You want delhi-very?

I spent the past week in Delhi—I got a last-second invitation to attend a meeting on community mobilization and HIV prevention, which would require me to spend a week in India and two nights at the lovely Shangri-la Hotel (imagine a running brook and bowls of floating, fragrant flowers on your walk to the hotel gym—way over the top! But, I must say, the breakfast buffet was awesome—I had multiple courses of south Indian food).
While the city and country as a whole have great issues of poverty and a demand for infrastructure that outstrips current planning and development, Delhi achieves a relatively cosmopolitan feel. There are some sidewalks, most streets are well marked, and it’s becoming increasingly easier to get a good latte, or fast wireless in a cute little shop, perhaps even with a tasteful roof deck. Women’s clothes demonstrate the layers of life and fashion in Delhi—very wealthy women can be seen in beautiful silk shalwar kameez with beads and intricacy embroidery, but they walk next to younger women wearing jeans and heels, and even the occasional dress or knee-length skirt. Yet the public spaces look like a mosaic of color and energy; the blending is seamless, at least to my unpracticed eye. And, while some may prefer the convenience of having their own vehicle, there are taxi cabs and auto rickshaws on every corner, that with a bit of negotiation and gesticulation about your destination, result in a fairly safe ride with various levels of commotion and duration. Love that I can be so independent since that’s been tough in some other places that I’ve traveled, and with a good pair of dark sunglasses to avoid inadvertent eye contact, I hardly notice the staring at this point. And I love the way that Delhi gets under your skin—it forces me to live in the moment vs. daydreaming. Surviving traffic, the constant streams of people around you, and other assaults on the senses requires a sharpness of the senses that grow soft and lazy while I lounge in sleepy Boston.
So while it was a short stay, I had some great days in Delhi. It’s spring there, so a balmy 80-90 degree midday high, but cooler nights with a warm wind. Last time I’d gone to Loti Garden, which is this beautiful green, tranquil green space, filled with random tombs and ruins from the 18th century. Now, the wildflowers in the park are in full bloom and it’s even more beautiful. I went to the garden twice—one evening after hours to see the whole park empty and lit up—absolutely stunning to see these giant stone structures illuminated, and then one afternoon to “get some reading done.” That second trip may have involved a short nap on a bench, next to a bougainvillea bush in full magenta bloom.
And the food! I’ve officially become an avid aficionado of South Indian food, so I tried a new restaurant with amazing dosas and filter coffee with a professor from Harvard School of Public Health, now based at the Public Health Foundation of India.
No trip could be complete without returning to Gunpowder. this restaurant that I discovered last trip and may have eaten at. . . three times. . .during my limited time in Delhi. Flaky flat bread, coconut curry, tangy pumpkin puree, gingery chicken, fresh lime soda, mmmm.
Yesterday after a delicious breakfast of fresh mango with lime, I explored regional airports. Kathmandu, Nepal is not a big transport hub—there is no system really set up for transit passengers; I had to be led through some “staff only” doors, sit for a bit while a staff member took my passport and itinerary to the desk out front to get my ticket, security didn’t want me because I didn’t have immigration stamps, immigration was confused because I didn’t have an entry stamp on my passport. . . .luckily my flight was delayed because it was a bit of an ordeal to go through the various steps that are required. Meanwhile, I could see the Himalayas out the airport windows, and at the very least, everyone was very congenial throughout the process. Funny how Kayak.com can give you an option that seems reasonable but in actuality is not really quite as straightforward as it looks in the text (even the Jet Airways staff in Delhi told me that my itinerary was “weird”).
First moment of “cultural shock” if you will that I had this whole trip was boarding my plane from Kathmandu to Karachi (yeah Pakistan International Airlines). There were NO WOMEN to be seen, besides myself. Once we boarded, maybe 5 other women, all with a husband and usually children, appeared, but I was amazed at the imbalance. Before take off, a loud gravelly voice recording recited an Islamic prayer; another sign that I was stepping into a new world. But, as the plane is landing and I’m adjusting the scarf over my tunic-like shalwar kameez top, the little Pakistani girl in the row behind bursts into an adorable rendition of “Do, a deer, a female deer”. Globalization can always throw a curve ball to make you appreciate the unpredictable connections we have with others.
My hosts here in Karachi disarmingly warm and anxious for me to get a full sense of the culture and life here. I’m off to the swimming pool to watch one of their young sons get awarded with an MVP award for the month from his soccer team (sure stephen could take him, but don't want to brag), then onto a Parsi party at one of their co-workers houses. I’m here to learn about a fairly new and very ambitious surgical hospital project and its health information system, and it sounds like that task will require field visits in the community, public hospitals, and maybe even some more rural areas. Pretty exciting window into a country that I admittedly know very little about, but am trying to take in as much as possible.
(sorry no pics--my internet connection is so slow, blogspot actually don't even give me the option!)