Delhi Weather Report

We stare at the weather report incredulously: 79 degrees and smoke?! What does that even mean?

As we head out to a friend's Diwali party, we find out that it means exactly that: smoke. Smoke from the thousands of fireworks and firecrackers that have gone off in the city to celebrate Diwali, and are continuing to go off during our drive. One girl on our block starts to light firecrackers in the middle of the street as we're driving down on our motorcycle; we weave around to make sure we don't get hit as it goes off. As is everything celebratory in a developing country, there's celebration tinged with a bit of menace.

Once I stop fearing that we'll be hit by a firecracker, the drive is simply magical. Fireworks going off in the distance; all the houses we pass are decorated with festive lights, with lines of candles in front of every doorway. Everyone is out in their best sarees. I've been in India for Diwali before, but I've never seen it celebrated as big as this in Delhi.

We of course get lost trying to find our friend's house. But like everything in India, somehow it all just works out -- we take a random turn, and the first house we find is the right place. Inside, the party is well under way; an incredibly diverse group of nationalities and professions. There's the Filipino who works at the World Health Organization - freshly returned from East Timor and just happens to be a fantastic chef; the Indian dancer who splits her time between Delhi and NY; the Canadian who helped with the Commonwealth Games. Somewhere around 11pm, it all just turns into a giant dance party (we still have a soft spot for "Desi Girl" from our wedding!)

We head home to still more fireworks, and the colored smoke surrounding us feels like a dreamland. Happy Diwali, one and all.