The Wanderer ...

...So while I remain mostly on primary roads when traveling alone, I still get just a tad bit daring and wander off to side streets and back roads (yes, only in the day light!)... Need to have complete cultural connection and not let any potential for fear to surface - I'm using my gut and my street smarts so am only going where I might feel adventurous - I wave a lot and smile, or sometimes just carry myself with confidence and look down or straight ahea - generally, I continue to be smart about my decisions for venturing out solo. Many folks say women are typically safer in a big city like Mumbai (Bombay) than they are in Delhi (message?!?!) -

Anyway, I asked for a glass of milk the other day at breakfast and the waiter looked at me funny. I realize the cows roam the city streets yet they had a several containers of cereal on the counter so I figured they must have some milk stored some place! He ended up conferring with 2 other workers in the restaurant regarding whether they could sell me milk or not - They kept looking at me so I almost said "never mind" - he came back and asked if I wanted it hot or cold. Many Indians drink warm milk - probably not a bad idea given I've begun to experience a bit of the "Delhi Belly" (yes friends, anyone who has traveled to a foreign country will know your digestive system is just not the same!) - The food is incredible and I mostly feel fine ... just an occasional ...well....you know!

The heat and humidity has been unbearable - people are literally drenched in the streets - Not much you can do b/c you still have to go outside at some point - and, most offices/buildings are not equipped with A/C - yes the higher caste have A/C in their vehicles and you can rent a car with driver or pay more for a cab that has A/C but it seems majority of buildings just have a lot of fans everywhere - and, what I've heard about the electricity is true. You can expect electricity to go out periodically throughout the city no matter where you are! Apparently it's worse this time of year b/c of the extraordinary amount of fans being used -



Mangoes in season and wow are they scrumptious! Also, have you ever had "Lychee" fruit? yeah, now there's some juicy little items! They make lychee icecream, lycee shakes, you name it ... Well, I went north a few days ago to "Old" Delhi - that is where Delhi University is - This campus is huge - Brilliant people have obtained degrees there and many visiting scholars from foreign countries like to teach there; so I was a bit surprised at how terribly run down and disheveled the campus is. Then again, in general, part of the issue in India is that it lacks real infrastructure - the NGO's and wealthy private agencies have very nice facilities - D.U. is a state university so they fewer resources overall. Old Delhi, in general, is very stimulating and insightful - From pumping peddles on the large manual rickshaws (seated carriage of sorts) carrying people or hundreds of pounds of grain or wood products or slate or bricks, food, good, etc and made of various materials. Some have a horse or an ox to carry them and their goods - most hoof it by themselves.
Janpath Market is a trip -I'm including a few photos that don't really do it justice - great goods and nice clothes for cheap - and of course, cheap goods for cheap as well! Regardless, most everything is hand made and you know that b/c they sit on the streets and sew or work on their crafts or take you to their shop if you want to see where goods are made ...

<-- Janpath Market - this is THE place for bargaining in Delhi. There are definitely several places to bargain while other locations (more upscale) are fixed prices, higher quality goods, etc. - I bought a blanket from this one young woman and every time I walk by her area she jumps up to talk to me - and to sell me something else of course - I buy goods, she buys me lemonade! She brought me to the back alley of all the shops where folks are living under tin roofs or just large blanket/or some sort of sheet protector as their shelter ...

Had lunch with a friend of a friend in the Ashok Hotel where there is this fabulous South Indian cuisine - got there early so a young man who manages this shop kidnapped me to come into his store, have tea and a chat. Of course I did and I ended up talking with him, Prakash, for over an hour about our respective countries. Indians are very proud people, a country with over 10,000 years of history ... Hindu's and Seiks ruled by the Moghuls (Muslims) and later the Brits and later all learning to "get along" (when they weren't killing each other off!).

I went shopping with Abha, the woman who owns the guest house I am staying in. She says the I.N.A. is the best market for fresh produce and great fish - One thing that was crazy about this market is that they have several corner shops with live chickens (and roosters) in these pens. The boys reach in, grab them by the neck with one hand (as they flail around), grab a butcher knife with the other hand, swataka, off comes the head right there on the chopping block... they then pluck it, wash it, cut it all up and sell it to you right there! Needless to say, Abha buys her chicken in a whole separate shop! (Side note: I've been trying to upload more photos for 15 minutes and it's not cooperating - so forget it for now, more pics later, I hope!?).

Anyway, I've learned that there are not only lots of homeless people here there are hundreds of homeless children wandering and roaming the streets, tattered clothes, no shoes on their feet, some with injuries, begging people for money, typically for food b/c that's all that really matters to them. I walked for about 10 min. with this young boy tonight, he couldn't have been more than 10 years old. Clearly he did not speak English as I proceeded to have a child-like conversation with him and he merely repeated the same phrase back to me - I engaged with him anyway, and pulled out a 100bill Rupee (to me that's less than one dollar). His face lit up! I said "say thank you" - he said "yes ma'am, tank u bery much" - Anyway, the Govt does nothing about the homeless at all let alone homeless children - breaks your heart.

Riding the rickshaws continues to be eventful. When you want to know the cost of the ride, you don't ask how much will it be from point a to pt. b - you ask "how many to ___?" - that is, how many rupees will it be for you to "carry" me? not bring or take or even accompany, people carry you places. Recently, when I ask "how many?" I've begun to hear "As you like" meaning you pay them whatever you want. They know you're a foreigner so they are seeking to know how honest or generous or grateful you might be. Sometimes when they say 40 rupees to go somewhere - I say "no, it's close, 30 rupees" they say "okay okay okay". Then when I get out of the rickshaw I hand them a 50Rs bill and they smile real big and reach out to shake my hand.

Research project - yes, moving right along - I have the pleasure of working with a young sociology graduate level student beginning to work on PhD with emphasis in environ. studies. She'll be my research assistant as, fortunately, there's $$ in the grant to pay her! Sirisha will work out great and do some travel with me - Speaking of travel, R.P. will "carry me" to Himachal Pradesh to make my first journey to a village school in the mountains about 5-6 hr drive from Delhi - we'll have car with A/C (thank the Goddess!) and private driver. Will stay for 2 days (Sirisha will not come this time, maybe for the next trip): http://himachal.nic.in/tour/glance.htm

All for now - (I hope I can figure out this photo issue to send more pics - I have fun stuff to share).