Mumbai

I spent this past weekend in Mumbai, the financial and cultural capital of India, but I must confess that I didn't see much of the city. This was thanks to Marriott, who once again honored me with a wonderful (and free) room with a view of the water. And just like in Goa, it was easy to forget I was in India when I was in the hotel. One of the highlights was definitely the daily breakfast buffet that was included with the room. I suffered from my usual dilemma of deciding between eggs or pancakes/waffles. Because because it was a free buffet, I could have both!

On Friday night, we checked out the club in the hotel called Enigma, which is allegedly one of the best in Mumbai. It was nice, but not that great and I can't imagine paying the ridiculous cover charge they usually charge. But since we were hotel guests, it was free. Later on in the met up with Irene Hong (from Georgetown), who just arrived in India that night. She's spending most of her time in Delhi, but it turned out that her 8 hour layover in Mumbai would overlap with my visit. So, being a trooper, she left her bags at the bell desk and stayed in Enigma until she left at 5am for her flight to Delhi.

On Saturday, we lounged by the pool and finally ventured outside of the hotel complex for dinner. Upon returning to the hotel, we opted to hang out in the lobby instead of heading to Enigma again. But the lobby of the JW Marriott is the place to see and be seen in Mumbai. In addition to a model/actor and a singer I didn't recognize, we saw throngs of people there to look for stars. This included a 14-year old boy who was very excited to show us his photos with the abovementioned model/actor and singer, as well as some photos of the Bachchan Bungalow, as he called it. He was visiting Mumbai with his family from Ahmedabad and was in the hotel armed with his camera, just to try to capture some celebrities on film.

Next stop: Pune. On Sunday afternoon, we headed to the train station for the much shorter (only 3 hours) journey to Pune.

In Case You Want to Know What I Do

I've been quiet on my blog this week because I've been working so hard. After a weekend of birthday and farewell celebrations for Louise, I had to kick into high gear. And everyone at home keeps asking what I'm doing here, so now I'm going to give you all of the exciting and not-so-exciting details.

On Monday, I had an informative meeting with Drishtee, an Indian organization that seeks to facilitate entrepreneurship that will enable social and economic growth in rural India. Drishtee also happens to be featured in the latest edition of Time Magazine: Time - Linking to Rural India which they informed me of as soon as I walked in the door.

Drishtee accomplishes its missions by identifying men and women in rural villages and helping them to set up their own businesses, in the form of kiosks. The kiosks sell necessities (like batteries, reading glasses and mobile recharge coupons) and also provide access to information that is critical in a rural society. These include access to government records, agricultural data, life insurance, commodity rates, and educational courses. In addition to providing access to this information, these kiosks also decrease the amount of time it takes for someone to complete a simple task such as applying for a birth certificate, which otherwise would require significant travel and possibly the loss of a day's wages. Drishtee is interested in working with the GSM Association and the various mobile operators in India to use wireless technologies to further achieve its goals.

On Tuesday, I got up early and traveled to Meerut, a town in the Uttar Pradesh (UP) state where Airtel is piloting their Shared Access to Voice project. It took nearly 2 hours to travel there, but it was a very successful day. All of the involved parties gathered in a local Airtel office to conducting testing of the SIM software that is to be deployed. The testing had to be done there, because India doesn't have nationwide mobile service, a concept that is completely foreign to me! In any case, our accomplishments made the long day well worth it.

I spent Wednesday in the Hutch office because I'm picking up this project after Louise's departure. Her pilot launched last week in Yamunanagar, a town in the Haryana state, and is sure to be very successful. From now on, I'll be spending 1-2 days a week working with Hutch to monitoring the initial pilot and continue the rollout.

And that brings me to Thursday. I went to the Accenture office this morning so I could participate in a conference call with my counterparts in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Since we are all working independently but on similar projects, either Shared Access to Voice or Shared Access to Data, we have started these calls to discuss our projects and share our experience.

So, as you see, I've been very busy this week and in a different work location each day. Fortunately for me, I'm off on vacation again. This evening I'm taking a 16 hour train to Mumbai, where I will spend the weekend. After Mumbai and a stop in Pune, I'll head to Goa once again for a week of sun and relaxation!

Louise's Sari Debut

On Saturday afternoon, Louise fulfilled Item #1 on her India Checklist by riding on the back of a motorbike. In order to gain the fullest Indian experience, several conditions had to be met:

1. The woman on the back of the motorbike must be wearing a sari.
2. The woman must be riding side saddle.
3. The man driving the motorbike must be wearing a helmet.
4. The woman must not be wearing a helmet.

Louise, Nic, Ani and I gathered at my place for the photo shoot. Louise arrived looking fabulous in her bright turquoise sari, while Nic arrived in a Texas t-shirt looking quite groggy. But to his credit, people didn't leave his apartment until 5:30am the night before.

We headed outside and Ani and Louise hopped on the bike. Louise naturally posed for some quite fashionable photos. Nic and I jumped in a car and followed alongside as they drove through the city. We made our way through the neighborhood and on to the crowded streets of Delhi. We drove past India gate and around the giant traffic circle. One of my favorite sightings was a car full of men enthusiastically staring at Louise as she cruised by on the back of the bike. The sight of an Indian woman in a sari on a bike is absolutely nothing to them, but I imagine they rarely see white woman clad in a sari on the back of a bike.

We stopped near India Gate for another photo op and there, Louise got off the bike and I jumped on. But, I wasn't brave enough to sit side saddle. Plus, it wouldn't have been as exciting since I wasn't wearing a sari.

Delhi's Biggest Bash

On Friday night, Nic and Louise hosted an awesome party at their flat in GK-1. Friends, co-workers, friends of friends, and people they had never met gathered to celebrate Louise's 25th birthday and her return to South Africa. We were able to brave the cold and spend most of the party outside on the terrace thanks the to heat lamps and the warmth that the kebab grill provided. The night was filled with usual party antics, plus an exploding water tank, an exciting South African dance rendition by Nic and Murray, Frenchmen in Santa hats and a sexy dance to New York, New York.

Elodie brought an amazing birthday cake for Louise. It depicted item #1 on Louise's India Checklist. (See the next blog for the fulfillment of wish). The cake had a picture of a woman riding side-saddle on the back of a motorbike, sans helmet of course. And the cake was graciously presented to Louise by her flatmate Nic, who was clad only in his boxers.

