The many faces of India

In the last few weeks, I've been getting back to the swing of work and re-joining productive society. I've started my new job and am working with a US-based healthcare consulting firm to increase access to healthcare in low- and middle-income countries. It's an amazing opportunity to improve both access and quality of care; there are around 385 million people covered under the insurance schemes of the ten countries we are working with.

As the sole project consultant in Delhi, I've been learning to navigate the city quite well, always on the lookout for reliable internet spots and a good spot for chai. A cafe in Khan Market had essentially become my second home last year, when working remotely in Delhi (it was really nice to receive the waitress's heartfelt hello at my return yesterday: "Back after so long, madam!").

At the suggestion of my landlady, today I've tried somewhere new: sharing space at her son's company's office, ten minutes from my apartment.

Well, ten minutes if you know where it is. Luckily, I have found that auto drivers get such a kick from my broken Hindi that they no longer yell at me for not knowing where the location is/going a different way than they want/[insert item here]. The directions are common to what anyone would tell you in India: "Go to [x landmark]; take the second right (what if you're going from a different direction?); then turn left (where, exactly?); look for a black gate (hmm, they are all black); go to the second floor.

This time, there's an added direction: "Go past the cow shed." I'm wondering what exactly this means, until I see it. Literally, a shed with two of the largest cows I've ever seen and a calf -- the scene looks almost biblical, yet here I am in urban Delhi.

Just inside, the office is sparkly and modern, air-conditioned with the fastest internet I've seen in this city yet. The office is buzzing with software developers (I am the only woman I see). The modernity of it all convinces you that perhaps outside are high-rises.

It's just one snippet of the many faces of India we encounter every day.