Bye for now, Delhi!
We left Delhi early this morning to fly to our school host cities. For the last five days, the view from my hotel window looked like the picture on the right. On some days the skyline and physical features below were barely visible, on other days they were slightly more visible. While the tree cover was something quite impressive in a city, the pollution — less so. That said, I was surprised during our five days in Delhi that I wasn’t more aware of it when I was out in the elements. It was hot, yes, but Delhi’s spot on the list of world’s most polluted cities wasn’t as evident as I feared.
Hi, Pune!
My view in Pune looks like the picture on the left. Pune is in Maharashtra State in Central-West India, about 2 hours southeast of Mumbai. India is currently in the midst of the monsoon season, which lasts roughly from late June through September. Pune is a city of about 5 million and is known as a center for higher education, for its growing tech sector, and for its generally pleasant weather. During the colonial era it was a hot spot for British and Indian government officials to retire. Though it’s the rainy season, the showers are mostly scattered and short throughout the day, which means you can still get out and about without necessarily getting drenched. The view from our hotel is of a former cricket field, beyond that some buildings, and beyond that some hills. The vibe in Pune, according to our host principal, Pallavi, is more laid back than in the North and to quote her, “I’m from Delhi, so I’m allowed to say that.”
Food Matters
A few quick thoughts about food. 1) I’m enjoying eating here so much (and I’m eating so much). While I eat Indian food with some frequency at home, I have appreciated the greater variety that comes with actually being in India. 2) Being vegetarian is far more common here, mainly for Indians who are Hindu, which is the dominant religion in the country. I have noticed that the default identifier vis-a-vis food is vegetarian, and thus to eat meat means you are a “non-vegetarian” or “non-veg.” I think the language inversion is so interesting here and helps to complicate this notion that being an omnivore is normative, while not eating meat isn’t. 3) The dish on the right is my favorite of the trip thus far. I love Indian dishes that include a little sweet (tamarind sauce, pomegranate seeds), lots of savory (onions, spicy mint chutney, fried potatoes or chickpeas), and some crunch factor (dried peas, fried chapati, etc.). This dish is called Aloo Tikki Chaat.
Bollywood!
Last, but certainly not least, I got to see my first Bollywood film in a theater tonight! Pallavi was going to take us to museum, but they all closed early, so she suggested we go to a Bollywood film at the mall instead. We were game, of course, and were treated to all the melodrama and color and dancing you could imagine in 2+ hours. The film is a new release called Malaal, and it takes place in Mumbai in the late 1990s. It is about a couple from two different family backgrounds and from two different parts of India who fall in love, despite the odds. (Charting new territory, here.) It’s also an action film and there were three AMAZING song and dance sequences in the middle that were fabulously strange and enchanting. Lastly, the film was 100% in Hindi and we still generally got it (with some help from Pallavi). The twist at the end made us yell out loud and Pallavi kept laughing and apologizing for how drawn out and overly sentimental the whole thing was. A total winner of a first day in Pune.
Ms. Otty in India 