what to expect from Delhi

pinkpixie

Hi there

have been reading this site avidly for a few weeks. i am moving to Delhi in exactly 12 days time and although i've had a few problems with my visa i'm very excited. i have a great job lined up in India but i get paid in rupees....and not all that many rupees!

i have to admit to being a bit clueless about certain aspects of life in India and the internet is only so helpful. as a young woman on my own i've found the experiances of other travellers on sites like this invaluable - so cheers for that. i'm a bit green when it comes to forums and must apologise if i ask questions that have already been answered.

firstly, i have have very brightly coloured hair. my new boss doesn't seem to think this will be a problem but i was wondering whether anyone has any experiances of looking a litle bit odd! in London no one notices but i'm well aware that things are very different out there

i'm hoping to go to Thailand for christmas and New Year as i've heard of a great festival over the New Year. is it expensive to travel to Thailand from India? i have no idea how easy it will be to arrange a trip like this so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Finally, are there are any pubs/clubs particularly popular with expats?

as i said any advice or information at this stage will be much appreciated....i'm suddenly feeling a bit nervous!

PeakXV

Hello pinkpixie welcome aboard!

You are going to find that Indians will stare at you quite a bit ..... but don't get paranoid as it won't be because of hair color, clothing, or anything else about you ..... it's because its a sort of past time in India. You may well catch yourself doing it(re:long stare ) as well after settling into the environment a bit.

Here is a good link discussing some pubs/bars in Delhi:

Pubs in delhi

enjoy!

__________________
We shall not cease from exploration and at the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started ...and know the place for the first time.
T.S. Eliot

Don't go to India ~ Pre-trip Warnings & Misconceptions?

pinkpixie

thanks for your prompt response peak! i've had a quick look at the link. there's just so much information on this site i'm not sure i would have found it on my own! i guess i just want to make sure there are places to meet other expats cos i think i might find the first few months in India a bit lonely. it's a long way from home and no matter how many times you've been away before, or how excited you are it's still a bit daunting. this is the first time i've gone such a long way on my own and i'm out there for a couple of years so i want to make sure i get out there, find some friends and make the most of the experience!

i've been warned about the staring - i just wanted to make sure that my hair won't be viewed as extremely strange and make people stare twice as hard! it wasn't a problem in Sri Lanka, in fact i was told once or twice that i looked like a peacock - still not sure whether that was a compliment or not!

anyway thanks for your response.

Karan321

Normally brightly coloured hair shouldnt be a problem in Delhi....well then again depends on the colour I guess.

Thailand remains to be one of the most popular and cheapest foreign destinations from India. I have done Delhi Bangkok return on Thai at unbelievable prices in the past. You will find all sorts of advertised deals in newspapers here.

There are a whole lot of popular clubs/bars that one could suggest depending on the type of music, area...not sure which ones if any are favoured by expats though.

lallii

hi there,
well yes people do stare but you will get used to it after sa while!!!

i am planning a trip to thailand myself during x-mas and new year but believe me it's not that cheap............keep in mind the ticket would cost you approx 25,000 rupees...........

Karan321

Both Air India and Thai are currently offering about Rs. 18,000 return for Delhi-Bangkok. Maybe the rates go up during the holiday season.

pinkpixie

I'll have to start saving now then! i really want to go so i'll have to work hard and save the money!

tigerainbowater

hello pinkpixie
think you would enjoy reading "the holy cow!an indian adventure"
by the aussie writer sarah macdonald who recently spend several years living in dehli and wrote a vivid and funny account about it.its available at amazon.co.uk and you can certainly get it much cheaper in a book shop in dili...
delhi is one of my favorite cities in india together with calikat and varanasi and paradoxally i rarely felt as good as in the backpackers/travellers area of dehli,pahar ganj-its crowded its smelly and dirty during the day(it becames misteriously clean by the morning again)its really noisy and you might get quite a bit of harassment from touts,sellers of music instruments,beggars(most of them children)etc however most of these guys can be really fun to interact with if your energy level is not to low,especially the kids-my girlfriend who speaks hindi is real attraction for kids in dehli and in some goan and himachal villages children follow her chanting her name,she is also young,british and her hair is blond
if you get some(sexual) harassment in delhi(this can happen especially at night,for a lone western female)you can shout:you have no respect for your mother and your sister!!!preferably in hindi,if not shout mataji!!!(the divine mother)and this will get them running away from you immediatly
also all the travellers from all over the world hang around mostly in paharganj's cheap guesthouses,rooftop restaurants,and cafes such as german bakery(fakery)-right next to it is the abb travel agency where you can book the cheapest tickets to thailand or some other place...

om shanti

lallii

oh yes!!!!
HOLY COW!!!
what a great book...............

pinkpixie

i shall try and locate a copy before i leave....only got 10 days so i better look fast!