Survived the Noise

Well, it's Tuesday after the temple festival - I survived! It is difficult to just accept that this is "just part of their culture". Speaking with neighbours, few of them liked it but none complain, presumably for fear of offending the gods or fear of being lynched. It is mental torture. I found that I couldn't simply turn up the volume on my music because that was driving me nuts too! And who wants to listen to rock music pounding out at 5am ?

On Friday, the din finally stopped at 22:50. It took me ages to get to sleep because I was so wound up about it, and then it started up again at 5am. Saturday I just had to get out and spent a chunk of the day walking around the area. I walked down to the beach near the 5* Leela Hotel where I was told by a guard that access was private. No, it's bloody well not! There are no private beaches in India. So I marched across it and up past the "Tourist Police" hut (on Leela's property and presumably paid for by back-handers from Leela), up towards the rock on which Leela perches, looking out over the Arabian Sea. Fabulous views. And then I was intercepted by a security guard who warned that for my own safety I should turn back. It was clear where Leela's perimeter was but he wasn't going to even let me walk on the public side of it, presumably because I would pollute the view for the rich who stay there. I got away with going another 10 metres to a natural viewing point, took a few snaps and then turned back. Later Saturday evening I was invited to a BBQ and got back after 23:00, after the noise had stopped.

Next day it started at 5am again. I was shattered! I've been feeling a bit under the weather with a bad cold for the last couple of weeks and the lack of sleep made things worse. I got out of the house for a while but couldn't relax. The sounds finally stopped at 22:30pm.

Monday was a regular day at SISP but the English teacher wasn't there so I had to take his classes. My brain was so numb I just went through the motions - I could think of little that would inspire the kids and I was even more knackered when I got out. I felt really ill in the night time - I wasn't sick but nearly was. Surely you're not sick with a bad cold? Maybe it was the neighbour's breakfast I had in the evening? It did taste a bit odd. I had hot and cold sweats and again got little sleep. I ended up with a hell of a headache so I've taken today off work to try to recover a bit. Fingers crossed!