Overwhelming the Senses

I arrived in Delhi on Wednesday, January 20^th at noon. Today is Saturday. I am not sure if there was ever a time in my life where my senses have been as overwhelmed as they have been over the past four days.

Delhi is as I remember it and more. This is my first time since I have come to India without at least one of my parents by my side. As a result of this, I am taking in the sights and sounds of Delhi more than I ever have before. Delhi is a unique city – it is not only the capital of a country whose population makes up 1 in every 10 people in the world, it is by far the most overwhelming city I have ever lived in and I would argue possibly the most intense city in the world in so many ways. Delhi is extremely overpopulated as one might imagine. As my friend Surabhi, pointed out to me, it is even more overpopulated right now because migrant workers from all over the country have come to Delhi to build infrastructure for the Commonwealth Games that will take place here in October. In addition to the dense population, the infrastructure in Delhi is extremely poor – some roads are paved but with large potholes, sidewalks do not exist, slum dwellings are all over, commercial and residential buildings encroach upon the roads so that streets are lined with cars at all hours of the day. Of course, Delhi does have its pockets of strong infrastructure - for example in certain ‘colonies’ that house government buildings. Delhi is a huge city that is essentially split into North and South, old and new, respectively. The immense size of the city was made clear to me when my uncle told me that the colony or area he lives in called Vasant Kunj, which is located near the southernmost border of Delhi, is 5 miles in length. Seeing as how not too long ago I was living in a ‘city of the world’, San Francisco, which is 7 miles by 7 miles, one can imagine that this information made me gasp.

More than its size, population, or poor infrastructure, Delhi’s extreme nature comes from its stark contrast in economic classes. Anyone who knows a bit about India, knows that since its 1991 economic liberalization, its economy has grown leaps and bounds. As such, the rich have become extremely rich and the middle class has grown, meanwhile the poor have stayed poor. However, even with this knowledge, most do know how this has manifested in Delhi society. Words cannot describe it -the best I can do is bluntly and sadly say, one cannot walk down major streets in Delhi without seeing children playing in and around trash and excrement, beggars begging during the day, although it is illegal, and burning trash piles for warmth at night, and people sitting in hoards on the streets without any job or anything much to do.

Outside of its extreme poverty, Delhi challenges one’s senses simply through its telling of Indian culture and life. Horns on cars are to be honked at all times, drivers are to yell at pedestrians to get out of the way, and urin and dirt along with masala and mirch are unavoidable smells.

In the past four days, I have become reacclimated to the sights and sounds of Delhi. On the other hand, it is my first time living with family in India and this may be an even bigger learning experience for me. It has become clear in just the four days of being here that I have underestimated the incredible amount that my parents have adapted and adopted to American culture since they immigrated some thirty/forty years back. It is so admirable that they could be raised in a certain way, yet raise their own children in such a different manner. No one way is the ‘right’ way, but just the fact that they took what I am now experiencing and adjusted it to fit another environment is amazing.

In addition to my new living situation and new city, I have been interviewing for jobs and discussing living options with a friend. Since nothing in either of these departments is finalized, I will comment on them in my next entry. Meanwhile, I want to mention that it is incredible what a change in lifestyle can do for the reinvigoration of one’s mind. I hope to use this experience in India to challenge my self-proclaimed passions in order to see if I can make a real commitment to achieving them.