Delhi contacts and night life

My limited circle of acquaintances in Delhi has increased. The weekend before last I met R. R is a former student of my friend C (who I stayed with in London) who decided to come and live in India for a year or so. I know this may be a case of the kettle calling the pot black but I think he is a bit mad, very nice, but mad. Significant differences between him and me

• I got transferred with my company (he got a job here with a company via the web)
  
• I have some kind of plan when I’m done in India

I know this might not seem significant but at least I knew some of the people with whom I would be working. Anyway R has completely put me to shame. Arriving two months later than I did, he knows the Hindi alphabet, can sdpeak quite a bit of Hindi and has understood the (for me) incomprehensible public transport system. Really it’s a bit of a shock. Among the non-Indians I know in Delhi, I was the most clued in but R completely beats me.

In my defense I think it’s worth saying that it’s different for a woman. My 2-day Berlitz “living and working in India” did a good job making me cautious. Also R hasn’t been sick at all which wasn’t the case with me at all at all. Of course I have one advantage over R – I’m living pretty centrally (that’s not to say it’s quick to get to town, but distance-wise it’s pretty close) – R however is stuck out in Gurgeon which seems to only have shopping centers, offices and houses. I won’t mind some shopping centers but I can see having no bars or restaurants and being at least an hour from downtown Delhi is bad.

More impressive than R is 23-year old J. He has just finished university and applied for a stage with the EU. He ticked the box which said he was willing to work outside Brussels. By outside Brussels he assumed that would mean Strasbourg, Luxembourg maybe Geneva but lo and behold it meant Delhi (he arrived 2 weeks ago). A German colleague of mine met J out one night and we’ve met him a few times since. On Saturday a group of us went for dinner and afterwards met up with J’s friend, another German. Or at least he claimed he was German - the real Germans said he wasn’t really German but couldn’t place where exactly he was from. There was an eclectic mix of people – a model, an importer/exporter and two guys who were in their father’s business (details a bit limited on business – not sure if it was because the business was shady or the guys were a bit clueless).

Anyhow seven of us ended up in a “nightclub” Well, I’m not a big nightclub person and my Delhi experience certainly isn’t going to change that. The music was loud (I know I sound just like my father), everybody was crowded and sweaty and I felt old. Not as old as my colleague who has over 10 years on me. Despite the deafening music, many people attempted communication. One guy in particular was (I think) trying to chat me up. But quite honestly if he said one more time that “life is like an ice-cream, you have to lick it before it’s all gone”, there was likely to be physical harm done to him!!! The girl beside me thought he was a great philosopher. I guess there is someone for everybody.
I can say I’m glad to have gone, but no further visits planned.

Today I was talking to my friend S

Me: you won’t believe what I did voer the weekend. I went to a nightclub in Delhi

Her: What! You don’t go to nightclubs in Cork

Me: I know but thought I should experience it

Her: How was the music?

Me: boring

Her: did you dance?

Me: yes

Her: you don’t dance

Me: believe ‘twas easier to dance than not to, but I left early