December

I’m trying not to be so complacent towards things. The auto rickshaw rides, the tiger striped diseased dogs, the beggars, the men perched on top of burlap sacks on a wooden cart, lazily leading the hauling bulls down crowded streets, even the vastness of the colourful and multi-ethnic merchandise available in Delhi doesn’t startle or astonish me. In fact, I would say I’m starting to see this all as an annoyance. O.k., why am I whining about all this? Well, I’ve made a conscious effort to start to notice what is going on around me, look for the beauty in all of it. What better way to do this then to record what I see in a journal? And you folks are the unlucky readers of that journal.

The topic of today –traffic:

Day before yesterday, two men (members of one of the many minorities here – tibetian looking) faces and heads wrapped tightly in woolen scarves, their dirty sweaters layered around their sleeves were riding down the road, single file. Perched on the top of the back wheel of the (as typical) old, rusty peddle bicycles were large cages holding squawking pure white chickens. Their 50ish faces and bright eyes stretched with smiles, singing a punchy hindi song at the top of their lungs.

Day before yesterday, stopped in traffic around the Moolchand flyover. A man wearing a Spiderman paper face mask with 3 shinny green party favours (you know, the type that when you blow into them they extend?) popping out from the top of the mask like a horribly drawn Spiderman who’s head had just exploded. A tall stack of boxes of these masks balanced in his hand while he tweeted and weaved in and out of the traffic

Day before yesterday, riding home from Janpath shopping area with a friend, stopped once again in traffic. An older women holding a baby comes up to my side of the auto asking for “one rupee” a small girl (maybe 9, 10 years, but who knows…it’s very hard to tell - weathered faces at any age, always a slim androgynous build) comes to my friend’s side of the auto, asks for money with a slight smile on her face. I’ll never know why. She then bows her head and kisses my friend’s feet (while my friend tries frantically to move her feet out of the way) The girl stayed prostrated bobbing and kissing my friends feet until the moving traffic threatened forcing her to step off the street. One red light down and not one rupee earned.

Last night: bright lights, a couple of dozen men in white and red marching band suits lined up parallel on the street playing loud out of tune music, a large circle of people at the end of the line women in beautiful lehanga and saris dancing in the centre, two elephants standing at the ends painted, jeweled and festooned (isn’t that a great word!) for riding. Further down the line a white decorated white horse led by a small dark man with a funny hat…but no groom on the horse. A typical upper class wedding (the groom precession)

~

In other news: I’m in Delhi for Christmas. I feel a bit like I should be doing something big and exciting for the holidays since I’m in “exotic” India and all but I'm rebeling against the mainstream (and I secretly just feel like moping about my first Christmas away from my family). Goa was full and I couldn’t convince any friends to wait in the early morning que for the off chance that we would be granted emergency tickets (and there was no way I would go down to Goa alone – where they’re Christian and full out celebrate Christmas - meeting drunk traveler after traveler). Kerala would have cost me about $150 Canadian just for the train ride down (and along a horrible train route) I couldn’t justify spending that money (the trip normally costs around $25 CND). So, Delhi, here I am. Christmas isn’t really alive in Delhi so it’s quite easy to forget that it’s the holiday season. Although, work is giving us the 24rth off, which is nice. Anyway, I do have other things to do: This weekend the last of my good friends left here in town (she’s leaving for Germany on Christmas eve) and I are going down to Gwalior (the biggest fort in India - supposedly) then through some small sites to Orccha. Orccha’s supposedly really chill, beautiful and relaxed so I’m looking forward to it. I’m leaving on the Taj express tomorrow and getting back on an over night train arriving on the 22nd morning (I’m sure you’ve all heard of the recent train crashes and deaths but India rail is assuring they’re doing everything they can to make sure it doesn’t happen again). I’ll have a little Christmas Eve get-together for a few Indian friends and I’m having dinner with a new Canadian friend on Christmas day and then Pooja (from TAP India 2000) comes into town around the 27th for awhile to do some wedding shopping. I’ll probably travel to Udipur with said new Canadian friend for New Years. So, not so lonely! :( I guess I just feel like anything is going to be lonely without my family. Oh, speaking of that, I’m house-sitting for a colleague and it’s a beautiful home! Hundreds of movies and books (I haven’t had much time to just sit and watch movies, read or relax in a long, long time (haven’t even had time to wash cloths! I’m running out of underwear and I brought over 20 pairs!) As an added bonus, the kitchen actually has a stove!! I can bake cookies! And there’s a landline for you guys to call me cheap on and a broadband internet connection, webcam and mike so I can talk with you guys online at any time of day!

Anyway, back to work...moved to the HIV/AIDS team of the office so lots of exciting new projects! Also, I got to get that Male Involvement training manual out by July!!

Love you guys!