Dusty Delhi

Hi all, it’s been a month since starting my Indian escapade so its time for an update. I’m finally settled into south Delhi close to work in the suburb of Malviya Nagar (to the locals/bus/taxi driver’s amusement I can’t pronounce this-only mangle it). The last few weeks have gone crazily fast, it’s taken some time adjusting to work at Development Alternatives, getting to know my team and the various projects.

My funny little flat is owned by a Canadian/Indian couple who mainly rent rooms to foreign workers. It’s a tiny room but jammed packed with a AC unit, ensuite, cable TV, a fridge!, desk and wardrobe/safe thing and a little bed. It’s cheap and choice. The local market is only 5 minutes walk away with heaps of cheap food, the only place I get to practice my Hindi for various veges and get laughed at.

Fruit lady in Malviya Nagar market

Sikh marching band and mobile lights

I thought I had an idea of how big Delhi was before I got here, but now that I live in it I’m realizing it’s a true megacity. At DA we do 6 day weeks so I only get Sunday to explore the sites – luckily we get the second Saturday of every month off – they’re my out of town weekends.

Highlights so far are……..

Qutib Minar; 12 century Mogal watch tower/victory symbol/mosque. I can actually see it from our roof top lunch area at DA!

Qutib Minar

Old Delhi; meandering alleyway madness gives you a great idea of how Delhi used to be. Some are so narrow and enclosed its close to dark. Whole areas are dedecated to one thing – moped parts, wedding stuff, bicycles, pashminas, saris. There’s a crumbling grandness to it all that’s uniquely Indian.

Tasty treats

View from Jama Masjid down Chown Bazaar

Jama Masjid; India largest mosque built in 1644 with red sandstone, white marble and boasting 40m high minarets!

Cow, hanging out

Tughlaqabad; kilometers of crumbling city and fort not far from my flat. Built in the 12 century with 13 gateways as the third city of Delhi by Ghiyasud-din Tughlaq it was apparently cursed and no one ever lived there.

To prove I really am over here

I’m starting to appreciate Delhi’s dusty hectic/randomness, and realize that pedestrians (that’s me, someone who dares to walk places rather than taxi) are treated as second class citizens - the number of time I’ve nearly been mowed down/fallen through a car size hole in pavements have been numerous. Road rules don’t really get obeyed and headlights are optional. I’m starting to think it’s possibly a point of national pride not to use them, as proudly demonstrated by DA’s own taxi service.

I think after four months of work I’ll be maxed out. Although the work is interested the language barrier sometimes makes communicating a fairly frustrating/tiring process, I end up craving having a proper conversation - not having to stop/start, clarify, reword/start again.

DA do a lot of great work in the poorest rural parts of central India. Since independence 60 + years ago many traditional craft and trade skills have been lost leaving a huge knowledge/technological gap in communities leading to slum conditions and extreme poverty. The part of DA I work for undertake a lot reconstruction projects in rural areas using local materials and attempt to resurrect the craft skills and architectural knowledge within a region. All the construction materials developed by DA are made locally near any project by training unemployed villagers, by doing this they not only get new house but also a trade/skills. I’m still trying to get my head around all the departments and the work they do, another big area is setting up rural community radio stations to get local issues discussed and broadcast and doing long distance teaching/training via satellite to remote parts of India!

Roof top dining at DA

I’ve mainly been office bound for the last month helping out on a number of projects in a research role; helping put a large seminar together on sustainable Indian architecture (was presented last week to a small delegation from Egypt!). DA's work has started to look at urban areas as well as rural and I’m starting on a research project looking into urban residential architectural typologies which means I get to travel a bit. The idea is gain a picture of what’s been/being built, how and what with (not heaps of research done to date) to help eventually make recommendations on how to make urban Indian housing more sustainable - currently buildings in India use crazy amounts of energy and are environmental nightmares. Luckily I’ll be getting the fun upfront work like taking masses of photos /on the ground research and hopefully leave just in time to avoid report writing. ha.

Anyways, looking forward to the next few months and getting some travel done. Will update you all again soon. Love James.

Worlds best taxi

Malviya Nagar's local elephants