Delhi, sweet Delhi

I imagine that the blog entry I am about to write will be much longer than those that follow. I have been here for 6 days already, and with the chaos (small children+jet lag+115 degree humid heat+new home) that defines the beginning of the journey, I have found little time to sneak away and write. My intention is to write a little each day, or every other day, so that you all can be with me as I go. We shall see...

So, I made it! We arrived safely, and snag-free at 8:30 PM on July 5th! The flight was pretty great, as we boarded right around the girls' bedtime, so they slept most of the time. I slept, too, and watched 'He's Just not that into You' and 'Shopaholic' - I was in the mood for some cheesey chick flicks, clearly! I suppose it would have been more enlightening and exciting to watch one of the many Bollywood offerings, but I will have plenty of time for that while I am in India.

We arrived in Delhi at night, and didn't make it out of the airport with all of our things until about 9:30, so I didn't see much during our first encounter - from the airport to our home. The receiving crowd just past customs was the largest I have ever seen at an aiport! Once outside, I braced myself for overwhelming heat and pungent smells, but experienced neither. I tolerate heat extraordinarily well, and the smell was nothing liked what I had been warned about.

Our driver (then Podam, now Shayam) delivered us to our new home in Vasant Vihar, Delhi, India! The home is quite lovely, with tall ceilings, balconies off of all the bedrooms/living spaces, and it overlooks a small park with tile walking loop and a swing set - a hot commodity around Delhi, for sure!

After a very difficult night (the time change is difficult for all, but significantly worse for small children), I awoke to the music of birds, and pedalers calling out in Hindi, "Milk!", "Eggs!", "Mango!" It was all very surreal to wake up in this place.

Visant Vihar is an upper class neighborhood made up of many ex-Pats, folks related to the Embassies (particularly the many African embassies, as they are located in our neighborhood), as well as wealthy Indians, many of whom lived most of their lives in the western part of the world, and are following the trend of returning to a growing, modernized Delhi. Hence, there is very little litter, well-fed stray dogs, and moreover, you don't usually see the people who live here, as they go from house to car. Guards, pedalers, sweepers, drivers, housekeepers and iyas (nannies) are in abundance. When I walk around, which I do often, I am generally the only Westerner until I arrive at a destination like the Basant Loc, a market catering mainly to westerners or wealthier Indians (offering stores like Reebok, Subway, Dominos Pizza...)

In the past couple of days, I have been able to explore my neighborhood a bit more, as well as some of the other neighborhoods (often called enclaves) of Delhi. Each morning, I walk the perimiter of the small park, alongside many of the older Indian men, but rarely women. I dress as conservatively as I possibly can (yoga pants, t-shirt, shirt around the waist to cover my bum), which, coupled with the heat and humidity, makes for a very HOT workout. I love the heat, and it feels good to sweat! It's like Bikram yoga, without the asanas!

Today (July 10th), it actually managed to rain just a little. They are experiencing quite a drought up here, so we need the rain to start. By precedent, the monsoons should have started already, and people are eagerly awaiting some moisture! We have noticed that fruits like pineapples and pears are not as juicy, and it is likely due to the water shortage. Katie spoke to an organic french farmer today (he delivers meat, eggs and veggies...yum!), and he said he has never experienced such a hot summer in Delhi since arriving in the mid-70s, resulting in a very small crop. Lucky for us, he still has ducks, chicken, lamb, eggs, etc!

One small way to beat the heat on some level has been to purchase the traditional Indian Salwar Kalweez, which Katie and I did enthusiastically. The breezy cotton tops have done wonders, and they are too beautiful for words. I have yet to try a Sari, but it is on my list.
The women here are just stunning in their Saris and Salwar Kalweez. The colors are magnificent! You see the women propped on the back of motorcycles, riding side saddle, with their scarves blowing behind them. Women participate extensively in the construction (and there is so much construction), and they wear their Saris, or Salwar Kalweez while carrying bricks on their heads from the stack to where the men are laying foundations, or building walls. It is amazing!

As far as the food here, it has all been wonderful, however it has been mainly take-out or eat out thus far. Our wonderful housekeeper, Dolma, has cooked for us, but it has been difficult because we have yet to furnish the kitchen with adequate cookware, utensils, dishes, etc. Katie loves to cook, so once the kitchen is ready, Dolma and Katie will share that role.
Northern Indian food is much like the Indian food you find in the US. I think I prefer the lighter fare of Southern India, and I anticipate that to be Dolma's forte, as she is from Bangalore (Tibet, originally, though). The Northern Indian food is very rich, uses dairy in many dishes, and is usually accompanied by a wheat based bread. Southern India does not use dairy as much, if at all, and is usually accompanied by rice. Many restaurants here serve a mixture, as Delhi is such a large and diverse city.

My jet lag seems to be waning, and I feel as though I am beginning to fully arrive here in Delhi. Next week I hope to resume a regular yoga practice, either having someone come to the home or join a studio. This will help me to restore some balance and find some calm amidst the excitement and sometimes chaos of this big move.

Saturday is Steve's birthday, so we are going into central Delhi. Shayam is going to take me around to the major markets and areas, while Katie and Steve have some time with the girls at a hotel with a pool, an even HOTTER commodity in these parts! I am looking forward to seeing the hustle and bustle of Central Delhi, and I am sure I will have much to report.

In short: so far, so good. This is a lovely place, and I am so grateful to be here.

Namaste,
Em
P.S. I will try to upload photos soon, however, due to my rural followers (aka dial-up internet users), photos will be posted directly to the linked Picasa site.
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