Delhi: Fall Classic, Indian Style

Trip Start Sep 24, 2008

Trip End Jul 21, 2009

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Where I stayed

Jana Aunty's place in GK 1

(Delhi hotels)

Flag of India Delhi, India
Sunday, November 2, 2008

I somehow made my extremely early morning flight to Delhi, fully recovered from the night before, but a bit tired. I got to Jana Aunty's place, was filled up with a lovely Indian breakfast, and then we both made our way to Ferozshah Kotla for the fifth day of the third test between India and Australia. As has already been discussed, the match would 99% end up in a draw, but with both teams in their second innings, I would get the opportunity to see the Indian batsmen. Kotla is one of the largest and biggest cricket grounds in all of India, and despite the draw, there was a passionate, loud an nationalistic crowd especially given it was a Sunday. It was such a treat to see the match in person. I saw Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly (in his last test at Kotla) bat and Tendulkar/Laxman had a relatively successful partnership (though nothing like Laxman's 200/not out in the first innings). Just as with attending a basketball game or any sporting event, you get a real perspective on the size of the field and the players. Sachin is a tiny dude, Laxman is a beast, Ganguly and Ishant Sharma are sticks. Ganguly, with his diminutive stature, can still rake it as he smacked a monstrous six straight out of the pitch. The match was made even more special by the mid-match announcement of Anil Kumble's retirement from the national team. India declared to give Anil a final appearance as a bowler and I was able to see Ricky Ponting bat. Anil, the captain, is an extremely well respected leader, sportsman and athlete, and he received a hero's farewell as he was paraded around the pitch on his teammate's shoulders to a thundering standing ovation. The entire Australian team came up to shake Anil's hands in the turnover after India had declared. The match reminded me of when I saw Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in 2003 and saw Zizou and Ronaldo. These sporting memories will be treasured and happily shared with future generations once I get older.

After a lovely day on the pitch, we took the metro to India Gate, so I could see what Delhi's system was like. It is fairly new and is first class! It is incredibly clean, the trains are all like the newest L trains or 4/5 trains in NY with digital displays everywhere, and it is dirt cheap. The timing couldn't have been more perfect as we exited the stadium to sunset behind the Parliament buildings near India Gate.

I had to leave for the airport just after midnight, so spent my last several hours in India enjoying some home cooked food and discussing politics and sharing family stories with Jana Aunty. Getting the real dirt and stories on your parents and all of your relatives when they were younger is a real treat of catching up with family. I was told of how she got married to Rangan Uncle, her helping VG Uncle (Rangan's younger brother) find Kirthi Aunty and the story of my parents meeting each other. My mom is the youngest of four kids, all three older brothers (by nearly 10 years or more). Growing up in a traditional and very strict Tamil Brahmin household, let us just say my Mom didn't really have the freedom to live like a girl growing up in America. Jana Aunty, joining the family while my Mom was still a university student, remembers chatting away with my Mom's childhood friend Vasantha while my Mom sat there quietly studying or listening to the radio on a low volume. However, my Mom, the amazing human being that she is, always told Jana Aunty that she didn't want the same life as all the Tamilian women in her life - she wanted to get out and wanted more freedom. Shortly after finishing school, she was invited to stay with Rangan Uncle and Jana Aunty in Bombay, her first real excursion out of her hometown of Chidambaram (with exception of temple town visits in Tamil Nadu). Jana Aunty spoke glowingly of how my Mom loved the freedom of living with her brother and sister-in-law and of witnessing the wonders of Bombay. My Dad was the man (and still is today) who had graduated top of his class from IIT and was working a very prestigious job at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in Bombay, still one of the major consulting/outsourcing/BPO firms in India.  Looking to get married, he had TONS of suitors, none of which had met the approval of Sundaragopalan, the amazing and great man that was my Thatha. Ultimately, my Dad and Sundaragopalan Thatha met my Mom and her family and very much approved. The funny thing is everyone had their own reasons: Jana Aunty because Dad could provide the freedom, respect and life that my Mom desired; Thatha because he wanted his son to marry a woman from a small town with simple family values; Patti (Mom's mom) because the way she raised her daughter had finally paid off; most importantly my Mom because she knew my Dad would leave India and accomplish great things and could provide exactly what she was looking for in an equal and loving life partner. Basically, my parents are the greatest.

Couple of other funny anecdotes from Jana Aunty. Shortly after getting married, she had to go to Chennai to be with my Patti because she was sick. Just beforehand, Jana Aunty had cut her hair (which proper Tamilian women apparently are not supposed to do) and so had to wear a hair piece at the hospital to give the impression of still having the uber-long hair. After Patti was taken home and with Aunty refusing, she gave Jana Aunty an oil shampoo bath and off fell the hairpiece. Apparently, my Mom was on the floor laughing (as much as she could in that household) and Patti nearly fainted! The cool Patti that she is, she told Jana Aunty "poor girl, you have been wearing this thing the whole time in the hospital, you should have taken it off days ago!".  Another time when Patti was sick, Jana Aunty had to go buy her a sari - she had never done this before for Patti, this is a big deal. She brought her back a nice silk sari. Many days later, Rangan Uncle receives a call from Patti: "your wife wants me dead!".  Rangan Uncle then asked Jana Aunty what she had done and Jana Aunty learned that you cannot buy a sari without a blouse, it's extremely bad luck!

It was with great sadness that I said goodbye to Jana Aunty and to India as I made my way to the airport. There are a lot of bad things about India: filth, poverty, crazy crowds.  However, I embrace all of the imperfections as well as all the wonders of the dynamic subcontinent. No doubt biased because it is also where my family is from, I love this country and having been here for a month I got used to everyday life in India. As I say everytime I leave this place, for all the wondrous things that I saw, there's so much more I need to see in this vast and diverse part of the world. Until next time, stay beautiful Mother India.

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