School, Money.., people :)

oh.. and today I went to the local school! Look how clean it is! It has also highly secured! They do not let everyone in, and they do not let everyone out :) Children are usually taken to/from the schools by the school buses or such carriers (who bring children till the door-mat). A bog surprise is that.. when looking at this picture one would imagine that all India is so clean and clear.. Actually, NOT! right behind the fence it is all dusty again! crowded! (you'll see in the pictures below how is the traffic there :D) and bumpy, and indian-style :) But there, in the school-area, everyone is  well-dressed (every class has its own uniform which are necessary! and very expensive - that's how they make more money, if I have not mentioned that schools are extreeemely expensive here! One child yearly schooling might sum up till ~12000kr.~6000lt, so there are very high hopes involved! and it is very hard to get in the schools as children have to complete a set of requirements, for this.. many parents consider additional schooling! to prepare children for a particular school-entrance-exam) (I must feel very lucky to finish my education totally for free up till now!), seems to have a system (though, children are children everywhere, so they go around like crazy :) ), well.., 'system' in a diff. sense.. it works, but if I were alone and would like to find something, I think I'd be directed from one point to another until someone would have to guide me through.. Cause there are no lines as such :) everyone is just trying to get through as fast as they can.. one over the other.. by 'system' I mean that the whole fuss is under control :) cause on the other side of the table there are people, who seem to know what they are doing.. and papers go from one to another, systematically.. Of course, been in a shop where guys do not really know what to do, but probably because that was a new worker and I assume everything come here by "learning by doing" ..so he was waiting for supervisors' approval.

While I am on this, I would like to mention that when getting your simple pre-paid sim card, one has to provide photo and show print copy of passport.. and sign papers before one gets the card..! Because! It is believed that all terroristic actions are monitored exactly through those pre-paid cards that are so easy to use and throw! with no track.. So the government want to be able to track end record your in/out-coming calls. More so! In the northern part of India, where it is very close to the Pakistan border, those pre-paid sim cards do not even work, for the same reason!

school.. I was not allowed to take more pictures inside, but if I will - you'll see ;)

Greeen! such green I have not seen elsewhere in the city..

BTW, cars here not only do not follow the rules! but also do not have mirrors! Mostly, in the left side.., but many have folded their right-side mirror, too.. only more recent car owners have maintained and see the point of having the mirrors :)

right by the school, that's where parents come to pick childen.

One more story.. :) I joined my Friend for the walk.. and we decided to go to the beauty saloon for some good stuff ;) And while she was having the procedure, I was waiting outside.. (Too bad I did not take my camra and cannot show the difference of the looks fromt he outside and the looks of the inside.. it is rather surprising how such a holl from the outside can contain cleanliness :) and harmony, in a way.. They trully try to build sense of taste and make it guest-friendly! and cosy..

