Pictures from the Hood

DISCLAIMER:  This is a Neve free post, so if all you're after is sweet baby love, you will have to wait until later today/tomorrow (depending on your time zone).  

Ok, so, before we were all so rudely interrupted by Neve's birth, I was telling you about our neighborhood in Sukhdev Vihar.  It is sort of a neighborhood/enclave in south Delhi - about a square mile in size - safely away from the major traffic and big streets but still in the thick of it (or at least enough for me - and I live in NYC (by choice) so that says something).  We are a couple kilometers from New Friends Colony (if that means anything to you) and we are about a 10 minute (w/o traffic) and 20 minute (w/traffic) ride from Phoenix hospital (which has become important lately as we seem to spend the day driving back and forth from the apartment to the hospital to feed and cuddle Neve).

We have a park, people doing construction to fix up homes (good sign I think plus you get to watch women carry very tall stacks of bricks on their heads which has always fascinated me about how construction is done in Delhi) - we have tons of birds, a milk bar, fruit &  veg venders, a barber and a bank.  We are within an easy walk to all.  It's not as easy as being within walking distance of the M Block market for major grocery purchases and eating out, but it's much more peaceful here than in Greater Kailish II (we're talking relatively speaking here -- the only place I've found so far that I would call "peaceful" in Delhi is the inside of the Lotus temple (which is pretty awesome by the way)).  For me, I would rather live within driving than walking distance of the Walmart so it works for us!

If any Sukhdev Vihar city planners are following this blog, I would suggest you next open a nice coffee bar (no chain stores) with internet connection and a wine bar with simple Italian food (like Zampa in NYC -- you can probably look it up online).  With those additions, this hood would be unstoppable!!   That being said, it's pretty awesome! 

Outside of apartment in Sukhdev Vihar.

Look to the right.

Look straight ahead. 

Second night we were a little worried because they literally put a big white tent up in the middle of this street across from our apartment and had a very loud wedding party - music blasting (sounded fun -- for them).  We were sitting in the apartment thinking --"what a great environment for a baby - so peaceful and quiet".  Luckily that was a one night thing!

Look to the left from apartment.

(on morning when Hamish is going running - he's not normally there).

Front of Park.

Path in park for jogging (or at least that's we use it for).

More path.

It's a park, you get the point!

Fruit & veg stand in front of park.  

Nice man in blue sweater helped me buy oranges this morning -- which look green and unripe but which turn out to rival any tangerine I've had in the great state of Florida!  I ate all four yesterday and will be buying more ASAP!

Looks good - right?  Those red things in the middle are carrots.

Mother Dairy milk store in the hood.  

Guy who runs this place reminds me of the Soup Nazi from Sienfeld - very intimidating.  First night here (the death march shopping day), I jumped out of the car to buy milk ALL BY MYSELF.  There was a quite a line (by that I mean a group of people pushing towards the counter -- there is no such thing as wait your turn here) and I was there about 10 minutes before I finally reached the front.  

Milk guy looked at me (with what I think was disgust) and asked what I wanted - gruffly (not in English, of course, so I'm guessing).  By then I had sorted out that there are 3 different types and chose the last (not sure why but thought in the US the third would be the skim and that's what Hamish would want)!  

Milk comes in plastic bags here, not cartons -- think sealed ziplocks.  Or, you can wheel right on up with your own jug to the self serve area.  While I was there a guy came up with an enormous jug -- up to his hip I would say -- and the milk guy pulled out a big ass white hose from behind the counter and filled that guys jug right on up.  It was really cool!  I was thinking things were going to break out in a Bollywood/Zoolander scene with the milk guy spraying us all with milk from the big ass white hose while we all broke out in song!!

Fruit breakfast!! That's what I'm talking about!!  

Note greenish oranges on top right.  Fruit on the top left (orange christmas ornament looking thing)  is  called a raspberry (not the kind we are used to) and is really very tasty!!  Dellip is also crazy about giving us papaya which is fine by me!

BABY NEWS:  We are hoping that we can bring Neve home from the hospital later today.  I'm dying to get my hands full time on that little creature!!! More news and photos, and even a video that H is producing later.