Delhi welcomed us back with 90 degree heat (at midnight!) and lots of dust. And there was only more dust waiting for us when we entered our apartment. I thought about taking photos, but I thought they would gross everyone out too much. After a quick cleaning in the next morning, the apartment was looking a lot better, but I was feeling pretty miserable. I started the day with 20 sneezes and a very stuffy nose, for which I blame the dust and dirt. That combined with general exhaustion and two 8+ hour flights gave me a nice cold, from which I am finally starting to recover.
Since our return, we purchased an air conditioner for the living room, which is amazing. That one coupled with the one in the bedroom means we move around the apartment in comfort. The living room is quite large and the doors aren't as well sealed as they should be, but the AC still works wonderfully. We also purchased an inverter or "uninterrupted power supply", which is essential in Delhi. While I could deal with no lights for a few hours during the very frequent power cuts in the summer, I could not manage without AC. And now we don't have to worry about that.
Returning to the office after 5 weeks in the US was not as difficult as I thought it would be, but readjusting to the traffic was. On my first day back, my office cab had a nice little accident on the expressway. Fortunately, everyone was fine and the cars only suffered minor damage, but I was a bit shaken up. It's a bit frightening to give someone you don't know total control of your life for a few hours a day. But I only have to deal with this a little while longer because we plan to buy a car (and hire a driver to drive me around). :)
I know that may seem quite privileged back home, but it's the norm here. Even if I wasn't scared to drive, I would never want to spend nearly three hours a day behind the wheel in maddening traffic. And luckily, the cost is minimal. I figure $150/month is reseaonable to pay for my safety, sanity and the ability to come and go from the office according to my schedule. Yes, I will have to relinquish control of my life to the driver, but that's OK because it will be our driver and we can dictate how he drives. And if that doesn't work, we'll just find a new one. So, stay tuned as Ani and Chanda attempt to buy a car in Delhi. I'm sure it will be an adventure and we'll have a lot of stories to share.
Tsummarize: Delhi is hot, hot, hot and getting hotter. Today's high was 43C/109F! Delhi is dusty, but my body is slowly readjusting. ACs and inverters are a must. Our apartment is clean, cool, and continuously being adorned with wonderful wedding presents that are making it feel more like home. Traffic sucks. Work is going well and I'm starting a new (internal) assignment working for the big boss in India. And we are already looking forward to a weekend escape from the heat in mid-May when we plan to visit Shimla, a hill station at the base of the Himalayas. Relief is in sight!
Since our return, we purchased an air conditioner for the living room, which is amazing. That one coupled with the one in the bedroom means we move around the apartment in comfort. The living room is quite large and the doors aren't as well sealed as they should be, but the AC still works wonderfully. We also purchased an inverter or "uninterrupted power supply", which is essential in Delhi. While I could deal with no lights for a few hours during the very frequent power cuts in the summer, I could not manage without AC. And now we don't have to worry about that.
Returning to the office after 5 weeks in the US was not as difficult as I thought it would be, but readjusting to the traffic was. On my first day back, my office cab had a nice little accident on the expressway. Fortunately, everyone was fine and the cars only suffered minor damage, but I was a bit shaken up. It's a bit frightening to give someone you don't know total control of your life for a few hours a day. But I only have to deal with this a little while longer because we plan to buy a car (and hire a driver to drive me around). :)
I know that may seem quite privileged back home, but it's the norm here. Even if I wasn't scared to drive, I would never want to spend nearly three hours a day behind the wheel in maddening traffic. And luckily, the cost is minimal. I figure $150/month is reseaonable to pay for my safety, sanity and the ability to come and go from the office according to my schedule. Yes, I will have to relinquish control of my life to the driver, but that's OK because it will be our driver and we can dictate how he drives. And if that doesn't work, we'll just find a new one. So, stay tuned as Ani and Chanda attempt to buy a car in Delhi. I'm sure it will be an adventure and we'll have a lot of stories to share.
Tsummarize: Delhi is hot, hot, hot and getting hotter. Today's high was 43C/109F! Delhi is dusty, but my body is slowly readjusting. ACs and inverters are a must. Our apartment is clean, cool, and continuously being adorned with wonderful wedding presents that are making it feel more like home. Traffic sucks. Work is going well and I'm starting a new (internal) assignment working for the big boss in India. And we are already looking forward to a weekend escape from the heat in mid-May when we plan to visit Shimla, a hill station at the base of the Himalayas. Relief is in sight!
1 comment:
Glad you are back to blogging! And sounds like things are slowly getting back to normal. Keep it up!
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