The Big Night

Tonight is the big night, Delhi's Biggest Bash. Nic and Louise are throwing a party to celebrate: 1) Louise's 25th Birthday, which is today, 2) Louise's last weekend in India, and 3) Nic's Housewarming. They been planning the party for months and it's sure to be quite a celebration. They've ordered a ton of alcohol, rented supplies from the golf club and requisitioned a kebab cart from one of our favorite kebab stands. And since the party will be mostly outdoors, they even ordered heat lamps for the terrace.

Unfortunately today was also Louise's last day at work. This meant I spent the day with her and her clients working on our transition. It also involved an early morning for me (I had to get up at 7:30am!) and about 2 hours in the car. While this would be difficult for me on any given day, it was especially hard today because I'm suffering from jet lag. I had a rather sleepless night last night and spent the hours of 4am to 6am wide awake. In any case, I made it through the day (barely), but was able to climb back into my bed at 4pm for a 3 hour nap. I hope this means I'm in good form for the party tonight.

Language Lessons

When I came to India, I expected to pick up a few words of the local language, and I’ve done this thanks to rickshaw drivers and my weekly Hindi lessons. But I didn’t expect to learn new English words, or rather new uses for English words that I already knew. Because I work with and interact with so many people from the Commonwealth, I’ve picked up many new words and phrases based on the Queen’s English and their local variations of it.

Here are just a few of the new words and definitions I've encountered. I've listed my current definitions of them (with the help of Merriam-Webster), along with the “new” definitions and example of how they are use.

Keen: Acute or sharp
New definition: Interested
New use: "Are you keen to go to the party tomorrow?" "Yes, I am quite keen."

Robot: A machine that can perform human tasks
New definition: A traffic light
New use: "This is the longest robot ever!" (This is of particular importance when you are waiting at a long robot and being harassed by beggars).

Digs: The act of digging, turning up soil (v.)
New definition: Apartment or flat (n.)
New use: "You should come and visit me and my digsmate at our new digs."

Jersey: A top worn by an athletic team.
New definition: A top made of wool, worn by anyone.
New use: "Chanda, I really like your new jersey."

Tracksuit: Another top worn by an athletic team, particularly when they are warming up.
New definition: A sweatshirt, worn by anyone.
New use: "Hey, can I borrow your tracksuit? It's quite cold outside."

Mission: Specific task or assignment (n.)
New definition: To hurry or rush (v.)
New use: "Since we were running late, we had to mission to the train station to avoid missing our train."

And there are a few other words that I had heard before, but never really used, such as revert and loo (bathroom). And I use the word quite way more often than I ever have before. Just take a look at my examples above for proof.

It really amazes me that the same language is spoken throughout the world, but has so many variations. And now when I come back to the U.S. and start using these words and phrases, you will know what I am talking about. This should prevent the blank stares that I have been giving in return when I don't understand. Unfortunately for Louise (who is from South Africa) has often been on the receiving end of my blank stares. But now that I have (most) of her lingo down, we can converse just fine.

The Christmas Extravaganza

This Saturday was the biggest and best Christmas Extravaganza to date. Over 400 guests joined in on the festivities and traveled from all over the country to help us celebrate the holiday season. In addition to my arrival from India, one of my friends and former co-workers came from Vancouver and won the longest travel award.

My day started before 8am when I received a call from the stage and dance floor company. I soon made my way into the city to meet them as they set up for the event. The rest of the day was filled with last minute errands and preparations for the party. It was all worth it as we were able to pull off another awesome party.

This year, we also had some cool and extravgant additions, including an ice sculpture with the Christmas Extravaganza logo, a light display also with the logo, and Carolers to greet guests as they arrived. The highlight of the night was definitely the band, Mr. Greengenes, a great cover band that is known through DC and the Shore area. While the band was incredible, our friend Ayana definitely stole the show when she joined the band on stage for Marvin Gaye's Let's Get It On.

Here's a link to more photos from the party, which will be posted on the website soon: Christmas Extravaganza Photos.

Back Home

I've been back home for less than 24 hours and I'm amazed at the contrast between urban Delhi and suburban Washington, DC. Here are a few of the highlights for me so far:

- Driving my own car and going where I want to go, when I want to go. No need for a rickshaw.
- Eating prime rib for dinner last night.
- Seeing Christmas decorations.
- Not constantly hearing car horns. I don't think I have heard one since I have been back.
- Leaving voicemails. This concept is unheard of in India.

At the same time, there are things I miss about India. Things are expensive here. $3 for a coffee? On my 50% salary, I'm going to have to watch my spending over the next few days. And of course, the people. I've met some great folks during my time there. For instance, Louise! I'm missing her last week in India. Fortunately, I will return just in time to see her off and to attend Delhi's Biggest Bash (Maybe Nic and Louise's answer to the Christmas Extravaganza?).

So while, it's nice to be back home, Delhi has been my home for the past two months and I'm looking forward to getting back.

Leaving for the States

Today, after just shy of two months in India, I'm returning to the States for a short visit. I'm a sucker for big parties and I just can't bear the thought of missing the 9th Annual Christmas Extravaganza! So, I'm packing my bags (there are many at this point), checking out of my guest house and returning to DC for a week. Aside from the Christmas party and the early Christmas/Birthday/New Years celebration with family and friends, I get to go to Ray Lamontagne concert at the 9:30 Club on Monday! Very excited.

But I have to admit that I'm not quite ready to come home. I've only been here for two months and the novelty of living in India hasn't worn off yet. I think that after 3 or 4 months, I would be in much need of a break, but for now, I'm having a great time and don't really want to leave yet.

And my early trip home, means I will have to last from mid-December to mid-April without a break. Fortunately, I will be entertaining visitors throughout January, February and March, so that should give me a good dose of home.

In any case, I look forward to seeing many of you in the coming days and catching up on everything. See you soon!

Goa Getaway

This past weekend, Louise and I treated ourselves to a romantic, inexpensive getaway to Goa. This was thanks to the all of the Marriott points I've acquired by living out of a suitcase for the past few years. Our room offered a spectacular view of the ocean (which turned out to be just a river). We arrived on Friday evening and enjoyed one of the most spectacular meals of my time in India. We selected our red snapper and tiger prawns straight from the fresh seafood bar and enjoyed them by the waterside.

We spent the bulk of our days lying by the pool which was right on the water. The highlight for Louise was the pool bar, where you could enjoy your cocktails in the water. The highlight for me was the little flag on the side of our beach chairs. When you put the flag up, a pool boy would come running over to attend to you within seconds. Absolutely wonderful.

