Day 5: The First Day in Delhi

My first real day in Delhi, India.  I was supposed to observe and teach today but because of the heat, school was postponed until Monday, July 9.  

A little about the heat in Delhi.  I was told that it was 40.  In my thinking that is a cold for July. Then it dawned on me temperature in India is measured in Celsius; rather than the U.S. standard, Fahrenheit. After I translated the temperature into Fahrenheit, I realized that it is over 100. But like North Carolina it is not just the heat but the humidity which means that the temperature is similar to an oven setting.

Even though there were no students at school I did get to spend some time at the school I was assigned, Vasant Valley.  As I walked through the gate of the school I was overwhelmed by the size of the school.  The school is red sandstone and it is three stories high (in American height, most of the world two stories - the first floor is the ground floor and then first) and has two wings. 

My job was not to gawk at the school but to make a presentation to the social science department (social studies).  My presentation was on the technology and teaching strategies that I regularly incorporate into my own classes. Several teachers asked me to share more in depth regarding some of the projects that I regularly use in my classes. 

I got to meet a large number of the staff of the upper school, (U.S. middle and high school teachers) at a lunch that they arranged for us.  The lunch was traditional Indian food but I noticed two familiar dishes, fried okra and tomato and cucumber salad.  The teachers were extremely friendly and explained what foods I was eating. They also pre-warned me which foods were hot.  A word of advice, if Indians warn you that food is hot avoid it.  It is new levels of hot.

Next up, our host teacher, Mona, arranged for us to see some of the local sites. We didn’t get to visit to many sites today.  We saw Dilli Haat, a craft bazaar with crafts from all over India. In order to enter, you have to pay an entrance fee and go through security.  There were all types of crafts from jewelry, clothing, furniture, toys, and handmade paper.  Most of the stores were open air, unfortunately due to the heat I could not enjoy the experience. However there were a few stores that I loved, not so much for their products but most importantly, they were enclosed and had air conditioning.  I also had my first real experience with haggling and realized it is a skill that I don’t have. The art to haggling is to pretend that you are not really interested in whatever you are trying to buy and basically half whatever price you are first quoted and then negotiate the price from there.   

We also visited Khan Market, a shopping area full of wonderfully inclosed air conditioned stores with fixed prices.  I cannot describe how hot it really was but I felt like I was going to collapse in a puddle of goo.  Even in my semi-melted state I could enjoy the beauty of the traditional Indian clothes that I saw in the stores.  Salwar kemeez are long tunics and pants that are worn with a scarf or dupatta.  They come in every color imaginable with elegant embroidery.