Particulate Matters

A few weeks back, we enjoyed a long weekend in the hills above Dehradun. It was an easy train ride north on Saturday morning and a thirty minute flight back to Delhi Monday afternoon. The place where we stayed was nothing short of delightful. The kids searched for bugs, tromped through the woods, hiked through surrounding villages, and splashed around in a river. Plus, the home cooked Indian fare was delicious and plentiful.

Like a ski house in New England (hardwood floors are a rarity here):

A walk through a meadow:

The hilltop town of Mussoorie in the distance:

Roadside Ravana:

And of course, there were cows:

And some local artwork:

Cooling off in the river:

During that trip and ever since, conversations throughout our community have been centered around two topics: air quality, and who will (and who will not) sign their contract to stay another year.

While Beijing gets more media coverage, the air in Delhi is also pretty bad. The sun that should be shining in the post-monsoon sky is often shrouded in smog. It is hard to know if things are actually getting worse or the information is now more reliable and easier to access. Or both.

The two websites we check regularly obsessively are the Air Quality Index and the one set up by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee. While there is a heap of stats on these sites, the ones we watch closely indicate levels of particular matter. These numbers should be below 100, but never are.

So, how do we feel? Well, pretty good overall. The effects on us are more mental than physical. And Asa, our kid who had his first asthma attack at three months old, has not used the nebulizer more than three times since we moved to India (but is recently back on Singulair).

So, what do we do? We have recently had the air in our apartment tested (it's the same as outside) and are investing in a four high-powered air purifiers. There are also conversations about next steps to improve the air in classrooms and offices at school.

In the midst of all of this pollution kerfuffle, contracts for 2014-2015 were placed in our mailboxes. And it was kind of a no-brainer. In what might seem like a contradictory move, we decided to return for year five because we really love living here, working here, and sending our kids to school here. So over breakfast on a recent morning, our kids were told (for the first time this year) "indoor recess today because of bad air - be extra nice to your teachers". And after this we asked "who wants to come back to AES for Grade 2 and Grade 4?" and there was a resounding, affirming cheer. Then they sat at the table with us and co-signed the contracts.

Whenever it happens, this will be a really, really hard place to leave.

In the meantime, we shall focus on where to spend (and spending) our Fresh Air Fund. In the six weeks ahead, we have a trip within India over Thanksgiving followed by a three week winter break in a far away land that has been on our bucket list for a very long time.

Blue skies ahead.

Fireworks in the Mountains

 First, a short list of things we did not do over the weekend:

1. We did not "fall back".  No daylight savings here. 
2. We did not shake hands with President Obama, but many of our colleagues did.  On Sunday afternoon, there was a Meet and Greet event at the Embassy.  Tickets (for US passport holders only) had to be procured in advance, and fair warning was given about intense security checks and long waits.  Those who went were greatly rewarded and it turned out that the potential hassles were way overestimated.  Click HERE to see terrific photos taken by an AES teacher.

Second, a longer list of things we did do over the weekend:

1. We went on our first train excursion, successfully navigating both a pre-dawn departure and a late-night arrival at the New Delhi station. 

It was a 5.5 hour trip from New Delhi to Dehradun, followed by an hour car ride up mountain switchbacks to Mussoorie, a small city in the foothills of the Himalayas. We arrived at The Claridges Hotel mid-afternoon to find that we were the only guests for the weekend; most Indians were with their families for Diwali and the ex-pats must have chosen a different place to stay.  So, we had the place to ourselves and it was delightful; the brilliant blue sky, the warm temps in the sunshine, cool air in the shade were reminiscent of glorious September days in Maine.

     2.   We attended a pooja (a what?!?)

The center of Diwali is the pooja (a Hindu prayer service) which honors the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi.  We sort of knew this going into the weekend and when we checked into the hotel, the general manager said there would be a Diwali ceremony in the lobby at 6:30pm, followed by some "no sound" firecrackers (seriously??), and dinner at 8:30.  That all sounded okay with us and so later that evening, we found ourselves sitting on the floor of the main lobby with seemingly every member of the staff (the front desk guys, the chef, the security guard...) listening to prayers recited in Sanskrit while each rite of the ceremony was performed with various offerings:  marigolds, puffed rice, burning incense, coconut sweets, candles, and saffron paste.  It was a wonderfully authentic experience that we had not anticipated. 

 Afterward, we took part in the firecrackers.  Our boys were indoctrinated into this Indian tradition with sparklers which later escalated to some spinning things, bottle rockets and a few other goodies.  For our kids, this was a big step up from toasting marshmallows and unfortunately, they liked it all.

     3.   We went for our longest unobstructed walk in India to date.

On Saturday morning, we set out on the search for some mountain views.  And while Camel's Back Road cannot be considered a hike (it's both flat and paved), it felt nice to be walking for a stretch longer than ten minutes. 

Taking a break to open Halloween Pez, courtesy of a fellow newbie:

Asa got the view, missed the top of Jonah's head:

        4.  We took a cable car ride

This is one of things you do because it's there.  The views were not much better from the top of Gun Hill, but this little adventure was fun for all.

         5.  Lastly, we got a good laugh at my George Costanza moment (remember the fire scene?).

On Sunday morning, Asa was not feeling well (just a cold, nothing serious) so while Liam and Jonah headed into town for one last tour around, Asa and I relaxed in the hotel garden, reading and coloring. When a monkey hopped into a chair at our table, I bolted for the porch, leaving Asa frozen in his seat.  Though he was only about two seconds behind me, and the monkey just innocently checked under the newspaper and looked for food in the bag of magic markers, someone clearly needs to review the evacuation protocol.

All in all, it was a lovely weekend.  We escaped the madness of Diwali in Delhi and got a thoroughly genuine and much more low-key holiday experience up in Mussoorie.  We found traveling by train far more relaxing than being on Indian roads, and the dose of fresh air, the heaps of great Indian food (no, we're not tired of it yet!), and the blue sky were totally rejuvenating.  A perfect three-day weekend. 

You can click HERE to see a few more photos.