A Week in Delhi

Namaskar friends and family,

Here is an update from India. There is so much to cover, but here are some of the highlights.

I met with my NGO affiliation, Himalaya Seva Sangh (HSS), last Sunday. I am really excited to work with them! They work with villagers in Uttarakhand on traditional water management, land rights, women’s empowerment, and education. At my meeting, I talked with my contact, Manoj, about the logistics of my project. I am going to be working in three areas: Tehri, Uttarakashi, and Pauri Garhwal. I will mostly be focusing on their water projects: slow-sand filters, rain water harvesters, and natural spring recharge ponds. HSS is trying to bring water management back into the hands of the people in these communities. The government and multinational corporations commonly control water resources and forests in these areas, and the villagers have lost their land and natural resources. 

On Monday, I met Manoj at the Constitution Club in Delhi for a conference on community management of forests and rivers. The conference was one week long and held in various parts of India. The session I attended in Delhi had representatives of organizations all over India. The purpose was to bring together individuals who are working on forest and water management. Sharing ideas and common problems helps them to find solutions and realize they are not alone in their struggles. Leaders of various NGOs spoke about what they are doing and expressed their hopes for how better management could be implemented. Three ministers from the Indian government were present to listen to concerns and explain the government’s involvement. All ministers acknowledged that they are trying to make the voices of these villagers heard concerning forests and water, but enforcement of government policies is challenging. [These presentations were in Hindi, so I missed a lot of the details. Luckily, Manoj translated the main ideas for me. I look forward to my Hindi classes so I can better understand in the future!]

I have become an expert at navigating the Delhi metro. It reaches all of the main parts of Delhi where I need to go, so it makes it a lot easier to get around. Rather than haggling or getting charged American prices for rides in the auto rickshaws, I can get to where I need to go quickly for about 14 rupees. Plus, there is a ladies’ car which is much less crowded, and I don’t attract as many stares. I still take some autos, but I mainly use the metro. I am going to miss it when I go to Mussoorie, but I guess the beauty of the Himalayas will more than make up for it. 

Wednesday, August 15 marked Indian Independence day. Many people took the day off and government offices were closed. I took this time to visit the mall and see a Bollywood movie. It was called Cocktail and was definitely a chick flick. Being set in London, I recognized many of the locations in the movie which was really fun! Like all Bollywood movies, the film lasted about three hours with lots of singing and dancing. The good news is that despite being so long, most Bollywood movies have an intermission. I will note that Cocktail was not as good as another movie I watched on TV earlier in the week called My Brother’s Bride (translated). I preferred the dancing and humor of this movie where one brother tries to find a bride for his other brother and falls in love with her in the process. [Because the movies are in Hindi, I am hoping they can help me with my listening comprehension.]

I have been soaking up my last week at the Taj. I broke down and bought a swimsuit, so I could swim in the Olympic size pool. While staying at this five star hotel, I also learned you can receive plates of complimentary chocolates daily, bowls of fresh (and clean) fruit, and toothpaste whenever you need it. I guess I should not have gotten used to some of these luxuries.

I travelled to Mussoorie today and start my Hindi classes on Monday. I am excited to be back in the Himalayas where I stayed last year! The scenery is beautiful!

Another quick note, I am going to run in half marathon held in Delhi on September 30. Ashwin is my friend from Xavier who lives in southern India. He invited me to join him in the race, so I guess I will have to start increasing my mileage in preparation. =)

Thanks for reading and thanks for sending me your updates too!

Margaret

The beautiful India Gate in Delhi. I like how you can see some of the vendors alongside the road selling snacks and water. This photo was taken from my moving rickshaw. 

 Here I am with three other Fulbrighters at a South Indian restaurant in Delhi. Traditionally, South Indian food is served on banana leaves. We had plates too though.

Here is a picture from the conference I mentioned above. Manoj is the one at the podium speaking. I am sitting in the back, and you can see some of the other attendees. By the way, I also got to introduce myself to the group in Hindi. Very fun!

In case you were worried, I wasn't eating well. Here is my talli from Navdanya cafe in Dilli Hut.

This is outside the mall on Indepedence DAy. It's a very commercial mall, much like the U.S.

 A few of my worldly pleasure that I will miss from the Taj hotel.