Holi is Coming

This Saturday marks another Hindu festival called Holi or the Festival of Colors. I've been told that it essentially celebrates the triumph of good over evil in Hindu mythology and it also marks the arrival of Spring. To celebrate Holi, people create huge bonfires and throw colored powder and water on friends and family. Sounds like fun, huh?

There are obvious signs that Holi is approaching. The stores in the market all have large displays of colored powders, water balloons and water guns. And just yesterday, a boy down the street tried to hit me with a water balloon. Fortunately, he missed.

U.I.P.

Urination in Public. Sorry to write about such a crass topic, but this is such a common occurrence in Delhi, I can't not comment on it.

As most Americans know,this is an offense in many U.S. states and cities. One of my friends at Georgetown learned this the hard way. In any case, it can get you arrested and therefore, if it is done, it is done with a bit of discretion. This is not the case in India.

As anyone who has visited the country will tell you, this is a very common occurrence. For instance, during my short ride to the office, I can usually count at least 5 men on the side of the road relieving themselves. Of course, as the length of my trip increases, so does the number of men I see engaged in such activity. I've even had taxi drivers and rickshaw drivers stop their vehicles on the side of the road so they could relieve themselves - while I was waiting!

Several months ago, one of the local papers featured a several page article on this problem that is plaguing Delhi and most other Indian cities. Despite the construction of public conveniences (restrooms) in most markets and on busy streets, men still continue to use the streets and alleyways. Unfortunately, these public conveniences charge a nominal fee of Rs 1-2, therefore people think "why should I pay to use this restroom, when I can just use the alley around the corner for free." And so, the problem prevails despite all of the efforts to end it.

Just the other day, I saw a sign in my neighborhood that read "No person shall urinate here." I can't believe a sign like this is even necessary and I have no idea if it even works. But, I appreciate the fact that someone else has recognized the problem and wants to do something about it. And maybe it's deterred just one person from using the street as his toilet...

Language Lessons of a Different Sort

I'm still trying to learn Hindi, but tonight I was actually on the other side of a language lesson. The other day, my maid's younger sister, Bina, asked if I would help her study English. Of course, I said yes. I figured, I speak English, how hard could it be? I obviously have no experience in teaching foreign languages, and this will be compounded by the fact that I don't even speak Hindi. But it should also be a lot of fun and I'm happy to help Bina in any way I can.

In any case, it was very informal and we spent about 30 minutes reading through conversations in her English book. She wants to come every evening. I don't know if I can handle this level of commitment, but I said 4-5 times a week would be fine with me.

Bina's a sweet girl and I'm very impressed by her commitment to learn and practice the language. She even told me tonight that I can't speak Hindi to her during these sessions. But I want practice too! And the cutest part, she calls me didi, which is Hindi for teacher. We're meeting again tomorrow evening, so we'll see how my teaching skills progress...

India Readings

I'm following Louise's example and mentioning a few of the novels about India that I've read over the past few months. I have a long way to go on the Recommended India Reading list, but this is a start. I'll start with Shantaram, where first Louise yelled at me repeatedly for not already having read this book. Then she gave me a copy of the book for my birthday before she left in Delhi. Figuring I had to read it or risk the further wrath of Louise, I finally started reading it in January. Good thing I did. I absolutely loved it.

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. Shantaram tells the story of Lindsey, an Australian convict, who escapes from prison and flees to Bombay. There, he lives in a slum, works on the black market, spends time in a Maharashtrian village. Learns to speak Hindi and Marathi fluently, open a slum clinic and becomes enmeshed in the Bombay underworld. It was a thrilling read and one I would highly recommend. And it's being turned into a Hollywood film to be release in 2008, starring Johnny Depp and Amitabh Bachchan.

The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai. This novel was the 2006 Man Booker Prize and is set in a town at the foothills of the Himalayas, Kalimpong. It tells the story of several characters: Jemubhai, a miserable former Indian judge, Sai: the judge's orphaned teenager granddaughter, their cook, Biju: the cook's son who is illegally living in New York City, Gyan: Sai's Nepali math tutor, and several other characters in the Himalayan town. This is a good novel, but not nearly as stimulating and hard to put down as Shantaram was.

