Being in Delhi

When the flight landed in the Indra Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, I was prepare for another adventurous journey. Being away from Home and family is always a worst part in life but I was ready to break away from my comfort zone. The blizzard noise of Delhi traffic was the first thing that hit me. I could not hear what the person who had come to pick me up at the airport was saying. The trip from airport to the my destination was another experience. The drivers drove the vehicles in their own whims. I shared with my co-passenger that I would never dare to drive in the streets of Delhi.


The campus itself was not as noisy as the street since the institutional area is secluded away from the commercial hub but since it fell on the flight route, I could hear planes flying every few minutes which kept me awake in my first night. The mates from other countries had the similar problem in the beginning but now we are trying our best to adjust to the new environment and learning.

Exploring the city is a great challenge when you are new to the place. The other day, a friend from Djibouti wanted to repair her tab and we went to a place called Nehru place which sells and repairs electronics. We gave the tab for repair and then she wanted to buy a cable for her laptop in the same shop. The cable cost Rs. 100 but my friend heard it as Rs.1000 and gave the money. With lots of noise around even I did not pay close attention to the transaction but I felt something was not right and asked. I found that the man at the cash counter had taken Rs. 1000 and was not returning the changes. I had to exchange some words but I could get back Rs. 900 for my friend.

Bargaining for ride is another challenge. The auto drivers are here to suck your blood. As soon as they see that you are a foreigner, their charges soars up. But for us Bhutanese, we have some advantage since we can speak their language. Yet we always have to be alert. We never know who is waiting to take advantage of foreign traveler in this city.