Tuesday, August 8 Class, travel plans, desperate landlord

I thought I had class, but all we had to do was meet with the teacher, Veena Kukreja, for thirty minutes. Basically, she told us that on Tuesdays from 9-12 she will be teaching State and Society in South Asia. Then, on Thursday from 9-11, she will be teaching State and Society in Pakistan. That means that if I took the Pakistan class I’d only have class at DU for four hours, one day a week. But I’d have to take a class on Pakistan instead of India, which is a waste of my time. And that still leaves the problem of Hindi on Monday and Wednesday. So I’d have class Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. There is just no way to win at this scheduling. They want us to be as unaccommodating as possible. No fun allowed. I came back and learned that everyone is planning on going to Kerala for the week-long break this and next week. Since I’m going already in December after the program, it's therefore a waste of money. So I’m planning on going to Varanasi (the holiest Hindu city, on the Ganges, where Hindus come to die) in Uttar Pradesh, Khajuraho (which has World Heritage temples famous for erotic sculptures) in Madhya Pradesh, and Bodh Gaya (most important Buddhist pilgrimage site) in Bihar. I figured I am in India and I want to see as much as possible while I’m here. I will most likely travel to Southeast Asia and the Middle East on another occasion. I went to Connaught Place with everyone and we had Subway for dinner. I got two delicious sandwiches. It’s expensive, and the serving area is split into Veg and Non-Veg, much like Kosher. We went back home and Rahul Jain’s parents had just arrived from the US, so he had his iPod that he wanted to show us. And he ended up staying in my room, talking on my bed for THREE HOURS while I wanted him to leave so I could sleep. Moreover, he was asking us guys inappropriate questions. He seemed really interested in America, asking, “Is prostitution legal in the US?”, as he explained about prostitution here. He has “volunteered” to escort the girls to Kerala (what a service he’s doing them). And when I told him I wasn’t going with them and I was making my plans tomorrow, he proclaimed, “I will go with you. Make your plans for two people.” Let’s see…NO! Congratulations Rahul, you have crossed the line from weird and pathetic to creepy and desperate. I was awoken three times that night because the girls went to a gay club (I didn’t even know they had those in India) and Mariel went missing for like two hours, and they got locked out of the house.