Once again, I apologize for how long it has been between blog posts. My life has been significantly busier recently and it will only continue to become more hectic as I start conducting interviews for my research this month. This blog is a good venue for me to reflect on what I have done during the past two months. Part of my responsibility as a Fulbright Grantee is to be engaged in the community, and sometimes I feel like I am not doing enough of that. Therefore, it is helpful for me to reflect on the events I have attended and people with whom I have interacted, to remind myself that I have been involved and also push myself to continue to involve myself further. Here are some of the (interesting) things I did since my last blog post:
Attended a lecture by the Former President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai and Former Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh
I work at a building called the India Habitat Center (IHC), which is a large convention center in Delhi that houses the offices of countless social and commercial organizations (including my organization, the International Labour Organization.) IHC holds at least five events every day, a variety of academic talks, music/dance performances, book launches, and film screenings. I get e-mails every day informing me of the events occurring. In November, I received some e-mails stating that Hamid Karzai would be speaking in Gulmohar Hall. I was confused because Gulmohar Hall is a very small auditorium, and I didn’t understand how a talk that would obviously draw such a large crowd of people (former president of Afghanistan!!!) could be held in such a small space. Nevertheless, I immediately decided I would attend and marked it on my calendar. When I showed up at Gulmohar Hall on the night of the lecture, it became apparent that the e-mail had failed to mention that you had to be affiliated with an embassy and obtain a formal invite for the lecture. I tried to play it cool and when I was asked for my information (to be checked on the RSVP list), I informed them that I was with the U.S. Embassy. Shockingly, this worked, and I was escorted into the small lecture hall with countless ambassadors, government officials, and heavily armed security guards. There couldn’t have been more than fifty people in the room. Moreover, I had no idea that the former Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh, would also be on the panel with President Karzai.
I hate to admit that I found the lecture itself to be quite unenlightening. Hamid Karzai was a very charismatic speaker with a sharp sense of humor. However, it was clear that the talks had been entirely scripted, and it was an hour full of diplomatic praise between India, Afghanistan, and other countries that had ambassadors in attendance. There was much reference to exchange of assistance between Afghanistan and India, such as educational scholarships; however, in a time when so much can be said about the relations between South Asian countries (the former Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Khurshid Kasuri, was also on the panel), there was disappointingly little substance in the conversation. In fact, in response to a question about the Kashmir conflict, President Karzai stated, “As a former president, I have more freedom of speech than I had before, but not enough to dictate India’s diplomacy.” I understand that such figures are limited in what they can say, but with important leaders from India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan on a panel together, I would have been intrigued to hear more about how they think the foreign policy of these three neighbors should be altered in order to address the presence of terrorist networks in the South Asia area. Nonetheless, it was an incredible opportunity to hear President Karzai and PM Singh speak, especially in such a small venue.
Attended Delhi Queer Pride Parade
I was invited to walk with members of the US Embassy in the Delhi LGBT Pride Parade. In Delhi, there is a specific route through the city that every protest is required to take. My friends and I found the starting point, which was obvious because of the loud drums and hundreds of people wearing multicolored clothing. We met up with the U.S. Embassy members and were given shirts that said, “Human Rights are LGBT Rights – U.S. Embassy, New Delhi.” I have never attended Pride in the U.S. so I had no idea what to expect, but I was told by my friends who have attended Pride in the U.S. that Delhi Pride was nothing like it. The parade stopped about every five minutes because people would start dancing in the middle of the street and not continue forward for ten minutes; it took over two hours to walk one kilometer.
People marching and watching the parade were especially interested by the presence of a U.S. Embassy group, and we received a lot of questions regarding the United States’ position on same-sex marriage. Being held accountable for my statements as a representative of the U.S. Embassy was actually quite intimidating, especially when a reporter from the Wall Street Journal asked to interview me and a few other Fulbrighters. Overall, Pride was a great experience, and I got to meet a bunch of really interesting people from Delhi and from the United States.
