FAMILIAL INSTALLMENTS PART 1

So, I haven’t been here in a while due to many visits from home. I have been running around like an idiot for the past two weeks working/touring/relaxing/safari. The blog did not come first. In order to address this, I figure that one BIG entry is a good way to get the whole story out in one and begin once more into the old routine of things.

So where do we begin?

We begin with Kapil.

Kapil is one of my friends from Glasgow whose family are originally from India. Every year he comes out to visit the family that he still has here, and it just so happened that he was coming out for Diwali and would be staying for a few days in Delhi. We arranged to meet in Connaught Place, as Kapil seems to know nothing about Delhi or anything in it. So Connaught Place: you would think it was easy for his aunt, who lives in Delhi to find. But apparently not. So there was Amanda and I standing there looking like twerps for some time before he appeared with a small woman in a glitzy green saree (the aunt). As soon as he appeared he fished out the letter Iain has written me from his trousers. Apparently in an effort to save on paper, it has no envelope and is instead sellotaped together. He is a strange one.

Had argument with Kapil’s aunt about his curfew. We met at half six, and she was saying she would pick him up at quarter to eight. I find it hilarious that here in India, the man’s world, Kapil has an earlier curfew than the Indian girls’ hostel. We managed to get his curfew all the way up to 8.45! Rebels…Apparently Kapil’s family are of the opinion that he is incapable and will be attacked and/or raped if left to his own devices for more than two hours. We suggested sending him home in an auto and that was met with much consternation. I think I made a bad impression as a corrupting influence. We went to dinner at United Coffee House and Amanda got what was possibly the worst sandwich in the world. It was two pieces of white bread with green paste between them. Not nice. It was like baby food. Restored Kapil to his worried family at the appointed time. Met his aunt, uncle, mum and sister, all of whom had packed themselves in to his uncle’s car to collect Kapil, just in case of something happening…They all seemed very nice, though I am annoyed with his sister for eating jaffa cakes that Kapil apparently brought with him to give me.

Spent the next two days doing assessments. On Wednesday night however, we managed to convince the girls to come out with us to Urban Pind. There were seven of us: Amanda, Rachna, Nandini, Mernoush, Elmira, Anjilika and me. We all went to the American diner beforehand and then piled all of us into one auto rickshaw. There were nine people in that thing. It almost refused to start, but we got it going and we made it no time, all things considering. Danced for the whole night and had a brilliant time. Found it funny that everyone was commenting on how nice my dress was when it was actually a skirt. The girls say they will come out with us again: success! I think they just needed to realise that going out in Delhi isn’t a huge issue and that the city is quite safe when you are a bit savvy. Also, in somewhere like Urban, there is never going to be a problem as it is just so full of internationals and very nice people. It has great atmosphere – something a lot of the clubs at home could do with a bit more of.

 

THURSDAY: THE DAY OF FAMILY.

Met Kapil briefly in the morning to say good bye till next time. It was nice and weird having him here. It has made me miss home very much. I got gossip and stuff from him, and it feels strange that I am outside of it all.

IN OTHER NEWS: my family came today. I was so stressed out about it. I just wanted them to like Delhi so much. This is a difficult city to get along with. So I can sort of understand why they would hate it, as I did. But I don’t want them to: I like it here now, and I want them to see Delhi beyond the nice façade of the South but also to like what is beyond that, not just how dirty or poor everything is. I wanted them to see Delhi as I do: a city of contradictions, frustrations and also beauty and excitement.

Seeign them all for the first time in so long was amazing. It felt so weird and also brilliant. Their hotel is incredibly grand as well, I was a bit bowled away by the whole encounter actually. It was brilliant to see mum and dad again. Spent some time setting out a vague plan of action for the day and had one of the most expensive lunches of all time in the hotel. Apparently their first impressions are good: I can see why being in this place. It is a beautiful hotel. They are staying at the Lalit near Connaught Place. The doormen wear huge golden turbans and namaskar when you come in…it is all so grand in comparison to what I am used to.

So I may have lost the battle for my rents to like Delhi…I brought them to where I live. My mum came up stairs in the hostel and declared it a prison. Before this though, I had come out of the metro intending to take a rickshaw as usual and the policeman had waved a screwdriver at us before advancing on the rickshaws to burst their tyres. Not a good impression for mum and dad. We then walked up the road to AIM café. Also maybe not a great plan. Saw three men peeing and smelt the evidence of many more. The open sewer didn’t go down well either. As I said to my dad, “I know what dysentery smells of now” and he replied “Yes, so did I, but I never thought I would have to smell it again.” Not brilliant… They liked AIM café though; a haven from the street. They met Amanda for the first time as well, and seemed to really like her as well, which is good.

Went back to the hotel for a swim and a chill out. I think everyone is a bit tired and overwhelmed, which is fair enough. The hotel has a brilliant swimming pool on the third floor out on a veranda type thing. It is blue tiles with these funky green and red lights playing over them – looks so cool. It felt amazing to be in the water and be able to just swim and be cool and get the grime off of my skin. Amanda is going to come with me tomorrow morning and we will swim and feel clean! Cannot wait. Finally, my quest for a pool is temporarily over. Took the rents to Satyam Bhavan, a south Indian joint on Connaught Place. The whole thing was very stressful. I don’t think they expected Connaught Place to be such a dump. Especially at night, when it is full of beggars and the rubble is difficult to negotiate. It was made worse by my mum being sick. I hadn’t thought it would take as little as an afternoon to make one of them succumb to the delights of Indian food poisoning but there we have it. Euan didn’t like the food in the place either, though he liked the sweets. So not a total loss, but pretty close. Felt a bit crappy by the end of it in the taxi they insisted that I take home. So stressed. It was such a shock to see them again and then for all of it to go sort of wrong…I don’t know. It was maybe not a great first day.

 

So maybe I should split this entry up? It is turning into a bit of an epic.

Will the family survive the night in India? Will my mother’s food poisoning be relieved? Will everyone else get it instead?

FIND OUT IN OUR NEXT EPISODE!