Memories of the Monarch Lake hike on June 24, 2010
Now from Delhi ...Hard to know what to lead with - several headlines would have been possible. But lower temperatures and the lovely patter of rain on the awnings is the best news. And knowing that the bushels of dust that Pramod, Pawan (before I came), Neesha and I have swept out of the house is far less likely to make its way back in now that it's wet! The Met (the Meteorological Service of India) says that the southwest monsoon is not here yet (http://www.imd.gov.in/section/nhac/dynamic/Monsoon_frame.htm) BUT the BBC says it is and so do the clouds and rain. The monsoons were such a preoccupation of the grown-ups around me when I was a child, would they fail? when would they start? would there be a good rice crop? all matters of grave concern. Now I am always happy when it rains. So rejoice with me!
The other headline is that the new terminal (called T3 being the 3rd terminal at Indira Gandhi Airport) was officially opened yesterday and the first international flights will arrive there on July 14 (according to TOI) or July 15 (according to IE). Jack leaves the U.S. on the 14th and will arrive on the 15th - so he will either be on the first or second day that T3 is in use. I will go out early and see what's what because all my students arrive on July 17 and we have to know what to tell them. I'm attaching an article from the Times of India - if you don't read it at least scroll through to the last pages for the pictures. Spectacular - seemingly the new India!
Another newsworthy item - yesterday I saw a subway car sitting on the tracks at the Lajpat Nagar station (it is above ground there). There were men working on the overhead electrical too. The system is electric and uses overhead lines not the third rail like the El in Chicago. The newspaper also had a story about the line that will run out to the airport - 20 minutes from Connaught Place to IGA.
I've had two good days in the office. The work is monumental but will keep my mind off Jack not being here with me. Thank goodness we only have 12 students coming - the larger numbers look more impressive but require a lot more attention. Yesterday I ran errands with a car for the whole day from Hardeep the taxi wallah. Went to get groceries at Defence Colony Market - and found a huge construction project at the end of the market (two lines of stores with a garden in the middle is the market) - an old, maybe Muslim shrine being rebuilt - part of the great "spruce up" that is going on. The piles of dirt where sidewalks are being replaced are twice as high as they were and there doesn't seem to be any progress that I can discern. If they would just finish something it would be a reassurance that all of this is not simply futile - in fact, during the intercessory prayers this morning the woman praying asked God to please help all of those who had deadlines to meet so that India would not be disgraced! So it's not just me that is getting anxious about all of these never ending projects. We are trying our best (sent the two office boys again yesterday morning) to get tickets to the opening ceremony for the Games but even though the marketing people said they would be releasing more Rs. 1000 tickets yesterday they did not do it. There are lots of Rs. 5000 available - but we can't spend that much on students. As Shera the mascot told us in the paper today - 92 days to go.
I went to ACSA and had a salad for lunch and swam, then went and had my hair cut at the Oberoi. So my day was full and busy. I had a great visit with mom and dad on Skype at our regular time. They are off to Byron for the Whitcomb family reunion today (tonight for me) with Patty driving them up. Jack had a great visit with his brother, sister-in-law and various nieces and great-nieces in Philadelphia and is back in Evanston now.
The worst news so far is that we have to fire the cook at the Residence today. I am waiting for Hemanshu to call me and we will do it together. Hemanshu caught the cook in his bedroom, inside the cupboard with the safe (which sadly he had left open) going through all the money and jewelry, with bags emptied on the floor. Caught red handed as they say. He had been with us for just 2 months - with a wife and baby. We will stay until he has all his things packed and is gone. Traumatic for all of us. And then we will have to find a new cook again ... cook number 4. And we will probably be closing the Residence when I leave in December so this will be a short-term job for whoever we hire. It is, as we say, India.
So - wonderful that we got to see many of you. A month is hardly any time at all though. Think of me making my way without Jack - it's lonely but I'll manage. Love to all,
Cate
