House hunting

We are lucky to have a relocation assistant help us plan which area to move to.  We decided on an area of New Delhi called Vasant Vihar.  It is an ex-pat community...meaning a lot of westerners including people that work at the embassies live in the area.  Vasant Vihar is in southwest Delhi so only about 12 miles from Glen's work, which could still take an hour or two to get to in traffic.  Yikes.  The other option is to live in a newer city called Gurgaon, which is Delhi's satellite city and also where Glen works.  It's not as organic as Delhi.  There aren't many trees.  There are loads of apartment complexes that include a gym, swimming pool, and security.  It sounds nice but I'm afraid of living in a bubble.  A younger crowd lives there but we're not much into partying anymore.  Besides there is much more to see in Delhi.  So much more history, sites to see, richness to witness.  And what's the point of moving here if we're not going to get the real deal?  So we're pretty certain we're going to choose VV.  The structures are 3 stories high.  We'd rent out a whole level which are about 3-4 bedrooms, some including servants quarters.  Yes, we're practically required to hire a maid, cook, driver, and security.  Everybody needs a job here.  I don't mind having a driver....hell if I'm going to get behind a wheel in this congested-doesn't-require-a-drivers-license city.  But I'm going to have to get used to hired help being in my home.  My home is my private place, my sanctuary.  I'm going to have a hard time sharing it with a stranger.  We'll get to that later.  Back to the house....where was I?  Oh yeah, each bedroom has its own attached bathroom.  Glen's major requirement was to have a balcony where we could sit and chat in the evenings.  We found one that we both liked that has a large living room that opens up to a large balcony.  It's an older flat that needs AC installed in every room.  That we cannot compromise on.  The bathrooms aren't my favorite but we can pretty them up.  It's on a quiet road, which is hard to come by in this city (cars honk their horns incessantly remember).  We put our bid in and hopefully we hear something soon.   Places go so fast here they don't even advertise on the web.

View from the street

Living room

Lanai

Kitchen

Bathroom

  

Air-Play

One of many low cost airlines in India is Indigo...the first photo is the recruitment requirements to join as a cabin staff...in 6 bullet requirements i think they break every equality law in the US and UK, to apply for a job, you need to be female, indian, be between 18-27 years old, be at elast 155cm tall...'and weight in proportion to height' (ie no fatties), well groomed, have clear complexion.  one thing we did notice is that all the cabin crew looked identical, with the same haircut...which after careful study, jenn realised that they were all wearing wigs!...i mean seriously?  the other amusing thing was that the runway in goa crosses a main road, so just after a plane passes by, the road open and scooters and cars drive right on over the runway...awesome.

Goa

Goa...somewhere i came 3 years ago, specifically Anjuna, a very hippy/backpackery 'village'...  unfortunately however... we went in monsoon season...not the brightest  move on my part.  Goa is about 2 hours flight on the south west coast of india, but a million miles away from delhi, its a very lush, green, clay floored jungle region.
Our first night was spent in a lovely dirt floored kebab restaurant, once the rains had abated.  the following day we were lucky enough to get a dry warm day, warm enough for a walk along the beach, a little bartering and a scooter ride to nearby Baga, which turned out to be a much more lively little town.  a scooter ride i always think is the best way to see a place like this, and i was as proud as punch when jenn took a turn on the proverbial wheel.  the downside however is the continual harassment of people trying to sell you things.  our final night we headed back to baga to witness and partake in some bad dancing. a quick but lovely weekend get away, and im sure we'll return to goa...maybe not during monsoon season however.

