About
Yet Another Self-Important Blog.
Rohit Singh
Email Me
Blogs
Use as directed or at your own risk.
Links
These are a few of my favourite links.
[Sun, 01 Feb 2004]
Trip Diary
Here I am, sitting in the cafe in the Charles De
Gaule airport at Paris, on my way back from India. The last 10-12 days have been very hectic. But they
have also been very fulfilling, and not just gastronomically. They did
pass by very quickly though. It was only 14 days ago that I had been up
all night in my apt in Boston, wrapping up some work so I could catch a flight back home the
next day. The flight to Delhi was rather uneventful, the only annoyance
being the way Air France hauls people between terminals at Paris CDG. I am
quite sure its rather cheap for them to run buses that loop around all
terminals. But I am also quite sure that this was one time when I made the
transfer more slowly than my luggage. Since I had to go from 2F to 2E, the
bus took me via 2A through 2D before getting to 2E. In contrast, getting
through Delhi airport was a breeze. They finally got the brainwave to
fix the way people queue up at immigration. Now there's only one queue and
people at the head of the queue are directed to the next available
officer. Earlier, one needed an oracle to divine which queue to tie your
fate to. Baggage was swiftly delivered and customs was a breeze. On the
whole, I think it was even faster than SF. Now I await the new regime at
Logan where they will take my photo, fingerprint me, and keep the info in
their records for decades, available gratis to all and sundry in the US
Govt.
Despite, or maybe because, how short this trip was I pigged out big time this time. Here's a sample of the dishes: gaajar ka halwa, keema, chicken, lamb, matar ki poori, normal poori, aloo ke paranthe, laal peda, nimona, chane aur lauki ki daal, poha, chhole bhature, shahi paneer, mirch ki sabzi, makke ki roti and many others. Missed out on mushroom matar, though.
I also ended up visiting quite a few places and met quite a few people, both old and new. The first 2-3 days in Delhi were lots of fun. A wealthy MBA even treated me to lunch, coffee, and a movie. Barista has lowered their prices for coffee. It is now Rs35 for the regulation mocha/latte-- only about twice of what I would gladly pay for it. This also means, probably, that the coffee at not-that-hep chains like Cafe Coffee Day is now sensibly priced. In the last trip, I'd seen some school kids studying in a Barista. This time I saw eunuchs and a wannabe rock band. We're getting there, America. Only if the shopkeepers at South-Ex improved their English and somebody did a Jerry Springer-like desi show, we'll be all set.
I even drove around Delhi, for three days, without my Indian driving license. Here's a thumb-rule for which side of road you should be driving on: the median of the road should be on the driver's side. Driving in Delhi wasn't too bad. Delhi-ites are slightly flexible in their interpretation of traffic rules but, still, its more than you can say for Banarasis. Driving in Banaras is essentially video-game driving, the only difference being that the max speed is 30kmph and you are not allowed to mow down humans. Good practice for GTA3: Vice City.
Also attended a friend's wedding in Jaipur. It was lots of fun-- we even managed to get the bride and groom to perform Govinda-ishtyle thumkes on the stage. We had encircled them so Parents & Co. couldn't see what was happening. We then managed to get the groom, Amit, to come down to the main pavilion and dance to the tune of "main zoru ka gulaam ban ke rahoonga". But before we could entice our not-yet-bhabhiji to come down, Amit's mom shooed us all back to the stage. Damn!
Compared to Boston, the weather was positively warm. But since floors are cold and indoor heating is absent, thick socks and infrequent baths are recommended. The roads are improving. Delhi-Jaipur road is quite good, though eastern UP is probably 5-10 years behind the rest of the country in getting decent roads. As a city, Banaras keeps baffling me. Nothing seems to change- the way people spend their time, the lack of any real industry (apart from silk sarees and carpets), the abysmal infrastructure, lots of horribly poor people, no real middle class, and a few outrageously rich people (not all of them honourably rich) and a predominantly feudal mindset. Ah well, things can only improve.
In the end, the trip became really hectic. India trips shouldn't be much shorter than this. So many things happened that even my memories are a bit mixed up.
Now I am back on my way, waiting at CDG for my connection to Boston. Strolling through the airport mall is an experience in itself. Amazement gives way to an inferiority complex ($250 for a Hugo Boss t-shirt) which soon gives way to irritation ($250 for a cotton t-shirt!). All I can see at CDG are Armani, Gucci, YSL, Hugo Boss, Chanel and what not. I just can't find a $1.50 chapstick. A mocha and muffin cost me about $10, obscene even by Starbucks standards. Sure, airport malls are costly but still... Ah well, there are enough beautiful people for all the beautiful shops in Paree. Just like enough people in Delhi will pay Rs 1000 for a dinner. Then again, maybe I really am a cheapskate.
Funnily enough, American coffee shops advertise their French Roast and their Italian espresso. The cafe at CDG, in turn, sells the San Francisco Steamer Coffee. The love-hate relationship across the Atlantic will continue, it seems.