One Year

It's been a year now. It's hard for me to believe I've already been living here, in New Delhi, for a whole year. I still feel new to the city, every experience still feels foreign to me. That's when I realized, though India will always be foreign to me, it's a good type a foreign, a welcoming foreign.

Whenever my old friends ask how I'm doing, I always let them know India's been real good towards me. Perhaps it's the fact I'm living in a place that's so full of everything, I'm able to do whatever I want. Perhaps, it's the fact I'm old enough to really appreciate the culture, the art, and the people.


Or, perhaps, it's because it's India.

I've lived in multiple countries - six to be exact - and all of them have one memory that really defines the country. Unlike the rest of those places, India can't be defined by a memory.

Sure, India is hectic, but to there is a indescribable karmic calmness to the way you live. 


Sure, India can be dirty, but that's the way they live. People litter because by littering their creating jobs for people to sweep and clean. It's all done by people with clean hearts.

The list goes on and on. That's when I realized it's difficult to pinpoint a single phrase onto India. I just couldn't do it! Even in geography, India isn't quite the Middle East, but at the same time it's not quite Asia. India is an ancient mixture of religion, history, and people. That mixture, can't be defined. India can't be defined.


So, it took me a year to realize India is ... India. Doesn't sound very enlightening, but trust me it is.

World's Biggest Blackout (and I'm in it!)

This afternoon, I discovered that the world's biggest blackout was occurring, and I was sitting right in the middle of it. Over 700 million people are without power throughout northern India, that's twice the amount of people in the USA! Metro, trains, and traffic lights are all out of power.

In other words, Delhi is in deep trouble.

The roads in India are usually a mess, enough so that New Yorkers admit that NYC is paradise in comparison to Delhi traffic. Right now it is especially horrific out there.

On top of that, trains and the metro are huge means of transportation down here in India. If public transportation is down, the majority northern India can't travel.

This is the second time power has failed in India on a large scale in the past two days. Today, the world's biggest blackout occurred, during humid monsoon 98' weather. It was not a very happy day for most of India.

Fortunately, my house has generators. 

Unfortunately, not everyone else's does.

My pictures!

My pictures are disappearing. At first I though there was something wrong with my internet connection, but I've now come to the conclusion that no matter how many times I re-upload my pictures, they just disappear into the limbo of blogger.

Here's a link to my Flickr: 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/expatinindia/


Enjoy!

Indian Weather

Between all the countries I've lived in, I've certainly had my fair share of weather problems. Trust me when I say India has been no exception. 

When I made my first (slightly terrifying) trip to India, I was astounded by the humidity. 100% humidity everyday with weather in the 90's, just happens to not be my favorite thing in the world.  

But, like everything in India, it grew on me.

Before I knew it, Diwali (and the start of cold weather) arrived and India turned into a bearable oasis. Around this time, walking around in pants feels almost comfortable. 

Then, India was cold. 

People begin burning rubber, or whatever they have, to stay warm. Most lungs are unable to handle the dust and smoke filled streets. Inhalers become the new must-have accessory for expats in Delhi.


After a harsh, but (luckily) brief winter it all fades away. With the arrival of March comes Holi and well-welcomed warmth. Winds from the Himalayas keep it fresh enough to feel comfortable outside.The warmth gently hugs you.


Then one day in early May, when you're looking a little red in the face after a walk around the neighborhood, you decide to check your iPhone. You gasp at the 108' weather. Are you becoming accustomed to the heat?

No. Give it until June. Now comes the sweltering dry heat reaching as high as 122'. Air conditioning becomes imperative. Trips outside are made as sparingly as possible. Suddenly, 96' in DC is looking attractive. 


Finally July comes. Monsoons - what once seemed like your enemy - are now your friend. Weather dips down to the low 90's and it all feel's very, very good. Within a year, you've had the opportunity to experience the best and the worst of South Asian weather. Everything has it's ups, and everything has it's downs. No longer is weather your enemy, but rather your entertaining, albeit unpredictable, friend.

Turns out, like everything else in life, I just needed a little bit of perspective on the weather.

Too bad it took a year. 

Dilli Haat (with an unexpected guest)

I've been back in New Delhi for a couple of weeks now, and I'm finally gotten used to the dry 120+ degree weather. This means I'm back to visiting markets and venturing outside the comfort of air conditioning.

Of course, in India venturing out is never as easy as it sounds.

We were on our way to Dilli Haat, when we came across a friend.

Who got just a little to close for comfort.

Eventually we got over the fact there was an elephant next to our car, and headed over to Dilli Haat. Dilli Haat is a fabulous little market, known for it's crafts from around the subcontinent. You'll find anything from Udaipor micro paintings to Gujarati wrap skirts. Vendors change every two weeks, and bargaining is a given! 


Of course I took artsy photos. 

Rishikesh - A Real Valley of Dreams

I had a fabulous Spring Break. For a whole week I traveled up north to Rishikesh for a relaxing seven days of hiking, trekking, and rafting. I saw things that amazed me, and felt things that I thought I, a people person, would never crave - the feeling of being alone. No matter where you go in India, you are always going to go somewhere where there are other people. In a country of over 1 billion, you have to find someplace to put them. So after an 8 hour trek, you finally achieve that feeling. Add that to the view and it's pretty amazing up there.

Finals are approaching soon, and I have been expertly putting them off. So, I'll spare you the detailed explanation of just what Rishikesh was like, just put some pictures, and get back to studying. It was a really great trip though, after six months in Delhi you just need to get out and smell some clean air. I highly recommend it.

The Valley

Flora and Fauna

Donkeys!

The beach

On a clear day you can see the Himalayas. 

A Very Holy Holi

Today, I got to try my hand at one of the better known Indian holidays, Holi. If you're not well versed in the Hindu holidays, Holi is the festival of colors. It's that one day a year when you just throw scented powder and perfumes at people because you can. All inhibitions are let go, and the social structures which rule the Indian social life, are on a timeout just for this one day.

So why the colors? Holi celebrates the beginning of Spring (even though it feels like Summer) and the end of Winter. Hindus enjoy the start of Spring and its abundant colors by throwing them at everyone and saying goodbye the cold, colorless winter.

I enjoyed my Holi by throwing packets of scented color powder and water in a field with friends and family. I haven't ventured out into real Delhi just yet, since I'm a bit afraid of what might unfold. 

The aftermath: