First day at K Uncle's
After I woke up, I freshened up and we went to the Padmavati Maa's mandir. (Padmavati Maa is a goddess from the Jain religion). The mandir was so big! Architecturally, it was beautiful. Old classical Indian architecture is so beautiful. The building was so immaculate and clean for India. After going into the mandir we had lunch. K Uncle said that there is an option to have free food. However, he says that when we have money, we should use it to eat because otherwise we become indebted to the place where we ate it from. So, we used to eat for 25INR each. So in total we had a full dish with unlimited amounts of food for under under £1. Not bad!
We went back to his flat before midday for our afternoon siesta. I've never had a siesta but it was quite good. One, I got my sleep, but secondly we missed the afternoon sunlight that was really strong! In the evening, we tood an auto-rickshaw to the Idli and Dhosa Lari (Lari is an Indian word for outside stall), and I had Idli with the white chutney. After an hour, we went back to his flat to watch Hard Target and Riddick in Hindi. It wasn't that great because I thought that the quality of the Hindi was really bad, but secondly the quality of the film was really bad. But, it was funny. Then we went to sleep!
Second day at K Uncle's
I went to get ready, but realised that he only had cold water. So I asked how do I have a bucket bath in cold water? (Well, because it's really hard!) So he showed me that all I had to do was put it over my head really fast, and then put on all the soap etc, and that will release the energy needed to generate heat. Funny enough it did work! 
Afterwards, I gave him his presents: I had bought him a Parker pen that was gold and silver. I also bought him a SEKONDA watch. I think he liked it... we then went outside to the Vodafone shop to buy a Vodafone SIM card so that I can ring people in India and could text my mum and dad in the UK. We then went to the Padmavati Maa's mandir again for darshan, and had lunch there too. Thereafter, we went back to Krishnanagar where he lives and started up his Bajaj scooter and went to his office to sort something out for his Astrology academy. We went back to his flat and then set off to the city centre in an auto rickshaw to the city centre in Ahmedabad. We went to collect the money that dad had sent via Western Union. We then ate Cholafali - which is like a deep fried thin pastry that is dunked into a spiced yoghurt sauce, Noodles and Paneer with Capsicum (Green peppers). We then went home to watch LXG - League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Which again was in Hindi and was really crap, but to keep him happy I went along with it.
Third day at K Uncle's
We went to eat Khaman Dhokla - an Indian snack made from grarm flour. We then went to the theatre to watch Murder 2. An Indian thriller movie. It was a big experience to experience how crazy Indian's actually are at the sight of two actors kissing. Wolf calls and cheers and claps. Seriously, it felt like being in the cinema packed with kids for a tenth birthday party and they've been put in the wrong show and the opening scene consists of two actors kissing. Imagine the kids screaming, some enjoying it, some too scared to admit. Gosh - so weird! We ate Khichdi Kadhi that day which was bought from a shop not far from his flat. Flies all over the food as it was being cooked outside. So unhygenic. We watched a film called Luck which starred a Bollywood actor called Sanjay Dutt.
Fourth day at K Uncle'sWe went to the Padmavati Maa Mandir again for darshan and then went for lunch. It had been four days since I arrived in India and I hadn't eaten a full meal. K Uncle told me off that day for not eating. He described the amount of food I had been eating was less then what a three year old child eats. Everytime we met someone he knew, he would make me feel as small as an ant by saying that 'he isn't eating, he eats less than a three year old.' In India hygiene is not on their priority list. Due to the heat and insects that have survived their, they are unable to control the limits of insects and therefore, associated with Indian religion of every life being sacred perhaps people have never tried to control their situation. Therefore, not eating is more safe then eating! haha. No wonder I lost over a stone when I came back to the UK!
His friend - Ashwinbhai had come as a surprise and had brought Bhajiya's and chutneys - a local delicacy that involves deep frying fenugreek or spinach in a gram flour batter with spices. I poured the bhajiyas onto a plate and all three of us sat at his dining table. We sat for ages as we ate and talked. Near the evening we watched two DVD's of Chanakya - he was the first real Indian Political Philosopher who helped Chandragupta Morya in fighting away Alexandrea the Great.
