The Rev. has given us a thousand rupees each as some kind of tax return, I'm sure it's not enough. We went to see him anyway, because he hasn't paid Kumar yet. He told us that our bills came to Rs 8,100, and we gave him Rs 12,000. Where's the rest? I don't think the dhobi costs 2,000 Rupees! But enough financial rubbish, he says he'll bring the bills to me and then we'll see.

I had a lazy day (for a change) and while C. resolved to do some work I had to do the entertaining. Yesterday I was quite antisocial so I had to make up for it. C. delighted in telling me that Yesu had said he didn't like me because I was so serious and C. was always fun. I prefer to think that they know when to leave me alone when I want to work. C. is constantly being disturbed and it drives him mad. I do think that I am seeing a side to C. that a lot of people wouldn't know existed. He is so nice, but is reacting against a lot of things that I couldn't really care less about. I am very laid back about most things, and thus save myself a good deal of stress.

It is the uptight doesn't-stop-complaining Englishman attitude that gets me the most. We are not in (Kansas) England anymore, we are in India and we aren't here to change the culture but to join it. So I don't try to make people accept what we do, but rather I say 'sorry but in Enland we don't stare and it makes me very uncomfortable.' Very New-Agey perhaps, but that's how it is. To be fair, I have indulged in a certain amount of complaining but I would like to make it clear that it is mainly for C.'s benefit (how patronizing does that sound?).

Okay, so I have enjoyed eating English food but I do intend to learn to appreciate Indian food more. I am going to get lost in this culture and if I have to leave C. in his little island of England then that is what I'll do. I sound pretty fundamentalist, but that's my intention. I want to learn as much as I can about what makes these people tick, to use a well-worn cliché. I want to learn to think like them, act like them and even eat like them, although that will probably take a bit longer! I want to wear the clothes, paint my nails at festivals and stop worrying about the homosexuality in male closeness. I am beginning to get used to it, but C. is suffering from his over-generosity to Kumar! Kumar is forever holding his hand, linking arms etc... Of course now Kumar has got up C.'s nose as much as he did mine a while ago. It is fairly amusing, I have to stop myself from saying, 'Yes I know, in fact I had the same problem two weeks ago and you thought it was me being over-sensitive'. 'You bastard'. Lord knows what that would spark!

Kumar woke us up this morning, banging on the gate because he'd lost his key, brought us coffee, came round at lunchtime, peeled two potatoes, slept for two hourson my bed, got us some fruit at six o'clock and now (ten past ten) is doing yesterday's washing up. He has been incredibly sulky and everything is such a trial and effort for him. It has become an unpleasant task asking him to do anything and he usually sulks then ignores us anyway. As soon as we have resolved one problem, another one springs up. However, I do think they are becoming less frequent now.

This evening we visited the maths teacher's house, had some treacle-sponge things called Jalums or something and talked about Indian herbs. They use coriander, turmeric and cardamum in masalas. Not forgetting the chillis of course. C. found some mint, and no-one knows what tikka is... Very strange. We can also get hold of mushrooms¹ and this morning we got the baker to make us some bread without sugar, which was gorgeous! Indian bread is sweet and horrible. But anyway, the maths teacher is going to teach us how to prepare and cook burri, dosai and other Indian delights.

Tomorrow morning we are going to her husband's college to meet some teacher trainees and 'give a one-hour lesson'! He said that we could use it to learn a bit more about India. We'll see, I suspect C. will take over and they'll wonder why I'm there, but maybe I can be assertive. We will do all the 'my name is...' stuff again and I'm going to try and go a bit more in-depth on what we're doing. Speaking of which, C. wants to teach and I don't, so I'm going to be his faithful assistant – less work, stress and I can spend all the working time doing things for Rajesh – music and my cultural awakening. Mrs Juliet wants me to teach her the keyboard after the exams so I have another pupil! They're coming thick and fast now. I want a flute...