http://paulmcdaid.com Travels of India en paulmcdaid1@googlemail.com Copyright 2009 2009-07-31T08:09:42+00:00 http://paulmcdaid.com/journal/view/epiblog/ http://paulmcdaid.com/journal/view/epiblog/#When:08:09:42Z I am now back in Mumbai. When I arrived two months ago, I was totally overwhelmed by this city. The heat, the traffic, the throngs of people. I was a lot less apprehensive about coming back. The traffic here in India is crazy, but especially in Mumbai. It is as… 2009-07-31T08:09:42+00:00 http://paulmcdaid.com/journal/view/jesus_mary_and_josephs/ http://paulmcdaid.com/journal/view/jesus_mary_and_josephs/#When:03:01:53Z Last night I took my Malaria pills without any water, and went straight to sleep. Not surprisingly, they lodged in my oesophagus, and I woke up at three am in a spasm of pain. My stomach was trying to digest something six inches away and it wasn’t working. The pills… 2009-07-29T03:01:53+00:00 http://paulmcdaid.com/journal/view/manipal_i_hardly_knew_ye/ http://paulmcdaid.com/journal/view/manipal_i_hardly_knew_ye/#When:04:39:26Z I leave Manipal today, Thursday. Although I can’t wait to travel around Kerala, and I’m looking forward to coming home, I will be sad to leave. I suppose you build up daily routines everywhere- breakfast of a cereal bar and warm water, followed by malaria pills. Lunch of Thali in… 2009-07-23T04:39:26+00:00 http://paulmcdaid.com/journal/view/sent_to_the_devil_on_a_bus/ http://paulmcdaid.com/journal/view/sent_to_the_devil_on_a_bus/#When:09:38:32Z It’s now term time in Manipal, and the once empty campus is thronged with people. It’s much more interesting, and there is a nice buzz around the place. It is my first experience of interacting with young Indian people regularly, and the students here are so polite and good natured… 2009-07-15T09:38:32+00:00 http://paulmcdaid.com/journal/view/to_the_kingdom_of_the_monkey_gods/ http://paulmcdaid.com/journal/view/to_the_kingdom_of_the_monkey_gods/#When:06:17:22Z This week has been pretty quiet, since I’ve been back in Manipal and mostly studying. I have had to make do with my walk to school to see India. Its all here though- the colours of the traditional dress, the muddy roads and the cows walking around freely. Women spit,… 2009-07-10T06:17:22+00:00 http://paulmcdaid.com/journal/view/inner_city_bangalore_makes_me_wanna_holler/ http://paulmcdaid.com/journal/view/inner_city_bangalore_makes_me_wanna_holler/#When:03:48:51Z Christophe, my friend from the department and I have been trying to describe India. We both agree that this is impossible with words. He says, ‘It is a country of contrasts, and of extremes’. When I talk to other people, the word that keeps coming up is ‘diversity’, whether they… 2009-07-03T03:48:51+00:00 http://paulmcdaid.com/journal/view/work/ http://paulmcdaid.com/journal/view/work/#When:11:01:24Z After two weeks at sea, my digestive system seems to be back on dry ground ( well, not quite dry- more like its paddling on lisfannon beach up to its ankles with its jeans rolled up. But much better), my sweating is back to normal, and my toenails are a… 2009-07-01T11:01:24+00:00 http://paulmcdaid.com/journal/view/a_normal_day_in_india/ http://paulmcdaid.com/journal/view/a_normal_day_in_india/#When:16:23:02Z Michael Jackson is dead. I can’t believe it. He is dead in India too, but no one here seems to be really that interested. I was shocked to find out this morning when I woke up, and like most people, a little gutted. Straight away, I looked around in vain… 2009-06-26T16:23:02+00:00 http://paulmcdaid.com/journal/view/the_sickest_i_have_ever_been_in_india/ http://paulmcdaid.com/journal/view/the_sickest_i_have_ever_been_in_india/#When:17:25:52Z I arrived in Mysore last night, so far the most beautiful place I have seen in India. I have seen some incredible things here, but the first time my jaw has physically dropped open was driving past the Maharaja’s palace last night in an auto rickshaw. Mysore is much more… 2009-06-24T17:25:52+00:00 http://paulmcdaid.com/journal/view/wet_weekend_in_manipal/ http://paulmcdaid.com/journal/view/wet_weekend_in_manipal/#When:06:34:52Z It is ironic that as soon as the heavens opened, so did my bowels. It has been pouring now for a few days ( and the weather hasn’t improved much either), although today is not too bad as it goes. My professor told me that this year we have had… 2009-06-20T06:34:52+00:00