Others on the list include William Dalrymple's City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi, Dominique Lapierre's City of Joy, and Rohinton Mistry's A Fine Balance. The only problem with the last one is that Oprah got to it first and it's a Oprah's Book Club book.

A Prepaid World

In India, you prepay for almost everything. Here are a few examples of things that are typically prepaid in India:

• Mobile Communications - Nearly 80% of mobile subscribers are prepaid. This is in contrast to the U.S. where about only 30% of the market is prepaid. To recharge a mobile phone, the customer can either purchase a recharge coupon or have the recharge completed by SMS.
• Cable Service - Service can be paid for in advance. To extend service, simply purchase recharge coupons.
• Taxis and Rickshaws - Travelers can prepay for transportation from the airport. This is largely in an effort to prevent foreigners from getting ripped off, and it helps.
• Nightclubs - Pay a cover charge at the door and in exchange, receive a set of coupons to use when purchasing drinks inside.

There's probably nothing too shocking about the list above, but what has surprised me is that many, and likely the majority, of Indians also prepay for large purchases like cars and houses! Financing is not commonly used and its often frowned upon, so many people only buy vehicles or property when they have enough money to pay for them outright. I can't quite grasp this concept and the thought of making a down payment on a house is scary enough, I can't imagine paying for it outright.

Chanda Madam

I've gotten used to being addressed as 'Chanda Madam' or just 'Madam' or 'Ma'am.' This is what I'm called by my drivers, the maid, waiters and even people I consider co-workers and colleagues. But India is a very hierarchical society and anyone in a position of authority is shown respect in various ways. Coming from a land where were we call people waiting us on 'Sir' or 'Madam,' this has been a bit of an adjustment for me.

The formality extends into the workplace, where anyone at a level above you is shown respect. In Hindi, this is done easily by adding 'ji' to the person's name. For instance, I would be Chanda-Ji or even Chanda Madam. And of course, the polite/formal form of speech is used for addressing elders and superiors, while the informal form is reserved for friends, children, and inferiors.

Once we working in one of my clients' offices, I was trying to find desk space for the day. The desk I usually used was occupied by someone else. The staff soon found an available desk that was much nicer than the first one. I was instructed to sit there (even though the first desk was mine) because the other person was "too junior" for that desk and location. What a contrast to the land of cubicles we have in the U.S. Even on my last project, my row of cubes included a consultant, a manager, a senior manager, and a senior executive. We also sat in desks of the same size and no one complained.

But I have to admit that I'm getting used to my new titles. And I'm used to having someone open all doors for me. (The exception being in the elevator in the building where the Accenture office is located. There, all the men rush through the door first, even if it means knocking me over on the way. I guess this is because we are peers, or maybe because they see me as an inferior. I am a woman afterall, so apparently the rules of respect don't apply here).

In any case, returning to the States will be interesting for me as I will soon have to drive myself around, open my own doors and get used to being addressed simply as Chanda. Oh, the horrors of life in America.

Chokhi Dhani - The Ethnic Village Resort

On Friday night, we stayed at Chokhi Dhani, a 5-star ethnic village resort just outside of Jaipur. The rooms were individual small mud cottages that were located around the property. Inside, these rooms were far better than what you would find in a village. Each cottage had different decorations and each also had a TV, telephone and scalding hot water (something you don't find every day in India).

In the evening, the "village" at Chokhi Dhani comes alive and a village experience is recreated. There was music, dancing, crafts, henna, freshly-made chai and elephant and camel rides. For dinner, we ate at the restaurant on the grounds, which offers typical Rajasthani fare and customs. This means that you remove your shoes before entering the building, sit on the floor during the meal, and all of the food served is vegetarian. The food was quite tasty and endless. I definitely overloaded myself on the sweets at the end of the meal, which were basically pieces of fried dough coated with glazed sugar. Yummy.

After dinner, we walked around the village and took in the sights. Jarret and I stopped to do a little shopping, of course. We both walked away with a pair of beautiful handmade shoes.

Jarret and Joey took an elephant ride around the grounds, and later I joined them for a camel ride. This means that I have crossed off #4 - Ride on a Cool Animal from my India Checklist!

The Pink City

This past weekend, I ventured to Jaiput, a city in Rajasthan that is known as the 'Pink City' because of its sand colored walls. It was built in the early 1700s by Raja Sawai Jai Singh II and is a part of the often-traveled Golden Triangle (Delhi - Agra - Jaipur).

