Okay,

I know I haven't actually talked a lot about the GEOS project itself since I started this blog but now I intend to actually start recounting the events of the project but no photos still I'm sorry because the internet here is still surprisingly dodgy!

I can't believe how unprepared I was for this whole event. When I got to Kathmandu and acclimatised and I'd read our itinerary 100 times it still didn't really occur to me that we'd be only be trekking for 4 days. I thought I had a handle on our technology too, coming from Pro Tools into Logic and T.C electronic. When it came time to actually use the technology, I was useless. Now that I'm travelling India independently, its been one hurdle after another and since I have the luxury this time, I'm giving up.

More from Kathmandu...

Agra

Agra has been an interesting experience second time around. In a smaller group and with a less stringent time frame. We've definitely been taken advantage of by one particular local and we'll laugh about it as long as we get on our train tonight and we get to varanasi on the 26th. So much to the point we've dubbed them 'Agli' expenses.
We've seen the Taj and Agra fort and some more of Agra but for the most part we're just looking forward to moving on from Agra. Hopefully more from Varanasi!

9a.m the day Alexandra arrives.

I'm waiting on Kathmandu to wake up and then I can try to organise for a member of the GEOS project to deliver some mics and a cable to Alexandra before she leaves for Dehli. Skype has been my biggest weapon in this battle to try and get this trip happening. I'm keenly waiting on something to pop up in my gmail inbox telling me, its okay we've sorted something out.

Meanwhile how big a filthy stereotype tourist am I? Around the other side of the world and I'm in a a cafe on a laptop hiding from the world outside. The world of monolithic graves made of marble and families deforming their children for life to make a dollar off you. Its a world of wonder and a different world altogether. While I'm not dropping my rupees into any hand fixed at a reflex angle, I feel nothing but compassion for those at the bottom of the social ladder of a country whose values stop it coming together to help everyone. The resources of a billion people and you've got to see the result of selfish enterprise for yourself. We're no better though, I wasn't concerned about the origin of the beans in my coffee or the condition of the poor guy who harvested them. I wasn't too worried about anything but the price when I bought the computer this is written, not the temperature in china where it was made but thats okay because it was 'Designed in california'

What do you do? Be an armchair activist? Sell everything and give the money all away and put yourself in the low position? I don't know, if I find an answer I'll be sure to shout it from the rooftops for you.

A Tense Day

Hi all,

Having a crazy day. The GEOS project is officially out of its initial recording phase and I'm about to venture off to India with my lovely Alexandra to have our own trip and hopefully make some more GEOS and phonographic recordings.

My hotmail account is frozen, there has been a gear mix up and I'll have to spend a night in Delhi without any of the friends I have made on the GEOS project and we only have a narrow window of hours to rectify our situation. Lets hope for the best.