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.