India Habitat Center

I've just discovered the India Habitat Center, which is basically the cultural center for Indian art, music, dance, etc. Why did it take so long for an intrepid tourist like myself to discover the Habitat Center, you ask? Well, because who except for old grannies actually goes to a cultural center for evening fun? (Seriously, think about it. If you're under the age of 60, when was the last time you set foot in a cultural center?)

But, let me tell you, I've been missing out. Because the Indian Habitat Center is like no lame-o cultural center I've been to before. For starters, it's HUGE--the thing damn near takes up a full block--and it's beautifully designed. It also has lovely little fishing ponds and grassy lawns and shaded terraces throughout. Moreover, it's just chock full of cafes and restaurants--included the much touted "American Diner".

I know, I know, it's a bit weird for the Indian cultural center to flaunt an American Diner, right? But it if makes you feel better, despite the 1950s decor, eating at the American Diner is still a very Indian experience. For example, it still takes the waiters an hour to bring you your food--which is weirdly bland, because that's apparently what Indians think American food tastes like. (I'm also not entirely convinced that the beef in the burger was actually cow and not buffalo beef, which is what hamburgers here are usually made of, despite my waiter's assurances to the contrary. And if I can rant for just a minute re: the state of the hamburger bun in Delhi generally--not just at the American Diner--WTF, hamburger servers of Delhi--nobody likes a plan white hamburger bun with nothing happening! I mean for heavens sakes, you have to at least toast the thing! Otherwise it gets all soggy when it absorbs the ketchup, buffalo beef juices).

But I digress, the Indian Habitat Center was, by and large, lovely. But the best part about it is that you can attend all of these awesome FREE shows in a really nice and delightfully air-conditioned theater. Last Friday I went to a show of Sufi music, which was great.  Sufi music basically sounds like awesome trance music (by which I mean music that can put you in a trance and not like "house music"--cause that's only fun if there are glowsticks handy). The singer had this incredibly expressive warbling voice and punctuated the songs--which could go on for 20 minutes--which emphatic hand gestures.

I'm also a big fan of Indian instruments, possibly because they ignite the orientalist fetishizing Eastern exoticism that lies buried within me. Seriously, though, one stroke of the sitar and I'm imagining myself reclining on embroidered pillows with my harem of well-oiled men in MC-hammer pants prancing around me. 

Sadly, I couldn't understand any of the words to the songs, which are repeated over and over again, but my guess is the singer is probably saying something like "Oh Allah, you're the best. No, seriously the best." But you don't really need to understand to enjoy, I think.

So anyway, between the Sufi music concert and a dubiously beef dinner at the American Diner I would categorize my first trip to the Indian Habitat Center a success. Guess I know what I'll be doing for Friday nights from here on in; move over grannies--the cultural center has a new adherent!

Manju-ka-tilla

 [The entrance]

My friends and I had been talking about going to the Tibetan refugee area of Delhi for quite some time, so last weekend we finally decided to make the trek. I say "trek" because Manju-ka-tilla (the name of the neighborhood) is about an hour away from where we live, way in the north of the city. You get there via a looong metro ride, and then a heart-pounding autorickshaw ride in which the autowallh, to save himself from going around the long way, challenges traffic by going the wrong-way on a highway. (Swear to god, Delhi auto drivers must all be adrenaline junkies). But we made it there safe and sound.

North Delhi is quite a poor and destitute area of the city, so I was pleasantly surprised to find Manju-la-tilla pretty well kept up. In fact, once you enter the gates it really feels a bit like you've left Delhi because, for one thing, the Tibetans look quite different than Delhiwallahs. (I suspect Tibetans don't look much different than northern Indians, but I can confirm this after I've gone to Leh in 2 weeks). The little area in which the Tibetans live is cleaner than its surrounding environs and has truly lovely central square area, bounded on two sides by Buddhist temples, where everyone seems to hang out.

 [The main square]

 [A temple facade]

It is also a bit of a touristy area which surprised me some given how far it is from central Delhi and how many other spotlighted attractions there are in Delhi. Usually I hate going to the touristy parts of Delhi because I think the people there are much more likely to hassle you, but in Manju-la-tilla I wonder if the touristy aspect hasn't helped prettified the area--there was a central shopping lane with niceish stores and restaurants lining it.

[Central shopping alley)

Now, maybe this is also a cultural difference between India and Tibet, or maybe it is just unique to this particular refugee area, but one of the things I loved about Manju-la-tilla is that no one hassled me at all. When I was looking at a street vendor's wears the vendor would just sit quietly--not trying to upsell me on anything--and then offer a fair, fixed price--which was usually marked on the item. I didn't even try to bargain because I was so pleased not to be hassled and to find items with price-tags on them. (And yes, folks, that is how I ended up with a new AWESOME pair of Tibetan shorts with a built-in fanny pack. It doesn't get much better than that).

 [My amazing new pants with built in fanny pack!]

