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Notes, observations, reflections,and memories.

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Welcome to India

So here I am, in the motherland at last. My jet lag consists of getting up at 6 am and getting sleepy at 8 in the evening, but staying up anyways until my eyes can't take it anymore, and then I crash. Metaphorically.

I got here on a lovely humid night on the 12th of October, and I've been eating ever since. As soon as one meal ends, planning for another begins. I'm sure those of you with large families know what I'm talking about. The rest of you might find the idea of ending one meal to begin another absurd. But I assure you, it happens every single day. And then there are the things that you know you miss if you think about them, but that you don't give much thought to otherwise. Like the traffic. Ok, 'traffic' might not be the right word. 'Traffic' implies the movement of vehicles on a road. Movement happens but only if accompanied by a loud horn blasting your ear off. Besides, vehicles aren't the only things moving on the roads. You have your more than occasional cow, a sporadic bullock cart, and then there are the beggars, ever present. It's not that they are not deserving of sympathy. They are. But begging in Delhi has been made into a thriving business, one which succeeds on suffering, tattered clothing, and children. Not cool.

Then there's the food. Goods that are stale by the time they reach your local international grocer become craved delicacies when you want them badly enough. But here, mouth watering dishes that otherwise would be made only on special occasions are cooked on the spot. It's heaven for Indian food lovers, and I continue eating even though I was full two meals ago. That might be the cause of my slighly sore throat that has unexpectedly begun to cause that annoying little frustration that you wish would just go away. But it's here, and I figure if I'm sick, I'm sick. Eating another piece of mango pickle won't hurt me since the damage has already been done, right? Yes, I know it's a lame excuse, but when you want something that bad, you don't really care anymore.

Let's not forget the never ending family obligations. I finally planned out my Delhi itinerary so as to make all 4 uncles, 2 aunts, and their respective families happy. I have become a domestic nomad within the Bhagat clan, spending the night in one house today, somewhere else tomorrow, somewhere else the day after that. Of course Diwali and Bhai Dooj are coming up, so there's gifts to buy for those events as well. Add shopping for two Punjabi weddings (my cousin's and long time neighbor's) to the equation, all to be completed within 9 days, and you get one fun-filled package of utter and complete chaos. I don't know how my parents managed everything so well, I had never really paid attention to the technicalities before. We just did what they told us to, and went where they were supposed to go. This whole planning business is quite a pain in the arse, especially when you've never done it before.

I am at my aunt's workplace and have a computer all to myself, so I'm trying to make the most of it, hence the painfully long beginning. Hopefully the others will be shorter. It's so hard to convey everything that I'm going through, my feelings, my actions, my perceptions of the society I am currently living in. And it's about to change again when I head to Bhopal in less than two weeks. Change after change is upon me, but I guess that was expected. After months of planning, saving, and built up anxiety, here I am...

6 Comments:

Blogger vishy said...

Hey,
I am the first to comment. Cool.. hope u are having a nice a time in India. I am sure u will enjoy ur next six months. Really a very good idea to keep us updated through the blog.

Yeah, guess I will be seeing a big fat gal when we meet next time.
All the best.. and happy diwali.

Visveswaran.

4:47 PM  
Blogger Confluencer said...

well, you are on my google RSS reader now and so I would be seeing your updates in good time. Keep em fingers running (and thoughts too)...

3:56 PM  
Blogger Confluencer said...

you probably wanna enable word verification for comments just so you dont have spams in your comments section.

3:57 PM  
Blogger spamchang said...

w00 pragya, being all grown up in india :) have fun with the family and such. look forward to hearing about the clinic experiences.

5:58 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey Pragya,

just wanted to wish you the best of luck and yes, i have added your blog to my favorites so I can keep up with your crazy antics. hope to hear from you soon through your updates.

Asad

1:40 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

hey pragya,
have been meaning to visit your blog for quite sometime now ... finally got to it today ... it was a pleasure reading (as always) - will be looking forward to a regular dose of updates from you ...
All the best,
~ Nirveek

4:14 PM  

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