Indian culture insight

Saturday afternoon, two pm. Through the opened balcony doors bright rays of sunlight enter the room. On the table where I sit at about four laptops have been placed, along with a wide variety of empty cups, bottles, electronically devices, wires, phones and a plate with a gradually declining quantity of food which at this moment is nourished by one of my Brazilian housemates. The one-spoon sample I got to taste still leaves traces in my mouth of the highly divined cuisine the food originates from; with the most simple ingredients the female co inhabitants of my flat realize the most royal dishes. This morning I have visited two temples in Delhi, among which the famous Lotus temple, which would not be worth the effort of visiting it if it were not this close by. For this evening the birthday party of the girlfriend of Wojtek, one of my flat mates and people I hang out with most, is scheduled in our apartment and tomorrow morning at six o’clock a taxi bus will pick us up for a trip to the Taj Mahal and related issues in Agra. In between I have scheduled a Skype conversation with a friend of mine who currently resides in Colombia, which obliges me to converse in the most ridicule of hours. Other trips planned in the near future are to Varanasi (by plane) and the Himalayas (one week by bus). I am really eager to get out of Delhi and see other parts of Northern India, and although I don’t expect that much of the Taj it will be a welcome change from ‘working’ life in Delhi.

One of the highlights of the past weeks has taken place last night, when my Indian neighbour gave me a call to invite me to this typical Indian dance festival. He thought it would be cool for us trainees to get some insight in Indian culture, and though the party was only accessible on invitation he had arranged free passage for me and some friends. So there we went, fully dressed in Indian traditional clothing that he had borrowed from a friend, off to the party. In the big garden of some five star hotel a giant dance floor was erected where a wide variety of Indian people were dancing and singing whilst tapping two sticks on the rhythm of the music. Occasions like these give you the unique insight in Indian culture, and if it was not for the contacts I get to initiate with natives around here I would never have the chance to see those.

More impressive and even more insightful to the real India was the invitation of two of my students, two girls of respectively sixteen and twenty years old. I was asked to join them after class to their family house, located deep in the slum area. The journey took me from the regular route to and from the metro station, via the smallest paths and along open sewers, to the lower part of a house erected from bricks and wood. The welcome by the family was hospital and genuine, I got to sit on the only chair in the house, was offered various drinks and kinds of food, and got to look at the photo album with family pictures. All of this took place in one of the small rooms of the house, where a single two person bed was put, along with a fridge, a huge fan, and some shelves on which various picture frames and coconuts were stored. Surrounding me on the floor were the five, six (?) children of the family, various other related kin, and two puppies.
With a bit of imagination one could place himself back in history, if it were not for the old and shaggy television on top of the fridge and the mobile phones each family member possesses. The street life is vibrating, I saw nigh only smiling faces, people working in small businesses, children playing on the streets, some people playing cards in front of a tea shop.. a slum area is a society on its own. I get a more and better insight in the lives of ordinary people here, and I hope that the coming weeks will offer me more opportunities like these.

Time passes quickly here in Delhi, which holds for weeks but also for hours and minutes. My promise to prepare a warm lunch for some of my flat mates here obliges me to quit writing and start preparing some food. The simple recipe will consist of rice mixed with fried vegetables and some ‘meat’. New stories can be expected soon after my journey(s)!

Thank you all for the responses, from abroad and the Netherlands, on my website and beyond, and I hope this message reaches all of you in good health!

A warm hug from warm Delhi,

Tony

Ps..

@ Esther: jaa jammer dat ik niet kan komen! Moeten we echt ff inhalen als ik terugben :D Hoe is Esn life in tilburg? Heb heeeel veel plezier op je feestje!

@ Knuffelpad: hoe is het pad? Kun je me een update of gildebroeder life geven? :)

@ Lana: thanks for reading and replying to my stories this frequently!! Really appreciate it :) How’s life in croatia? Any journeys ahead?

@ Mariel: Ook wat nederlandse woorden voor jou ;) Waar is je reactie?? :P