India

I am posting this from an outdoor 'family' bar next to a relative nice pool here at the US Embassy in New Delhi. Yes, India. It is a little bit passed 6 PM and my friend and I are quite hungry. We thought tonight is a Mongolian BBQ nite at the embassy but we just found out the Mongolian thing is for tomorrow night. I guess we will come back again tomorrow night. It is not like there are thousands of things to do here in New Delhi.

We went to a large indoor shopping market this morning to look around. My initial thought was at least it is going to have AC. By the time I took my first step, I wish I was back at my hotel room instead. Little shops occupy all the square inches of the market. Being different and tourist looking, the shop owners are all standing outside their shops 'hackling' us to go check inside their stores, "come look inside, no cost to you , sir ", "we give you good prices !", "real leather ...". My friend bought some latest DVD, "End of the World" and "Mr. and Mrs. Smith", for about $4 each. I bought the tourist thing - a bunch of India hand-painting eggs. Each cost about 50 cents - nice gifts to give to the secretary and friends back in the office.

We are going to take a private half day trip around Delhi tomorrow morning. Not sure what to expect. At least we will have a chance to get out of our tiny hotel room for a while. Pretty sure we will then come back here again for the Mongolian BBQ one more time....

I probably will be here for a while - at least til October. My friend who works here has left for her vacation. So, I have been asked to come sit in her chair while she is gone. Delhi wouldn't be my first choice to spend my Sept, but I have no choice. But then, I have been traveling so long that I know I will manage somehow to make the best out of it.

qcorners

(P.S, saw that the hurricance did some damages to Florida. Stay low, you hear !)