Christmas Shopping in Delhi

This past Monday night after work, I decided to do some winter shopping and add some winter clothes to my Indian wardrobe. I could’ve just gone to one of the local markets and bargained for some kurtas and salwar kameez suits similar to what I had done when I lived in Mumbai, but this time around, I wanted to actually get some clothes that would last more than just a few weeks or months. And quality has a price tag. So I called it an early Christmas present to myself and started my shopping. After finding some gorgeous, brightly colored kurta tops and salwar/dupatta sets (billowy pants & scarf set), I headed up to the register.

One of the new kurtas I got

But of course I couldn't just have an easy check-out. Apparently the sweater I wanted to buy wasn't coming up in their computer systems and they couldn't charge me correctly for it. At first they went to get another sweater of the same brand and color in attempts to ring that one up for sale, but that didn't seem to work. Then they tried manually inputting the product, but that didn't work either. So finally they rang up the rest of my purchases and then brought me to their customer service office. I sat down, twiddled my thumbs, (confession: played a little Candy Crush), and waited some more. After about 15 minutes of waiting, they brought me back to the register, where they miraculously were able to ring up the sweater. After looking at the price tag this time though, I noticed it was Rs 25 more than what it was originally (aka 20 minutes ago). I asked them about it and they showed me the price tag and what the price was. Sneaky, sneaky sales people! In the U.S., Rs 25 is a little less than 50 cents, but here in India, Rs 25 is the cost of a round trip local bus ride or even a takeaway/takeout lunch.

Maybe if it wasn't so late and I wasn't so tired, I would have argued and questioned them on the price. I've had many similar experiences over the years and usually I've approached it with frustration and stomped my feet at the manager until it showed the right price. But this time around was different. Maybe it was my shopping high or the Delhi water that changed me, but as I was riding home that night, I wasn't frustrated and wasn't even upset. Instead, I laughed to myself and just chalked it up as another experience and part of my journey in India. 

My New England Bucket List

“A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.” 

― George Augustus Moore

It’s actually starting to feel like fall here in New Delhi. For the past month or so, the days have still been warm (probably in the 70s or so) but the nights have started to get cold enough where I've actually needed to sleep with a blanket.  I've been told that it gets pretty cold here in December and January, and with no indoor  When I woke up this morning and walked outside to head to work, I could definitely feel fall/winter in the air.

This weather reminds me so much of New England. I guess the saying’s true. You don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone. Maybe it’s the cool weather or the Christmas season coming up, but my thoughts are definitely going back to the beautiful fall days in Vermont, drinking hot cider and walking around Stowe. To satisfy my craving (at least the best way I can here in Delhi), I decided to curl up with the Lonely Planet Best New England Trips guide and read about some of the trips they recommend people taking. I’ve realized that when I’m living somewhere, I hardly ever take advantage of the sights around me. Yet when I leave it, I always regret not being a tourist in my own state and country. Reading some of the trips in the Lonely Planet though have put me back in touch with the place I call home…New England. 

Here is my “must see and do” for New England:

1. Eat a fresh lobster roll in Maine
2. Swim in the cold Atlantic Ocean
3. Get some apple cider donuts and hot cider in Stowe, VT
4. See Waterfire in Providence, RI
5. Walk the Freedom Trail in Boston, MA
6. Visit Faneuil Hall in Boston, MA
7. Go kayaking in Lake Champlain (Vermont & New York)
8. Eat white clam chowder (not the Manhattan red-broth version)
9. Take a picture next to the giant LL Bean boot in Freeport, ME
10. Have a legendary Olneyville New York Systems hot dog, complete with mustard, their special meat sauce, onion, and celery salt at one of their locations in Rhode Island
11. See a local baseball game (such as Pawtucket Red Sox (RI), Portland Sea Dogs (ME))
12. Eat a maple crème (that’s soft serve ice cream to you non-Vermonters)
13. Tour one of the many lighthouses in New England
14. Go clamming
15. Explore the Cape Cod National Sea Shore
16. Take a weekend trip to Martha’s Vineyard and ride on the antique merry go round in Oak Bluffs
17. Visit the mecca of ice cream, Ben & Jerry’s, in Waterbury, VT
18. Visit Salem, MA in October
19. Have a doughboy at a summer fair
20. Go camping and hiking in Arcadia National Park, ME
21. Go white water rafting in one of New England’s rapids
22. Eat some pizza in New Haven, CT and decide who has the best pizza (Pepe’s vs. Sally’s)
23. Go shopping on Church St. in Burlington, VT
24. Drive around New England in the fall and take some beautiful pictures of the fall foliage
25. Visit Plymouth Plantation and see Plymouth Rock
26. Walk along the Cliff Walk in Newport, RI
27. Go whale watching
28. Watch maple syrup being made then eat some sugar on snow in March
29. Climb Mt. Washington (the highest peak in the Northeast)
30. See a Red Sox game and sing “Sweet Caroline”
31. Go apple picking in September
32. Rent some bikes on Block Island (RI) and explore the island on a weekend 

Of course this is just a snapshot of things to do. There's so many sights to see and trips to take in New England that I couldn't possibly cover everything!