Hindi Word Highlight: Ghumana (घूमना)

Translation: to walk/to stroll
Pronunciation: ghoomana

Yesterday, a friend and I went on a guided walking tour of ruins in Hauz Khas Village. I wish I could convey to you the look and feel of this...enclave, if you will. I read a description somewhere that called it a 'faux bohemian' market and that strikes me as a fairly accurate representation. The place is crawling with expats (myself included) and well-to-do Delhiites who eat at the trendy cafes, drink at the hipster-esque bars and shop at the boutiques that sell expensive clothes and ironic Bollywood-themed home goods. I think of it as the Delhi equivalent to DC's U St.

More than just its trendy, modern incarnation, though, Hauz Khas Village is also the site of ruins dating back to the 13th century. The name comes from the large reservoir that the ruins surround - Hauz Khas means Royal Tank. The main building houses a tomb and a madrasa (aka school) and is situated in the middle of a park where kids play soccer, families have picnics, and couples display a surprising amount of affection. It was lovely strolling around the ruins in late afternoon, my favorite time of day. I'm looking forward to going back for a picnic once the weather has cooled down a bit more.

The tank, part of the ruin, and some modern buildings in the background. 

A little music for your Friday

This is Chammak Challo, the song of the moment over here. According to S, my coworker/adviser on all things Indian, 'chammak challo' is slang for 'a girl who is beautiful and always well-dressed, with lots of make-up and jewelry, even at small gatherings.'  

The popular music industry in India is driven by Bollywood; all of the major movies are released with original soundtracks. Chammak Challo comes from a new movie starring King of Bollywood/maybe the world, Shah Rukh Khan (SRK). In the movie, Ra.One, he plays some sort of superhero. I don't know. I find him intensely irritating, so I don't plan to watch it. But I do love the song!

Oh, and in case you're wondering why SRK doesn't sound exactly, um, Indian in the song, that'd be because he's not actually singing. Bollywood singers don't do their own signing - pretty much every song is dubbed. In this case, they've added an international twist - much like the ever popular "Smack That," this is an Akon song.

Ramlila

It's festival time here in Delhi, folks! We're in the middle of the Hindu holiday Navratri. To the outsider like me it's a rather confusing holiday, so I'm not going to even begin to try to explain it (Wikipedia can handle that). Suffice it to say that it's a big holiday celebrated differently in different regions of India. Because Delhi draws people from across the country, there are a lot of different celebrations going on. And this means that there are a TON of fun goings-on to check out.

Tonight I ventured into Old Delhi to see a procession of floats depicting the gods/characters from the story of Lord Ram, one of the Hindu gods. His story is important to (the basis of?) the holiday (and back to our trusty online resource for a more extensive explanation). It was a festive experience filled with music and lights. It was not dissimilar from a parade in the U.S., though the floats were all trailed by noisy generators to power the lights and at least one float was towed by an ox. Because we're not as familiar with the story of Ram as we clearly should be, my friends and I didn't always know what was going on. Luckily, the friendly people standing around us offered explanations for each new float.

I tried to take capture some photos of the parade but I clearly haven't figured out night photography yet. Regardless, here are a few shots from the evening.

Either the good guy or the bad guy. The bad guy, maybe?

What is jalebi, you ask?

It appears that in my recent post about Dilli Haat and jalebi, I failed to explain what jalebi is, exactly. My b.

Jalebi is an Indian sweet made by drizzling a basic batter into a pan of hot ghee (clarified butter), where it deep-fries until crispy. Once fried, it is then immediately soaked in a sugary syrup that is usually flavored with cardamom or rose water. Jalebi is best eaten while piping hot. It's crispy but delicate and practically melts away. It's like heaven in your mouth. 

For a recipe and step-by-step video, check out Manjula's Kitchen. (Note: Manjula doesn't use ghee in this recipe. You should.)

New movie, yay!

Have you seen the trailer for this new movie called The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel?

Spot-on portrayal of the shock (and wonder) that is adjusting to India as an outsider. Less spot-on is (British-born) Dev Patel's accent. What is that? I could do it better.

Can't wait to see it!

Dilli Haat

There is a surreal little market in Delhi called Dilli Haat. Part tourist attraction, part market, it's a place where artists (or middlemen?) from all across the country come to sell their regional art, jewelry, and textiles. For Rs. 20, you can spend an afternoon perusing the stalls and enjoying food from all parts of India. The craft vendors rotate out every couple of weeks, so it's worth going back every once in a while. I first went with Mrs. K, who was in search of a certain type of sari that isn't traditional to North India. We did some shopping (she bought saris, I bought a shawl, we both bought colorful wooden bangles) and stopped for some chai and jalebi. I returned a few weeks later with my roommate, F, who wanted to explore. I wanted more jalebi. Below, some photos of our jalebi-fest (most taken with my camera by F).

I'm super excited about jalebi, less excited about the 95+ degree heat.

He doesn't seem to be as excited about making the jalebi. Maybe it was the hot oil and 95+ degree heat. 

Post-jalebi chai in the original disposable cup - terra cotta.

Hindi Word Highlight: Vapas (वापस)

Translation: Back (e.g. I'm back!)
Pronunciation: Vaapas

Heeeeeeey. I realize I was a little light on the blog entries these last few weeks. My excuses are as follows:

First I got a cold.
Then I was irritated with Delhi (and when you don't have anything nice to say, you don't say anything at all).
Then I had a lot of work.
Then I got another cold.

But I'm all recovered, my work has calmed down, and I'm liking Delhi again. Phew!

I have a lot to catch up on. But for now, let's start with yesterday, which was a nice Delhi day. After a leisurely morning that included a self-pedicure and perusal of Newsweek (way cheaper here), Indian Good Housekeeping (more on that later), and a cooking magazine, I ventured out with my roommate to go swimming.

My roommate's friends found an Olympic-sized pool open to the public in a neighborhood close to mine. I think its a private school that allows membership and day use of its gym and pool facilities. So for Rs. 300 (about $7), you can pay for an afternoon of pool time. Now that I've translated that into dollars it feels a bit pricey, really, but I'd say it was worth it. It was a beautiful afternoon - humid but not stifling, hot but not unbearable. It felt as close to summer weather at home as I've felt here. Standing in the water in the shade, I almost felt chilly for the first time in Delhi.

We swam for a while, I investigated the gym membership prices (reasonable enough that I'm considering joining), and then we headed off to see a play at the Alliance Francaise. Turns out the play was in Hindi, not English (oops), so we went to dinner instead. When I got home, I turned my air conditioner on, made myself some hot chocolate, and pretended it was fall. 'Twas a relaxing way to end the weekend.

I leave you now with some fascinating pool-related trivia. Turns out the reason fingers turn wrinkly in the pool may not be a result of the skin soaking up water so much as a neurological response to help with grip. SO COOL. See here.

No photos allowed at the pool so, instead, an unrelated city cow shot. Will I ever tire of these?