Absorbing India

The Flight

So I left my family at security and immediately started to break down. I had to force myself to take one step followed by another. I needed to get on that plane, especially as I had promised the flight attendant I would! Also not getting on the flight would jeopardise my whole dissertation project. How to do it though, that was the thing, there was no one to hold my hand or to tell me it was a ‘boat’ trip. I was so consumed with worry and anticipation; I started shivering and crying with worry. I'm sure people thought I was going crazy.

Waiting at the gate I got a text from L and A they were so lovely, unfortunately it made me realise how much I am going to miss everyone (all over again). I still wonder how L does the emoticons on her iPhone texts - my technological understanding has not improved at all since the emergence if the iPhone in my life.

That was when I decided to bite the bullet. I would make the BA staff aware I was petrified! Unfortunately I could only manage a whisper before getting overly upset. That was when they took charge and made me feel very looked after. The fact I am in India right now means I made it, and once again I am aware how silly it is to be scared of flying. Maybe one day I will overcome it, who knows?

First Impressions

Upon arriving at the airport, actually, even before getting to the building - just walking through the connecting tunnel - I was hit by the humidity and then a smell. I later realised this was the smell of humidity. I never realised it was so distinct, it was a bit like musty clothes but heavy at the same time, it felt hard to breathe.

After immigration and all the other bureaucraticness I had to go find somewhere to get INR. My first faux pas was to just get the deed done and dusted (I really just wanted to get to Vs) by going to the first exchange kiosk. To be fair I also chose it because it was two women and I thought perhaps they would be nicer to me. I was wrong. This misjudgement led me to pay 300 INR in commission and to change £200 when I only wanted to have £100!! I have now learnt, next time I need to change my travellers cheques I will ask all four kiosks and play them off each other until I get the lowest commission (or I can find somewhere that doesn't charge). Secondly I definitely need to find out if there are banks that change travelers cheques, I do not like having to rely on other people’s myths (meningitis cannot be passed on through swimming pool water you know!). I owe it to myself to check, otherwise I will have to a lot of money changing in Delhi airport too.

Next I needed to find the pre-paid taxi counter. This proved harder than expected as I was still wearing my glasses (which I later found out were about -2 out in both eyes) no wonder I could not see the signs! It was pretty straightforward once I found the desk. I remembered what I had read about Indians not queing and so when I saw someone push in further down the queue I made sure I was in the right place and then pushed myself behind the first family, indicating I was next in line! I don’t think I was particularly ripped off for the taxi price. I did however forget to ask where to get the taxis from, this meant that I after leaving the counter I started to panic, again.

Outside it was even muggier, there were so many people and they were all descending on me, one man tried to take the pay slip with the taxi number on it from me. Despite his yellow jacket I was adamant to hold onto the piece of paper which entitled me to my cab journey. Avoiding eye contact with all the other taxi drivers I pushed my trolley determinedly and a man came up to me signalling for me to follow him. I started to, but also kept an eye out for the taxi number, turns out he was the right guy. At first I was relieved to see he at least had a taxi with doors ( I had opted for non-air-conditioned) I soon realised that really it was superficial safety, starting with the seatbelts not having anywhere to put them.

I positioned myself in the middle of the backseat with my bags on my lap. This was definitely the best move for, when the taxi drivers stopped to get my slip stamped (to prove he'd picked me up), a little boy of perhaps 6 or 7 came along and asked me for some money - "Just a pound he said". I told him I had no money, nothing. He then asked for "food" and I suddenly remembered the Tiffin slices A had given me for the trip. Although it was not really nutritional I thought A might like to know someone in India sampled her food. He took the package and looked at it, then kind of shrugged and went off. The driver got back in and off we went again.

As I had an hour journey to Vs house and I was also starting to feel rather overwhelmed I tried looking for As letter - not a good move!! Firstly as it turned out to be right at the bottom of my bag and secondly because the next time the taxi stopped it meant that once again I was bombarded with kids asking for something...anything...My head buried in my bag I obviously I was oblivious to them at first and to them it probably looked like I was going to give them something but I stood my ground and said "No money, no food, nothing" then an older girl of maybe eleven said "Pen". I realised I still had a pen in my hand from writing down the instructions to Vs house. I felt I could hardly say no seeing as it was neither my favourite calligraphy pen, nor my ‘Love Malta’ pen, and I did have a stash of about 20 other pens in my suitcase so I gave it to her and she ran off. The others stayed. I said "All gone, nothing else" The youngest girl, of maybe 6 just held out her hand so I shook it and she left. Then the four remaining kids proceeded to do the same, the eldest boy, of about fifteen, was the last to get to 'shake my hand' and the taxi driver actually started driving again whilst his arm was still through the window. I felt bad for him and hope he didn't get hurt! I found the letter, read it, making me smile and I turned my attention to my surroundings.

