Tag Archives: India

Things I love and love to hate.

Posted on by under India में

IMG_2998

Like a friendship or a romance, my relationship with India is a complicated one. Every day she takes me on a roller coaster ride of thrilling, ecstatic, beautiful highs and frustrated, hot and dirty lows. There’s something about the spirit of this country that is unlike any other place I’ve ever visited. India: she gets under your skin.

It feels every day I spend here, I discover another wildly weird, amazing, annoying, or hilarious thing about this great country. Here’s a list her idiosyncrasies that I love and love to hate.

(Most of these observations are based on my time spent in Delhi, and they are just that – personal observations – based on just a brief few months of being here.)

 

Hospitality

The people in India are overwhelmingly hospitable. Everyone I meet invites me to their home for a meal or offers up their contact information so I can get in touch should I ever need anything. When I wanted to do yoga, I was invited to attend a new friend’s private yoga class in her home. When I expressed an interest in food, I was invited over for a traditional home cooked lunch and brought out for dinners at some of the capital’s best restaurants. When I mentioned that I was going on a trip to Mumbai I was connected with a girl who lives there and she graciously welcomed me into her home and played tour guide for my entire stay. When I was in Bombay I got countless messages from my friends back in Delhi sharing advice on what to see and do and contact information of their friends in the city. A woman noticed me sitting alone on a train from Mumbai to Delhi and invited me to sit with her and her friend for dinner and then suggested I move down to their compartment to sleep (for safety’s sake). People are genuine in their offers and everyone has connections and is excited to share them. It is lovely to feel so welcomed into a country and a culture. It is through accepting these invitations that I have been able to catch a glimpse of India from inside its homes and its families – a side of the country I’ve never seen before and I’ve got to say, its beautiful from in here.

Gas, Nose Picking, Bum Picking and Public Urination

Forgive me for speaking of it but it can be a bit shocking when the sound of a large belch or loud fart reverberates through my office but here in India, they don’t have the same shame about bodily function. People on the street pick their noses and their bums unabashedly. Literally everywhere you turn in Delhi, there is a man standing with his legs apart, peeing. Coming from the West, it can be scandalizing but upon further reflection I think perhaps it’s also kind of liberating. This observation also got me thinking about how bizarre societies are in what they chose is “rude.” In India, it’s okay for men to whip out their penises for a quick pee whenever they please but god forbid a young woman walk around with her legs or shoulders out. No problem if you want to pick your nose on the bus sneak a smooch with your lover on the street and, yikes! I imagine coming from a country like India, visiting the West would reveal some equally bizarre contradictions. In the West you can’t eat with your hands. It’s okay for couples to be lovey-dovey but not common for heterosexual men to display affection towards one another. It’s not polite to be more than 15 minutes late. For an Indian, I imagine this would be as confusing as the burping is to me.

Most things are accomplished through personal, face-to-face connections.

In India, it’s all based on who you know. If you need something, you’re most likely going to get it by talking to a guy who knows a guy. I’ve been lucky enough to fall in with a group of people here who know people so this element of Indian culture has worked to my advantage and provided many cool connections and experiences. However, I see the flaw in a system where the connected remain in power, a realm unconnected can’t easily breach.

People are quick to open up.

It doesn’t take long for people here to breach topics that at home, would be considered inappropriate to discuss on a first meeting. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that people in India make fast friends. When you watch meetings on trains or in cafés, it doesn’t take long before the conversation turns into a passionate discussion of religion, rape and politics. And, what’s remarkable is, I’ve never seen these exchanges get mean. People feel free to explicitly and enthusiastically share their opinions. It’s refreshing and enlightening because even after being here a short time, you get an idea of where people stand on important issues.

Lack of Personal Space

It’s no surprise that with 1.3 billion people, this country is crowded. As a result, people here seem much less sensitive to touching. At home we exist in a bubble of personal space that is rarely breached. Here, people do not hesitate to tap, grab, push or lean on you when you’re nearby. It’s one thing I’ve struggled to get used to because while I never considered myself someone adverse to human contact, there is something violating about being tugged on by beggar or body slammed by a fellow passenger.

Singing in Public

People are always spontaneously breaking into song. In India, there is obviously not the same kind of shame and reservations around singing aloud. It’s so lovely to be serenaded by the voices of random strangers singing their hearts out as they stroll to work, drive their auto or simply sit and watch the world go by.

