Blogs from National Capital Territory, India, Asia

Having a down day to recover from a bit of Delhi belly. I've been somewhat fortunate, escaping any sort of troubles so far. We think it is because the malaria medication I take is also an antibiotic, while E's is only for malaria. Anyway, it always good to have day to relax. To read books, to write and to reflect on all that we've seen and experienced so far. Next up, the temple of love over in the eastern part of the country, will update in a couple of days.... read more

Living in India is not always easy (who am I kidding its NEVER easy) BUT its nearly impossible to live here without learning to "man up." Here is a list of skills I have acquired thanks to my wonderful life here in India. I will say that none of these skills are things I would have thought I'd have when I was a kid, but here they are! 1) How to successfully eat all types of food (including rice) with my HANDS! :) 2) How to squat in the bathroom and remained balanced enough that I do not need to TOUCH ANYTHING for balance (trust me, in India being able to not touch anything while in the bathroom is an EXTREMELY useful asset.) 3) How to wear a sari! ... read more

7 months ago a friend asked me if I would like to visit India with her, I said yes, and here we are. the flights were fairly decent and I was not sad to say goodbye to the self induced stress sickness I had fallen prey to the day before I left ( fyi: malaria pills + major stress + a previously empty stomach filled with dill pickle chips will give you one of the worst nights of your life). Amsterdam gets my star airport award as they are now officially the best international airport I've esee experienced. I was able to meet up with E in Amsterdam and say hello in person to a truly wonderful, brilliant person I haven't seen in too long. The flight to Delhi had me sitting next to an older ... read more

Beauty is an important thing for women across the world. As a California girl myself I cant deny that I grew up around a more shallow thinking of what defines beauty. My experience in India has found me in a crowd full of Indians--wherein I was the ONLY white person in the entire village/room/space--and never have I felt less awkward. Imagine all the men and women staring at me every time I step outside. The terrible feeling that every movement I make is being watched and criticized is enough to make me squirm in my clothes. If I wear Indian clothes, their constant gawking makes me feel as if I didn't match colors correctly, and if I wear Western clothes they stare at me as if I'm some sort of alien. And yes...I definitely feel like ... read more

India is a land of contrasts (hence the clumsy metaphor above). I'm sitting in a hotel room in Delhi, thoroughly enjoying Inglorious Basterds on one of the English movie channels on Indian TV, before our very early plane tomorrow morning. Now reflecting on my experience of India, it has been across a spectrum of enjoyment, highlighted to me rather conveniently by our journey today from Jaipur to Delhi. Approaching Delhi from the south, we passed through the commercial district, full of shiny new high rise offices and apartments, familiar names adorned the top of the façades. Deloitte, Panasonic, KPMG, Toyota, all the same names as one would see in any major capital city, however it felt like a lie. If I was coming to India on business, doubtless, I'd get to the big BA jet to ... read more

I've been in Delhi for one night and almost a whole day, and already I feel like I'm getting the full Indian experience! It's been almost exactly one year since I was here last, and thankfully I feel a bit more relaxed with the utter mayhem that is this city. Not to mention being aware of scams (i.e. being overcharged for a lot of things) and also being wary of how you act and dress, as a female. I'm lucky to have a wonderful friend here who has been showing me around her favourite parts of the city. It's great, because it makes me see a different and fun side to the city, rather than feeling stressed and overwhelmed. So yesterday I arrived in the area of Pahar Ganj, which is apparently a slightly seedy area, ... read more

As a blonde California girl I must admit that living in India has not been an easy task. Whereas other Indian girls or expats in the community might have other experiences (as non-blondes) my experience is much different. I cannot leave my apartment alone at night, for example as men often try to harass me (in broad daylight) and in the evening after a few drinks let's just say Indian men can get a bit scary/creepy. When I was living in Egypt, Muslim men often tried to "marry" me (their proposals went something like this: "What's your name? MARRY ME!") however my first learned words in Arabic (do not touch) helped me to keep the men from attempting to grab my hand or wrist. In INDIA, however, men do not simply go for the innocent hand ... read more