On Saturday night, we teamed up with two other foreigners we met in the hotel. Marco, from Switzerland, and Gilberto, from Italy, were also enjoying a weekend away from their work in Lucknow. Only their company was paying all of their expenses, and some of ours as a result. Together we explored the night market, where I literally spent all the money in my wallet and had to stop by an ATM to get more money for the rest of the night. Then we had dinner at a restaurant on Calangute Beach and we ended the night at Club Cabana, a huge club on the top of a hill with incredible views.

Proving just how small the world is, Louise bumped into a girl she knew from Delhi. She was also in Goa for the weekend with two friends. One of these friends was Mark, a guy from Vienna, Virginia, a town just next to Reston. It's funny that you can travel half way around the world and meet someone who lives next door.

The weekend in going was short, but very relaxing. While I've already checked this off of my Things To Do List, I'm already planning a return trip for New Year's. And that time, I will stay much longer.

Casino Royale Delhi Style

The other night, I met up with a few friends to check out the latest James Bond film. Going to the movies is the same anywhere, right? Well no, that is not the case with India. Here are a few of the differences I observed.

First, there are assigned seats! I learned this when I suggested that we split up before the movie to get seats and popcorn. I immediately received several blank stares and I knew I was off. Louise and Nic confirmed this is also the case in South Africa.

Second, I had to walk through a metal detector to enter the theater, my purse and wallet were thoroughly inspected and I was subjected to a thorough pat down. I thought I was going to see a movie, not board an airplane. But as my friend reminded me, “This is India. There is always the threat of terrorism.”

Then, I discovered that there are intermissions during movies! Louise and I were quite confused when Bond and the latest Bond Girl headed off towards the bedroom and the film cut off, we were quick reassured that it was just an intermission and the film would resume in 10 minutes.

And the best part. Our tickets to Casino Royale, for which all of you in the States are paying $9 or more, was only 150 rupees ($3). Nice, huh?

Delhi’s Winter Chill

The winter chill has set in here in Delhi. I must confess my ignorance and admit that I had no idea it could get this cold here. Already the temperature has dropped to 5 degrees Celsius (about 41 degrees) at night. And because most buildings, including my bedroom, are not well-insulated, you feel the cold even more.

When I first arrived, many people told me that winters in Delhi could be quite cold. My thought was, "How bad can it be? It's not like it snows here!" Well, highs in the 70s and lows in the 40s isn't THAT cold, but it is very cold when your wardrobe only includes one sweatshirt and two sweaters! I have a stack of scarves that I have acquired since I arrived that are helping out a bit, but they just don't cut it.

My remedy for the cold? First, I'm heading to Goa this weekend to soak up the warm sunshine and 90 degree weather. Then, I'm going home to exchange my tank tops and strappy sandals for a few sweaters, closed-toes shoes and maybe even a coat!

My First Indian Wedding

On Sunday night, I had the pleasure of attending my first wedding, here in India. I met Pran, the Groom, a few weeks ago at my guest house. He's an American of Indian descent and his now-wife, Priya, grew up in Delhi, but has lived in the States for the past several years, for school and work. Since this was an Indian wedding, I was quickly invited along to celebrate with them and their families. Pran and Priya arrived in Delhi several weeks ago to prepare for their week-long wedding festivities. I only participated in the marriage itself, but other events included formal customs and traditions, like the Mehndi Ceremony where the hands and feet of the Bride are decorated with mehndi or henna. They also included more informal gatherings, such as a Bollywood dance party.

On the evening of the wedding or shaadi, I arrived at the site just after 6pm, so I could participate in the groom's procession. Pran's family gathered in the streets to the sounds of drums and there was a bit of dancing even before they festivities began. Then, Pran climbed on top of a decorated white horse and a procession or baraat of family, friends, drummers and bright, huge lanterns escorted him to the place of the ceremony. Here, the Bride's family greeted the Groom and his family and garlands were exchanged. Then, the Groom was seated and the Bride arrived shortly thereafter escorted by her female family members and friends. The Bride and Groom exchanged garlands and guests went up to them individually to wish them the best (and to take photos)!

The marriage ceremony itself lasted about an hour and consisted of the Bride and Groom and took place under the mandap, where they were surrounded by their family and friends. One thing that amazed me was that everyone did not have to participate in, or even watch the actual ceremony. During this time, some guests made their first appearances, food and non-alcoholic drinks served, while other guests wandered the grounds and mingled. I must admit that I missed many of the details of the ceremony itself, because I was seated away from the mandap. Despite this, it was wonderful to see centuries of tradition and ritual take place before my eyes. Then, in very typical Indian fashion, everyone ate and left. I even wore a sari to the wedding and surprisingly, was one of only a few Westerners in traditional dress. All of the Indian ladies were impressed that I had taken the trouble to don a sari for occasion!

This was all quite an experience for me, from buying and wrapping a sari, to participating in the baraat and witnessing the family and friends gathered in such an extravagant fashion to celebrate Pran and Priya's marriage. I am thrilled that they invited me to share in their day and I wish them the best.

Although I had a wonderful time and was fascinated by the experience, I am still not planning on an Indian wedding of my own!

Don't You Want to Visit India?

I've added a new section to my blog to highlight the people that have or plan to visit India while I'm here! This past weekend, I had the pleasure to welcome Kevin and Shawn to Delhi and I have a really bad photo taken by our driver to prove it. Sure they weren't here to see me, but my presence in Delhi was an added bonus for them (and probably the highlight)! Delhi was the first leg in their two week trip throughout the country. I had grand plans to take them to a Thanksgiving Dinner that was being hosted in town, but those plans fell through. While it was my second Thanksgiving without turkey and stuffing, my dad has promised to make a mini-Thanksgiving meal when I visit home next week. And fortunately for me, Kevin and Shawn's visit gave me an excuse to visit two of the best restaurants in town, Shalom and Bukhara. And Kevin got his name painted on a grain of rice. Probably highlight #2 (remember, I'm #1).

As for future visitors, Mike already has a plane ticket for March and I just need to get Laura's ticket for her January visit. Jen Smalheiser is also on board for a March trip and Joey and Jarret are planning to come in February (and will hopefully buy their tickets soon). Jen just booked her ticket, so she gets to move up on the list! Nyla and Hosmer have claimed that they want to come, but I think little progress has been made. Girls - You better get moving!

