Dear all,
Incredible things happen in India and there are so many stories that I could write about, …
But here is India and our life ‘in a nutshell’
Things you should know about our life and about India:
- I passed my first Hindi Exam! I have the certificate of ‘Elementary Hindi ‘ in my hands.
- Every day there are still things to discover in Delhi!
- There hasn’t been a day that passed where I felt bored.
- We love our weekends in Delhi! There is still so much to discover.
- The Bollywood dance classes are a lot of fun.
- Yoga classes are so popular in India that I felt that I had to try it out, result: now I love it!
- It takes about 5h30 to go to the supermarket and do some groceries shopping! Yes, some because then you haven’t been
to the butcher, the fish shop, the cheese shop, …
- We’ve never spent so much time in a car as in Delhi! The traffic is pretty bad…
- When you have a ‘To Do-list’, you shouldn’t be too optimistic! If you can do one or two things in a day, it ‘s already is a
lot!
- When I practice my Hindi with Rickshaws drivers or at the market, people start very spontaneous to laugh at or /with me.
But still, I think I should take it as a compliment.
- Having the Delhi-belly every month is normal for Manu. He feels that it is impossible to refuse any food when he is visiting
clients or others. Result: cramps can come and go at any time.
- We are positively surprised by the amount of nice restaurants with gardens, terraces in Delhi.
- Buildings are put down and build up again, as it was the most normal thing in the world. At the opposite site of our apartment the building was gone when we came back in January. Since then, we have people working 24/7! Yes, and even on Sunday.
Which means that we are unable to use our lovey terrace. But don’t worry; there is a new challenge for me, arranging the rooftop terrace with lovely plants, new furniture etc.!
And so I keep myself busy with all kinds of projects! ;-)
India is INCREDIBLE!
- Paying your electricity – water- TV bills in cash at the counter of these different companies is normal. Don’t forget, you can not put too much on your ‘to do list’ for one day ;-)
- Having cows on the roads and be blocked behind them is just part of the street views of Delhi
- Arriving an hour later at an event is normal. It is not seen as being rude or egocentric.
- Indian parties start very often with a performance, then with some speeches and it is only afterwards that the food is served. After you have eaten, everybody leaves.
- Overloaded trucks are very scary because every time you have to overtake them, you may have the impression that they will turn over.
- The weather changes are very easy to define. When there is rain, thunder and a breeze, … there is always some change in the air. After Holli (which is a huge festival in India on the 20th of March) the temperatures will probably climb to 30°-35° (and in April even more!)
- Everything is possible in India! As long as you think positive, you have time, have good connections and that you are PATIENT.
- Without patience you are lost in Delhi!
- If you cannot rely on somebody with the same background as you, it is hard to cope.
- Making friends and having an active social life is important. Your family, friends from home are far away… you shouldn’t underestimate how bizarre it is not too be able to share everything as we are used to it in our home countries.
- India has a population of 1 200 000 000 !
It is the second most populous country and the most populous democracy in the world.
- The president of India is a woman.
- India is bigger than the European Union!
- India’s coast is 7 517 km long…. If you compare it with our 65km of coast, there is a huge difference!
- India is the birthplace of the world’s major religious traditions; Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism.
Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism and Buddhism are the major religions followed by the people in India.
- India was one of the richest countries till the time of British rule in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus, attracted by India's wealth, had come looking for a sea route to India when he discovered America by mistake
- There are 300,000 active mosques in India, more than in any other country, including the Muslim world.
- His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, runs his government in exile from Dharmashala in northern India.
- Yoga has its origins in India and has existed for over 5,000 years.
As you can see, it is a pretty amazing country and we are so glad to be able to live here.
The up-coming years will be revolutionary; will make history even more interesting!
This Incredible country has so much to offer and still so much to learn!
So who is planning a trip to India?