central library. I have a weird fascination with libraries (a genetic gift from my mom). This one was really really incredible. Afterwards, I had to make a trek to find another tuk tuk to take me home. I stopped by the mall on the way home to buy more mangos (my current addiction, and it's becoming a real problem). 

The rest of the day was research in the flat. I tried to run errands in the market down the road but really picked the wrong time of day. At around 5 the temple has a ceremony of some kind and then gives out food to the poor. The hungry poor sit along the opposite side of the road from the temple.  The kids really kill me. Every single one is painfully adorable and painfully malnourished. My reoccurring day dream when I have to walk by is rounding them all up, taking them to the flat and giving them all a good bath and dinner. If only I could fit all 50.

more soon,

c