Attended a football match
One of my friends from Delhi took me to a soccer match between the Delhi Dynamoes and Atletico de Kolkata (Calcutta’s team.) The match was held in Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, an arena in Delhi that seats up to 60,000 people. The game wasn’t all that eventful and the final score was 0-0, but it was the first sporting event I have attended in India so it was fun to see. My next goal is to make it to a cricket match!
Found a really good Mexican restaurant
When you grew up in the western United States and are living in India for a year, this achievement is pretty important. Laura and I found a restaurant called ‘La Bodega’ in a market very close to our house. The chef is from Mexico City and the food is increíble!
Explained in Hindi to a plumber that a monkey broke my water pipe
Laura and I have grown accustomed to the screeching sounds of monkeys on our roof during the middle of the night. Therefore, when we heard screeching at three in the morning in late November, we weren’t fazed until we heard a crash and the sound of spurting water. It was pitch black so we couldn’t deal with it at the time, but when we went up to our roof the next morning, we saw that the monkeys had knocked over part of our water system and there was water gushing out in every direction. When we called the plumber and told him that monkeys had broken our water system, he did not seem to think it was a strange occurrence at all.
Celebrated Thanksgiving both ‘Embassy Style’ and ‘Student Style’
My friends and I had been planning to have a Thanksgiving potluck, but then we were invited to a formal dinner at the house of an embassy official. On the night of Thanksgiving, we had a huge feast of (imported) turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, steamed vegetables, and pumpkin pie at the embassy official's house. The following night, we followed through with our equally delicious potluck; with a mix of American and Indian friends, we had a feast of chicken kebabs, deviled eggs, vegetable pulao, aloo gobhi, samosas, and pecan pie. It was nice to be able to get a group of friends together for the holiday, and share an American custom with our Indian friends.
Attended a music festival in a Rajasthani palace
In early December, I traveled to a small town in Rajasthan called Alsisar for a music festival called Magnetic Fields. The music festival was set inside a Rajasthani palace, and we stayed in tents right outside the palace. Most of the musicians were Indian, although there were about ten foreign musicians who flew in from all over the world. In addition to the music, there was kite flying, yoga classes, and traditional Rajasthani food.
Explored South India
My parents came into town on December 20. We spent one day in Delhi (they had visited me in Delhi during the summer of 2012, so we didn’t feel that they needed to stay in Delhi for a long period during this trip.) I showed them my apartment, my office, and my favorite places to eat and shop. The next day, we left for Kerala. I feel quite confident in my knowledge of North Indian culture, food, dress, and language. When we were in Delhi, my parents were impressed with my ability to speak to rickshaw drivers and bargain with vendors. However, when we reached Kerala, I was no help at all. South Indian culture, food, dress, and language is incredibly different.
It was a really interesting experience to be in the South for the first time. I got to learn more about the culture there, and it reminded me again how different every part of India is. I initially thought the local language, Malayalam, would be somewhat similar to Hindi and that I could catch on, but it was an entirely different language that sounded nothing like Hindi. And obviously the climate is different. When we got on the plane in Delhi, it was 50 degrees Fahrenheit and you could barely see ten feet in front of you because of the thick smog. When we got off the plane in Kerala, it was 90 degrees and sunny. Kerala is beautiful! We relaxed on the beach in a town called Kovalam, took a houseboat down the beautiful backwaters, trekked through a wildlife sanctuary in Thekkady, and drove through gorgeous tea plantations in the mountains in Munnar.
Here's to 2015!
My trip to Kerala was beautiful and relaxing, but I was strangely excited to return home to Delhi on December 31 (despite the cold and fog.) I had a fantastic New Years Eve with friends and made the resolution to become more involved in different activities across Delhi. I have attended a lot of events, but I want to join groups and sports teams that will enable me to meet more people. My friend has agreed to take me with him for pickup basketball games at the Siri Fort courts on Sundays, I joined a book club and a photography group, and I want to volunteer with a nearby animal sanctuary. I am also really excited to continue with my research, as I have already arranged a number of interviews for the upcoming weeks and will be presenting my findings at a Fulbright conference in the beginning of March. It is hard to believe that I have already been in Delhi for almost five months, but I am thankful that I still have eight months to meet new people, explore, and learn.