 [The monastery]

 [Inside the temple]

The food was also amazing, needless to say. We ordered some fresh-made chilli noodle soup thing from a street vendor sitting at the edge of the square (one big bowl, about USD $0.40) and some delicious spinach momos and potatos momos from a restaurant a chatty old lady recommended us to. Granted, it took the restaurant about an hour to produce the momos,  but they were well worth the wait.

 [Delicious Momos]

 [My friend watches the street vendor make the noodle soup]

[The finished product, yum!]

 

All in all, it was quite a successful expedition and the next time I'm getting a momo craving worth a two-hour round trip for, I know where to go!

Lunch: the Dosa vendor

I usually get a tiffin delivery for lunch, which is a lunch box containing (a) some form of bean stew (though the starring bean itself changes), (b) a stewed-vegetable based entry, (c) 4 roti and (d) a few cucumber slices. (Check out my previous posts for pictures). This lunch is pretty healthy and super cheap (only USD $1!) and has the added bonus of being delivered to my desk so I don't have to leave the sanctuary of my office's AC.

But now that the weather is cooling off a bit--yesterday it dropped to the mid 90s--I've taken the opportunity to broaden my lunch time options and right now am favoring the paneer or mixed vegetable dosa that I get from the local dosa vendor.

This is him making last Friday's lunch:

I should really have also taken pictures of the final dosa product (So crispy! So much well-spiced filling!) to show you guys but it was so delicious I just gobbled it down immediately. (It's also really cheap--about $1).  I've eaten his dosas a few times and have never gotten sick which is always a concern when eating street food. (Though again, let me take a moment to thank my miraculous stomach which has seen me through a total of 5.5 months in India without disturbance). The only thing about dosa man's food practice that has me raising a slight eyebrow is that I assume he buys his paneer (Indian cheese) from the paneer vendor who is set up 3 feet away from him--and I have a deep suspicion about buying street cheese. But, hey, I guess the proof is in the not-getting-me-sick pudding, eh?

 

[Street cheese--I am suspicious]

Gunner

Question: Why was there a man with a machine gun in my office today?

Answer. Dunno, really. 

The hawkers of Lajpat Market

Most street markets have a large number of hawkers walking around selling specialty goods, but I was particularly impressed with the array at the Lajpat Market (known in Delhi as the best place to get cheap Indian-style clothing and henna painted on your hands). In addition to the fellows pictured below there were people walking around selling pens, sunglasses, flowers, jewelry, etc.

 

[Vendor selling flowers made from corn-husks]

 

[Pirated movies vendor]

 [Jewelry lane]

 [Vendor selling peacock fans and feathers]

 [Tank-top vendor]

 [Toy and baby's mobile vendor]

 [Apron vendor]

 [Rug vendor, Bag vendor]

[Sock vendor]

Seen in Delhi: Sad Clown

 

Barbeque Nation: Grilled meats and dancing waiters

India is the best country in the world to be a vegetarian because a large portion of the populace doesn't eat meat and restaurants are geared accordingly. Although I'm not a vegetarian I eat very little meat here because the veggie dishes are so tasty and I'm pretty suspicious of Indian meats if not cooked in a pristine setting. Having said that, every now and then a girl just gets a carnivorous hankering and last weekend, to satisfy mine, I went to Barbeque Nation with some colleagues.

Oh man, I had no idea what I was in for! My friends mentioned to me it was a three course meal but I somehow forgot about the other two courses once the waiters started bringing out the grilled meats. And the grilled veggies. And the grilled anything-you-can-put-on-a-skewer. Plus there were all of these sauces you could brush onto your grilled meats! Plus the waiters kept coming around with other kinds of tandoori meats which didn't fit on a skewer!

Having not eaten meat in quite a while I pretty much stuffed my face and had just loosened the belt a notch and was settling in to enjoy my well-deserved food coma when my friend was like "So, are we all done with the starter course and ready to move on to the mains?" I was all "Whaa?"

The main course, of course, consisted in a delicious all-you-can-eat buffet. I was obviously not at all hungry, but when someone points me at a tasty pot of butter chicken or korma mutton, who am I to say no? I'm sorry people, but I just don't have that kind of will power.

Now, halfway through the entree the lights suddenly darkened in the restaurant and out marched a grouping of waiters and chefs, led by the fully-suited manager of the restaurant. Bollywood music started blasting and, the assorted ensemble broke out into a perfectly choreographed performance.

Ok, as a dancer myself I can tell you that in a class of about an hour and a half, a trained dancer can probably learn about 30 seconds of choreography. These guys went on for the full length of the song (about 4 minutes) and were good. They seemed to be really enjoying themselves too--especially this one waiter in yellow near the back. (I was like "Get that man a ticket to Bollywood!") Afterwards we called our waiter over and asked him how they learned the choreography--he said they just liked to practice in breaks.

Well, color me impressed.

So, between the delicious meats and buffet and dancing it was a pretty awesome meal. But, I must admit that the deserts left something to be desired--as did the very bizarrely colored mocktails, which you can see below in the three flavors offered: strawberry, lychee, and opium seed. (Yep, the opium seed (green) one was mine. And, ew.)

Still, for a $10 meal, I was suitable dined and entertained. Yes, Barbeque Nation--I'll be back!