And then there is Delhi itself. Currently the city is covered in a thick fog. Last night it was so bad that it took an hour to taxi in from the runway. When I made it through customs and finally found my driver, I entered a world that I wasn't prepared for. The crowds of people waiting outside of the airport in addition to the, what appeared to be lifeless bodies, covered in blankets along pathways and roads was overwhelming. The poverty in India isn't something I just became aware of. Moreover, I've seen beggars and people sleeping on the side of the road, especially in LA. But this was somehow different, more real, scary. I have to wonder if I'm being ethnocentric and my reaction is so strong because internally and possibly unconsciously I am otherizing people suffering from poverty in India. I remember being in Oman and seeing where the migrant workers lived and being taken back for a few days. I've tried not to let myself process this in the hopes of first adjusting but I wonder if it's just going to happen anyway.
The ride to the hotel was scary to say the least. There doesn't seem to be any structure in Deli driving. You just go and hope for the best. I think one of the best illustrations of this is the fact that technically, most roads have 2 marked lanes. But in reality there are anywhere from 4-6 lanes of traffic.
My hotel, which I paid $25 a night for wasn't bad. It wasn't the Hilton, but I had running water, air conditioning (even though it's useless this time of year), a tv, fridge, free wi-fi, and complimentary breakfast! One of the kids in my program stayed in a really nice hotel and didn't get wi-fi, which made me feel even better. I won't lie, the part of town my hotel was in looked kind of sketchy but this morning I realized that's because it is in the center of a shopping district.
The ride to my dorm, was nice. I saw the diveristy that is Delhi and India in general. There were beautiful temples and buildings as well as shanti towns and people huddled around fires. In Delhi almost every road seems to have some construction, where I got to witness what appeared to be unsafe and unsatisfactory working conditions. I got to ride in an auto rickshaw and a taxi. That's because in the process of paying for my hotel, I got distracted and left my passport there! A few hours after I left they called my dorm and informed me. So I had to ride over to get it.
My dorm is located in an upper middle class development owned by lawyers. We live in a gated community with a park and small shopping center (and by small I mean maybe 8 stalls). There is also a club with a bar. They also have pool, badminton, and a swimming pool. The park is in the center of the neighborhood and it's literally 50 feet outside of our main gate. We have a guard who we have to check in with whenever ever we leave. Also the neighborhood is really safe. You can walk around anytime and nothing will happen to you. Which is nice; in a city and possibly country where women aren't supposed to be out at night, it's nice to know that we can hang out in our neighborhood.
Well that's it for now . . .
Continuing to engage in adventures,
Jessica
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