Post #2: What is India like?

May 31, 2010

(Posted much later due to scarce availability of internet access)

For those of you who have never been to India before, Delhi is like Manila. For those of you who have never been to Manila before, it’s humid and terribly hot.

It’s summertime in India, which means that the heat blisters in Delhi at about 89-114 degrees Fahrenheit. But it’s hard to gauge the heat just by looking outdoors because of the perpetual dusty haze that coats the air. The sky is void of any trace of blue color, and there is hardly any breeze to cool you off. Summertime is really only bearable in the shade and indoors…otherwise you’re best off carrying around an umbrella and ten billion gallons of water with you.

The people here are very friendly (usually), and they’re all pretty nice. I’ve been to markets and malls, restaurants and business centers, and they’ve all been very helpful. But one thing I should mention here is the fact that women in Delhi dress very conservatively, so I do as well. Sometimes I think I am treated better or receive lots of odd stares because I’m obviously a foreigner and obviously a woman; but I like to think that isn’t always the case. That said, despite my ability to attract odd attention and have random people ask for photographs with me, things move slower than molasses here. There are no “special circumstances” to move processes along faster for anyone in Delhi, and they’re quite unorganized (hence they’re still a “developing nation”). No one queues unless they absolutely have to, restaurants will move at their own pace (unless you’re paying top dollar), and business centers…good luck (unless you’re in IT).

Delhi is a city of vivid contrasts. From the beautiful and brilliant colors of women’s saris juxtaposed against the dry, dull dirt of the unfinished roads; to the sharp, biting tastes of sour, spicy, and sweet Delhi foods; to the massive inequities that divide the poor and rich classes, the city provides quite a sensory overload to the first-time tourist. But it is an amazing culture with so much to offer…I know I’m only discovering the beginnings of India right now…