Liam Takes His Moustache, Guitar and Hat to India Part Two: more surprising animals on the road, bollywood movie #1, Indian wedding #1

November 15^th

Today on my way to work I walked past a colourfully dressed man taking his equally extravagantly dressed cow for a walk.

On my way to and from work I have to cross 4 roads. The first ones, under a flyover, are busy and this part is quite scary! But at least they do sort of stop here for the lights. There’s a poor family living under the flyover in between both roads but none of them have asked me for money so far. In fact, I haven’t once been approached by even one begging child, or old lady! I get asked for money more often in the UK.

I met Mr Prakash today. He seems like a warm-hearted person.

I had lunch in work. It costs 50 rupees and our helper, Jitin gets if for us. It was really nice!!! Best food so far. We all sat around the table and chatted and everyone shares their food. Lots of different vegetarian curries with naan, none wasted, no prudish table rules. And the takeaway comes in metal pots and a nylon bag which they come and collect later (or Jitin takes them back, I don’t know). Very sustainable! But Sanjay told me that they only did this because it was cheaper to wash up than use disposable packaging. This is cheaper food (although not the cheapest). Typically, middle class people get takeaways in disposable plastic and aluminium. But the upper middle class get takeaways from plastic free, ethically aware, expensive places which use biodegradable paper packaging.

We had the end of week meeting where everyone discusses what we’ve finished and what needs doing and in which order of priority.

I managed to catch the end of the meditation session today. As previously advised by people, I thought about my nose and breathing air, whilst listening to the spiritual music sung by an older lady with a harmonium.

I came back to find I have a roommate! He’s from the Urals in Russia, a very friendly guy.

November 16^th

Today on my way to work I saw a man riding a camel down main the road. Seriously! Still haven’t charged my camera unfortunately to capture these peculiarities.

In the office I made a massing model on sketchup of an educational campus in Diu, Gujarat, for a competition we’re entering. I took too long and felt very anxious at the end of the day…I hope I can keep up and be useful. They’ve shown me a lot of goodwill by hiring me, and I get real input in the projects. It’s a lot of responsibility, and I don’t want to embarrass myself and them, or let down the projects. I really like what they do; the briefs, the environmental and social awareness, the use of materials, the style.

The Ashram which I’m staying in is a really beautiful building, and Sanjay Prakash designed it. I’m very lucky to have this placement, it’s perfect for me, exactly the sort of architecture I’ve always wanted to do (although I may not be good enough for it).

I may get to go to Orissa and do some NGO work designing resilient houses in a zone devastated by a recent typhoon. My colleagues say that Delhi is really posh and I’m much more likely to get ill in the rest of India, particularly Orissa after the disaster.

I got invited to my colleague’s sister’s wedding.

There are fireworks every night in Delhi.

November 17^th

Big adventure! Gaurav took me on his motorbike to the outskirts of Delhi to visit Sanjay Prakash’s house. He didn’t know the way, and we got there in 3 hours by asking a very great many of people on the way for directions.

The house, which Sanjay designed, is excellent. Lots of interesting materials, little innovations and attractive furnishings. I hadn’t got my camera but we took photos on Gaurav’s phone. Afterwards we sat in SP’s garden and asked questions, and he answered and taught us a lot of interesting things.

Back in Delhi, Gaurav took me for a late lunch in a place he likes. Unhealthy, unhygienic, but very tasty, he said. And it did indeed taste great!! Best food so far, and the first time I’ve eaten meat here. It seemed perfectly healthy and hygienic to me, apart from all the flies.

Then we both had a haircut and I met his parents and brother in their flat. They were very friendly and welcoming. Later we went out on the bike and met our work mate, Pronita outside her house, intending to surprise her.

I went back to the Sinha’s flat and Gaurav’s mum had cooked us a dinner of egg curry, daal, roti and rice. This egg curry (like the one in Madher Jaffrey’s book) was in-fact the best food so far!

November 18^th

I stayed overnight at Gaurav’s, so in the morning we were rushing into work rather late on the back of Gaurav’s motor bike (scary). Then on top of a busy overpass, we got a puncture! Luckily he noticed it. So we got off and pushed it down the road to a mechanic. He ran his business from the side of the road in front of a very rubbish filled slum. There were many other people there, presumably his family and neighbours, one mother boiling water on the fire for her daughter to drink. Not necessarily this family, but many people here seem to throw rubbish without care, even outside their own shops and homes. It seems to be shopkeepers especially who do this.

Many people can’t speak English, not just the poor ones. I was surprised to learn this, as it is the second official language along with Hindi.

I got a tuc-tuc to work while my friend waited to have his tyre replaced (“10 minutes” the mechanic had claimed, rather over optimistically).

So far I have done my seva (requested voluntary service to the ashram) only on 1 or 2 occasions, rather than the requested minimum of an hour a day. I also struggle to get back in time for the meditation, and when I do, I only catch the last ten minutes of it. However, I decided to apply for long-term stay at the Ashram, so SP wrote an email to the head of the Ashram, and she replied later that day asking for a meeting with me to discuss this.