In any case, I hope that everyone will consider a trip to India whether it's when I'm here or not. My first 7 weeks have flown by, but they have been amazing and have offered me many wonderful sights, travels, experiences and friends.

Sari Shopping

On Saturday afternoon I went to Khan Market to meet up with Shawn and Kevin. It was here that I decided to buy a sari for the wedding I am attending tomorrow. I wasn't really looked forward to this experience, but fortunately Kevin was. We stopped into a small botique shop and not one of the huge sari emporiums that I've heard of. As I quickly learned, a sari is actually composed of three parts - the sari itself, the blouse, and the petticoat, in which the sari material is tucked.

The staff at Atelier was extremely attentive and helpful. The first sari I tried on (in the photo) was quite nice, but then I saw the price tag - 37,000 rupees! Since that's about $750, I immediately told them that it was WAY out of my price range. They were more than accommodating and began to pick out saris that were much more affordable. I settled on an orange one, with an embroidered trim. They took about a gizillon measurements of me and I was on my way. If all goes well, it will be ready at 2pm. This should give me plenty of time to pick it up, learn how to wrap a sari, and then get ready for the wedding at 6pm!

India Checklist Progress

A few weeks ago, I posted a list of things I want to see/do/experience while in India. I'm making good progress so far and here are a few updates.

#1 – Go to an Indian Wedding: I’m planning to go to my first Indian wedding this Sunday! It’s a little random, but I met a man at my guest house a few weeks ago who’s in town to get married. He’s American and of Indian descent, and his fiancée is from Delhi, but has spent the past several years in New York – going to school and working. The day I met him, he extended an invitation to the wedding, which I didn’t take too seriously. But over the course of the past few weeks, he’s brought it up every other time we’ve talked. So, I will be going and I’ve convinced Ani to come with me and help me sort out a gift. And if all goes well, I will be wearing a sari! Good photos are sure to follow.

#3 – Travel to Goa: I’m going to Goa in a week and half! Louise and I made plans to go there with Melissa (a fellow Hoya who we had drinks with a few weeks ago) and several of her friends. It’s sure to be a good time and it’ll be nice to relax on the beach and away from the hustle and bustle of Delhi.

#5 – Learn Basic Hindi: To date I’ve had 4 Hindi lessons with Lola, a wonderful instructor recommended by Elodie. Learning a new language is always tricky, but it's even harder when the characters are completely different! In any case, I’m making some progress, but need to really commit to learning (re: I need to practice more).

Still no significant progress on #2 (Get henna on my hands), #4 (Ride on a cool animal), #6 (Visit the orphanage in Amritsar again) and #7 (Travel to Kerala), but I still have time.

My Guest House

Several people have asked about my accommodations here in Delhi, so I thought I would share a few pictures. For the most part, I have been staying at the same guest house since I arrived in Delhi. The house is located on Prithviraj Road, which numerous people have told me is one of the most exclusive streets in Delhi. People often try to estimate the value of the property and I've heard figures ranging from $3 million to $15 million. And I'm convinced that rickshaw drivers jack up the price when I state that I am going here.

In any case, the grounds are nice. There's a main house where the owners live, plus a kitchen and a few guest rooms. Then, in the back, there's another building that used to be servants' quarters, garages and a cow shed. I actually found out this morning that the room I have been staying in used to be the cow shed! Fun, huh? My current room is quite small and a little drab, but I don't really spend much time there. And - I'm moving to a larger room this afternoon!

There's also a pottery shop on the grounds. A bit random, but also interesting. The pool is great too. It's a bit too cold for swimming now, but I did take a very quick dip the other week. Oh - and there's wireless here. This is so convenient and it allows me to work from home at least once a week, although I have to work outside since the signal is my room is non-existent. But I can't really complain about working while sitting outside in the sun.

Breakfast is served every morning on the terrace and there's a fridge stocked with bottled water and beer. It's great to be able to grab one at any time of day. The guest house is run by a woman, who lives on the property, and her daughter. They are both incredibly nice and have gone out of their way to make me feel at home here. The only problem has been their immense popularity, as there have been a few nights when they've been fully booked and I've had to stay elsewhere. But the environment here is so nice that it's been worth the hassle and I will be staying here through the end of the year.

The most impressive thing, is the army of people that work here during the day. There are 3 guys that work in the house, doing the cooking and cleaning. There are also several gardeners that are around during the day, plus a guy to clean the pool. As I'm writing this, there is a man sweeping the grass. Yes, I said sweeping. At home we would rake and we would use an actual rake, but here it's done with a sort of broom-thing that is archaic according to our standards. In any case, the work gets done. And better yet, people have jobs.

One thing I've noticed here is that it often takes 6-7 people to do a job only 1 or 2 would do at home. If you are in a store, 1 person will help you pick out items. Another will retrieve items from the back. Once you've decided to buy, another person will generate the bill, while another person handles the cash. Then someone else will fold and bag your purchase before handing it to another person, who finally hands it to you! Not the pinnacle of efficiency at all.

Exploring Bangkok - Part 2

The past few days in Bangkok have been a lot of fun. We wrapped up our class on Friday afternoon and after a short break, Thomas and I headed to the shop of the famous Indian tailors, Victor and Jesse. Because I'm such a great daughter, I offered to pick up some more dress shirts for my dad. So I stopped by the shop to order them and pick out the fabrics. And a mere 24 hours later, 8 dress shirts were delivered to my hotel. This was the same shop where I purchased a few shirts for my dad last year. He was so impressed with them, that he wanted more. Afterwards, we found an Italian restaurant where we enjoyed steak! Again, we left we had to take full advantage of the beef in Thailand, since it is essentially non-existent in India. After dinner, we checked out some of the vendors lining Sukhumvit Street, stopping. We finally made our way back to the hotel and made plans for the following day.

On Saturday, I headed to the main Jim Thompson store to pick up a few things. Jim Thompson was an American business who is credited with bringing Thai silk to international attention. Although he mysteriously disappeared many years ago, his brand is still huge here and there are several stores through Bangkok, Thailand and around Asia. The last time I was in Bangkok, I visited the Jim Thompson House, but I spent the bulk of my time in the gift shop. I was obsessed with all of the silk merchandise there and I also managed to visit shops in Phuket and the Bangkok airport! This time I kept the shopping for myself to a minimum and instead bought several presents for folks back home.