Bargaining

Haggling is a sport. And if you’re going to make it here, you’ve got to get good at it. It can be exhausting and annoying but it’s not really as scary as it seems. What I’ve discovered is that the negotiation between a customer and anything walla is just as much a means of connecting, as it is a way to set the price. My perception is that part of the culture of bargaining lies in the entertainment value. Selling things all day long is tedious (anyone who has worked in retail can likely attest to this) and the exchange that comes with making a sale is enhanced by the thrill of trying to get a good price. With this in mind, bargaining in India should always be approached with a smile. When a walla knows that you are in on the game, you’re much more likely to get a good price and have a positive shopping experience. It’s also important to remember, no one will sell you anything at a loss so you don’t worry about getting too low a price. Be brutal but friendly.

IST

Indian Standard Time (IST) generally runs an hour or so behind. This system works well for me because I am chronically late. Nothing can be accomplished quickly and getting anywhere takes way longer than you can imagine. “Five minutes, madam.” can mean anything from 10 minutes to an hour or more. Living this way can be frustrating but once you’ve accepted it, it’s actually kind of nice. It has helped me calm down and improved my ability to roll with the punches (a very good life skill, I think). In North America everything is go, go, go. Our systems and businesses are constantly striving to achieve efficiency. In India, the hustle bustle is constant at yet, remarkably, there is still a lot of time spent sitting around. Work hours are long but things are accomplished in a very round about way and much time is spent socializing, delegating, negotiating and waiting.

Communication is passive.

In North America, we are all about explicit communication. Terms are clearly outlined, help is straightforwardly offered and questions are plainly answered. Communication India is anything but clear. Often, simple flick of the head is all the response you will get from an auto driver, shop merchant or street vendor. Just because someone hasn’t responded or acknowledged you directly, doesn’t mean they haven’t heard your request. Things are done just so, and if you can relax, the vendor, driver or shopkeeper do what you’ve asked or take you where you need to go, eventually. No need to push, no need to ask again. Just like IST, it’s a good lesson in patience.

Auto drivers who don’t want to drive you home.

I’m always shocked when I ask an auto to take me somewhere and they flat out refuse by just put-putting away. This is a distinctly Delhi phenomenon. While technically it’s illegal (they have to pick you up) if you’re not going somewhere an auto driver feels like heading, most are more than happy to simply drive away. Every time it happens I’m left standing on the side of the road feeling stupid and oddly hurt by the driver’s rejection.

Pushy Cues

I hate pushy cues. Raised in a place where everyone always politely lines up in spacious cues, it’s an adjustment to get used to ramming your way to the front of a line. But, it’s the only way to get what you need. If you leave that 60cm of courtesy space between you and the person in front of you, you’ll never get to the front of the line.

Everyone wants to help… you all the time. 

If you ask for directions, it’s rare that anyone will say that they don’t know. Even if they have no idea where you’re headed, Indian people are so keen to help they’ll often “assist” you regardless. And so, despite of their knowledge (or lack thereof) they will happily point you in a direction. You learn quickly that it’s good to ask for a second opinion. Additionally, people want to help you even when you don’t need help. If you’re haggling with an auto or negotiating with a vendor, it’s not uncommon for a small crowd to gather, everyone trying to offer their two cents. Again, the sentiment is nice but sometimes I can’t help but feel frustrated because c’mon, I’ve got things under control!

Food

This one needs no explanation. The food in this country is delectable and diverse. Food is everywhere and people relish eating. Here is an interesting study about the science of what makes Indian food so delicious and unique on a molecular level.

Honking

Coming from a country where horns mean something, it can be hard to adjust to the incessant racket of horns that is Delhi roads. Cars constantly assert their presence by beeping – beep to pass, beep if someone’s in your way, beep if you see a pedestrian a kilometre ahead, beep if you feel like dancing. It gets under my skin when as a pedestrian you feel bullied by the noise. “YES I see you hurdling towards me and NO you’re not going to hit me!” so why honk!? Otherwise, you get used to the noise.

Pushing the Sale of Anything and Everything

Waiting in an auto at red lights is almost like a trip to the mall. A man comes by with a pile of pirated novels, a little girl offers you a bouquet of flowers, a kid pedals sun blockers for your car window, an older man sells a variety of electronics chargers. What really amuses me, however, is the completely senseless items you often see on offer and the passion with which the salesmen push them. What on earth would I do with a splash paint balloon the size of a small child? The concept that no matter how low the price, I simply don’t want what they’re selling doesn’t seem to exist in the mind of these balloon pushers. It can be a little annoying to assure them a hundred times that you’re really, truly not interested but armed with an understanding of the hilarity of the situation, it’s easier to use it as an opportunity for a good laugh.

