Ginger Does Errands in India

(Above is an image from the balcony of Lavanya and Dan's apartment.)

Today I felt jetlagged for the first time in my life.  Morning was brutal.  And, not even the delicious butter rotis and yogurt helped me feel any better.  But, after a brief nap in the late morning, I was more awake and ready to experience Dwarka.  First experience, answering the door while I was home alone.  Eggs and onions were delivered and I was asked for 42 rupi.  I have no rupi.  So, I had to communicate to the delivery boy to wait while I walked across the hall to ask Lavanya's sister for the money.  While I imagined India as an English speaking country, it is clear that it is the upper classes that speak English and that those that I need to help me shop or travel do not speak English.  Even so, I think I dealt with my first experience with the language barrier fairly well.

Afterward I spent some time with Lavanya's sister, Ka, and her associate while they worked from home.  Ka is the editor of sports for Hindustan Times.  They were writing a column on cricket and were interviewing professional cricket players about their picks for the best players of 2008.  Instead of watching and trying to understand the cricket game on the TV, I decided to be stay sheltered for another hour or two and turned the TV to soccer and read some Harry Potter.  

It was in the afternoon that I first left the apartment.  The fog had lifted and it was time for Lavanya and I to go to the post office, the grocery store, and the vegetable market.  While these were rather mundane tasks, they gave me a good chance to get to see some of her neighborhood and get used to being a foreigner in India.  

First Impressions:

1.  Delhi is dirty.  It sounds mean.  But, it is.  There is dust everywhere.  People live on the street so there are former fires and ash on the sidewalk and trash in the gutters.  To illustrate this reality I will tell a story.  On the way to the vegetable market Dan and I walked on the sidewalk while Lavi walked on the street.   Dan warned me that traffic is crazy and to always be watching so to avoid getting hit by a car or motorcycle.  The sidewalk seemed like the best way to do this.  Dan commented on Lavi's position and she said that she is an Indian, Indians walk on the street.  "Indians only use the sidewalk to pee."  She pointed to the various wet spots along the sidewalk and wall.   A couple moments later we saw a man peeing on the sidewalk.  Pee or no pee, the sidewalk still seemed to be the safer avenue for the dumbstruck tourist.

While dirty, the part of Dwarka I saw did not smell bad.  It had a faint musty smell of burnt wood and cow patties (burned in the winter months by those who live outside).  The smoke and smog made my lungs hurt, but it offered a slightly pleasant smell to a place that most likely needed it. 

2.  There is significant class disparity, but no isolation for the rich or upper middle class.  While I am staying in a gated apartment complex, the surrounding area is open to all.  And, all are present.  There are Indians in very nice cars or dressed very nicely, some street people, street venders, etc.  There were people everywhere.  But, it was not as crowded as I had imagined.

India is also clearly a service economy.  Breakfast was made for me by a servant, I was driven to and from the grocery on a bike rickshaw, groceries were delivered, etc.  It takes some getting used to.  But, I can also see the purpose of paying others for such tasks.  

3.  Deep down, India is not that much different.  We waited in line at the post office.  Did errands.  And, besides getting a ride on rickshaws, did what I would have done on shopping day at home.

So far, I am having a good time.  I have already had more experiences than I can put down in this blog.  And, with Lavanya I feel very comfortable moving around the city.  People do not stare too much at me and no one has harassed me.  I am looking forward to all the new experiences.