Once I stepped in, I was approached by the owner of the saloon and she started to market everything.. asking where do I do my facials, etc.. have I made hair-treatment recently.. massages.. puha!! I said.. well.. I do everything myself :) felt so proud of myself.. :) one tried to mention that I probably have not too bad skin type after all.. but later I was heavily laughed at! almost pointed fingers at! Imagine.. I probably needed to tell them that I have not been smelling all this dust for the whole of my life to damage my skin.., and I still got time to plug my eye brows.. and I am not that hairy... and after all.. it would be still hard to trust the cleanliness of the utensils! So I tried to be cool :) Looked to the price list of the massages, I gues this should be durable and nice to experience :) Have not had a good massage for some time now, anyways :) and.. then she started telling about the fitness center (decided to check the facilities).. where they have nothing but the carpet, mirrors, scale :) (the girl, who was showing the aras asked straightly if I wanted to weight myself :D ) and some easy weights -all for aerobics! I got back.. and asked how does it work there.. And the owner told that she's the one to coatch and girls jst come, bare foot, and strech mostly using nothing else but their muscle power.. I said.. ok.. but you have some weights.. you must be using those.. and then she starded arguing that they do not use any maschines (missunderstood me, apparently) that it is not what they strive, etc. ok, I said.. and started asking about the streaching gums (I just love those), why do not they use them cause they will just enrich the programme.. etc.. and then she tried to prove that streching with those will just destroy the muscle.. that it is a mashine.. and tehy do not use those :) and then she was showing how the muscles streach when using just your power.. but I could not reflect it on her hand (it was not too fit, I must say! my hands look probably the same and I was nto doing any excercise for 3 weeks or so..! she claims doing it twice, every working day) and then added that there was an australian women who joined the class when she weighted 130 and lost 13kg in a month..etc.. and how she loved it and will come back just to get this training again..! (first of all, hard to believe she could not find this in Australia!, second of all, of course she lost 13kg. in a month, she weighted so much! and if it was the first time she started using the muscles, it should have affected in this way!, lastly.. I started doubting my shape :D something must have looked familiar to mention this extreem case :D (joking... she must have been trying her best to get a new international client.. so she could brag for other people!).. ok, ok.. for all of you I will reveal - I look aweful now and it is good that I have no one to take pictures of me! I feel ashamed! and also.. when picts. are taken.. I wear loose clothes! :P.. you could see!

This is something yellow :) and something borrowed :) Usually worn by particular cast rajasthani maried women.

and this is something brown :) and something bought!! For only 80kr! Feels good :) Looks good :)

 Anyways..., my curves are very appreciated here :D...As a matter of a fact.. on the way home from the same saloon I noticed that it is very good not to go out too much in the peak times for me.. as people start driving looking back, not front.. and they turn, and turn..while driving.. So, every time I stay home, I am actually reducing the car accident rate! and saving not only mine.. but others lives!! :) (so proud of myself! :D).

Ok, enough about this.. :)

Some picts now:

Money! Money is a big thing here, the currency is very big and the size of it is really big.. this pile, that you see, is worth approximatelly 50000rupees (5000kr. or 2500lt), it's in 500 cuts and worth a big deal!!!

A lot is done in black money, actually.. even though taxes are not that high, if I am not mistaken, around 4.21% on income.. but then they add everything else on the top.. I bought an ice-cream (in Mc'Donalds, Mc Sunday with a browny!! and chocolate on!! - never met that before) yesterday, which said 55 rupees (5.5kr, 2.7lt.) and had to pay 63 (6.3kr. 3.15lt) instead by the cashier.. so they display prices without taxes..and restaurant business have 9 types of taxes!! So!!! It is actually a good idea to have a trip organized by a tour guide, one migh face quite different total by the check-out.

Actually, I lived here for a good week and do not imagine myself tripping here alone.. - girl alone is just dangerous! :) and the city is crazy! So much to do, so much to see! so much of everything is any flavor! Only the guides can build a good trip for you! Just name it - everything is possible in India! You'll get what you come for.. and it will end up being the bets experience! when going alone, will just cause you so much trouble! the system, etc.. everyone is trying to fool you, sell you bad quality things, overprices! the guides get you only to the best places and they assure the service there! one only needs to know what he/she wants!

(little promotion! but it is so true! The first thing I would offer any foreighner - to get a good guide! he'll take care of everything and in foreign money it will just pay off as you will avoid wasting time searching and trying things out..! and everything will be planed for your good!)

More picts! :

This I took just on the road :) it's a regulat way to go around.. and this puppy was just too cute not to take a pict of :)

Oh, and this is a TWO-WAY street :) with side-walks! and parking area.. (what I mean - all in one!) In this case, a car passing from the other direction would just have to horn its way out :P

Goody ;) This is it for now.. Bare in mind that the pictures were made in diff. times.. withing 2-3 days I guess..
But all is last news!

Greets from here ;) it's around 30 degrees! :)*
Not teasing.. just informing :D
Kiss to All! (share it :) )
Roberta

P.S. Sorry for the long interpretations of the subject.. now you will see how my minds flow :) and what a mess is there in my head :P