In the afternoon, I met up with Thomas at the hotel and we headed to the Grand Palace. After taking the requisite photos and visiting the Emerald Buddha, we made our way to the Chatuchak Weekend Market. This was definitely the highlight of the trip for me and something I missed out on the last time I visited Bangkok. The market itself was huge (30 acres) and you can find almost anything there – toys, clothing, ceramics, pets, underwear, household appliances. Of course, I limited my shopping to clothing. I left with an armload of bags and had acquired several shirts and skirts, another bathing suit, and even a pair of silk shoes. Mission Accomplished.

Worn out from a day of shopping in the sun, I retreated to my room for a few hours. In the evening, Thomas and I had dinner at the hotel. Again, he enjoyed the mixed grilled, another specialty you can’t find in India. We wanted to go for a few drinks, but had no idea where to go. At the front desk, Thomas asked for recommendations on where “young people” would go out. The receptionists laughed and responded, “I don’t know. I’m not young.” Thomas then asked where someone in their late 20s would go and she responded, “That’s not young!” So apparently we are not young. In the end, she recommended a bar in an area called Radio City Avenue (RCA). We never actually found the bar she recommended, but the street was lined with bars and clubs. We wandered into one at the end of the street with a live band. To our surprise, the band was quite good and we enjoyed their music, along with a few Singha beers, before calling it a night.

Sunday was the best day of the whole trip. After breakfast, I treated myself to a pedicure, which my feet desperately needed. Then I decided to brave the sweltering November heat and hit the pool. I have no idea what the temperature was, but I do know the night before, it was 91 degrees at 6pm. So, I’m sure it was well above that and I couldn’t believe it was November. This is winter in Thailand. I only lasted for about an hour at the pool, but found it thoroughly enjoyable. Soon after, I packed up my belongings (there were many more of them know) and had a sandwich at the pool bar, before I had to meet Thomas for our ride to the airport.

And thanks to duty-free shops, my shopping expedition in Bangkok wasn’t over yet! Actually, I only picked up some alcohol for friends back in Delhi and called it quits. But all in all, the 5 days in Bangkok was quite nice and gave me a refreshing break from life in India. I’m definitely excited to go back, but I am not looking forward to the constant car horns, the frequent stares and the repeated attempts to offer me something I don’t want.

Exploring Bangkok - Part 1

I've spent the past 3 days in Bangkok to attend training for the ADP program. The first day I met up with Thomas, my colleague working in Pune, India and from Ireland, to explore the city. We headed off by boat to visit Wat Arun and Wat Po. I've been to both before, but it was great to visit them again. I'm especially a fan of Wat Arun, "Temple of Dawn," which sits right on the river.

Please note the Chanel sunglasses on the top of my head in the photo to the left, as this is the last time you will see them. They are now sitting at the bottom of the Chao Phraya River.

We then visited Wat Po, and after wandering around for a bit, we stopped for wonderful Thai massages (only 220 baht or $6)! Worn out from the heat, we headed back to the hotel in the evening and had dinner there. Plus, we had to get ready for our big class the next day.

As it turned out, Thomas and I were the only two people attending this session. In the morning we met our instructor, Andrew, a Briton who lived in Canada for many years before volunteering and working in Nigeria, Cambodia and now Nepal. The class provided a lot of valuable information about development work and gave us the opportunity to share some of our experiences from the past few weeks in India.

Thursday night after class, we joined Andrew for drinks on the 52nd floor the Banyan Tree Hotel. The view was spectacular. For dinner, we headed to Jim Thompson's Saladaeng Cafe. Because there were soft-shelled crabs on the menu, I had to order them, and they were fabulous. After dinner, we split from Andrew and went to the Suan Lim Night Bazaar. There, I did the requisite shopping (5 handbags, a bathing suits, and a t-shirt) and we also took a ride on the ferris wheel. This seems to be Bangkok's attempt to match the London Eye.

Beef!

When I sat down for lunch yesterday, I remembered that Thailand has something that India does not. Beef! I've made it through the past 5 1/2 weeks without one of my favorite foods, but I could not let the opportunity to eat beef pass without indulging. It wasn't the best burger I've ever had, but it will tide me over until I'm home in a few weeks and can enjoy one of my Dad's famous burgers!

Out of India

With all the buzz surrounding my appearance in the paper, I had to get out of India for a couple of days. Actually, I have ADP (Accenture Development Partnerships) training on Thursday and Friday in Bangkok, so I'm spending a few extra days. I arrived very weary at 6am thanks to an "overnight" flight that should never be called overnight because it's only 4 hours. In any case, it seems that life in India has changed me a bit. I didn't prepare for this trip at all. I just printed out my flight and hotel information and headed to the airport. I didn't look at a map of Bangkok to see where I was staying. I didn't even know the US Dollar - Thai Baht exchange rate. I guess I feel that after living in India for 5 weeks, I can do almost anything.

While I was a bit sad to leave Delhi, now that I'm gone I'm realizing all the good things about going away. First, it's actually quieter and cleaner here. When I first visited Thailand last year, I never would have imagined saying this. Second, there's a bathtub! I haven't seen one of these in over a month, so I am going to take full advantage of it. Third, I love Thai food. And fourth, shopping. If there's one place that can compare with India when it comes to shopping, it's Thailand.

And now it's nap time.

My 15 Minutes of Fame

I managed to have my photo in the Hindustan Times today. Louise called at 7:45am to tell me. It must have been something about all of the great work I'm doing here in India, right? No, it was a photo of me at a party I went to on Friday night! My photo appears along side those of a famous cricketer, a local entrepreneur, and the DJ from the party. What nice company.

In the office this morning, I was telling a colleague about it and a woman leaned over and said 'Page 3, right?' And literally, as I was writing this entry, another guy came up to me and introduced himself after seeing the photo in the paper.

But Page 3 seems to be a big deal here. I'm really quite amazed (and embarrassed) at how many people actually read every page of the paper. I suspect that if I made Page 3 of the Style section of the Washington Post, most people would not notice.

In any case, here's the link to the Jungle Party story in case you want to read all about it.

(And the reference to the Abhishek Bachchan hairband...Abishek is the son of Amitabh Bachchan, one of the country's biggest Bollywood stars. Just last week there was a photo in the paper of Abhishek wearing one of these hairbands and now they are all the rage).

Computer Crisis!!

