First impressions

I'm in India! Wait, can I say that again? I'm not sure it has sunk in yet. I'm in India! Colorful, noisy, busy India. Although I have to admit things aren't quite what I expected. But then, when are they ever? We arrived after dark and so my first real impressions of Delhi involved a fairly empty airport, lots of guards walking by with guns, and the entry to my new apartment where I was greeted by colored rice artwork. I will say that the school is taking great care of us. I have a huge, beautiful 2 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath apartment with a balcony that is as large as the one I had last year which looks over one of the main streets in Vasant Vihar. I'm rattling around in it a bit right now, but I'm sure I'll manage to fill it up as I stay here.

I have a 15-20 minute ride to school in the morning (longer to return in the afternoon). The streets are a clutter of trucks, vans, cars, bicycles, moto rickshaws, motorcycles, walkers, beggars and of course cows! Yes it is true that the cows have the right of way. And it isn't very unusual to see one meandering down the center of a busy road, with the traffic just flowing around it. I haven't quite been able to figure out the rule of the road. It seems to be more a game of chicken than anything else and cars get quite close to each other. The other day we had a rickshaw come barreling out of a side street heading right towards the center of our van. Not quite sure how we managed to avoid a collision! I think I'll be adopting a policy of looking far away when I'm gazing out of the window instead of looking at the traffic.

Markets are not what I pictured when I was told about them. My memories of Turkey and Guinea led me a bit astray. I'd have to say the few we've been taken to have been quite calm by comparison and very organized. More a collection of little stores than an open air selling area. That is somewhat of a pleasant surprise. I've heard there are some markets where it is more of a bargaining based adventure, but those in the near by areas are quite organized. The shops are a bigger than they look at first glance, a small store front which open into a long narrow store that is often 3-5 levels. You never know what you'll find around the next corner, or even what they'll pull out of some outside sidewalk you didn't realize existed. It makes me glad people speak English as it is sometimes difficult to find an item on your own.

Other small observations. There are many more men out and about then there are women. And when I say many I mean that I see maybe 2 women for every 30 men that pass by my house. Colorful saris and clothing add a great deal of brightness to the world. House help it typical for most families/singles above a certain income level, with many people employing multiple staff - cook, cleaner, laundry man, driver, aya (nanny)....luckily I seem to have inherited a woman who will take care of the first three for me. In fact she'll even do the shopping for me! School has an interesting juxtaposition in location. Just across from the US Embassy on one side, the adjacent side of the block finds you looking at a slum. It seems that the school is quite involved with working with kids that live there, but I'm sure I'll find out more and share more later. All in all I feel like I'm slowly settling in and getting things sorted out and that the school take great care of its teachers. I'm focused on getting my apartment set up right now, but I'm sure once I'm past that I'll get the urge to go out exploring and find much more to share with you.