Apparently celebrities all over Delhi come to be photographed in this chair. Not sure why. It's very firm. It looks like silver-covered leather from a distance but it's actually solid. Thud.Work as normal (although I was very dull and non-proactive today as my cold takes hold with a firm grip - very tempting at 7am to turn the alarm off and sleep and sleep, but I need to do things at work so up I get and off I go).
For the last couple of days we have taken the opportunity at lunch to go to Shopprix - a "mall" a few minutes drive from the office, where they have a range of local shops and also a wide variety of food hall options. You sit down at a table and are instantly swarmed around by men with leaflets, all trying to persuade you to eat from their menu.
I wandered around the shops today, trying to see if anywhere had ladies tailoring (to get my Choli made) but no luck. Then I had a (hiss boo) McDonalds - but a tiny McAloo Tikki Burger, so I don't feel so guilty.
This evening we left work on time for once (no Overtime) and went out to Jan Path to do some shopping before Cocktail hour. Very glittery and enticing in the dark:
I didn't buy any of these. I did find a tailor who could make up my choli and sell me a petticoat for the sari (probably much cheaper than in UK) - quite convenient as they are only 2 minutes from the hotel. And I bought some presents for people but not telling what or where or who for.Then we went back to the hotel and brazenly invited ourselves into the free cocktail party on the top floor (we'd been told about this by our colleagues who have stayed here before). We first went to the bar and asked if the cocktails were happening tonight - and were told it was a top floor event in "the Residence" (Penthouse communal area). We checked at reception (since they'd taken our photo as Long Term Guests a few days before we reckoned that we would probably be invited) - and they told us to go up to floor 10. Properly! (not just as a lift-induced detour on our way to the lobby). So up we went and were welcomed very warmly. Actually it didn't really appear to be a cocktail evening but we asked for Mexican Waves (vodka, cranberry, lime or something like that) and they rustled them up for us. Along with lots of little free food nibbles. We got into a good conversation with the hotel food & beverage manager and his assistant, who were both very friendly.
And got rather drunk in the space of an hour. hic.
And now I'm back in my room catching up on yesterday's blog and putting my lovely crisp fresh laundry away.
5 comments:
Some of your contractions are good style. (I particularly like the putting away of the laundry as an example of this: a hidden reference to the excellence of Indian dhobi people.) But the elision about the silver chair really threatens your reputation as ace travel writer. WHAT is this chair? WHERE is it? WHOSE was it? And so on. Nick Fenn says the PM is A Good Thing, by the way. What were the cocktails really about, or for, and for whom? Did you find out?
Intrigued by the McAloo Tikka Burgers. Was the whole menu indianised?
Or was all that a joke?
None of it is a joke. The equivalent of a Big Mac (but without beef) is a Maharajah Burger. The portion sizes are noticeably smaller than in the UK or USA (a Good Thing).
The Silver Chair? Some obscure Narnia reference perhaps. Or something bling to attract the Delhi-bling set. Or some leftover from a film set. We don't know! It's in the lobby at The Park hotel. That's all the info there is. Talk amongst yourselves.
PS I approve of the Indian way of choosing a President (not to disrespect our monarchy, but this seems a good alternative). Rather than have a political "winner" the parliament nominates the President every 5 years, who can be chosen from outside the political arena. So at the moment the President is an astrophysicist.
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