I'm just recovering from quite a scare involving my computer. It all started at the end of the day on Friday when it suddenly crashed. Sometimes it would work for a few minutes before crashing again, and sometimes it would sort of sputter and then promptly shut down.

While the idea of losing all of my work was quite frightening, the worst thought was how I would get through the weekend. My computer is my connection to life back home. Without email and Skype and I didn't know what I would do. But somehow, I managed. I borrowed a computer for a few hours on Saturday to update my blog and photos and send a few emails. And then I did what the rest of the world does. I disconnected and kept myself entertained in other ways. What a concept.

And fortunately - the IT guy in my office was able to fix my computer, so I am up and running again!

A Wild Ride

This might be one of the funniest things I've witnessed in awhile. As we were leaving a party at Lodhi Garden on Friday night, we spotted a elephant walking down the road. It appeared that the elephant was wandering by itself without a mahout, but as it turned out, there were two mahouts sleeping in the basket on top. Like most people would do, Louise thought to run into the middle of the road and take a few photos. Lauren thought otherwise. She got the bright idea to hitch a ride ON the elephant. With Ani and G's assistance, she asked to jump on. Within seconds she was on top and slowly making her way down Lodhi Road. I opted not to jump on, but I did stick my head out the car window to capture as many photos as possible. It wasn't the fastest ride ever, but certainly one of the coolest. Where else can you ride an elephant in the road at 1 in the morning?!?

Parking Lot Fiasco

Here's a photo of the parking lot outside of the Accenture office in Delhi. I'm not sure what to make of this. What if my car is the red car - the one 7 rows back and blocked in by 50 other cars? There must be some system for parking and retrieving cars from this lot, but I am at a lost as to what it is.

Shopping Expedition in Sarojini Market

Yesterday, I took an afternoon break from work and headed to Sarojini Market for a little shopping. I can't believe it had taken me so long to get there! Many of my friends had been raving about the bargains.

For the past 4 weeks, I've been trying to pace my shopping. I figure six months is plenty of time to find and buy all of the things I want, plus I don't want to deal with lugging my things with me every time I pack up to leave town. But now I starting to reconsider as I think weekly trips to Sarojini Market may be in order. The market has a ton of stalls filled with merchandise for western stores and labels. It was all made in India, but most of the clothing is irregular or even damaged.

To take full advantage, you have to be prepared to sort through piles and piles of clothing. There are no mirrors. You can't really try anything on - unless it's over your clothes. You have to select your sizes carefully and hope they fit when you get home. Louise recommends coming with a friend and a digital camera so you can check out the photos.

All in all, I had a successful shopping trip and returned home with 6 new shirts, 1 skirt and 1 pair of shoes! Total price? About $20! And I swear that one of the shirts I bought is the same as one I have from Ann Taylor Loft and paid at least 10 times as much for!

I can't wait for next week!

My India Checklist

A few weeks ago, Louise and I put together a list of things we want to do/experience by the time we leave India. Many of you know that I love lists and get immense satisfaction by putting a check next to a completed task. I guess that's the consultant in me. Fortunately, I have 6 months (only 5 months now!) to complete my list, while she has only 3. Here's my current list:

• Go to an Indian wedding (Please note this does not say HAVE an Indian wedding. I will NOT be getting married here).
• Get henna on my hands
• Travel to Goa
• Ride on a cool animal (other than a camel and elephant, which I have already done)
• Learn basic Hindi
• Visit the orphanage in Amritsar again

I'm sure I will add to this list over the course of the next few months, but this is a start. I'm already dreaming of trips to Kerala in the south and Kashmir in the north, so these should be on the list soon.

As for my progress, there hasn't been much to date. I have an invitation to a wedding, but I don't know if the timing will work out. And today I had my second Hindi lesson, so I am making some progress with that, although I really have to work on my pronunciation!

From time to time, I'll repost this list and let you know how I'm doing. And if you have any recommendations for me, please let me know!

Working on the Weekend

On Friday evening I was really looking forward to my relaxing weekend with few plans. It was to be my first weekend in Delhi to just hang out and explore, since I had gone to Amritsar and Varanasi two of the weekends, and the third was Diwali and all of its associated firework madness. I had plan to go shopping, read, maybe hang out by the pool. All of my plans came to a screeching halt when my dinner was interrupted by a phone call telling me I would be traveling to Meerut the following day.

Meerut is a small town located in Uttar Pradesh, one of the states just adjacent to Delhi. Meerut is only 65 km (40 mi) from Delhi, but travel by car takes forever due to poor roads and TRAFFIC. My journey to Meerut took about 3 hours each way. And in typical Indian fashion, it included a few unscheduled stops along the way to pick up food, pick up packages, and drop of people. My return trip even included a stop at my colleague's apartment for coffee and sweets and a viewing of The Pelican Brief. I'm not kidding. Fortunately, I was able to decline his offer of dinner and made it back to my guest house at 9:30pm - 9 hours later!

Despite my annoyance at the journey, the trip was well worth it. In India, I'm working for the GSM Association, who has partnered with several of the Indian wireless companies to launch a product called Shared Phone in rural areas of the country. Shared Phone essentially acts as a mobile pay phone, thereby enabling people to have access to wireless technology without having to bear the cost of a mobile phone. At the same time, the product gives a local entrepreneur the opportunity to run his/her own business. The target audience for the product is the un- or under-employed.

The purpose of our trip was to test the product in the local market, in order to document (and ultimately) correct any problems that currently exist with the product. It's really typical IT project management work, but with a great end result. It was very interesting to see a more rural part of the country, since the bulk of my time has been spent in Delhi or other tourist destinations. And it was even more interesting to meet one of the local entrepreneurs that has bought and will be using this equipment. I get to go back to Meerut on Wednesday to re-test the product and hopefully I will have the chance to meet more Shared Phone users.

I'm back in Delhi now and will reward myself with a leisurely day at the guest house. I plan to read and go for a swim and not think about the fact that I had to work on Saturday!

Did You Know?

I'm constantly fascinated by the number of people that live in India. Geographically-speaking, the country is large, but only about a third of the size of the United States. Despite that, over 1.1 billion people live here. The country and the people are incredibly diverse. Here are a few statistics about India:

• 16% of the world's population lives in India.
• The population of India is approximately 1.1 billion, nearly 4 times more than the US, although the country is only about a third of the size of the US.
• The population of Delhi is roughly 15 million and is estimated to reach over 20 million by 2015.
• India has the second largest number of English speakers in the world.
• India has 22 official languages and hundreds of other languages and dialects.
• India has the second largest Muslim population in the world, behind on Indonesia. 13% of the Indian population is Muslim.