On the way home I was accosted by beggars for the first time; children of the family who live under the flyover. As I walk past they all reach out, including the mother, and as I go one kid follows me over the road. I have been told to ignore them so I politely say “Namaste” and “no, sorry, bye-bye” (spoiler: don’t worry readers, I do eventually give the poor kids food in a later instalment of this blog)

After a busy few days, I finally got back to my room in the Ashram and sat to write up day 15, 16 and 17 of this travel diary, soon to be blog. I chatted with my Russian roommate, Renat, my Rajasthani roommate, and the Californian girl I met on my first day here.

November 19^th

I got up early, went to the kitchen to sort through fenel seeds (my seva), had breakfast and then met with the head of the Ashram. Gaurav kindly joined me for breakfast and the meeting.

It was a good day in the office; I feel like I’m really settling in and I get on with everyone. At lunch, they planned to go and see the biggest new Bollywood movie, Ramleela, and to take me with them! I went with Gaurav on his motorbike and we met Pronita, Nitisha and Mayank there. The film was really brilliant, especially the first half! The second half was much more serious and harder to follow, as it deviated a bit from the famous Shakespeare tragedy on which it’s based. I had to ask my friends to translate a few times. I would definitely recommend this movie, even without subtitles. But I will look up the plot online when I succeed on connecting my frustratingly peculiar or faulty laptop with the elusive  wi-fi password (I’m away all day and when I return, I want to eat, and after that the IT guy’s gone).

The Ashram gates close at 10.30 so I stayed again at Gaurav’s place, and we ate more of his mother’s delicious cooking.

November 20^th

I really want to do my part of the deal with Ashram and do seva and meditation. So I got a lift in the morning with Gaurav’s parents who were heading to work. I made it in time to shower and do some seed-sorting in the kitchen.

No unusual animals on the way to work today, sorry. Horse, cow, camel…next it will be an elephant!!! One hopes.

In work I’m doing a project with Gaurav and Pronita. She is really nice and very good fun!

Tonight after work, the whole office went to our colleague’s sister’s wedding. He is the only one we know but this is normal in India. I was looking forward to trying lots of new foods but one Mayank (one of the younger of the senior architects) and Pronita were going “oh no, you can’t eat that, you’ll get Delhi-Belly and it’ll be too spicy for you.” L

I danced to Harriani songs with Pronita and a big bunch of young lads, who all thought this white guy copying their Bollywood and Bhangra style dancing was a great novelty. When we left they pulled me back for more dancing! One of my female colleagues said “you’re dancing is scary!” So nice! No dancing for you then missy!

Liam Takes His Moustache, Guitar and Hat to India: A brief Summary So Far

So far I've been to the outskirts of Delhi (Gaurgau) on the back of a motorbike, eaten lots of tasty food including meat from an almost street food place that was hygically a bit risky (according to my friend), been to two Indian weddings, been to see a Bollywood movie in the cinema, gained an Indian family and friends and experienced warm Indian hospitality and proper home cooked food, worked all hours in the office on an architecture competition to design an Educational Hub in Diu and seen three kinds of animal being ridden on the road, and a decorated holy cow. Here in the Ashram I've celebrated Sidi Day, seen the kids sports day, helped make a papier mache lion, learnt to use crouching toilets, met loads of different people and learnt Yoga from a Californian Yoga, who also convinced me that I am infact spiritual afterall and I have a strong connection with God. And I got ill once unfortunately, but that's part of the deal.
I've written about some of this already but I still need time to edit it so I can post it online. Hopefully it will be interesting and not too long, rather than too long and quite boring! (which is subjective so it will be probably both).

Liam Takes His Moustache, Guitar and Hat to India Part 1: leaving Nottingham and arriving in New Delhi via Heathrow

Nottingham, November 12th

I was still getting things in the centre, and it was nearly time to go!!! I rushed back to the flat on a slow bus in traffic. Bella said that the bus we must take was at 35 past and I arrived at here flat, running, at about half past. We ran with the stuff to the bus stop. In time!!! But then Sion phoned and we didn’t get on the 36, which we should have got although it doesn’t go all the way to the station. The one that does didn’t show up when it was supposed to. Nor did the next one. Another 36 went past, and we were just about to call a cab when the Indigo finally arrived. We got on but soon realised that it was going too slowly, stuck in traffic, so we might not make it. Bella showed great courage and decisiveness by calling a cab to meet us en route. We disembarked from the bus by Savoy and our cab was waiting across the road (or at least, a cab was there which we waved at assuming it to be ours…we’ll never know).

