An afternoon break

Over the last few weeks, I've realized that I don't need much to be productive: 1. Good internet; 2. Air conditioning; and 3. a week's supply of Ceres grapefruit juice (realizing that our local grocery store in Defense Colony delivers was an amazing epiphany).

On the flip side, that also means that unless I have meetings around Delhi, I can easily find myself at my desk (less than a foot away from my bed), from about 8am when I start working, until around 7pm when Tyler comes home. Even leaving my desk, there aren't all that many places to go in our cozy "penthouse" studio apartment. As productive as I was today work-wise, I still needed to remind myself to change out of my pajamas somewhere around 11am.

And so around mid-day, when I realized I hadn't moved in quite some time, I decided to go for a walk to get some coffee. But this time, instead of putting on blinders until I reached the fancy coffee shop in our nearby market, I really looked around.

I've come to really love our neighborhood (well, except for all the cars honking... and people singing at 3am). I pass our ironwalla, who irons Tyler's shirts for 6 rupees each (about 13 cents), and delivers it home - even though I've never actually told him where we live (I know this would seem sketchy anywhere else, but this is India!)

I pass the small park nearby, dotted with architectural jewels that look like mini Royal Tombs, with their beautiful onion domes reminiscent of the Taj Mahal. I've tried a few times to learn of their history, but the only signs in the park are those saying that destruction to these architectural works of art can result in a Rs 100,000 fine -- never saying what the works of art actually are!

The market itself is nutty -- somewhere between a parking lot and an actual working road. I've learned to just cover my ears when I walk past, since cars honk at me every time. I take a shortcut to the coffee shop -- a back alley leading to the McDonalds, with a row of stands. The first sells counterfeit Bollywood DVDs, the second advertises "Bombay Bhel Puri" (which actually looks quite good, but I'm reluctant to eat anything that may make my stomach do flips so soon before Thailand next week). Then Tibetan momos followed by another stand for seasoned corn.

I decide I can hold off on coffee, and instead splurge the Rs 50 on corn, perfectly spiced with salt and lemon juice.

I walk back home, humming the whole way.