An Indian Halloween

Who says they don't celebrate Halloween in India? Certainly not me since I went to one of the best Halloween parties ever last night.

Louise, Lauren, Nic and I went as paranoid tourists. We were a bit limited in our costumes because as we went to buy supplies on Monday, we discovered that just about every store in Delhi was closed because of a 3 day strike. As a result, we had to rely on the clothes we had. We donned our t-shirts, shorts, running shoes and hats. Louise loaded her belt with disinfectant, bug spray and her Lonely Planet guide, while Lauren used her bug spray as perfume and gave herself a nice sunburn. Nic worn his pants as high as humanly possible and a camera was permanently around his neck.

While we thought our costumes were funny, they paled in comparison to the others. There was a no costume, no entry rule that was strictly enforced. This ensured that everyone there was wearing some type of costume - most of them quite lavish. The party setting was unlike any I've seen. The terrace was completely decorated and included a graveyard, ghosts in trees and creepy music playing in the background. And no - my pictures above aren't fuzzy. That's just the fog from the fog machine, something that every good Halloween party needs.

I found later on that most of the Indians in attendance didn't even know what Halloween was before the party. But you would never know that my the thought that went into their costumes. I guess that's just the result of the no costume, no entry rule. And it definitely worked.

The Long Train to Varanasi

Monday morning I returned from a weekend trip to Varanasi. Varanasi is a city of 1 million located on the Ganges River and one of the holiest cities for Hindus. Hindus make pilgrimages here to bathe in the river and it is said that if you die in Varanasi, you go straight to Heaven.

I departed on a Friday evening train, along with Louise, Elodie, Lauren, Vivien, Marlies, Clement and Mathieu. Armed with bags of food and many bottles of water, we set off for the long trip. The ride was indeed long (14 hours), but we kept ourselves amused by playing Asshole (also known as Cheesehead) for hours on end. We finally arrived around 8am and made our way to Hotel Alka.

The Ganges is the life of the city. People bathe, swim and wash their clothes in the water. Others sells produce, flowers and postcards along the river's edge. But more importantly, the Ganges is lined with ghats, where people go to pray. And there is the Burning Ghat, where bodies are cremated along the river in a formal ceremony, in which only men can participate.

Fortunately for us, we arrived in Varanasi the weekend of the Chhath Puja. This is a festival dedicated to the Sun God. At sunset on Saturday and at sunrise on Sunday, people gathered at the Ganges and women entered the water to bathe themselves. We enjoyed the sights and sounds of the puja from a row boat in the Ganges at sunset and again at sunrise. Sunday morning we rose at 5:15am for our boat ride. Although it was still dark, the sound of fireworks already filled the air, and as we peered out of our hotel window, we could seen huge crowds of people along the Ganges. Once on the boat, we were paddled along the water and were able to witness the puja in action. Loud music played. Vendors sold flowers and candy. And people were everywhere. At the first sight of the sun on Sunday morning, the crowds broke into a loud cheer. But within minutes, all of the festivities were over and people returned to their everyday routines.

Our return trip back to Delhi was even longer, nearly 20 hours. But my super-sleeping powers kicked in and I managed to asleep for all but a few hours of the trip, to everyone else's amazement. Tired, yet refreshed from the weekend's experiences, I returned to my guest house and starting thinking about my next trip out of Delhi.

Driving Rules

I spent a lot of time riding in the car today, traveling between offices, so it inspired me to come up with a list of key driving rules in India. I don’t have the courage to ever get behind the wheel here, but if you do, here are some things to keep in mind.

• First and foremost, the larger vehicle has the right of way. A mere mortal is no match for a speeding bus.
• Using your horn is a must. Without it others won’t know you are there.
• The more you honk, the faster you will get where you are going.
• Lanes are merely suggestions. You are welcome to drive across two lanes, if you prefer. Driving in the oncoming traffic lane is also acceptable.
• Red lights have no meaning, especially at night. If you don’t see a car in the intersection, then you are allowed to drive right through – no stop required.
• Women cannot get injured on a motorbike, only men can. This must be the case since women never wear helmets, only men do.
• If the turning lane has a long line, you can just form a second turning lane and squeeze your way to the front.
• Side-view mirrors are a hassle. Most are either turned in or were knocked off long ago. If you leave them turned out, you run the risk of a having a passing motorbike smash it. (This actually happened to a car I was in last week).
• When traveling by bus, rickshaw or motorbike, passengers are expected to assist with the driving by sticking their bodies out the windows to signal left and right turns and lane changes.
• If crossing a busy road, you may be able to stop traffic long enough to cross just by sticking your hand out, but there are no guarantees.
• If for some reason, you are stopped by the police, you can always bribe your way out of it. Good to know.

Despite these rules, I have only seen two accidents on the side of the road and only one of these involved blood. Good luck on the roads.

Indian Stretchable Time - My New Best Friend

Indian Standard Time or IST is officially the time zone for India, which is 9.5 hours ahead of Eastern Time (and 10.5 hours ahead after Daylight Savings ends next week). But I've also heard IST referred to as Indian Stretchable Time. As far as I can tell Indian Stretchable Time = LATE. I think IST is wonderful. Where else can the punctually-challenged like myself thrive?

IST allows me to show up at the office at 10am and no one thinks anything of it. It enables me to say I'll be there in 10 minutes when I really mean 30. Unfortunately, it also means that lunch isn't until 1-2pm and dinner often isn't served until 9pm or later. This part will take some getting used to.

What are the reasons for the culture of lateness? I have no idea, but I don't really mind it at all. It's nice to have a slower (later) pace of life. Traffic is one possibility as there is no rhyme or reason to it. Every hour is rush hour. Maybe it's because the car up ahead is on fire. Or maybe the elephant walking in the street is going too slowly. Or possibly, it's because there's a rickshaw driver who's stopped in the middle of the road to ask for directions for the fifth time. Or maybe it's just that there are so many people, cars, trucks, buses, motorbikes, richshaws, bicycles and animals on the road at the same time.