We told him when our train was and he was unimpressed and thought we should have called a cab much earlier. I was so stressed; my heart was pumping!!!! At every red light we went “noooo! Turn green!” We arrived outside the entrance with about 5 mins to go, and Bella ran out to get her ticket from the machine. I paid him 5.70 (she insisted on tipping him which was very nice of her as he did deserve it, but I was stingy and gave him 30p less than she ordered me to give him [this was what was in my hand after I put the other pound back in my pocket thinking I wouldn’t need it]).

I struggled to get my stuff from the car, then ran through the corridor to the platforms. Bella had her ticket so she grabbed my guitar and we ran down the stairs. We caught the train with under two minutes to go until departure.

Chatted to one of the studio heads Nicola Gerber on the train and told her about my plan to go to India. It was nice bumping into her. Then, finally, I could ring Sion and Paul back and organise the dinner out in London. But the signal was so bad and Bella and I wanted to watch Princess Monoke, which I’d bought earlier in the centre. Thankfully, Sion and Paul organised it. So Bella and I met Sion, Paul and Adam in St Pancras and we went to Pizza Express where we had very nice time.

Bella slept on the tube to our hostel and I chatted to an interesting Travelling Englishman who happened to be a Jehovas Witness.

Heathrow, Nov 13th & India Nov 14th

The plan, AirIndia, was really nice! And so was food. And there were lots of films to watch and music to listen too from a screen on the back of the seats. Better than easyjet!  

(This next paragraph has uesful advice for those arriving at Delhi International Airport, but you can skip if you don't care about taxi prices etc)

Arrival at the airport I arrived in good spirits, got currency (good exchange rate here), and bought a pre-booked taxi to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram for 410 rupees. However, the men outside kept insisting that I had to pay more; one really annoying, desperate person kept saying the ticket was only for my luggage and I had to pay him Rs.900 to get to the Ashram. He tried really hard to get me into a cab. Some other cabbies said “our friend is only joking, this is pre-paid cabs” and eventually a quiet, moustached, thin, dark-skinned man succeeded in putting my stuff in the cab and, without much response to my continued insistence that I would not pay more, he honked me out of the airport. He really had to honk a lot, because the taxi we entered got into was completely surrounded by parked cabs. We drove along wide, dark roads past urban wasteland, trees and slums until we reached the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. He kindly waited for me to be let in, and I gave him a tip as he was honest and did not ask for more money. I think he was only quiet because he couldn’t speak much English. He wasn’t originally from Delhi.

Although it was about midnight in the UK, I found it hard to sleep. It was just me and one other man in a large, very basic dorm. After a few hours and a small amount of sleep I awoke for breakfast: slightly spicy pasta/noodles, bread, warm milk. A good Liam breakfast! I met a retired accountant who was very nice. He showed me the sterilized water machine. So no need for my expensive UV SteriPen!!!

I asked the reception for Sanjay Prakash’s number (he's the director of Studio for Habitat Futures) and told him I'd arrived.

I had a good sleep for the rest of the morning and woke for lunch: rice, naan, and various vegetarian curries and pulses, some of which were interesting new flavours for me.

A young architect called Gaurav Sinha was sent from the office to meet me at the Ashram. He got me a padlock from a nearby shop for my stuff and then took me on the back of his motorbike through Delhi to the office. This was my first experience of Delhi in the daytime, and it was very exciting. Luckily he brought a spare helmet for me. He said the police were strict on that these days, which is surprising but good to know. 

On the way I saw an Indian man riding an extravagantly decorated white horse with rings on his fingers and bells on his toes

Yes, the road is quite crazy, and really, really busy. But it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. And Gaurav assured me that it was ordered chaos.

My new colleague took me through a door and up a staircase to the Studio For Habitat Futures where I met the studio leader, Mayank and the others. All very young; I guess many of them have quite recently graduated. I was introduced to the projects which all sound very exciting. I’ll be working on a few at one time.

My first task was to do some hand renders of some sections for a presentation of the IICT-Jodphur campus masterplan.

I was a bit slow but the drawings were satisfactory.

There are two in-house waiter/servants, Jitin and Subhash, who bring us water, tea, coffee and Indian sweets!!! This is really great.

Most of the people I met struggled to understand my accent though because I think I talk too fast and too indecisively.

Got a lift back some of the way on another colleague’s motorcycle, this time with no helmet, at night (no police at night, you see)!! But the scariest part was crossing the road after he dropped me off. I walked up the road as instructed but I went too far, and ended up in a busy, interesting, poor and dirty looking area. The main street side of a slum I guess. So I asked a few locals (a teenager with his mum looked like a safe bet) and went back the way I came, eventually finding it.

At dinner I met Sarah, from California, studying East Asian religions and yoga with an ambition to become some kind of guru, and Shiv, a local lawyer. He kindly invited us to his father’s boutique hotel where we drank chai and ate some delicious sweet syrupy thing. He dropped us back (in his posh white car). I showered and now I’m here writing this, still with no internet access and only 1600 rupees…(need to load up my Indian Rupee Bank card soon!!!).

Good night, diary and patient readers x

(I can’t wait to sleep now!)