Fifth day at K Uncle's
We went to the Padmavati Maa Mandir. Today was Gurupoornima. Gurupoornima is a festival within Hindusim dedicated to the Guru - the teacher who guides his pupil through life and through the religion. When we went to the mandir, it was so full! There were loads of people compared to when we used to go the other days. K Uncle said that these people are farce. Supposedly in God's view, the people that only go to the mandir on certain days are known as acting in front of God. We seeked blessings, and walked to eat. Today they were serving really good food - puri, farfar, daal, rice, vegetable saags and deep fried banana bhajiyas. I ate loads that day - and even took seconds! We slept in the afternoon, and in the evening went to the market in the city centre. It was so busy for 19:00. I was thirsty so I bought a water bag. It was the size of my hand, and I have quite big hands. I had to open it with my teeth and drink the water out of the bag. We also went to the Bhadrakali Mandir that was opposite the gates of Ahmedabad.
We then went to eat. I had a Sadha Dhosa, while K Uncle had Idli Sambhar. We then had coconut and mango smoothies and then went home.
This morning we went to the Kalika Mandir which was five minutes away from his flat. It was really beautiful. It had a scarlet coloured carpet which had worn out so much that it had gone grey. We walked around the corner to the place where they make Indian traditional food all day long. We bought breakfast from there that morning - chappati, potato curry, khaman and rice. We took it home to eat and then went to sleep. On the sixth day, I had another sadha dhosa, while he had Idli Sambhar. Sadha dhosa's were the only thing that I would eat because they hardly contained anything. I drank a fruit beer soda and strawberry soda too that day! They were so refreshing when it was really hot! I also bought the classic Ramayan for around £4 also. We watched two DVD's of the Ramayan that I bought in the evening.
Seventh day at K Uncle's
Once again we went to Padmavati Maa's mandir to seek blessings and to eat. From the mandir we went straight to the Ghajri Market. It was midday in Ahmedabad, and the sun was at its peak. Therefore it was over 30 degrees Celsius and consequently I started to get sun stroke and felt quite weak. The market land was as big as Wembley Stadium (including the area for parking), and stretched along a long road. Fundamentally the market was all the world's crap in one place. It was like the biggest car boot sale on Earth, full of crap, and people were actually buying it. The funniest thing was that K Uncle was showing me around the market and kept telling me to look at this, and look at that, and I couldn't be bothered. I actually became annoyed because I didn't want to see a market. I wanted to see the tourist attraction sites, even though I know that they are just tourist traps, but it is like going to Canada and not going to see the main tourist attractions for example.
We went back to Krishnanagar and I had a soda to cool me down. We went back to his flat and we went to sleep - even though it took me ages to get to sleep. We bought Khichdi and Kadhi that day like usual, we ate it at his flat. However, he pulled out this Indian block of cheese that he kept in the freezer. He started to grate it, and eat it but it smelt so bad. No, that is being polite, it smelt so bad that it made me vomit. He was confused how a child from the UK wouldn't eat cheese, but certain things from India that they try to imitate from the UK is not the same and probably will never be.Eighth day at K Uncle's
I woke up angry today. I'm getting tired of having to go to the toilet by squatting on a hole in the floor. I was also angry because K Uncle still didn't understand that when it comes to hygiene and food India and the UK were on opposites sides of the pole. K Uncle was a celibate who had spent his life studying Hinduism and therefore was also religious. He had eight cupboards or wardrobes full of books that he had read. Therefore classing himself as a Philosopher because he has spent his life trying to find answers to questions that have troubled people within Hinduism. Truth in Hinduism is a subject that is very subjective and therefore is up for debate. So I was annoyed that even though he had studied so much within Hinduism - he had read and understood the scriptures etc but he couldn't understand me...