And I realized today that the traffic excuse is a truly acceptable and understandable one here. This afternoon I was headed to a meeting (see, I am working here!) just outside of town and encountered a monster traffic jam. Apparently, it was the result of the road being closed because a foreign minister was passing through. The entire road just closed. Fortunately, my driver convinced me to let him turnaround and I rescheduled my meeting for tomorrow morning. Although it was a bit of an inconvenience, it definitely beat sitting in traffic for another 2 hours and arriving embarrassingly late for my meeting. Or maybe I would have been considered on time after all?

Diwali 2006

Diwali 2006 has come and gone in the capital and things are beginning to settle down. Everyone warned of the craziness of the fireworks, but it would have been impossible to adequately prepare me for the madness that it actually was.

Saturday was quite nice. It started with breakfast at the guest house with Lauren, a stop in a craft market and then coffee in Khan Market. There, we picked up some sweets to bring to the Diwali lunch hosted by some Danish friend, hence the Danish flag on their doors in the picture to the right. The food at the lunch was phenomenal and the company was even better. After lunch (it was already after 6pm), I squeezed in a quick nap to recourse for the evening. We made our way to Vivien and Elodie's flat in the Defense Colony. Their flat has a beautiful balcony that offered a great vantage point to the firecracker festivities going on below. Coming from the Nation's Capital, I thought I had seen firework displays before. Instead, I quickly learned that it is one thing to watch fireworks when you can settle into a nice spot on the grass and view them overhead, and it's another when they are right in front of you. At home I always had a certain comfort level knowing that the fireworks were far away and that they were being set off by trained professionals. You have none of that comfort here.

From the balcony, we watched as neighbors filled the streets to set off their arsenals. Some fireworks were launched into the air and provided the beautiful displays to which I am accustomed. But many more were just firecrackers that spewed flames a few feet off the ground accompanied by incredibly loud booms. My favorite of the night was one that littered the street with colorful confetti.

And I'm featuring this lovely photo of Lauren, Nic and Louise at the Diwali party on Saturday. It looks like they will be prominent figures in my life over the next few months, so you should get used to hearing about them. Louise is my co-worker from South Africa, social life-planner-extraordinaire, and shopping partner. She's done these jobs extremely well, as I'm now exhausted and sick (see next paragraph). Nic is her flat mate, fellow South African, and cricket enthusiast. He's already taken to calling me Chander - a la Mrs. Roder. He's signed up for a 2 year stint in Delhi, so it's a good thing he's not going anywhere anytime soon. Friday was the first and only day I haven't seen Louise since I've been in Delhi. Lauren (from Holland) picked up where she left off and invited me out for a night of hotel bar-hopping with friends. And we're staying at the same guest house, so I get to see her just about every day too. That's until she moves to a flat of her very own next week, since she will be here for 2-3 years. So, these three and the countless other people I've met so far have made my transition to life in Delhi impeccably smooth and immensely entertaining. I can't help but look forward to the next 5 1/2 months!

Now that things are beginning to settle down, I'm going to use this time to recover from the cold I seemed to have caught here. I'm blaming it on the air pollution, the excessive AC and my general lack of sleep over the past two weeks. I guess with all of the excitement of being in a new city and meeting new people, I have neglected my body. Since this past weekend was Diwali, I didn't want to stay in and miss out on all of the fun and fireworks. And If I had, I would have nothing to write about on my blog!

Must Be the Money

I'm cringing at the title of this blog, but I just had to do it because I heard this song while in a club last night and got a good laugh. Once my laughter subsided, I proceeded to sing along with every word...which I know thanks to Joey, Paul and Chris and their obsession with this song several years ago. And I figured the title was semi-appropriate since today is Diwali, the Festival of Lights. It is also the day when Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth, Beauty and Prosperity is worshipped. Diwali celebrates the return of Rama after 14 years in exile. As part of the celebration, people visit family and friends, share sweets, gamble and set off fireworks (or crackers as they call them here). It's kind of like Christmas festivities, Fourth of July fireworks and a trip to Vegas all rolled into one. Homes and businesses are cleaned and decorated to welcome Lakshmi, who will visit to bless the people. Women buy new utensils. Clay oil lamps are lit and displayed everywhere.

In the days leading up to the holiday, the city has been filled with Diwali excitement. Markets and shops were more crowded this week and my office was a virtual ghost town on Friday. The exception was the few people gathered for a photo in the Accenture office. And like every other office, shop and house, it was brightly decorated for holiday.

Most people have told me that this is one of the most exciting times to be in India. Only a few have warned me that it is one of the worst. I'm sure it will be one of the craziest and most memorable. Plans for the day include a Diwali lunch at the apartment of some Danish friends and a party in the evening at the apartment of some French friends. And fireworks, of course. Assuming I can avoid getting hit by errant crackers, I will report back on how the day turned out. Until, then Happy Diwali.

A Tale of Two Delhis - Old vs. New

The other day, I wrote about my travels to Old Delhi - the crowds, the rickshaws, the overall madness. Well, the following evening was the complete opposite of that night. After relaxing and enjoying a few beers on Louise and Nic's rooftop patio, we went by rickshaw to the Turquoise Cottage in New Delhi. There we met up with Elodie, Lise (from Denmark) and some new friends to celebrate Thomas's (a new friend) departure from Delhi.

At dinner I was surrounded by Westerners, in what I referred to as a mini-UN. There were people from Denmark, France, Norway, Great Britain, Finland, and South Africa. Louise, Nic and I feasted on chili crab and garlic butter crab, much to Louise's dismay. But those of you at home know my love of crabs and my need to eat them whenever they appear on a menu. Fortunately, you always eat with your hands in India, so no one balked at the mess we made. And the crabs were incredibly tasty!

After dinner, we said our goodbyes to Thomas. He headed to the airport and we headed downstairs to the dance club. The usual 500 rupee cover charge was waived and off we went. Downstairs, the bar was crowded and filled with smoke and American music was blasting through the speakers. But it wasn't just American music. It was an assortment of 80s and 90s rock - U2, Dire Straits, Nirvana, Creed, Whitesnake and the likes. It was so strange to stand back and remember that it was 2006 and that I was in a club in Delhi. It easily could have been 1996 and I was standing in Chadwick's.

The contrast to my experience in Old Delhi was just amazing. Here were Indians paying the equivalent of $5 or more for a drink, while the night before there were rickshaw drivers haggling us over 10 rupees. In Old Delhi I witnessed hundreds of Indians living in shacks and on the streets, while the following night I was surrounded by the privileged. Never before had I seen such disparities between the poor and the rich and never before had the two faces of Delhi been so clearly illustrated for me.