The city is located 250km south of Delhi, which translates into a 5 hour train ride. I awoke early on Friday morning and took the Shatabdi Express to my destination. Shatabdi trains are among the best the Indian Railway system has to offer. A train ticket includes meal service, bottled water, morning newspapers and minimal stops. And train announcements are in Hindi AND English. All this for $10!

Upon my arrival in Jaipur, I immediately headed for the tourist sights. First, I visited the Palace of Winds or Hawa Mahal. Today, basically only the facade remains, but it overlooks the busy streets of Jaipur, including the Johari Bazaar. It was originally built to allow the women of the royal household to watch everyday life below. Today, it offers a great vantage point to take in the rest of the city.

Next, I visited the City Palace, which sits inside the walls of the old city. The royal family (the son of the last Maharaja and his family) still resides in part of the City Palace complex. I also visited Jantar Mantar (Instrument of Calculation), a stone observatory that was also built by Sawai Jai Singh II, who was an avid astronomer. This one is the largest of the 5 observatories that were constructed across the country. It contains 13 different instruments that can calculate the movement of celestial bodies.

And it continues...

It's cold, rainy, windy and plain nasty in Delhi. In case anyone didn't believe me when I said it gets cold here, Joey and Jarret can now attest to this fact. This morning I awoke to the sound of a torrential downpour and it just made me want to stay in bed. It was so cold, rainy, windy and nasty outside that I had to dig out my rain jacket and umbrella from the bottom of my suitcase. They have been sitting there, untouched, since my arrival 4 months ago.

Today I also met my new Canadian Accenture/ADP/GSMA colleague, who will be working in Delhi for the next 6 months on a different GSMA project. I assured Neil that the weather isn't usually like this. But in a few months when it's 120 degrees here, he might be wishing it cold, rainy and nasty again.

Mike and Jen - I can't promise clear skies and sunshine for your visit in a month, but I truly hope it's better than the weather that has greeted Joey and Jarret. Fortunately, we are headed out of Delhi to Jaipur in a few days and the forecast looks relatively promising. Temperatures should be in the mid-70s and partly cloudy skies. Hopefully, this holds true and we can enjoy a little bit of sunshine this weekend. Cross your fingers.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Joey and Jarret arrived in Delhi on Friday night and they brought the rain with them. Unfortunately, it rained all day on Saturday, their first day and only full day in Delhi. I've been here for 4 months and I've only seen it rain a few times. And it has never rained all day long, but only for maybe 20 minutes.

We braved the rain anyway and started our day in Khan Market. There Joey and Jarret both ordered clothes from a local tailor and we stopped into a few other shops and grabbed lunch. Next, we briefly visited Humayun's Tomb before heading to the New Delhi Railway station to buy train tickets to Jaipur for later in the week. After some confusion and walking around most of the station, we found the Foreign Tourist Bureau and purchased our tickets. Finally, we took warmed our cold and rain-soaked bodies in a coffee shop.

In the evening, Joey, Jarret and Ani came over to my new apartment (yes, I moved again!) and I had some Indian food delivered. From there, we headed to Rick's, the center of Delhi nightlife, for a drink. Joey and Jarret headed back to their hotel soon after and prepared for the next day.

Today, they were off on their own to visit Old Delhi (which we skipped yesterday because of the rain) and Agra for the night. Their day started off very strangely with two taxi driver showing up at their hotel and much confusion. In the end, with a little luck and coincidence, the situation worked itself out. But Joey and Jarret are already beginning to understand that you just can't plan things the way you would if you were home. First, you just don't need to. Everything can (and usually does) happen last minute. Second, if you try to plans things too much, they will rarely work out according to your plans and you will be disappointed. I've learned that if you have low and no expectations, you can't be let down!

My First Visitors!

Tomorrow night I get to welcome my first visitors to Delhi! Joey and Jarret will be arriving late Friday and will spend just over a week in India. After spending the weekend in Delhi, they'll head to Agra, Varanasi and Jaipur. Because Friday is yet another holiday here, Ani and I will travel to Jaipur to meet them on Friday morning and we'll all spend the weekend there, including a night at an "ethnic resort." I'm not quite sure just want that means, but I will tell you all about it next week.

