When I was a kid I wanted to travel the world and see all the beautiful places... After a few years of traveling, I grew tired of seeing places. Sometimes, in one of those EuroTrips, where you go 'round several countries in 2-3 weeks, the first week is really exciting, with lots of cathedrals, museums, castles and so on, the second is allright, with more cathedrals, museums, castles and so on, while the third week you feel that if you see one more church you'll go bananas!
Nowadays I no longer travel to see places, but to meet people. To understand them, to enjoy life as they do, to have a touch of the culture. Finding out, for example, that in India there are separate wagons for men and for women was much more surprising than seeing the India Gate, just e few minutes earlier. Even simple things, like the fact that in India there are guazillion types of electrical plugs amaze me more than the next temple.
In Delhi I live in Lajpat Nagar, a very colourfull, dirty, noisy, crazy, busy, funny, lovely place. I enjoy every bit of it. I share an apartment with several wonderful people from countries awide the globe. I don't think the word awide actually exists, but it sounds right to me right now :).
Everyday, when I get out, a dozen people are trying to sell me something or take me somewhere. Urban planning is very weird. Nagars (neighborhoods) are divided into colonies, and colonies into blocks. They all seem to have an address, but no one knows how to find one. It takes between 15 minutes to several hours to find an address anywhere in Delhi, no matter how versed is the cab or ricsa driver.
When I go out, I see tourists, and I am soo happy I am not one of them. As a tourist, I would have probably never got to walk in a colony, or to mix with the people here, to try street food, to see the real sides of life here. Tourists are confined to glittery nice places, with high prices, and facade India. Working and living here is a whole different experience, full of flavor and life...


Lajpat Nagar, October 2010.