New Delhi arrival: first thoughts…

I arrived in New Delhi last night to attend and MC our launch of ad:tech New Delhi later this week.  It was a pleasant trip (thank you Continental Airlines) if just a little over 24 hours in length.  In a few minutes I’ll wander down to the lobby at the gorgeous Leela hotel in order to take a day trip to Agra and the Taj Majal– details and photos coming later.

So far I’ve seen little other than the hotel except for the shiny new international terminal at Indira Ghandi and the ride to the hotel.  There were still a few surprises:

  • Almost the first thing I saw were two adult men holding hands as they walked toward the terminal as I walked away, and clearly this was just good companionship rather than anything sexual– which my handy guidebook later confirmed.
  • Mothers weep at the departure of their adult sons the world over– this mom quietly lifted one fold of her sari, first to conceal her expression and then quietly to wipe her eye as her son strode off to his plane.
  • The main word I have for New Delhi so far is juxtaposition– some of the same cars I see in Oregon (I rode to the hotel in a Camry) driving next to tiny little cars that dart in and out of traffic like hummingbirds.  One car had curtains, nicely tied back, around every window… perhaps it has no air conditioning?
  • Since I’m a big wimp when it comes to spicy food (the heat, not the flavor) I was worried that I wouldn’t eat all week, but the dinner here at the Leela was fantastic– a tangy curry without the napalm scorch that I feared.  I still have a ready supply of Powerbars handy, but that’s just as much because at conferences I rarely have a chance to eat.

More soon!  Off to Agra!


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2 responses to “New Delhi arrival: first thoughts…”

  1. Bill Sanders Avatar

    Make good use of that phone camera this week Brad!

  2. songita Verma Avatar
    songita Verma

    We bumped into each other at Leela yesterday and had a small chat about places to see in Delhi. Love your post on Delhi.

    It’s got a human touch and gets into the intricacies .. keep in touch 🙂

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