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.