Welcome to New Delhi

June 7, 2013 

                I was told by one of my Co-workers that in India there are the poor, the rich, and then the super rich. But such simple classification doesn’t give true color to the sheer weight of those descriptive words. One of my first days, I took a walk around the neighborhood in the hotel where I was living. Dirt laden streets with trash scattered about open water drains frame modern, chic retail stores surrounded by BMWs. From my window, I can see a local clinic where people spend nights sleeping outside its brick walls after begging in the intersection for most of the hot day. Right next to the Sealy mattress store is a boulevard turned camp, where people cooking, sleeping, living in the street watch younger Indians dressed in beautiful saris or Tommy Hilfiger take bicycle rickshaws to the nearest metro station. Far from the city center are massive malls that resemble only Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, full of only the nicest commercial outlets. Around the new mall construction are shanty towns with people living on tin houses three stories tall. It’s such a conundrum to see such vast poverty right beside such lofty wealth, but it is the reality in Delhi. And these worlds live side by side creating one vibrant, dissonant, and captivating society.

                I suppose this has been just one shell from the bombardment of culture shock that has been India within a week. My first night I was jipped by the cab driver, who conned a jet lagged, confused-about-the-conversation-rate American out of $60, and arrived at my darkened hotel with stray dogs roaming on the steps. Not experienced in Indian cuisine and adverse to spicy foods, my first two days here it took time to adjust. But not but two nights later I had cocktails at the Nigerian High Commission in Delhi followed by dinner at the famous Hotel Taj. So far this has been a rollercoaster of events and experiences that if continues will surely lead to a wonderfully adventurous summer.

                As for the rest of my week I began work at Koura and Company and have been working on various projects with them. Furthermore, I’ve adventured some on the Metro and around my neighborhood, finally finding a place where I can buy my own milk and bread! Interestingly there are a few Hindu temples in the neighborhood that hopefully I’ll be able to see closer soon. Today I attended a conference between Nigeria and India discussing Energy production and development and how both countries are tackling electrifying the countries. Afterwards, I took an auto Rickshaw to the DLF Mall! But after about an hour in the Autorickshaw the 110 degree heat gets to you and I was feeling quite tired tonight. The combination of jet lag, 110 degrees, and running around can really wear you down, but man is it worth it! I can’t wait to see what the next week brings!