Say Paneer!

Part 1: Daily Life

This is the view from my window. I’m in Gurgaon, which is technically still part of Delhi, but it’s nearly an hour’s drive to the main parts of the city. Urban development stretches out as far as I can see in every direction, though most of what can be seen here is residential. As you can see, the sky is very hazy; because of all the pollution, this is as blue as it gets.

Since I’m sure you can all picture a bowl of corn flakes (my daily breakfast), I thought I’d post a picture of my regular lunch and dinner. Rice forms the backbone of each meal and is usually accompanied by a soupy broth (used as a gravy on the rice) and a spiced potato dish. This day, there were several people eating, so we had four different potato choices.

Even more than other places I've been, dogs, like cows, are everywhere in India. Not all are as cute as this one curled up outside of Qutb Minar, but very time I see one, I just want to pet it and take it in. Don’t worry – I’ve had my rabies vaccine (and have been successful at controlling the impulse so far) – but if I ever decide to move to India, it just might be to open some form of dog sanctuary. On a more serious note, though, it is frustrating to know that, for every dog I see that deserves someone to hold it, there is a child in the same situation who deserves ten times the care, shelter, and love as any dog, no matter how photogenic.

As I’ve mentioned before, the most overwhelming thing about being here in India is seeing and interacting with the rampant poverty. These are children begging near Humayun’s Tomb who live beneath plastic tarps right outside the monument’s walls. Though invisible from this angle, both of the girls’ clothes are ripped and tied together again, and the baby is wearing no more than a shirt. Neither of these girls spoke English, though they did smile once we sat with them for a few minutes to share some Starbursts. Though I haven’t been able to take pictures at the school, all of the children I work with there come from similar situations.

Part 2: Getting Out

The cheapest method of travel (after walking) is a richskaw – a metal bench big enough for two, pulled by a man on bicycle. Depending on distance, rides can start as low as Rs.20 (approximately $0.40), though good prices always require some haggling. I happened to catch some unemployed drivers sleeping in their rickshaws to escape the afternoon heat. The stalls in the background begin one of the city’s market districts, where each stall has it’s particular set of goods, and storekeepers tend to do everything – from yelling loudly to grabbing your arm – to catch your attention as you pass by. Since arriving in India, practice has made me much better both at haggling and at delivering a firm no.

Built by the Mughals in 1638 (then plundered by the Persians in 1739 and attacked again by the British in 1857), the Red Fort is one of Delhi’s largest monuments. I enjoyed the chance to get out of the noise and crowd of the street, and I thought the fascinating architecture made for many good pictures – though several Indian men decided that this picture of my disheveled, tie-dye ensemble made for a good picture on their cameras:

A note on being in India: being that Delhi is one of the largest cities in the world and a center in the global economy (interesting BBC article re: Indian vs. Chinese economies here), not to mention a former British colony, there are surprisingly fewer foreigners, specifically westerners, here than I’d expected. In our 2 days of touring Delhi’s sites, we saw maybe 8-10 non-Indian people. As I walk down the street, everyone stares. Rather than a stare of friendly curiosity, though, it’s a stare that ranges from simple gaze to near hostility. The men almost seem to gape and, at tourist sites, will openly pull out a camera to snap a picture. Others, generally the women, seem to judge every inch of you in the span of a few seconds. The situation is entirely different with vendors, however: their stare is accompanied by forceful pointing or grabbing as well as a very loud voice. Occasionally, once you start looking at their wares, you can get a smile.

Marking Islam’s easternmost presence at the time of it’s construction in 1202, the 72-ft. minaret of Qutb Minar commemorates the Muslim dominance of Delhi and represents the shadow of God falling over both east and west. It is surrounded by the ruins of India’s first mosque (pictured above), built from the remnants of 27 Hindu and Jain temples.

Humayan’s Tomb is the most extravagant of the sites I've visited in Delhi. Predecessor to the Taj Mahal, It was built to house the tomb of the second Mughal emperor and is the first major memorial of its type. It was absolutely gorgeous and quite overwhelming. Though it made for some pretty awesome pictures, I have no idea why someone would feel the need to construct such a monument for their death.

I have nothing new to teach the world. Truth and non-violence are as old as the hills.
- Mahatma Gandhi
One cannot come to India without paying homage to one of the most influential and inspirational men of the twentieth century: Gandhi. His image is everywhere, from the front of each bill to monuments such as the one above. My favorite of the sites I’ve visited thus far is Gandhi Smriti – the house where Gandhi spent the last days of his life and location of his assassination. Standing in a peaceful garden tracing Gandhi’s last steps, surrounded by quotes such as the one above, was a very powerful experience.

Other places I’ve visited in Delhi include India Gate (a WWI memorial which looks remarkably like the Arc de Triomphe, minus the French flag), Jama Masjid (India’s largest mosque, with room for 25,000 prostrate worshippers), the Lotus Temple (a Ba’hai temple constructed of white marble in the shape of a lotus flower, reminiscent of the Sydney Opera House), the National Museum, and several markets.


Part 3: Quick Update

By now, I should be used to plans shifting. Instead of moving to the orphanage in Jaipur, I will continue to work at the school here in Delhi. As I’ve already begun to connect with the children and understand some of their needs, I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue to build on such relationships.

Later this week, I’ll be traveling to Rishikesh, located in the Himalayas and home to several ashrams (including that which the Beatles visited in 1968). I’ll return to Delhi just in time to celebrate Diwali, Hinduism’s largest festival of the year, before heading out for more travel the following week. I’m optimistic that this will be the way things turn out (I’ve already bought the train tickets), but we’ll see…

Miss you all,
Betsy

Current Location: Gurgaon, Delhi