First real day
I am waking up, still covered by my blanket. Not even trying to get out of my bed but by the sounds in the house and outside I realize I am at a place completely new to me… So, I start exploring it.
It’s 11.30. Two maids have come to help mama with the home duties such as cooking and cleaning. The door bell keeps ringing: one guy comes to get the garbage out, another one delivers fruits and vegetables.
For the breakfast I got juice, toast bread with cheese, spicy omelette with onions and herbs… and some sweets… loves it…
Mama Kalpana and Nevanti taking a taxi to get around and they drive me and Anoop to GK (Greater Kailash) market were we meet Vidushi. Vidushi (also AIESECer) is a magician who matched me with the traineeship and handles some of my troubles. She turned out to be just 18 which as somewhat average age for the AIESECers in Delhi.
So, we walk along GK market to get my mobile subscription fixed and to buy some clothes. The market turned out to be kind of upscale with a number of international apparel brands presented. And still right here you can buy accessories, snacks etc from the stalls.
I walked around and kept looking at girls and women. I do not know how I got this idea before, but it is not only salwar-kameez and sari that are in use here. Younger girls and women commonly wear much on the stuff their western peers would do. Still, I did not notice bare upper arms and bare bellies. I look at those girls, at Nevanti, Vidushi and think… Independent, active, taking initiative… Whose rights did I come to study and deal with?
Anyways, as determined before I decided to buy some typical Indian clothes. Vidushi brings me to Fabindia which seems to be popular with foreigners and considered very nice clothing (not particularly cheap as well) in India. Afterwards when I wore the kameez (Knee-long shirts with two….on both sides.) I bought many girls guessed right, “Ha, you’ve been to Fabindia”. However, as Anoop’s mother said, I should wear this for parties and holidays, whereas I can get something more casual for as mush as double less the price. But back to the shopping itself. It’s quite a different experience in India than it is in Europe. In the latter you expect to find some models that come in a couple of colors and a number of sizes. Here in India, there is a million of patterns and textiles which the same kameez can come in. I am getting lost, keep trying things, getting back to the shelves, grabbing some more and trying those. Back and forth until I realize there is not way to buy it all. At least now. So, I pick up three kameez-shirts. I should say, that I did not dare to buy the pants (salwars) yet as they appeared to be something very different from what I expected. When you see the complete outfit – salwar-kameez – you see shirt and ankle-long pants. In reality they are about 1 m wide in waist, so when you fis them you get all those numerous pleats. This is not only loose this is too spacious in my humble opinion. So, I decided to postpone this cultural experience till later on.
Also today I drove with both velo- and auto-rickshaws. The first type is just a cycle with attached double seat carriage covered by a shed. Good for short distances. And wow.. the drivers many of them being very skinny are very tough to carry passengers.
Auto-rickshaws is basically a motocycle turned into a tiny kind of car (with a frame, but without doors) that is suitable for 2 passengers.
It’s 11.30. Two maids have come to help mama with the home duties such as cooking and cleaning. The door bell keeps ringing: one guy comes to get the garbage out, another one delivers fruits and vegetables.
For the breakfast I got juice, toast bread with cheese, spicy omelette with onions and herbs… and some sweets… loves it…
Mama Kalpana and Nevanti taking a taxi to get around and they drive me and Anoop to GK (Greater Kailash) market were we meet Vidushi. Vidushi (also AIESECer) is a magician who matched me with the traineeship and handles some of my troubles. She turned out to be just 18 which as somewhat average age for the AIESECers in Delhi.
So, we walk along GK market to get my mobile subscription fixed and to buy some clothes. The market turned out to be kind of upscale with a number of international apparel brands presented. And still right here you can buy accessories, snacks etc from the stalls.
I walked around and kept looking at girls and women. I do not know how I got this idea before, but it is not only salwar-kameez and sari that are in use here. Younger girls and women commonly wear much on the stuff their western peers would do. Still, I did not notice bare upper arms and bare bellies. I look at those girls, at Nevanti, Vidushi and think… Independent, active, taking initiative… Whose rights did I come to study and deal with?
Anyways, as determined before I decided to buy some typical Indian clothes. Vidushi brings me to Fabindia which seems to be popular with foreigners and considered very nice clothing (not particularly cheap as well) in India. Afterwards when I wore the kameez (Knee-long shirts with two….on both sides.) I bought many girls guessed right, “Ha, you’ve been to Fabindia”. However, as Anoop’s mother said, I should wear this for parties and holidays, whereas I can get something more casual for as mush as double less the price. But back to the shopping itself. It’s quite a different experience in India than it is in Europe. In the latter you expect to find some models that come in a couple of colors and a number of sizes. Here in India, there is a million of patterns and textiles which the same kameez can come in. I am getting lost, keep trying things, getting back to the shelves, grabbing some more and trying those. Back and forth until I realize there is not way to buy it all. At least now. So, I pick up three kameez-shirts. I should say, that I did not dare to buy the pants (salwars) yet as they appeared to be something very different from what I expected. When you see the complete outfit – salwar-kameez – you see shirt and ankle-long pants. In reality they are about 1 m wide in waist, so when you fis them you get all those numerous pleats. This is not only loose this is too spacious in my humble opinion. So, I decided to postpone this cultural experience till later on.
Also today I drove with both velo- and auto-rickshaws. The first type is just a cycle with attached double seat carriage covered by a shed. Good for short distances. And wow.. the drivers many of them being very skinny are very tough to carry passengers.
Auto-rickshaws is basically a motocycle turned into a tiny kind of car (with a frame, but without doors) that is suitable for 2 passengers.
posted by Olga Tikhonova | 1:39 am
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