Part of me wished that taxi journey would speed up so that I would get to Vs quicker; I just wanted to feel safe and rest. The other part of me wanted it to slow down so that I could properly absorb everything I was seeing. It was truly like being in a movie. There were however a few more distinct things which don't come across so well in the movies. For example it was rather grey, yes it did feel a bit like I had left a relatively sunny England for an India, which should be sunny but was actually rather dull and dreary. The rains can be blamed for the lack of sunshine, as where there is rain there will be clouds. The smells were also rather hard to fathom. I did try to imagine what they would be like before arriving, but there is no way you can imagine it. I mean, most of the time it's ok, but when the taxi stopped at an intersection, which was actually by an open sewer, I really had to control myself. I wondered how angry the driver would get if you were sick out of the window, would they make you clean it, or perhaps they’d try make you pay more?

I saw dogs, cats, adults, kids, the elderly, horses living under make-shift corrugated iron apartments, cows in the middle of the road…and so much more, on this one journey. There was also the incessant noise of honking horns.

What the trucks looked like from behind.

I noticed that the vans all had "STOP HONK OK PLEASE" written on the back of them.
This and the fact that they also were often brightly painted and decorated with garlands made me think of the personalised busses in Malta. I knew just as there was a story behind the Yellow Maltese Busses; there too must be one behind the painted instructions. Later I was to find that they were just that, instructions. People drive so closely to each other constant horns are needed to keep other drivers aware of your presence on the road. A novel reminder and mostly it seems to work, some of the cars do have rather a few dents though.

As we were nearing Vs place I noticed a girl coming her mothers’ hair by the roadside. I must have glanced a little too long at the unusual site, for the mother looked up and caught my eye. Then she started to smile and held her hand up to send me a kiss. I reciprocated with the biggest smile ever and a little wave. It was at that moment I realised that my adventure was really underway and whatever happened this summer would be amazing.

My adventure with V begins!!

It was a relief to get to Vs. She was out so I caught up with her mum and when she got back we ate a quick lunch of roti (Indian bread) and aloo dahl (potato curry). Then we chilled out for a while. I spent about an hour debating whether or not to take a nap, I chose not too and am really paying the price now...so tired!!

This turned out to be the right choice as it turned out that Vs mum was able to make an appointment at the opticians for this afternoon so off we went. V is a wonderful driver and managed to park in the smallest space ever. Finding the opticians in the labyrinth of apartments was a challenge but we got there. It was a great experience, just the same if not better than Specsavers, actually it was better. The only thing I disliked was the liquid they put in to dilate my pupils which was sticky and kind of hurt. The strange feeling soon wore off and I then had a second test with the eye doctor. Who checked the new recommended prescription by his assistant. They concluded that I needed new glasses, by a lot, surprise, surprise!! On our way back to the car we saw an elephant in the middle of the road. I was so annoyed that I was wearing my old glasses, as I could not see it clearly at all. We went a bit closer and I realised elephants seem to have individual toes, then again I might have miss-seen as the glasses were still on!! A lady gave an offering to the elephant and was saluted.

After the eventful day we went home and relaxed in the day room, catching up and drinking tea - yummy!! I also met Vs brother who was so nice and will try and help me get in touch with people for my dissertation. Everyone has been so great it's really helped me to feel at home. I'm so glad I have this 'transition' period before the project starts. Dinner was delicious; pita bread, humus, homemade falafel and vegetable salad. I was getting a bit worried that I would constantly be eating some type of spicy, curried food for the next two(ish) months. This worry started on the plane with a spicy vegetable dish and salad, then a spicy chickpea and tomato pastry for breakfast. It turns out I am lucky though; at Vs they eat traditional Indian food at lunchtime and then something different at dinnertime.

After dinner I had the opportunity to accompany Mrs C to the temple. It was a short drive away and at the same site there was actually two temples, for different Gods. To the side of the largest temple was accommodation for the people who look after the temple. The temple was smaller than I thought it would be, it was painted in a red-orange colour on the roof but had mainly white walls. Inside were about four statues, behind a glass facade. In front of the glass was a flat marble circle with feet carved in. On the feet people put offerings to the representative God behind the glass. Ants, huge ants were crawling over the offerings and also over the statues. I wondered if they were biting ants. Looking up there were two lizards clinging to the temple wall, I am not sure when I will stop being amazed at the amount of wildlife here.

Later we went to the Sheraton with C and V, where we just chilled out drinking and eating. I tried a Chi-chi cocktail, which was blue, tropical and very, very scrummy. After getting kicked out as last orders had been an hour earlier we went for a drive. The rains really started to poor. We opened up the sunroof and let the rains pour, it really brought another meaning to ‘weather beaten’. The rains were so strong, the droplets so big, definitely an alternative rain to the British cats and dogs. On the rush inside from the car we got soaked through, will I have the right kind of clothes for this adventure…only time will tell.

Sorry it’s so long, I hope it’s interesting. Please feel free to comment and ask questions ☺