The remains of the Palace in Ramnad are attractive, from the outside. Inside, it's all held together by wooden struts and is mostly given over to a tatty museum. The walls are covered in faded paintings from floor to ceiling. It would have been fantastic (in the time of the Raj), but is now only a shadow of what it once was. Only a small part of it is open to the public so we didn't get to see the rest.

I took my guitar to Schwartz and St. Andrew's yesterday, C. and I sang some Christian songs and English pop songs. After doing the ones we know best, we just play anything we can think of. Schwartz was an absolute nightmare, the boys' attention span of nil started them talking halfway through all the songs. They kept on asking me to play Tamil songs and thanks to Rajesh I didn't look too stupid. They showed no real interest in the English pop, the only response I got was for Help. No one has heard of The Beatles! After about half an hour they asked to learn Noughts and Crosses, so C. tried again.

Five minutes later they were with me again wanting more Tamil music. I don't think we're going to last until March with them, most of them only come because it's a skive. They don't listen, but look out the window and talk. It's almost as if they are expecting some kind of miracle teaching from us. I must say I'm surprised, Yesu said it's because they're village boys but I would have thought that there would be some kind of interest in us. Maybe it's the language, or they are really apathetic.

On the other hand, the girls are really good: attentive, enthusiastic, communicative and they Get Involved. They enjoyed the music and I even managed to get them singing 'Sanna'.¹ They sang for us again, one English and one Tamil song. I must get Mum to send my some English folk music – I can't believe I didn't bring any! At lunchtime we visited the Schwartz Matriculation school to talk to people and they have asked me to play guitar for their choir on Sunday 8th December. They also want me to teach them some Christmas songs, like what? Again, I'll have to get my mother to send me some.

In the evening we went to this St. Andrew's teacher's house again, for burri and a chat. They showed us their photos and some of them are so funny! A lot were of this birthday party and it looked as if their daughter was trying to prise a cake off the table! Expressions, actions – I guess you had to be there. C. got a bit cross because I kept making him laugh.

I actually managed to teach one of the Schwartz boys a word this afternoon! Most of them had gone home because of the rain and with the few we had left we attempted yet again to play Noughts and Crosses. Yet again it deteriorated after two very bad games and C. ended up talking to Arun while I tried to explain a question and answer they'd copied out of a book. The main concept of the question was lost, as they didn't know what go outside meant. ('May I go outside?', 'no you may not go outside'). Eventually I made one of them actually go outside and he finally understood. I'm a teacher! One word, one boy, but he definitely learned something!

We've got a stove! At last we'll be able to have enough veg in our meals, without spices! It was bliss just having boiled potatoes, carrots and cabbage with our chicken today. We got a lovely new paraffin stove, and lost our electricity. Actually a fuse blew yesterday and Kumar swapped them round so now we can see to go to bed, but we have to visit the loo by candlelight. Call an electrician? No chance matey! By the time he finally got here we'd have left. We have also discovered that we've got a water heater, after two weeks of cold showers. Cheers, Rev!