sudden booms and bangs are still going on outside my window even though it's like 10.30pm at night. 

I'm not sure if they're fireworks or not, but I tried looking out for them yesterday and there was only smoke and reflected light - my room is in a cloistered courtyard with high walls. today there was an elephant ride up to the amber palace, and I also visited the palace museum and the amazing jantar mantar observatory (go google, the sheer size of the sundial is awesome even if I don't understand the physics of the thing). 

so i'm in jaipur alone, surviving on milo and marie biscuits (only 10 rupees a packet) and internet access. enough indian food for me for awhile, seriously! I didn't manage to get net access the previous few days because of blasé reception staff - somehow i think the hotels here have wised up to my calling them and they put me on indefinite hold or leave the phone on the hook after i call twice for internet passwords/hot water etc. i have to go off and get the stuff on my own. 

i walked out just now into the dust and smog and crazy traffic. i had about six minutes of scary navigation and 'pretend i'm so au-fait with this situation' before some indian dude tried to ask me out - well, he offered me a ride in his car to wherever i was going and said that it was the least he could do, since i had obviously travelled all the way. he wanted to pay for my marie biscuits (I have wised up, and have learnt to check price prints on commercial goods before I ask how much) but I said no. he also wanted to put his number into my phone. auuughh. all this within one minute of meeting me.

that's me after five days of indeeya. i still have plenty more to go. really rather homesick and missing homecooked food and chinese and japanese soupy stuff. :( I've also made friends with other single female travellers along the way - today I learnt how to say 'no' to someone pestering you with overpriced trinkets (there are thousands of them, I meet at least 10 a day) - you say 'ne chaai ye'.... 'ne, NE!'. haha. ne means NO in case you don't know. being alone and female really sucks here. you get tons of attention. my newly-made canadian friend told me that not making eye contact helps. also my driver, Dharmendar tried an experiment with me - we both walked into a mama shop, where I wanted to buy a nail clipper. we found one that was 145 rupees, too expensive. only after asking him did the shopkeeper grudgingly draw out a generic box of about 12, and Dharmendar picked out one and asked how much. Apparently the cost was only 30 rupees and they still charged me 10 more. -_- and I saw a Christian slogan pasted on the mirror behind the shopkeeper some more. Ah well, all's fair in business and corruption, especially to foreigners. 

hopefully, there'll be internet tomorrow.