See, if my days weren't so eventful, I would have more time to write about them. Isn't that a funny thing. At least you all know I'm living to the fullest here, even when the fullest is just reading book upon book.
This week, or the past four days.. has actually entailed filling out form after form, so that I can work here. Incredible the ammount of forms. I have to get my regular security clearance, then after a few months here, I'll get my Top Secret Security Clearance. No shit - it's actually called that. And I'll work in a place where they actually own those red "Top Secret" stamps. But for now.. I'll just work in plain old secret places. What a downer. ;-)
On top of that, I've been filling out forms to get cards for the Australian High Comm. bar, the British medical centre and the American bar. We're all friendly with them I guess, we all share barstools. *shrug* I'm sure there are amenities to each that I'll enjoy using. For now.. it's just another form.
Security here, as I may or may not have mentioned, is pretty tight compared to anything else I've experienced. Everytime you enter the compound you have to go in through one gate, then are stopped, and your car is searched for.. whatever they want basically. They look underneath with mirrors, they check the engine, stuff like that. Well. I went to the American Embassy in a car the other day.. and I've never seen anything like it. They wave you into the containment area (in your car) and a huge concrete block raises in front of the gate. (So you can't plow through I suppose). They do all the same stuff that they do at the Canadian gate (mirrors, under the hood, under the body, look inside the car), then they take a swab of you gas tank, one of the perimeter of your car, one of your steering wheel, and one of your hands. And you have to wait until the chemical anylisis comes back. Then the concrete barrier drops, the road spikes retract, and you roll in. And this is in India.
God Bless Canada.
Everything is well here, everyone busy with work and school and such. I'm waiting, like I said, for my security clearance; to start work. It's been nice to have the time off, but I wouldn't mind doing something just a little more constructive. It's been a titch insecure in Delhi lately, so I basically have to take my driver or my bodyguard brother with me wherever I go, which isn't conducive to spending hours in tea shops or book stores or art museums. To tell the truth, I'm feeling a bit claustrophobic in the compound. But when my dad is adamant about not going out alone, even in the day time.. You know he knows something. (Last year an Australian woman was killed with a screwdriver to the eye - what can I do but listen?) So for now, I'm a little limited in my movements. It's somewhat difficult to live on compound. I know I make it sound like club med, and granted, it really is beautiful. But there are some drawbacks. All house phones are tapped, and everything is listened to. Our house has many listening posts and cameras, even our internet is screened. All the staff (domestic, and the ones that work on the general compound) are all paid to inform on actions and whereabouts, stuff like that. It's harder for my family, because we're basically the only military here - everyone else is civilian. I'm sure I'll get used to it, but for now.. I feel really.. odd about it.
Hindi classes are going well, I can write about 100 words in script, and my vocabulary is expanding rapidly. Given, its expanding in strange directions (I know all the colours and animals.. but not how to say spoon or swear) and my greatest knowledge is in the shopping vocabulary department.. But hey. It's all usefull. *smile* I've only got two other people in my class, so we go along pretty quickly. Really, the only challenge for me is getting up at 6 to make it there on time.
The family is well - My dad is really busy right now, some gov't official wants to come visit, and he's been given the relatively arduous task of organizing the security portion, figuring out if its safe. They also want to go to Bande Ache, so it'll be pretty crazy. We'll see. He won't let his daughter into the streets, but will he let an elected member of parliament? Hmm. I'll keep you updated.
Now for a little Delhi.. humour? I'm not sure. As you know, there are quite a few working poor here, some working at begging. The worst (for me, and I'm not sure why) are the little kid acrobats. They draw mustaches or freckles on thier faces and do back flips around you - it makes me really uncomfortable. So we were in Kahn market, and a bunch of Chinese tourists were getting off a bus to wander the market, and a gaggle of these little acrobats ran up and started performing in front of them. So generally, in such a situation, one would assume that if you were going to watch, you would give them money after the performance. Perhaps thats a western notion. Because the Chinese people began throwing cookies at them. Like performing bears or something. The little kids kinda stopped, looked to their mother, who kinda shrugged, and they kept performing. To which the Chinese people responded by digging deeper into their purses and bags... and began throwing toiletries at them. Mini-lotions, hand sanitizers, packages of Kleenex and lip balm, basically whatever you'd find in your purse. I'll leave it up to you to decided whether or not it's funny - personally I gave it a painful laugh, on of those "Oh my god I shouldn't be laughing because this is horrible but was that really a package of mints?"
Ok everyone, I'm sure I have more forms to fill out, certify that I'm really blonde, really Canadian or naturally beautiful, something like that. I miss you all, hope you're all doing well.
Ciao!
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