House Hunting in India’s Capital

Posted on by under India में

IMG_2781 My Street in Delhi

Finding a house in Delhi wasn’t easy. Because the hostel I was staying in was so nice, I wasn’t tempted to move into sub-par lodgings. The only thing enticing me to leave the hostel at all was the fact that I didn’t want to live in a dorm for three plus months. For me, it was important that my house be located in a safe area. It had to be clean(ish) and most importantly, I wanted to share with people who I could be friends with since, as a new comer in this big city, social connections are important to avoid loneliness.

Here is a little of the wisdom I acquired in my house hunt:

1. Join all the Facebook groups you can find!

In Delhi, the best way to find out about available housing is Facebook groups. I joined all the groups including:

Flat on Rent Flatmates in South Delhi

Expat Looking for Accommodation in New Delhi

Flats and Flatmates – Delhi NCR

Flat & flatmates (south delhi chapter)

Expat looking apartments in delhi

Delhi and NCR flats and flatmates

~~~ Expat in New Delhi ~~~

Flat at Delhi without brokers

Yuni-net

2. Seek out posts in which people have told you a little about themselves or the vibe in their flat. 

Because, for me the social aspect of living with people was important, I was most keen to look at places where the flatmates took the time to describe the living situation in their flat. There are so many posts on all the pages that simply outline the flat “specs” but fail to describe the people or atmosphere.

3. Send messages that tell your potential flatmates a little about yourself.

If you care about relating to your flatmates on a personal level, chances are you’re going to want to live with people who also value the social element of shared accommodations. When you reply to Facebook postings about flats in Delhi, be sure to include a little bit about yourself, your interests and what you’re looking for in a flat/flatmates. This will set you apart from other flat hunters and hopefully connect you with people who share some of your values.

4. When you send messages to potential flatmates/landlords through Facebook, makes sure to also comment on the post letting them know that you have messaged them. 

This is important because often, if you’re not friends with people, your messages can get lost in the “other” folder. Also, it puts your name out there as someone looking for a flat which can send leads your way and help you to network.

5. Ask for photos.

Delhi is not the easiest city to get around. Addresses can be very difficult to locate. Sometimes going to see a place can take all afternoon. For these reasons, it’s good to get some idea of what the place looks like before you depart on the quest to find the flat.

5. Ask about landlord interference.

In Vancouver, landlord interference is never an issue so, before house hunting in Delhi, it would never have occurred to me to ask about it. In Delhi however, some landlords dictate who can come to visit you and when and have a watchful eye on your comings and goings. For me, this kind of living situation doesn’t suit and I would have been disappointed to find myself in a house where visitors from home couldn’t stay with me and friends couldn’t come over to visit.

6. You don’t need a broker.

Brokers can help you find a flat. They generally charge 15 days rent as a fee for their services. Some of the Facebook groups I posted above are curated by brokers however, I don’t think their services are really necessary. If you have the time, it’s very possible to organize housing on your own.

7. Network!

This house hunting experience in Delhi was the first time I networked over the internet. Because I was constantly posting on all the flat groups, I started getting messages from others who were seeking flatmates or had flats to rent. There were girls from Amsterdam I clicked with and we started house hunting together. While we didn’t end up finding a place together, now that they’ve arrived in Delhi we’ve become friends. And they’re not the only friends I made through house hunting.

In person networking is important too. Tell everyone you meet that you’re looking for a flat. You never know who might know someone. Most things in India are done through social connections.

8. Ask about the TOTAL cost of living there. 

Prices posted on Facebook are only the basic rent. In most cases, you will have to pay for electricity, wifi, water, staff, garbage etc. on top of the posted price. I found it helpful to ask the flatmates what they generally paid monthly to give me some idea of what it would actually cost me. It seemed that if rent was 17k, it worked out to a maximum of 20k after expenses. Of course, the time of year also impacts electricity because air conditioning is expensive.

9. Check for a water filter and a dedicated gas line.

The place I moved into has a water filter mounted on the wall of the kitchen. While this is not essential, it’s a super bonus because it eliminates the need to buy bottled water.

Most places have gas stoves that attach to a cylinder that hides under the counter. I’ve heard that these cylinders can be a real hassle to acquire and refill so if you find a place with a dedicated gas line, consider that in your decision making process. (They’re not super common.)

10. A cook and/or maid are a bonus.

It never occurred to me that I would want a maid and a cook but after living here for a while, I’ve discovered the importance of having household staff. Because of the pollution in Delhi, everything is covered in dust, all the time. A daily sweep and/or mop is essential. Without someone to do at least a surface cleaning every day, it’s hard to stay on top of the constantly amassing grime.