Attended a lecture by the Former President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai and Former Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh
I work at a building called the India Habitat Center (IHC), which is a large convention center in Delhi that houses the offices of countless social and commercial organizations (including my organization, the International Labour Organization.) IHC holds at least five events every day, a variety of academic talks, music/dance performances, book launches, and film screenings. I get e-mails every day informing me of the events occurring. In November, I received some e-mails stating that Hamid Karzai would be speaking in Gulmohar Hall. I was confused because Gulmohar Hall is a very small auditorium, and I didn’t understand how a talk that would obviously draw such a large crowd of people (former president of Afghanistan!!!) could be held in such a small space. Nevertheless, I immediately decided I would attend and marked it on my calendar. When I showed up at Gulmohar Hall on the night of the lecture, it became apparent that the e-mail had failed to mention that you had to be affiliated with an embassy and obtain a formal invite for the lecture. I tried to play it cool and when I was asked for my information (to be checked on the RSVP list), I informed them that I was with the U.S. Embassy. Shockingly, this worked, and I was escorted into the small lecture hall with countless ambassadors, government officials, and heavily armed security guards. There couldn’t have been more than fifty people in the room. Moreover, I had no idea that the former Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh, would also be on the panel with President Karzai.
I hate to admit that I found the lecture itself to be quite unenlightening. Hamid Karzai was a very charismatic speaker with a sharp sense of humor. However, it was clear that the talks had been entirely scripted, and it was an hour full of diplomatic praise between India, Afghanistan, and other countries that had ambassadors in attendance. There was much reference to exchange of assistance between Afghanistan and India, such as educational scholarships; however, in a time when so much can be said about the relations between South Asian countries (the former Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Khurshid Kasuri, was also on the panel), there was disappointingly little substance in the conversation. In fact, in response to a question about the Kashmir conflict, President Karzai stated, “As a former president, I have more freedom of speech than I had before, but not enough to dictate India’s diplomacy.” I understand that such figures are limited in what they can say, but with important leaders from India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan on a panel together, I would have been intrigued to hear more about how they think the foreign policy of these three neighbors should be altered in order to address the presence of terrorist networks in the South Asia area. Nonetheless, it was an incredible opportunity to hear President Karzai and PM Singh speak, especially in such a small venue.
Attended Delhi Queer Pride Parade
I was invited to walk with members of the US Embassy in the Delhi LGBT Pride Parade. In Delhi, there is a specific route through the city that every protest is required to take. My friends and I found the starting point, which was obvious because of the loud drums and hundreds of people wearing multicolored clothing. We met up with the U.S. Embassy members and were given shirts that said, “Human Rights are LGBT Rights – U.S. Embassy, New Delhi.” I have never attended Pride in the U.S. so I had no idea what to expect, but I was told by my friends who have attended Pride in the U.S. that Delhi Pride was nothing like it. The parade stopped about every five minutes because people would start dancing in the middle of the street and not continue forward for ten minutes; it took over two hours to walk one kilometer.
People marching and watching the parade were especially interested by the presence of a U.S. Embassy group, and we received a lot of questions regarding the United States’ position on same-sex marriage. Being held accountable for my statements as a representative of the U.S. Embassy was actually quite intimidating, especially when a reporter from the Wall Street Journal asked to interview me and a few other Fulbrighters. Overall, Pride was a great experience, and I got to meet a bunch of really interesting people from Delhi and from the United States.
Attended a football match
One of my friends from Delhi took me to a soccer match between the Delhi Dynamoes and Atletico de Kolkata (Calcutta’s team.) The match was held in Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, an arena in Delhi that seats up to 60,000 people. The game wasn’t all that eventful and the final score was 0-0, but it was the first sporting event I have attended in India so it was fun to see. My next goal is to make it to a cricket match!
