The Last Log in India (For now)....

Well I'm now getting ready to leave work very soon, and this is my last blog entry in India (at least for a while)

Although it's been an amazing adventure I'm looking forward to coming home.

Please note Warburtons music playing in the background for this blog...

Coming home to my country. The country that is truely 'Great Britain'. Where the meat and potato pasties are always flowing. The weather remains ever unpredictable, but always welcoming, and the pork pies are plentiful. The land that created football, and generously shared it with the rest of the world. The land where your local pub welcomes you with open arms and a cheery smile (and crappy holts beer). Where richness and diversity is everywhere, where the Queen (god bless her) reigns over us all. When on a friday night you can pop to the local chippy, stuff your face & still get change from a few quid. Where my wife, my family & friends all live & look out for me. Where I feel loved, cared for & happy. A country of Coronation Street, big brother, Ant & dec,Eastenders (is Phil back yet), Peter Kay, and yes we don't mind when it's spittin...A place I call home, my home...

It is said that you can take the lad out of Manchester, but not the Manchester out of the lad & god damn it I wouldn't have it any other way.

As that red sequinned shoed gal from Kansas once said

'There's no place like home?'

B

p.s. Hello Phil's mum. How you doin?

Doft your caps. 100 n.o.

Well here are the results so far

Jones B Not out 100
Hopkins S Not out 100

Me and Sue are currently toasting our Century this morning. We've now been in India for 100 days. It's been a long and interesting ride. We've seen so much, met so many new people, and experienced so many new, strange & exciting things that will be both remember this experience for the rest of our lives.

Here are some of the highlights so far.

1. The first time you get off the plane. The place simply overwhelms you.
2. The wonderful hotel that now recognises us as the longest residents. We're now officially the Major out of 'Fawlty Towers'...Morning Basil.
3. The amazing majesty of the Taj Mahal.
4. Crazy traffic conditions. One rule. There are no rules apparently.
5. Holi. An amazing experience. Just how many colours can one man be?
6. Rajet. Our favourite Bar man in Delhi. He's looked after us both & always seems happy to see us. He almost has the drink on the table before you ask for it.
7. The Swimming pool. Yes work is tough & we're so far away. The luxury of a nice pool helps that somewhat.
8. The food. So many different tastes. So many nice places. Pan Asian (wonderful Mongolian BBQ there), Punjabi by Nature (holy c**p. How big is that prawn), The Kebab factory (and yeah it is nicer than it sounds), A touch of home cooking at Rob & Pooja's (Apple crumbel rules).
9. The odd drink or 2. We've had some excellent evenings out. The Lebanese Belly dancers were ok? Top nights @ TGI's (holy man them tequila massages). Ego's is always a good atmosphere. And they don't mind us bawling out some classics when we've had a few.
10. The Heat. It's getting hotter and hotter. At the moment it's 43 degrees. And although that sounds great compared to the U.K. believe me it's too damn hot.
11. Seeing Marsha and Dave arrive. xx

It's been a long few months sometimes but I have loved my time here. I'm off home next Monday, but I'm sure I'll be heading back this way again..

The Pain. The Pain

Hmm..After you guy's nagging me here's another thrilling installment to the blog. To be honest I am struggling to write/type this as it's been a fairly crappy weekend for me..It started on Saturday when we were told that there had been a meningitis outbreak in Delhi, and we needed to get injections as a precautionary measure

How can I sum this up??? I feckin hate needles. Now I know it's a lot better than getting ill, but the very thought of them makes me sick. It isn't just the needle, but the clinic itself. Don't get me wrong the clinic was well equipped, clean, but holy moly it was totally diorganised chaos(as opposed to organised chaos??)..Patients running in and out of rooms, doctors trying to find out where so & so had gone....

Eventually me & Suse were in the room waiting for the shot. Sue promised me a treat if I was a brave boy and let the nurse inject me? I kid you not this was the only way to persuade me. The injection itself wasn't too bad..Don't know what all the fuss was about? However my arm swelled up and I felt fairly crappy afterwards.

This was topped off by picking up a rather dodgy stomach infection the day afterwards. All in all an excellent few days. This is now coupled with me having to combat the 40+ degrees every day..Me, sweat???