A cook is an added bonus. In our house we buy the vegetables and our cook comes every morning and prepares a daal and some sort of vegetable dish as well as roti. It’s really great to wake up and have something to eat for breakfast or take for lunch. I find it hard to find a lot of the ingredients I usually cook with at home so meal planning can be a challenge. Having someone who prepares at least one meal a day alleviates some of this pressure.

Q and A:

What are gated colonies?

As a young woman, gated colonies are the way to go. Many housing areas in Delhi are gated meaning there are fences that run the periphery of the development and gates which are closed after 11pm. this means that it’s safe to walk around at night. You can still get home late through the main gate which is left open but guarded all night.

What does DDA stand for?

DDA apartments are housing complexes/apartments that were build by the Delhi Development Authority (government body). The quality of housing varies depending on the age of the development. Newer ones tend to house smaller flats as the DDA has begun trying to accommodate the swelling urban population. All of the apartments should look the same (it’s illegal to renovate these flats) however you’ll notice that does’t deter everyone from renovating. I learned that the city can come and demolish any construction you do if they so please.

Which neighbourhood is best?

While there are good flats to be found in all of South Delhi, there are some areas where the hunt is a little more hopeful. All the flats I looked at in Safdarjung were nice. Similarly, the prospects in Hauz Khas, Green park and Panchsheel Park are good. Of course though, with these “good” addresses comes a higher price tag. Malviya Nagar tends to be a bit cheaper however there are lots of dingy places. It seems that the closer you stick to the periphery, the better your chances of finding a nice place. Try to avoid the Khirki Extension. If you’re willing to go a bit farther a field, Saket is also nice. I ended up a little West in Munirka and, while it’s a little bit farther from my work, the metro and the hub of south Delhi, I really like the neighbourhood. It also has perks like cheaper shopping and close proximity to Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Day 19

Posted on by under India में, Personal Updates

February 25th

Delhi is great so far.

I am so grateful to have landed in a an amazing hostel in South Delhi and staying here has been a dream. Mayank, the owner, is 26 and started the place because, after studying to be an engineer, he moved to China to work. After a few years on the job, he quit to do a year long backpacking trip around Asia and he realized that didn’t want to be an engineer after all. Because of his passion for travel and experience as a long-term backpacker, he has succeeded in creating an almost perfect hostel. He’s avoided all the classic hostel mistakes – shaky creaky beds, hidden costs, abundant rule posters. The place is really comfy, fun and clean. I was lucky that there were a few other people staying here long term. They became good friends.

I’ll be moving out of the hostel on Monday into a house by one of the universities. It’s the cutest little place. My room is green and bright and huge. We have a rooftop terrace and a maid and a cook! I’ll be living like a queen. My roommates are an Indian guy who works in Delhi and a German girl who goes to the uni. They both seem super cool and interesting. I’ll be sad to leave the hostel but I’m excited to have my own space.

The internship is good. Like everything in this country, it runs on IST (Indian Standard Time). This works well for me since I’m always late. On my first day of work, I showed up at 10, like my supervisor told me to.  By 11 she still wasn’t in. The guy at the office was reassured me: “She’ll be here eventually. This life or the next life…”

Right now, I’m helping Navdanya with their upcoming Indigenous Drink Festival and with their nutrition literacy program (Gardens of Hope) in schools.

It started out small.

Posted on by under Term 1

It all began with an innocent search on the UBC Go Global website. I was looking for some sort of international experience (that wasn’t an exchange) that would take me to India. In this search, I stumbled upon the Academic Internship Council internship in Mumbai. This is an internship program offered through Go Global in which students are able to go abroad to do internships to gain experience in their field of study. My interest was piqued. Unfortunately, there wasn’t very much information online about the program so days later, I found myself sitting in the office of the Go Global Advisor for Internships and Research Abroad.

What started out as a far off dream of going away to do an AIC organized internship in the summer turned into a quest to organize my own internship in January instead. The Go Global adivsor made this all seem possible. With his guidance, I scoured the internet for organizations working in the fields of food sovereignty, social justice, urban agriculture, sustainable agriculture and the environment. I sent out emails to people on the other side of the world asking if they would accept me as an unpaid intern in the new year. It was scary and empowering at the same time. And believe it or not, I heard back!

I got accepted by Navdanya as an unpaid intern beginning in February. Initially, upon submitting my application, I got a reply from Navdanya Bija Vidyapeeth (Earth University) which is located on the Navdanya Biodiversity Conservation Farm in Doon Valley, Uttarakhand. I was elated at their response however this is not where I had initially hoped to do an internship. Because I am fascinated by cities and interested in the policy and activism side of food systems, I was really excited about the idea of doing an internship at Navdanya’s Delhi office. Getting in touch with the office, I learned, is no easy feat. Because New Delhi is 13.5 hours ahead of Vancouver time, there were some nights that I was up three of four times calling the office, trying my darndest to get in touch with the New Delhi internship coordinator. For a long while, she remained elusive. Finally I awoke to an email inviting me to come and intern in Delhi! Never have I been so excited.