Found a really good Mexican restaurant
When you grew up in the western United States and are living in India for a year, this achievement is pretty important. Laura and I found a restaurant called ‘La Bodega’ in a market very close to our house. The chef is from Mexico City and the food is increíble!
Explained in Hindi to a plumber that a monkey broke my water pipe
Laura and I have grown accustomed to the screeching sounds of monkeys on our roof during the middle of the night. Therefore, when we heard screeching at three in the morning in late November, we weren’t fazed until we heard a crash and the sound of spurting water. It was pitch black so we couldn’t deal with it at the time, but when we went up to our roof the next morning, we saw that the monkeys had knocked over part of our water system and there was water gushing out in every direction. When we called the plumber and told him that monkeys had broken our water system, he did not seem to think it was a strange occurrence at all.
Celebrated Thanksgiving both ‘Embassy Style’ and ‘Student Style’
My friends and I had been planning to have a Thanksgiving potluck, but then we were invited to a formal dinner at the house of an embassy official. On the night of Thanksgiving, we had a huge feast of (imported) turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, steamed vegetables, and pumpkin pie at the embassy official's house. The following night, we followed through with our equally delicious potluck; with a mix of American and Indian friends, we had a feast of chicken kebabs, deviled eggs, vegetable pulao, aloo gobhi, samosas, and pecan pie. It was nice to be able to get a group of friends together for the holiday, and share an American custom with our Indian friends.
Attended a music festival in a Rajasthani palace
In early December, I traveled to a small town in Rajasthan called Alsisar for a music festival called Magnetic Fields. The music festival was set inside a Rajasthani palace, and we stayed in tents right outside the palace. Most of the musicians were Indian, although there were about ten foreign musicians who flew in from all over the world. In addition to the music, there was kite flying, yoga classes, and traditional Rajasthani food.
Explored South India
My parents came into town on December 20. We spent one day in Delhi (they had visited me in Delhi during the summer of 2012, so we didn’t feel that they needed to stay in Delhi for a long period during this trip.) I showed them my apartment, my office, and my favorite places to eat and shop. The next day, we left for Kerala. I feel quite confident in my knowledge of North Indian culture, food, dress, and language. When we were in Delhi, my parents were impressed with my ability to speak to rickshaw drivers and bargain with vendors. However, when we reached Kerala, I was no help at all. South Indian culture, food, dress, and language is incredibly different.
It was a really interesting experience to be in the South for the first time. I got to learn more about the culture there, and it reminded me again how different every part of India is. I initially thought the local language, Malayalam, would be somewhat similar to Hindi and that I could catch on, but it was an entirely different language that sounded nothing like Hindi. And obviously the climate is different. When we got on the plane in Delhi, it was 50 degrees Fahrenheit and you could barely see ten feet in front of you because of the thick smog. When we got off the plane in Kerala, it was 90 degrees and sunny. Kerala is beautiful! We relaxed on the beach in a town called Kovalam, took a houseboat down the beautiful backwaters, trekked through a wildlife sanctuary in Thekkady, and drove through gorgeous tea plantations in the mountains in Munnar.
Here's to 2015!
My trip to Kerala was beautiful and relaxing, but I was strangely excited to return home to Delhi on December 31 (despite the cold and fog.) I had a fantastic New Years Eve with friends and made the resolution to become more involved in different activities across Delhi. I have attended a lot of events, but I want to join groups and sports teams that will enable me to meet more people. My friend has agreed to take me with him for pickup basketball games at the Siri Fort courts on Sundays, I joined a book club and a photography group, and I want to volunteer with a nearby animal sanctuary. I am also really excited to continue with my research, as I have already arranged a number of interviews for the upcoming weeks and will be presenting my findings at a Fulbright conference in the beginning of March. It is hard to believe that I have already been in Delhi for almost five months, but I am thankful that I still have eight months to meet new people, explore, and learn.