July in Delhi

Well we've settled quickly back into everyday life in Delhi, made a lot easier in this weather by acquiring our own second hand car and a driver no less!! It means we can step into an air conditioned car as the auto rickshaws were unbearable in the excruciating heat. For a few days we had no driver so Tim bravely manoeuvred his way around the roads! He actually enjoyed the freedom of driving here with no real rules to abide by and got very proficient in using his horn. I, on the other hand was a nervous back seat driver and I think , at times, Tim got very close to throwing me out of the car!! Now that we have Sunil driving for us I feel more relaxed.

The monsoon has been flexing it's muscles in the last week with some very heavy downpours but nothing too prolonged. It's a wonderful sight when the hot rain falls, seeing the local slum kids running half naked in the puddles splashing each other.
However the roads quickly flood as any flood drains are blocked up with rubbish and silt or built over!! The pot holes in the roads make driving through the floods worse as suddenly you sink into hidden ponds of water. Hope our car survives?!!

Last night we went to India Gate in central Delhi. This area is basically a huge park area with famous war monuments and a view right down to the state government buildings. The heat of the day had been replaced by the relative cool of evening with a warm wind blowing and several thousand people must have been there, picnicking in family groups, wandering around and swimming in the filthy lakes. No health and safety here as young boys splashed and cavorted in the large Victorian fountain, clambering right to the top and splashing those below with water from the large dish! It was great to watch and I so wished we had our camera with us! I just want to record all these moments!!! Everywhere people were selling toys, balloons, candy floss, corn on the cob, chappatis and sweet chai. The people of Delhi seem to struggle through the day barely functioning in the heat but then as soon as dusk falls out they pour on to the streets, full of life and vitality , making the most of the cooler temperatures! There's such a buzz and party atmosphere, it's great!!

We're wanting to use the church centre more in the week to involve the whole community. So I'm busy preparing material for some English classes to be held there for beginners and intermediate level and above. Tim is going to hold some skills classes in things like giving presentations, power point etc; another course of guitar classes are starting and also we're going to have a games night where people can play table tennis , chess and carrom (an Indian cross between snooker and draughts!}