Stranded but have legs

On the 16^th of April, we arrived in Delhi after a long car journey from Dehradun in the sweltering heat ready to fly back to London that evening. We’d heard some rumours about a volcano that had erupted in Europe, but typically presumed that it wouldn’t affect us. We were lucky enough to know Surekha Narain, a great friend who we know through our work with the Purkal Youth Development Society and who has always gone out of her way to look after us in Delhi.

We soon realised that this volcanic ash cloud was going to make our stay a little longer than originally planned. It was Surekha’s pro-active attitude and motivational skills which made our prolonged stay of one week an absolute pleasure and left us wanting to return to this beautiful, green, historic city as soon as possible. Surekha is famed for her fabulous Heritage Metro Walks throughout Delhi and despite several visits to the city, my mother and I were still novices when it came to Delhi’s amazing history.

Every morning we would get up at 5am to avoid the heat of Delhi’s hottest April for years and we’d venture out into the city. We spent the first unexpected morning exploring the narrow alleyways, hidden havelis and Jain temples around Old Delhi. Armed with a map which highlighted the interesting spots we really felt like intrepid explorers uncovering lost secrets that are rarely explored. Another day we explored the beautiful archeological park around Qutb Minar, the sufi shrine in Mehrauli village and the bustling flower market, and another day we strolled through Lodi Gardens and soaked up the serene atmosphere, spotting birds and enjoying the ambience of people doing yoga and taking their morning walks. One of the most wonderful things about Delhi is it’s rich religious and cultural heritage, and Surekha’s knowledge of this took us to Sikh Gurdwaras where we listened to sublime Kirtan, the Qawali performance at Nizammudin, and some beautiful Hindu temples.

On our last day we took another fascinating walk around the civil lines area, taking in the splendour of the former seat of the British Raj and learning about their first settlements in Delhi, whilst whizzing along the wide roads in a fleet of cycle-rickshaws.

When news finally came that we were leaving, we couldn’t help but feel a little sad that our Delhi adventure had come to an end. Our understanding and appreciation of the history and diversity of India has developed so much.

Please note that Surekha Narain will be in London in June/July and will be giving some presentations on the 7 Cities of Delhi. If you would like to have a private presentation on Delhi in your office, school, university or community centre please contact Surekha by email at surekhan@hotmail.com.

Travelling without moving

It's getting up to about 43 celcius in Delhi and an air-conditioned room is about the only place to be. Thankfully we have friends who not only house and feed us, but go to every length to make our extended stay as enjoyable and interesting as possible. This morning we went for an early morning stroll in the local park in South Delhi, binoculars in hand, spotting birds before breakfast. It seems we have little option but to stay where we are at the moment, as all efforts to leave or find a way home are proving fruitless. It may be time for me to make my long-dreamed of journey across land from India to London, armed with nothing but the clothes on my back, a few spare pairs of pants and a sunhat.

My trip back to Purkal was a joyful and interesting experience. It was heartwarming to see the efforts everyone there are making to make sure the future generations of children and local people have greater opportunities and more chances to lead fulfilling lives than ever before. I was there to collect data for my research project, which is about parents' participation in their children's education. With the help of five young volunteers from PYDS I managed to carry out a fairly substantial number of questionnaires with parents from various different kinds of schools. I was overwhelmed by the enthusiasm most parents showed to be more involved in their children's school life. I was also struck by how passionate and intelligent many of the parents were, even when they themselves had been through very little formal education. So much of what children learn happens outside of the four walls of a classroom, and parents can sometimes be made to feel that teaching their children is a domain outside of their control. I believe it's vital for the community to be involved in how their young are being educated and taught, and for their own knowledge and culture to be incorporated in the learning that happens at school.

I spent as much time as possible with the children I came to love dearly whilst working in Purkal, although it never felt like enough. I would keep sneaking into their classrooms and poking my head around the door to spend more time relishing their beauty and enthusiasm. I went swimming one morning with my 9 year old friend Sona and couldn't believe how fast he was learning to swim, overcoming his fear of the water every minute. We spent time trying to catch fish in the river with a broken bottle, talking about the reflection of the water on the rocks and just basking in the sun eating biscuits. He has recently joined PYDS and I think it's given him a supportive environment in which to continue to grow and make the most of his curious mind.

I suppose I have found it difficult to adjust to being back in the UK over the past 9 months and I had created these two opposite worlds in my head. This trip has helped me to understand how insignificant time and distance really are when we're talking of human relationships. When I eventually get back home I'll be a little more thankful for my good fortune to be constantly learning and growing. Until then, I'm going to keep out of the heat, go easy on the samosas and share a couple of lines I can remember from what I read at a nursery school I visited this morning:

What is regret?
Realising that you spent your life thinking about the future.
What is sadness?
Longing for the past.

Dilli main hoon

New Delhi airport is slowly becoming more modern and more like any other airport in the western world. The queues for immigration move along fairly swiftly, the toilets are clean, the taxi drivers don't mob you any more as soon as you get out of customs and there is a general air of artificial calm. Even as you leave the airport, the roads seem to be more organised, the slums along the sides of the road fewer...there seems to be a cleanup going on. Much of this is due to the Commonwealth games coming up in October, but it all has the effect of making the transition from East to West a little less extreme. I'm not sure whether this is a positive sign of the world becoming a smaller place, or a simply another aspect of the sanitisation and global homogenisation of culture.

Fortunately we get to my friend Surekha's home in good time and arrive in time for a delicious breakfast of Upma, sprouted pulses, fruit and porridge. It's still early, so we end up spending much of the day reclining and recovering from the flight. In the evening we are taken to Surekha's late mother's beautiful farm on the outskirts of Delhi for a tea party in our honour. A field of wheat greets you as you come up the drive and we were given the tour of the house and gardens, which are filled with vegetables like celery, aubergines, cabbage and chillies with a lawn that makes it essential to walk barefoot, beautiful birds flying overhead and a homemade supper awaiting us.

We were joined by many of my friends connected to Purkal and some of Surekha's friends and relatives. It's the beginning of an emotional reunion with a part of my life associated with so much happiness and such intense learning and experience and it is so good to see these wonderful people and their families again.

I woke up this morning at around 2.30am and am now getting ready to take the train with my mum up to Dehradun, where we'll be picked up at the station and taken to Purkal.