How to make this blog the most successful blog in the world

I don't know.

There seem to be no readers yet.

I am not so fond of sharing my daily experiences on a blog, because they are petty and trivial (like: I have put chickpeas to soak and will cook them tonight. Sad.)

So I'd rather be more interactive, and answer questions. Whatever you'd like to know about India. Big things, small things. What consequences liberalization has had on the national economy, how much to pay for a pair of 'chappals' (=flip flops), why on earth did I decide to move here for almost a year. Things like that.

But I can already anticipate the subject of my first treatise:

"Vegetarian food makes you fat and hungry".

Coming soon!

The lives of others

I often read The Delhi Walla blog searching for cunning clues on how to use the city. Recently, there's been a debate around expats, their lifestyle and how they are viewed by Indians. Apparently some of the locals, those with enough education and means to have an opinion, have a scrornful attitude towards the expat community; they live in South Delhi (=posh area), their rent is paid by the company, they live in all-mod-cons mansions, have a driver, a cleaner, a cook and perhaps even a general servant, they go to malls and buy camembert. They are rarely seen on the streets, or indeed in any non air-conditioned environment. They earn way too much money and don't live in the real Indian world.

Stuff like that.

In the debate, I see a certain legitimate irritation on the part of 'modern' Indian citizens who may want to reclaim their city. After all, this country hosted a fairly large expat community of white men for two hundred years - and it wasn't all fun and frolics.

On the other hand, more and more Indians live exactly the same kind of life, even if their income is proportionately lower. I was almost tempted to leave a comment defending the right to be here even if you are not an Indian, live and let live, etcetera.

But then I remembered:

In the beginning I tried to connect with a few Westerners living here: you know, someone to talk to, someone to share a drink with. The men I met were all deep in business talk : be it Delhi or London, they always make you want to gulp down a bottle of tequila on the spot and burp in their face. The women were, well, bored shitless.

None of them ever visited anything beyond their neighbourhood-cum-mall. Some of them have been living here for five years and they've never taken the metro. Oh, ah, they have a driver, sure. Oh, ah, the metro is still under construction in certain stretches. But, I'll say it again, they've been here for five years and they've never taken the metro.

Isn't it unbelievable?

By the way, the metro works amazingly well. It's so clean, cool and fast you'd think they made it for expats.

Introduction

This is the view from the roof. People use the little park for their 'morning walk', which they do every day before stuffing their faces with fried breads and spicy, buttery sauces (i.e. breakfast).

Preface and Acknowledgements

I have been living in Delhi for more than a month and will be here for a while. My husband and I are not expats. In fact, we are the only white faces in the neighborhood. Life here is silly and new.

Many thanks to:

Airtel India for providing internet connection

Limca - enough said

Whatever shop sold us the fridge

The monkeys at Delhi University Campus who eat bananas and sliced bread (but not the rubbery crust) every morning.

Welcome.