I know what a hot dog feels like!

It's official - yesterday was the hottest day in Delhi since the Taj Mahal was built - well almost! And it just never seemed to cool down. As I mentioned, swimming was not really refreshing, just different. I felt like a poor old cocktail frankfurt. After the swim I got another dodgy cab, this time an old black and yellow Amby (Ambassador) the classic Indian car: bench seats, no air con and ALWAYS driven by immaculate old fellows in neatly pressed grey safari suits. I feel so sorry for these buggers that I just can't resist hailing them in this heat, then giving them an extra Re 10 at the end so they can buy an icecream. They seem pretty pleased - they have to turn up to work anyway and nobody wants to hire them, so they sit around in the heat all day and don't earn any money. That's me being charitable. And hell, it is SO hot it really doesn't matter.
Which leads me to dinner, wherein Louella (the resident teacher), Vinita (the maid/cook) and I walked for 15 minutes or so in the heat to a south Indian dosa joint for dinner. It wasn't really cooler, but at least the sun had set!
Complete this joke to win a prize: A Nepali, an Indian and an Aussie went to a dosa joint.....

Why do I always seem to have that shirt on????





Hey just caught the Super 14s and saw the Tahs beat the Hurricanes. YAY.
News from Bhutan: Robin was stuck in the infamous and well documented mud of Bhutan yesterday and today - blizzards, snow rain. Sounds just lovely. They are now somewhere called I think Tjule Tsho (lake) and going over the Gulay Na(??) some some hot a-springs. They are a little behind schedule as the mud really slowed them down, and Robin is feeling the altitude at a snip under 4500m. He's lucky he's not at Everest Base Camp otherwise he probably wouldn't have a tent as just about everything got blown away in big winds  there in the last few days. He is looking forward to a short day tomorrow followed by lounging in the hot springs - he should just come to Delhi where even a cold shower scalds you. And as for the rungs on the pool ladder...
I hit the mall again this arvo - bought a dress and some supplies - like beer, coke to go with rum, juice and cheese Shapes to go with the beer and the rum. Oh and some new swimming goggles since my others leak.
Another state hangman has offered to come out of retirement to hang the Mumbai terrorist Kasab. For the grand sum of Rs 200 I think.
this Sunday is the last auspicious day for weddings for some months, and there are forecast to be between 15 and 20 THOUSAND weddings set for Delhi on Sunday. Gawd help us. I think hanging out at Ice Lounge will be the best thing to do - and it is meant to be 46 on Sunday so going into minus 6 should really make me feel fabulous - or dead!
Staying in tonight to watch Australia and Pakistan in the T20 - just hope there isn't a powercut!
Namaste.

How hot is Hot?

Pretty bloody hot actually! Yesterday Delhi got to 43.7 degrees - and the wind! There is a hot wind which blows in from the desert, called loos, which makes you feel as though you are walking around with a huge fan heater attached to you. I am struggling to find ways to describe what it feels like, but as I was swimming yesterday every time I took my head out of the water to breathe I could feel my hair being blow dried! It is so hot that you feel it cannot get any hotter, so you try to go about your business as best you can. It is predicted to be even hotter today, before the temperature 'plunges' to about 40 tomorrow. Better get my fleece out! According to the Times of India, yesterday was the hottest April day since 1958 - lucky me. Everyone is forecasting May to be close to unbearable. Good thing there is a brand of home airconditioner advertised that cools 'even at 54 degrees'.
After a morning swim yesterday I went to Khan market to see Mr Goel the tailor, who has done a magnificent job for me. A spot of lunch in a nice a/c cafe (with a cold beer) and it was back into the shops, then home for a bit before going to Delhi Haat in the evening.
Delhi Haat is a fabulous outdoor market with stalls from all over India - each state tourism place has a restaurant serving their local delicacies, and the stalls from all over India have Hyderabadi pearls (very nice), embroidered stuff from Orissa, Punjabi pottery. It was still about 38 degrees last night when we went, but after a while your brain just switches off!
Sunday is the 'staff' day off, so I was first up this morning (that never happens!) and I am struggling to create breakfast. I found some bread to make toast, finally found tea leaves and a teapot, but damned if I can find the milk. There is some rather weird looking white stuff in the fridge, which seems to have separated, so I am not taking any chances with that. I filled a thermos with the lame looking tea I made, and ended up with Vegemite on toast and Coke. Very healthy. Something I have often had here for lunch, which some people are fascinated by, is Chicken Ham. Don't ask me what it's made from, I am assuming chicken.. It kinda doesn't taste like anything, so perhaps it is made from chokos! But it is pretty good with grilled cheese on top for lunch. You can buy it here in South Delhi from the Steakhouse (which doesn't sell steak but does stock just about everything else) or a butcher cum deli called Pigpo. Great name.
And what of Brave Sir Robin? After telling me on Friday that they would spend a few days in Bomdilla, at lunchtime yesterday he called from Tawang, the end point of the 'trek'. He estimates he has spent about 5 hours trekking in the last few weeks, and never wants to see a jeep again! He saw another foreigner on the road yesterday - they were both pleasantly surprised - and there are 2 other foreigners in town apparently. Hope they got together and had a party. One is an American anthropologist from Berkeley so Robin was hoping to catch up with her. They now have to fill in time till Thursday when I get up to Guwahati to meet them.
Latest scandal in India (now that Shoania is over) is that the IPL (cricket) has been tainted by match fixing and money laundering. Gee no kidding!

And here's some sickly cakes you don't want to scoff in this heat - from the fabulous Evergreen Sweet House in Green Park - and don't you just love the name - Pista Bhog - I bet that's how you feel after a few! The silver stuff isn't foil it is silver leaf, which doesn't make your fillings zing.