India

You can never step into the same river twice, or rather, you can never go to the same Delhi twice.  I arrived yesterday morning, and so far my second trip to India feels very different.  It’s not just that I’ve been here before, and know what to expect.  Delhi has changed.  The first hint came at the airport, which is shiny and new.  It could be any international airport anywhere in the world.  Gone was the chaos and people yelling at you.  Immigration and customs was quick and efficient.  Was I really in India?

Things also felt differently because I was coming home to friends Maria & Robert, not to a hotel.  I caught a pre-paid taxi from the airport and after a bit of asking random pedestrians and then repeated calls to Maria, my driver and his sidekick (a guy who jumped into the cab as we left the airport) managed to find the neighborhood.  I was then able to relax and drink a cup of coffee with Maria.

Today I caught the new metro down to Connaught Place.  The metro was also shiny and new, with spotless cars and platforms.  There were even automated announcements for all the stops.  After strolling around Connaught, I met my friend Parvez for lunch at Saravana Bhavan, a wonderful South Indian restaurant.  I then went back to his place and hung out while he practiced with a friend for an upcoming concert.  Before heading home in the evening, I stopped at my favorite paratha stand for one andha and one aloo paratha (egg and potato stuffed breads).

Prices have changed in an interesting way.  Mid-range and expensive things have gone up a lot.  Meals that used to cost 60 rs in 2004 are not 120 (so at least 100% increase in 5 years).  On the other hand, prices for common things have only gone up very slightly. My aloo paratha only set me back 10 rs (up from 8 in 2004).  That seems to tell me that there has been a lot of income growth for the middle and upper classes, but those at the bottom have not benefitted.  I should go dig up the World Bank figures.

Other things that are new for me here: plastic bags are a thing of the past.  I bought some fabric yesterday, and they gave it to me in a little cloth bag.  I commented that it was nice not to get plastic, and I was told that plastic bags are now banned.  I wonder when the U.S. and Europe will catch up.