Chamaleonic Delhi!

Namaste Namaste! Here I am to discuss with all of you about how Delhi changed its aspect through the last few years.

I still remember my first time in India, I reached Delhi at the end of October 2005 with a friend of mine, we were two students of Indian language and culture with the idea to find exactly the spiritual and deep country our professors kept describing us.

It was 5 am in the morning when we approached Paharganj, the freak area next to New Delhi railway station. We were so sleepy so we couldn't focus so much on the images which were running in front of our eyes.

When we woke up and we stepped out of our Guest House (Ajay Guest House that is still my favourite in that area) we realized the huge gap there is between what we were been told about India and what exactly it is.

Beyond any definition, fluid as a chemical element, it is rather impossible to answer the question people who never visited India keep asking, " How is it? Do you like India?"

For the first three days it was like being in a state of dream, too many colours, smells, voices shouting and singing, too many cars and rikshaw and cows mixing up in the streets and fighting for spaces, too many hands stretching behind our nose asking for alms.. Too much chilli in the food we ate, water too cold in the shower-bucket available in the hostel.. And then slowly slowly I started waking up with a different feeling, I realized that noise was not so much disturbing, that all those people shouting in the streets and in the tiny shops were just trying to stay afloat earning for their roti and chay. And they decided to do it smiling and singing instead of complaining about poverty and difficulties :)

Walking in the busy streets and open air bazaars was scary at the beginning; but once you become part of the flow, it is normal to bargain for few rupees, to eat street food with the local bhaayas, to wear salwaar kamiz and colourful dupattas, to avoid smoking cigarettes in the streets and behaving as a firangi (foreigner).

 

And then you keep coming back to Delhi and you start realizing how many things changed in such a short span of time. You also change along with your perception of India. Instead of roaming around Paharganj and Karol Bagh, eating in small Indian restaurants and maximum allowing me to have a mediocre cappuccino in Caffe' coffee day, what am I doing? Going clubbing in exclusive hubs, eating out in expensive restaurants in Hauz Khas Village (of course not Indian food but any other cuisine), going for shopping in Select City walk (a branded shopping mall in Saket area) instead of Sarogini and Lajpat Nagar markets, drinking wine instead of Kingfisher beer and garam chay (my Italian personality is coming out!) and going for Hair spa to relax...

Oh God! Where do I am?? 

I still keep salwar kamiz in my wardrobe but I hardly wear Indian clothes... I feel not comfortable going out to places where I am the only one opting for traditional stuff between elegant foreigners and modern Delhi girls who choose Jeans, high heel shoes and Zara shirts and tops. They look at you making you feel miserable whenever you express your liking Indian traditional things!!

 

The only way to keep connection with the past- still so strongly preserved in Delhi as in any other part of India - is to visit Old Delhi (things I will do very soon), to enter in a temple or mosque, to travel by bus (now a bit risky for girls) and to eat biryani by hands (so enjoyable!).

Chaalo doston! Let's explore Delhi more!!!

I miss the images of what India represented to me sometimes back and I wanna feel it again!!!!!!!!