The answer is highly difficult. Delhi is neither black, nor white. It's not one of these places where during stepping out of a plane You totally, madly and deeply fall in love with. It's not exotically beautiful and breathtaking as Thai's Phuket. It's not sparkling and shining as Dubai. And definitely not as clean and well organised as Singapore or Tokyo.
Delhi is a mix. A coctail of everything. It's like arranged marriage. You have to get to know it, to start loving it. You will probably not love it all and ever but You will definitely find something for You. And that will be the moment when Your Indian story begins. You just have to give it a chance, try to understand and be patient.
I'm sure You want to ask "Why?" again.
Delhi with its population of more than 22 million people is the second most populous city in the world. And it's also the largest city in entire India in terms of area. 87% of Delhi's inhabitants are Hindus. Beside them, there are also Muslims, Sikhs, Baha'is, Jains, Christians, Buddhists, Zoroastrians, Jews and many, many more. People from all over the world live there. It's a big mix of cultures, languages, religions and habits.
A lot of time is needed to get used to that diversity and amount of people living there as the population density is 11,297 persons per km2. People are everywhere. Some of them live in beautiful houses together with their big families. Some of them live in tents somewhere on streets. "According a 1999–2000 estimate, the total number of people living below the poverty line, defined as living on US$11 or less per month, in Delhi was 1,149,000, or 8.23% of the total population (...) 52% of Delhi residents live in slums without basic services like water, electricity, sanitation, sewage system or proper housing." [wikipedia]
Regarding my nine-months experience, I'm sure that the same beginning is rough and tough for each and every foreigner coming from a developed country. Everyone has to somehow find himself in that new environment. Heat and rain can be annoying. Constant noise and traffic jams cause headaches. People living on the streets, beggars and widespread poverty are very much depressing. This is unfortunately a daily view. The same as dirt in streets, bad smell, men spitting and peeing everywhere.
That Delhi teaches patience, self-control and requires nerves of steel.
But not all Delhi is like that. Not always.
Everything depends on how much You are able to dig.
Since the capital of India started being a very popular tourist destination, some parts of the city are beautiful, clean and well organised. They make people feel like they are somewhere else. Going to India Gate, Parliament or Chanakya Puri can cause shock after seeing other parts of the city. If only the entire city could be like that we all would feel way better.
Even though Delhi doesn't belong to the cleanest and nicest places ever, it's very very rich in terms of places to see. Some of them are well known tourist attraction. But the rest we explore by living there.
Pretty much the same as everywhere... I know. Each and every city and country has its special, unknown places.
As Delhi is a mixture of nationalities, cultures and religions it's an awesome place to meet and get to know people. Every single day brings new experience and teaches something new. For someone, who loves diversity it's a paradise. While walking on a street, going out for a club/restaurant it's a great opportunity to meet people from all over the world.
If You are in Delhi, just go to Hauz Khas. At any place there You will hear english, french, spanish, russian, arabic and many more languages. If You like going out, You will find any kind of entertainment. For those who prefer just chilling out, there are Lodi Garden and Garden of Five Senses. For interested in culture, Indian Habitat Center has a very good offer of concerts, shows, exhibitions and performances. Food lovers will also be glad of lots of possibilities. Do You like Korean food? No problem. Do You want to eat something Afghan? There are awesome restaurants in Lajpat Nagar.
If it comes to night life, Delhi can really surprise. Even though most of the clubs are shut down by 1 am, there are many opportunities. Would You like to dance salsa? Go to Out of The Box on Thursday. Do You prefer karaoke? No problem. There's one in Hauz Khas on Wednesdays and Sundays. Is rock what You like? There are awesome concerts in Hard Rock Cafe in Saket.
Delhi can be a paradise if You try to dig a bit.
I've been digging for some time. And I'm still impressed.
And I also want You to be!
I'm gonna share with You my knowledge and experience.
I wanna tell You what to do and where to go. Will do my best to update You with nice places and opportunities, You can meet there.
Wanna try?
Martine
