i tried to blame it on the rain, but it was in my heart i guess

The rain here actually serves to make everything very dirty, since the flooding causes the rudimentary sewer system to overflow, spewing human and other waste across the roads. Since my pants are inevitably too long, the cuffs of my jeans absorb an uncomfortable amount of water, and I just feel dirty until I get home and can change into something dry. However, nothing that I own is exactly 'dry'; it's too humid for that. Also, my air conditioner, true to form, is now broken in a third way; the fan part has been fixed, and it no longer leaks, but now it does not output cool air, and it is not dehumidifying the room. Sadness. So my room feels like the swamp that one would expect, given my name.

But, I am going to go to a tailor this week to shorten my pants, as well as the two skirts that I bought today at Fabindia. I think that this is well worth my time, since the four inches that I usually just roll up at the bottom of my jeans will be four inches of fabric that I do not want to drag around Western Europe.

This weekend was very good, but I still want a vacation. Today, I had brunch at the Taj, then went shopping with Lauren. We went to Fabindia first, where I found the skirts; I got two identical skirts in different colors, since the merchandise changes every week and so I will never see those skirts again. Then we went to Cotton India, which is where I picked up my outfits yesterday. The women who work there should love me, since I went with Regina yesterday and then showed up today with Lauren, Matthew, Heather and Salim. We raided half their store, I think, and came away with lots of fun stuff. I did not buy as much as the rest of them, but then again I was there yesterday, and so I should have been able to keep from buying anything at all. I got a great shawl for the office, since the air conditioner works there and compensates for the warmth of the day by freezing all of us; I also got a funny, diaphonous chiffon scarf that made me feel like a creepy version of the Virgin Mary, and I had to add it to my collection if only because it could be a great piece of a Halloween costume. I also had visions of painting my face deathly white and trying to scare Ranjit some morning, but he would probably just think that I was hungry and so try to pump me full of mango smoothie, which I would despise. So, I shall be good.

After Cotton India, some of us went to Coffee Day, and then I came home and read for a couple of hours. Then, the same group that went to Cotton India, plus Arod, went to Ohri's for Chinese food. They have these amazing potatoes there that taste like garlic fries, and I had my favorite random drink there (it's called Drunken Shaolin Monk, and is made with rum, pineapple juice, grenadine, and a sparkly cocktail umbrella). Then, I came home, talked to my parents, and am now ready for bed.

I'm going to tempt fate and not take my malaria pill tonight; almost all of the other expats have stopped taking them, and I really need sleep. I'll make up for it by taking it tomorrow morning, which will probably make me sick--but tonight, I want to sleep dreamlessly. Goodnight!