Day: 1

Day 1: so imagine if you will, the love of your life 9 months ago, had a successful career, her own house, her family around her, her own friends, the lovliest dog in the whole world, and a very contented life...THEN...you come along, and move her to the other side of the world to a 2nd/3rd world country, where she knows nothing and no one, and expect to her to be happy...and in the middle of monsoon season. so yes, i feel responsible, worried, and yes, a little bit guilty. today was our first day in india, and jenn's first real day in asia (bar the 2 years she lived in the phillipines when she was 2).  we had our 'orientation' day from our ex pat 'helper' person. we saw cows in the road, children begging, people pee-ing in the street, concrete, mud, dirt, poverty...and constant rain. needless to say...this was a low day. i know from experience that it will get better...this is my 5th country in 6 years...but i know jenn is as scared as ever. in my wisdom, and as its a holiday next week, i booked us on a flight to goa tomorrow for a few days on the beach...erm...in the middle of monsoon season where everything is closed. i do not feel like the best boyfriend/fiance in the world right now.
Ah but I know I have the best boyfriend/fiance in the world...despite leaving a great, independent life as I had known it ...I couldn't dream up a better adventure.  But I won't downplay the culture shock of arriving here our first day in Delhi.  It was a audiovisual assault as soon as we landed.  I was thrilled to have survived the long flights here (I am scared to death of flying...how on earth do those big hunks of metal with wings get off the ground and land safely???).  I realize that air transportation is safer than ground transportation and that fact was proven as soon as we hopped in the cab to the hotel.  I can only call it chaos on the roadways.  The lines in the road serve as general guidelines for drivers.  They are not to be obeyed....no staying within the lines as we are taught in the U.S.  You can now drive ON the line or OVER the line...however you see fit.  The lanes of cars, tuk-tuks, and bicycles converge in a cacophony of honking horns.  Everybody is simultaneously swerving in and out but all are avoiding hitting each other.  I was filled with anxiety from all of the honking horns because in the U.S. when someone honks at you they are usually pissed off and honking to tell you just how mad they are!   But here it is a simple and polite honk just to let you know "hey, I'm just beside you".  Amazingly there are no accidents despite the jockeying for position.  I'm still very anxious and Glen is going to have to send me to a 3 month meditation ashram.  But this is just the beginning.  In the meantime I am soaking up the rain in Goa.  Enjoying my surroundings and the wonderful company.  As soon as we get back to Delhi it will be non-stop house hunting and furniture shopping and Glen will have to get back to work.  Soon I'll be on my own.  Eek!  Oh yeah, there really are cows wandering in the middle of the road.    

traffic...and a sign of things to come

presidential palace...we think

more traffic

cows in the shopping parade

orienteering

'good luck' describes the traffic nicely

hanging out in the hotel...our bubble

Leaving...on a jet plane...

Birmingham airport - UK

We left the UK late on Tuesday, and not arriving in Delhi until Wednesday afternoon, unfortunately, right in the middle of monsoon season...it would be a wet start to our adventure

waiting

Dubai

Landing in Delhi

In the beginning...

As narcassistic as blogs may be, and as much as i dislike the word 'blog'/'blogging' or indeed 'bloggers'...i/we feel it easier than to write than 50 emails explaining 'how its going' in india.  so...long story short, we met 9 months ago...today funnily enough, the same as the gestation period for a human baby...maybe this is our baby, who knows...anyway, we met in november, Jenn moved to houston with me in february, we got engaged in april...and we moved to the other side of the world in august.  we are scared, excited, overwhelmed and have no idea what to expect. if youve never read Holy Cow, then do so, i guess that is the pre cursor to this 'blog'. so, we decided to write this together, my text (Glen) will be in blue, Jenn's prose will hopefully be in pink...where we remember.  this wont be a daily thing, although i suspect it may be in the beginning. so get a coffee, enjoy and forgive our vanity for writing this.
And please be patient with my lack of eloquence with writing.  I feel somewhat exposed and vulnerable writing this but I think it will be a great way to keep friends and family updated.  I know most of you are either excited or worried for us....being such a new couple and then planting ourselves on the other side of the world.  Rest assured we are solid as a couple and we are confident that these next 18 months will be a positive blip on our life's journey.  Thanks for sharing it with us.  Now let's get started....