The Eagle has landed

Hi all. Got in late last night / early this morning. Still a bit out of it. The internet situation is a little sketchy right now, so I can't upload any pictures just yet, but I will figure it out soon.

Everything is pretty surreal for me right now. The flight wasn't great, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. The food was terrific though. Heathrow was an absolute nightmare. It was a non-stop flight, but we had to de-plane and then go through London security and get back on the plane. The plane was late coming in so we barely had enough time to do it all. Me and about fifty other passengers from New York had to sprint through the airport and out on to the tarmac to make our flight. All I saw of London was the security line and the runway. Not a Fish or Chip in sight.

I met a girl named Gaya on the flight. She actually works in advertising too, for Gray. She gave me plenty of tips on the culture, for instance, you should never eat food with your left hand, it's bad manners. Gaya also helped me out with some foods to try while here and Delhi and some night spots to hit. Oh, I am hooked on Bollywood movies now as well. So cool.

New Delhi itself is pretty intense. After de-planing I was hit with an hours-long line to get through customs. The whole time there's this hint of a sulfur-like smell in the air. I just figured it was jetfuel or something. Once I left the airport and met with Amit, my contact here, I found out that the smell, the acrid burning smell, is always present. There is a haze that envelops everything, real heavy pollution.

The ride from the airport was an experience in itself. Traffic lights and road lines are apparently just suggestions here. I felt like I stepped into a scene from Blade Runner at one point. There are these HUGE vehicles that look exactly like cargo containers on wheels which just barrel down the road and everyone else just does what they can to get out of the way. Because of the Diwali festival, they are covered in tinsel and lights. They make a very interesting sight. The headlights cut long white sabers into the haze as they fly along the road their horns blaring nonstop.

The YMCA is pretty bare bones. It is clean though. I will upload pictures when I can. The rest of today is for orientation and then some sightseeing later on. Hopefully, I will find some wireless internet access somewhere soon.

Thanks for all your emails and comments. Please keep them coming. Talk to you soon.

Namaste.