As soon as the trip is a reality, the panic set in. It seems the closer my trip gets, the longer my to-do list gets. Passports, visas, vaccinations, documents to be obtained form Navdanya, scholarships to secure, offices to call, courses to organize. There have been a number of points in the process that I thought I would have to give up: when I learned that I might lose my scholarship if I missed the semester; when I couldn’t get in touch with Navdanya; when I couldn’t figure out the process of Visa application given my intentions to intern; when I realized how much it was going to cost me. It’s been frustrating, no doubt but the scariest part of it all is that once all the items are checked off the list and I’m sitting on that plane, I have no idea what India has in store for me. I’m terrified and exhilarated. But one thing that this experience has already taught me is, if you put yourself out there, you can make anything happen and there are always people around to help.

I really thought I could pull this thing off but today, I bought my ticket so India here I come!

West Is Best?

Posted on by under Term 1

It’s funny how every semester I take a bizarre smattering of classes across many faculties and yet somehow common themes always seem to emerge from all my courses. This semester I have been doing a lot of thinking about the unbelievable pervasiveness of the colonial foundation upon which our society is build. I realize it’s not an original discovery but this term I have begun to recognize the power of our colonial past in shaping our entire perspective on the world, past and present. I have also been struggling with just how difficult it is to break free from this this mindset that was constructed by imperialism over the centuries and infused into my understanding of literature, history, and even science.

It was Dr. Shafik Dharamsi’s talk that really solidified for me a lot of ideas that were swirling around in my head which I was having a hard time pinning down. As I have been trying to plan an international internship, I was struggling to articulate my motivation in wanting to undertake this international experience. At the forefront of my mind was the fear that I would fall victim to the obvious pitfalls of international volunteerism. It got me thinking about my own biases about India, the country that so fascinates me.

I began thinking about how Western hegemony is really at the root of most of the ecological and social turmoil caused by agricultural reforms in India. This is the basis for the socially constructed concepts that don some countries developed and others developing, as Dr. Dharamsi discussed. I find these terms to be highly problematic and indicative of a deep seeded problem that underlies the burgeoning unsustainability of India’s food system. The West is touted as the pinnacle of progress. Less affluent nations and their citizens strive to achieve the prosperity they perceive in the West. Richer nations in turn, “help” these poorer countries progress by investing money in a manner that perpetuates their conception of what constitutes development. Inherent in this foreign aid is judgment. Countries of the Global South are often perceived as backwards or less than. Western knowledge is held in higher regard than traditional locally adopted practices and knowledge systems. Well-intentioned Western governments, organizations and individuals often lack a basic understanding of culture and have an ingrained disregard for the value of traditions.  In many cases, helping countries to “develop”, perpetuates the colonial framework built by imperialism over the centuries and ultimately sustains poorer nations’ dependency on the West, which further exacerbates the South/West disparity. In order to deconstruct the challenges of India’s food system, we must consider the colonial histories that created the divide between developed and developing countries in the first place.

As a westerner, planning to go abroad to intern with an organization doing work in the field of food systems, I am afraid that I will become part of this problem. It’s difficult to overcome the thoroughly engrained Western biases I have grown up with. I think it is  important that the world shifts its development paradigm. Instead of imposing a top down system where we try to go in and fix the problems we perceive in the Global South, we need to reflect on the ways we might be able to learn from cultural traditions and practices. It seems ironic that as we frantically try to back step away from the industrialized corporately controlled food system – with a revival in farmers markets, community supported agriculture and urban farms – on other side of the world countries are eagerly shedding their pastoral traditions. Why would we inflict on others a system that is failing us? A wealth of knowledge and vast diversity of wisdom exists around food globally but if we continue to belittle these cultural practices, we will loose them to homogenization. In the West we stand to learn a lot from the food cultures of the Global South and our immigrant community. An equitable, just and respectful exchange of knowledge across the cultural divide could greatly enhance the social, economic and ecological sustainability, cultural and biodiversity, and equality of our food system globally. By undermining the legitimacy and value of traditional knowledge systems in India we are diminishing the stability and sustainability of our local and global food systems. We are missing an opportunity. All parties could benefit from the establishment of a lateral discourse that would allow for a mutual exchange of valuable food systems knowledge and would foster a more socially, environmentally and economically sustainable food system. I hope to become part of this conversation.

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