Delhi India, January 9, 2007
This is the insanity we call Delhi traffic. If it's a 4 lane road that means there are five or six cars all competing for the lanes. To get ahead, you aim for a hole and go for it. The scariest part is when you realize that Arun is constantly on his cell phone while he drives us through this madness that is Delhi traffic. (see movie) there are always honking horns all the time. It's how people communicate on the road, like Vietnam. You cannot drive a vehicle in Delhi if you don't honk your horn. It's not anger. It's how you communicate your intentions. You can see in this video the way cars just look for a hole and go for it. And right in the middle of it all, some guy decides to back up. It's incredible and it's the way of life every day.
Delhi India, January 6, 2007This story is from our recent Journey in IndiaThis has been a big day for Aw and me. Our driver and guide, Arun, has taken us to Raj Ghat, where Gandhi was cremated. Then we visited the famous tower; Qutub Minar. Now it's time for lunch. We tell Arun we want to eat where the locals eat, so he takes us to a rough looking little restaurant that serves Punjabi food. 
We are the only foreigners in this place and we get a lot of looks. But everyone is friendly and smiling as they look over to see these strange people in their midst. This one minute video is our first authentic Delhi meal since arriving in India. Aw asks Arun to give us some suggestions as to what we should eat. You can see a sink across from our table. We all take turns washing our hands before and after the meal. 
It is the custom to eat Indian food with your right hand. You never want to use your left hand to eat or shake another person's hand. We all really enjoy the food. We have chicken curry with rice and japatti bread. Aw is very bold and loves to try new things. And she's great with the language. The only word she keeps having trouble with is 'japatti', which she pronounces 'pah-jah-pee'. I don't like to correct her on it though. I think it's cute the way she says it. The green chutney sets off the flavors of the whole meal very well. We're so glad Arun brought us here.
Delhi, India, January 6, 2007This is a story from my recent Journey in India.
This our first day exploring Delhi; in fact it's our first day exploring India. Our Buddhist Nun Friend, Joanmarie got us a Taxi driver to show us around. There are a lot of unscrupulous people here so when you find a driver you can trust, you've found gold. As you can see, Arun knows how to make us feel at home, with his 'Canada' jacket. When he arrives at our 'Guest house I say: "Arun, we don't know which way is up. Just show us around". He decides that a tour of Delhi should start with one of the most sacred landmarks in India. 
He takes us to an enormous park in the north of the city and one of the most sacred locations in this whole country; 'Raj Ghat'. This is the place where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated on January 31st, 1948 after he was assassinated while preparing to lead prayers in the Biria House Garden. Gandhi is a hero of mine and it's my first chance to get close the the Spirit of this man. We take the stairs to a walkway that looks down into the memorial site.
Millions of people come here from all over the World, like Pilgrims, to pay respect to this man who changed India. We go back down to the entrance and take our shoes off to walk barefoot with the others. This Black Marble memorial is where Gandhi's cremation took place. A continuous line of people walk in a right-handed circle around the Eternal flame on the marble slab. Walking clock-wise is very important in to Hindu culture. It's considered bad etiquette to walk the other way. 
As we stand here at this sacred Site, I find myself wondering what Gandhi would think of this Monument. There must have been such a temptation to build something exotic to express the respect and love the Indian people feel for the Father of their Country. But I keep wondering what his reaction would be to us giving so much attention to a man who lived with such humility. After some quiet reflection, Arun takes us to a magnificent Temple I never would have expected to find in India.
This is the insanity we call Delhi traffic. If it's a 4 lane road that means there are five or six cars all competing for the lanes. To get ahead, you aim for a hole and go for it. The scariest part is when you realize that Arun is constantly on his cell phone while he drives us through this madness that is Delhi traffic. (see movie) there are always honking horns all the time. It's how people communicate on the road, like Vietnam. You cannot drive a vehicle in Delhi if you don't honk your horn. It's not anger. It's how you communicate your intentions. You can see in this video the way cars just look for a hole and go for it. And right in the middle of it all, some guy decides to back up. It's incredible and it's the way of life every day.