He was going to do a religious ceremony for some people and was short of some items for the ceremony. So we went to an industrial building where they make ceremonial items. He bought the items that he needed, and we went to a Dhosa stand just nearby. There must have been a million flies! Honestly, I spent a quarter of my time eating and three-quarters of it waving my hand to get rid of flies. We then went back to his flat and went to sleep.
Thereafter, we sorted out his bag for his ceremonial items, and sorted out old clothes for the ceremony. We then went to eat Chola Fari that evening. He then wanted to eat Idli, but I said that t was getting late and that there were chances of rain. But he didn't listen. Then the heavens opened - Indian style. It rained continuously for over three hours that evening. It wasn't like the rain in the UK which is feint, this rain was hard enough to hurt as it poured from the sky. The rain was so intense that it was up to my knee! He then stopped for Panneer and Capsicum, and then we went back to his flat - wet and tired. As we entered his flat, I noticed there was water on the floor. I told him, and he saw that he had a leak. This leak has completley completley covered his hall with water. We then had to use a 'Jaru' (an Indian style broom but it is only made out of thin sticks. These sticks are grouped together with a strong thread to sweep the floor). We each grabbed a Jaru and sweeped the water out of his hall. As we were sweeping, he kept mocking me about my eating habits. He always found time to mock me about how little I ate. Really, really infuriating.
Nineth day at K Uncle's
K Uncle runs an Astrology Academy in Ahmedabad. His sister is the Chief Minister of that Academy. She was going to visit us today however, she is strict on cleanliness. I had just woken up and he was making me walk outside in bare feet to wash his outside porch. I washed his porch, and then he told me to wipe all of his windows and doors. All of his windows and doors! He didn't even felt bad for saying it. I was knackered, not because I had to do the work, but because it had only woken up and that I had gone for a holiday and I was acting like a slave.
We bought breakfast again that day but today we bought khaman, daal vada, rotli, two saags and rice. Oh and chutneys too. We layed the table and the sister and an elderly lady came. We spent the day with them, and we went to the market because the sister had to buy some vegetables. We then went in the rickshaw to drop them off halfway. Again had a Sadha dhosa and Panner with Capsicum.
Tenth day at K Uncle's
Today was my last day at K Uncle's. Thank God! But today was also the day of the ceremony so we had to wake up at 5:30am. We got ready, but the rule was that we weren't allowed to eat - ceremony rules. So we went on his Bajaj scooter to a place which is designated for Hindu ceremonies. It took us half-an hour to set up. Then, a family that had paid K Uncle 5,000 INR to conduct the ceremony. We finished setting up for the ceremony, and it started at 7.30. It lasted until 14:00. After the ceremony had finished, we went back to the flat on the scooter. We changed and bought food and strawberry soda. We went to eat and a couple had come to meet K Uncle to ask some astrological questions. In that time my uncle had come to pick me up.
Before we left, K Uncle talked to my uncle (my dad's youngest brother), and said that I was really forgetful and that I was basically quite dizzy. I tried to appeal my view, but was silenced like a little child. A little child who tried to talk in front of his elders. So I didn't say anything, and let him talk about me in front of me. We then took my suitcases to my uncle's car and we left.
This first half of my trip in India taught me how to control my anger. Before the trip, my anger was very impulsive - I used to get angry at every little thing that annoyed me. In daily interaction with K Uncle, I learned how to control my anger because he did irritate me on a few occasions in regards to me not eating properly in India. In addition, I learnt how I took three to four days to adapt to the new surroundings, people and behaviour. It took me a while, however, I soon learnt the ways of how people live in India. Yes, the Indian's aren't great at being trustworthy and they are great at making a couple of rupees by exploiting good people, but that is the fun and excitement of India. Yes the water is unclean, the roads are dirty and the people glare and stare at you as if you were God, however, in the midst of that I learnt how to live life to the fullest. We, in the UK are unable to enjoy life due to circumstances. As Satre rightfully said: 'the limitations of history and circumsances create our freedom', and therefore we should have more freedom than the people of India.