I'm looking forward to sharing my love of India with friends from home and I know Joey and Jarret will have an amazing time here. I'm hoping that Joey will post a blog entry or two to share his thoughts and experiences from India. I'm sure he will have a slew of stories to share. And maybe their visit will make others jealous enough to want to come to India too!

Street Beggars

A permanent fixture in Delhi (and probably most other large, if not all, Indian cities) is the presence of street beggars. Families, children, disabled people, all hang out on street corners and at traffic lights asking waiting motorists and rickshaw passengers for change. Sometimes they try to hawk their merchandise – anything from magazines and books to Santa hats and Indian flags. I’ve been cautioned by several people here not give them money because many of them “work” for bosses that then take the money from them, but others look as if they have no other option and you can't help but to help, even in a very small way.

Without making a judgment on whether or not to give money, I wanted to share two of my personal experiences with beggars with exceptional negotiation skills and tactics.

• One evening in the back of a rickshaw, a beggar approached Ani asking for money. Ani reached into his pocket and pulled out a one rupee coin and gave it to him. The beggar then looked at the coin and asked for more! Ani gave him another one and he finally walked away satisfied.
• While waiting for our train to Goa to leave (and while sitting in Sleeper class), a young boy came up to me and literally wrapped himself around my ankle. Ani spoke to him in Hindi and told him to go away. He responded with “I’m talking to her, not to you!” Eventually, he left me alone, but I was impressed by his quip.

The Crown Palace

After 4 months in India, I FINALLY went to see the Taj Mahal today. The Taj is located in Agra, a former capital of the Mughal Empire, and is only 200km from Delhi. Despite the close distance, I hadn't mustered up the desire to make the trip out there. Fortunately, two of my colleagues were in Delhi for a conference and decided to stay for the weekend. Thomas and Claire-Marie are both working in Pune on another GSMA project and they made perfect travel companions. We were also joined by Kenneth, Thomas' friend of a friend, who is also working in Pune.

We left Delhi around 10am this morning and traveled by car to view the most visited site in India, which is often described as an extraordinary monument built for love. Although Agra is only 200km (125mi) away, it took nearly 4 hours to reach there with one brief bathroom stop. Lucky for me, I can sleep almost anywhere, so I passed the time sleeping, reading and practicing my Hindi.

When we arrived, we had the option of making the "grueling" 1km walk to the entrance by horse carriage, camel carriage, cycle-rickshaw or foot. Of course, we decided to walk. I was a bit shocked to see the difference in entry price for foreigners versus Indians. It was 750 rupees for a foreigner and only 20 rupees for an Indian. But with the fee, foreigners also receive a coveted bottle of water AND shoe covers to wear inside the palace where shoes are not allow. Indians generally opt to walk around barefoot. And it also included entrance to 4 other sites in Agra, none of which we decided to visit.

The Taj was built from 1631-1653 by Shah Jahan as a tomb for and tribute to his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, after her death. More than 20,000 people from across India and Central Asia were employed to build it. A few years after it's completion, Shah Jahan was deposed by his son, Auranbzeb, and was imprisoned in nearby Agra Fort. After his death in 1666, Shah Jahan was buried here next to his wife. This is said to have destroyed the symmetry of the tomb because his casket was not intended to be placed there. Instead, there are all sorts of legends and stories, including one that says a "Black Taj" was supposed be to build across the Yamuna River, facing the Taj Mahal.

12 hours later, I returned home exhausted, but thrilled that I visited what's considered one of the 7 wonders of the modern world and one of India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. (There are 26 of them in India)!

It's Wedding Season

Late January is the start of wedding season India. It’s apparently an auspicious time of year and therefore a good time to get married. Driving through the city at night, I pass many wedding sites. They are even to identify by the glaring lights and colorful decorations. And even when I’m not out in the evening, I can hear wedding celebrations going on. I often hear music and fireworks filling the air and I know immediately that it’s another family gathered to celebrate a marriage.

The wedding I attended back in December was small by Indian standards, as there were probably between 150 and 200 people there. I’ve heard that many wedding have 800 to 1,000 guests! I can’t imagine that many people attending a wedding, but apparently it happens all of the time. Not only are the family and friends of the bride and groom invited, but so are friends of the family members and even friends’ friends. Twice in the past week, I had a friend attend the wedding of a co-worker’s brother. Everyone is truly invited.