First Impression

At last! I've tried to sit down in an internet cafe for the past several days and give you all some belated details regarding my first week in India and it seems as though so much is happening that I can barely start to organize my thoughts before something else takes my attention. India is truly a beautiful, colorful chaos and I believe it's going to take me a while before I can delve deeper than the top layer which in and of itself is pretty intense.

Truly, such a contrast to countries that I have visited before, where there is at least an attempt at order. Major monuments placed neatly across town, shops in shopping districts, the better side of town, the side you know better than to wander alone... but here... all of this previous eperience is as good as skis in downtown Delhi.

I arrived safe and sound last week after a surprisingly comfortable 30 hour flight. Jet airways has officially surpassed KLM and Lufthansa as my favorite airline. I also managed to get through US security with a half full bottle of vitamin water which I had forgotten about - too bad I didn't bring my Nitroglycerine with me (read: that's a joke FBI/TSA! Thank you for not making me throw it out). I also made it into India with two apples in my carry-on - Lucky me!

The amazing thing about Delhi, at least my first impression was the masses of people. Keep in mind, I left the airport around 12:30 am and there was still traffic! Still rickshaws and jeeps and vans and cows and dogs and people swerving about, deftly and narrowly avoiding one another (usually). I just cannot believe that so many people fit in one confined area. It is so contrary to nature, where generally all life besides human kind, tends to populate a particular space to an acceptable, harmonic balance. Not us. We, the obstinant human race that we are, abide by no rules and seem determined to pack as many of us in, next to, on top of an underneath as we can. I cannot imagine living in a city like this. That being said, it makes me all the more intrigued. It is such a way of life that is so completely foriegn to me, I long to understand and if I am lucky, peel back a couple layers and live just a little while in this beautiful colorful chaos.