Things I like/dislike about New Delhi

So with the sweet there's the bitter. After living in New Delhi, you experience the extreme duality to India- sometimes at the same time. Kinda like how every rose has it's thorn... just like every night has it's dawn... just like every cowboy sings his sad, sad song... Hah! Alright, no more quoting power ballads from the late 80's.

1a. I like- Indian weddings
How can you not like celebrations where they hire a marching band, the groom comes in on a horse, and everyone is dancing. Not to mention the fantastic food and the beautiful lights!

The groom arrives by horse-

People dancing- http://www.flickr.com/photos/tlo/4337798384/



My apartment when our landlord's granddaughter got married-




1b. I don't like- Lost Indian Wedding Marching Bands
The dirt patch area behind my apt serves as site for weddings. The entrance can be hard to find. During the night, it's nearly impossible. So I can always tell the wedding marching band gets lost because they stop, circle around my house a few times, and then stop again. It's charming the first couple of times. And it sucks at midnite on a weeknight the umpteenth time during wedding season.



2a. I like- Indian signs

So I guess a man can be identified by his wearing shorts and arms akimbo and a female with pigtails and skirt (check out those cankles* by the way!!!)?

*cankle=calf+ankle


"Keep smiling, it only increases your face value."


2b. I don't like- Indian bureaucratic paperwork
I'm not going to say too much about this since I don't want to get kicked out of country. So I'll just post a photo, and those of you who live here more longterm will cringe and know exactly what I'm talking about.



Ok, I lied, I can't resist one smartass comment. As my friend who's leaving the country (and not me) and went to the registration office for 2 weeks straight summed it up best by saying "He (the bureaucratic paper-pusher) probably lives at home with his mum and still wets his bed." I guess it's only fair since I know we put people traveling to the US through even more hassle!

3a. I like- Kids playing on the street
Everywhere you look, kids are running around with their friends, playing cricket, and getting into all sorts of adventures- you know, just being kids. It's the way it used to be in the US which is tragic. Life was good back then.


3b. I don't like- Indian kids selling stuff on the streets
At every stoplight, packs of kids are trying to sell you things ranging from out of date magazines, books, balloons (kinda like these in Mumbai http://lucidtravels.blogspot.com/2006/02/chasing-balloon.html), you name it. Not to mention some are trying to do cartwheels in rush hour traffic.




4a. I like- Indian street food
There really isn't anything better. It tastes so good!

4b. I don't like- Later that night/the next morning
Two words- Delhi Belly. Enough said.