Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Delhi - Saris and Eagles

I have found there are two kinds of people when it comes to India. Those who love it and those who don't. I have not found ANY in between at all. I found also that it tends to be divided along gender lines as well, men love it and women hate it. Although I have been finding an increasing number of women who love it too.

Delhi for me will be remembered as the city of Saris and eagles. I was crazy for saris before India (fashion designer-hello). The amazing thing is no matter what an Indian woman is doing, working in the fields or restaurant, you can bet her sari is straight. The grace of these beautiful women is amazing whether they are doing the more laborious chore or riding side saddle on the back of a scooter.

And as for eagles, they are every where here and it is amazing! Huge, majestic with incredible wing spans soaring all over the city.

India is a country with so many complexities. There is so much going on, it would take a lifetime to scratch the surface. Nitin (our tour guide) speaks 7 Indian dialects and says only 1 one them MAY help him if he goes south. That does not even take into account the caste system, the religions, the different regions with their different culture and food.

A friend I met in China once told me that if you think the driving in China is bad, wait until you get to India! Well truer words were never spoken! Words cannot express what goes on on the roads of India. Imagine a 4 lane road, the two you are in and the two of opposing traffic. Well things get stuck on your side or are not moving fast enough, you take out one lane on the oncoming traffic side. Nothing is sacred, the shoulder, the median, sidewalks, if there were bike lanes, men working, no worries all is an inbound place to drive. I am used to it now but I must admit the ongoing traffic thing and going the wrong way on the traffic circle really gets me going. The horn is used for everything from telling people to move over to let people know you are coming.

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