The first two weeks here have been busier than I expected - in the best way. This is a different Delhi than the one from my childhood; both because the city has changed and because I have time to explore it.
I went for dinner with a new friend during my first week at a Nepalese place in Safdarjung, where my nani and nanaji lived when I was younger. In my mind it’s preserved as a quiet, residential neighborhood across the street from the Deer Park. This part of Safdarjung (called Humayunpur) was totally different - packed with kids (Gen Zers , really) and trendy restaurants and shops. I had no idea anything like this even existed in this area. Maybe it didn’t, when we were younger, but I also never had time (or made time) to go looking on short visits.
I’m trying to stay independent like I am in New York, though that looks different here. Uber is available now, along with some other local rideshare apps, but there are new options. If you’re not going too far, you can take Uber Auto! A three wheeler will pull up, ready to whisk you away. There’s Uber Bike, too (hopping on the back of a scooter), but I haven’t gotten up the nerve to do that yet. It sounds like the best way to beat the traffic here, though; the bikes are the only ones that can weave through it quickly. I’ve taken the metro a few times, too; there’s a stop in walking distance. The cleanliness puts NYC to shame, although the connectivity and frequency leaves a little to be desired (at least from where I’m staying). We’ve taken e-rickshaws to the nearby market a few times as well. I’m a lot less worried about being hit by someone when I cross the street than I was two weeks ago, though usually the trips across the street to the closest market are with Mausaji.
Shopping has been a necessary adventure. Usually, a short visit means shopping and visiting a tailor on the first or second day of the trip so a lehenga can be made by the end of the two week trip. This time, there’s no weddings to shop for and no rush, but I also need some clothes to survive the hot weather that’s coming. Too much of what I own is made of polyester and other synthetics that will only amplify the heat. Mausi has a bunch of saris she has set aside to convert into other things. She’s made a few into suits, and I’ve been taking some of the leftover material to make tops. There’s a beautiful maroon sari with an orange border that I’m hoping turns into three pieces, and an old chiffon bandhani sari of my mother’s that I haven’t decided what to do with yet. We’ve gone to some shops to browse textiles and the choices are endless. My cousin and I spent an hour in a shop in Nehru Place with four floors and everything you could possibly imagine. There was cotton, chiffon, modal, viscose; traditional block prints, more modern screen prints. There was a whole section of denim upstairs, that was lighter and more breathable than any pair of jeans I’ve seen stateside. I was tempted to buy so many different fabrics, but I kept reminding myself that I don’t even know what I’m doing with all the saris at home yet. A nearby shop I went to with Mausi had Assam silk, all in different patterns featuring primary colors. It was so soft and smooth and seemed perfect for summer. I bought a dress from the same shop of airy patterned cotton that I can’t wait to wear. It seems that every shop has something different, whether fabric or styles or both. What’s available at the mall here is also different; you can find all the same chains here now that you do in the U.S., but the Indian and Indowestern shops, where I like to go, have so much variety.
We are still on the hunt for a cantaloupe as sweet as the one I wrote about last week. We got two from the same seller that were nearly as sweet, but we’ve eaten a lot of very bland cantaloupes in between. Mausi almost ordered grapes online (the app claimed ‘Sweetness Verified’), but after our trip to the shop with the cotton dress, we verified the sweetness of the grape stall just outside ourselves and brought those home instead. Watermelon season has properly started now, and I am eagerly awaiting mango season. Mausaji made pomegranate and mosambi juice out of some leftover pomegranates in the fridge this morning. Mausi has cooked up so many things, including some of my favorites: stuffed parathas, jave, matar ke chawal, dhokla; and new things too, like stuffed baingan. I’ve eaten out quite a few times but largely at familiar places, and I’m looking forward to trying some new places soon. I’ve been cooking a little here as well, though I’m still getting used to the kitchen here and to what is (and isn’t!) available here. There was a debacle last week with something called “processed cheese”; I’m still not sure exactly what it is. We went to a beautiful park last weekend that had a market set up. There were stalls selling natural skincare and haircare, perfumes, organic snacks and pickles, as well as others selling organic fruits and vegetables and grains. We tried tiny black grapes that tasted like rosewater, and one stall had at least 20 different grains from different regions of India, most new to me.
I’m overwhelmed, in the best way, about all the things I could learn about here. I make notes each time anyone shares something interesting, whether it’s about fabrics or food or politics. Every day has brought something new, expected or not, big or small. It feels so wonderful to be curious about so many different things and have the time to learn about them.
P.S. Mausaji was concerned about my lack of translations in my last post. I don’t want to put them all in the text, but I’ll add some below (to this post and the last one) for context!
baingan: eggplant
matar: peas
ghia: bottle gourd
