Happy New Year!
I sit here on a chilly evening in New Delhi... wrapped in a blanket with candles burning and classical music playing. There's no heat in my apartment and the marble floors have turned from being always hot (summer) to always cool (now). A fog has swept into the city... delaying flights in and out of Indira Gandhi International and (thankfully) slowing traffic down a bit. If this place wasn't "epic" in feel before... it certainly is now. The fog is so thick that people "emerge" on the streets in this eerie (and beautiful) way.
The doorbell just rang (again) at 9pm and it was the delivery of this flower arrangement -- a New Year's gift from my downstairs neighbors (the owners of the house). It was very sweet of them to get me this gift... I'm sure they always see me bringing in flowers as though I'm running some sort of florist shop up here. This arrangement, however, does qualify as a typically "Indian" arrangement. It is simply a different aesthetic that I'm not quite sure I "get". Put aside that there are carnations in it (my least favorite flower). (In my view carnations are to flowers what melon is to fruit). There seems to be a desire in flower arranging here to maximize the "bang" of each flower. There is nothing understated or classic about this arrangement -- it's all "show". And... by "show" I mean "Las Vegas" -- not Broadway.
I had such an incredible vacation in the US in December... and I've already got pictures in an album that I seem to look at every single day.
I had worried that it would be tough to come back to India... and while I miss family and friends and the life I have in the US... it's good to be back. I got right back on the Indian-wedding-circuit... attending a party this weekend until 3am. Last night, New Years Eve, was spent with my friend John from the US Embassy - some champagne, hors d'oeuvres, and a party at a hotel.
We had a three-day weekend but I managed to have to work all day Sunday and then had to go back into the office again today after working from home this morning. I've been doing stuff for this terrible story about 17 skulls that were found near a home in suburban New Delhi. It's one of those gross local stories which I really see NO value in... I don't enjoy it -- and I think it's pointless for viewers as there is no "take-away"... nothing learned. I hear the story made it to domestic/US air... of course my well-researched, thoughtful piece on India's water crisis didn't... What are you US viewers doing?? I'm perplexed by what is of interest to the general US audience.
Ok... off to bed -- I've got to work out with Mandeep - the trainer - in the morning.
xx