Unplugged.

St. Patricks Day, originally uploaded by shelmes.

I've been unplugged for two weeks now. I leave for Delhi again on Saturday - but until then, you can find me on the streets of Chicago.

Don't worry - I have 28 more posts to go on my first year in India. But for now, soak up the view in my hometown.

#2 - Sometimes, Smaller is Better.

The first thing you notice when you go to a fruit & veg market in Delhi, is how small all the fruit and veg look. Bell Peppers are barely the size of a women's fist, onions are half the size of US, and tomatoes come in one variety (mostly).

Frankly, I was a bit disappointed on my first shopping experience. None of the veg looked particularly tasty. Frankly - it looked a lot like the leftovers on a Sunday night at your local Piggly Wiggly.

Determined to cook for myself, and unable to stomach another meal of pasta, I bought a bit of everything from a veg stand in Gurgaon and headed home to experiment. After washing and slicing a few bell peppers, I put together a plate of hummus and sat down. With one bite, I was a converted man.

You see, in the US most produce is often treated with pesticides, insecticides or herbicides. It is frequently genetically modified & almost always seems to grown to weigh as much as possible - and last a really long time on a shelf (a really, really long time - I once saw a show on Food Network which showed how Potatoes were stored for nearly a year before being made into french fries - Yuck). All this leads to giant grocery stores stocked with monstrously sized - flavorless produce.

In India, the supply chain is altered. Generally speaking - produces travels significantly shorter distances to end up on your dinner table & is much more flavorful. It is certainly more "ugly" - with spots & perhaps actual signs of transport - but I assure you - the taste is phenomenal.

This is my second of 30 things I learned in India. I learned how produce is meant to be grown & meant to taste. Funny, it took moving to India to discover how amazing a bell pepper could taste, or to learn how tasty raw onion can be(try it at home with lime juice & salt).

Before moving to Delhi, I paid good money at the Green City Market in order to put together a Seasonal Menu of locally sourced produce. Now, I just visit any street corner.

#1 - The Value of a Dollar

As most of you know, I'm an American. To be more specific, I'm a 29 year old male, raised in an upper middle class suburb, who traded in his 19th floor condo in Chicago's River North neighborhood to move to India about a year ago.

Full Disclosure: I moved as an expat with my company & have been sheltered even here. I'm not living the Peace Corps lifestyle or anything.

The town I grew up in provided a wonderful childhood, but definitely left me (and many others) sheltered.

It was the sort of place where as a child you met your friends for coffee at Starbucks... Before there was a Starbucks on any corner. In fact, you could almost classify a suburb's ability to shelter children based on when the first Starbucks arrived. We got ours in 1991.

Perhaps that is where my perception of the worth of a dollar started. After all, if a dollar didn't even buy you a cup of coffee as a tween - imagine my perception of it's worth at 29.

That all changed in India. In Delhi, a dollar (let's say 50 rupees) can buy you more than you could possibly imagine. In fact, I've quietly been making a list of things one could buy for a dollar here in Delhi. Ironically, a cup of coffee isn't one of them (at least not a cup from Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf - the closest thing to a Starbucks here in Delhi).

1. 50 minutes of mobile to mobile calling (vodafone pre-paid)
2. 6 days of satellite TV (Including HBO, StarWorld, CNN, etc)
3. 9 pounds of Onion (@12 INR a kilo)
4. 1.4 personal pizzas from Dominos (starting 35INR)
5. 5.5 miles in an auto rickshaw (Delhi Rates)
6. 7 (update 16) pressed shirts from neighborhood press wala
7. 3.5 loafs of bread
8. 1/2 pound chicken or Bangalore Beef from high end shop
   
9. 4 bottles of premium bottled water
10. 16 issues of Hindustan Times (INR 3 per issue)

I could go on and on - in fact, I encourage my Indian followers to do so. Tell me, what is 50 rupees worth in your life?

I am not naive, a dollar can't possible buy you the same amount of goods in the United States. I do understand the economies of producing products in these markets are very different. I'm simply illustrating how the perception of a dollar's worth, when seen in the broader context, can change your life.

I can assure you that when I visit Chicago next week, my new value of a dollar will certainly play a role in my consumer behavior. This time I'll pass on my triple grande non-fat latte at 200 rupees. Instead, I'll buy 36 pounds of onion upon my return.

This post is part of a 30 part series called 30 Things:
June 4th is my 1 year anniversary of living in India. I'm taking a few moments each day to reflect on the year, piece together my thoughts on living here as a quiet observer of Delhi lifestyle. I can't promise this will be the most profound list of things I've learned about myself, India, or life - but it is sure to make you smile.

So, with that, June 4, 2009 - my 366th day in India. Time to start reflecting.

30 Things: Observations on 1 Year in Delhi

Today is my 1 year anniversary of living in India. I want to take a few moments and reflect on the year, piece together my thoughts on living here as a quiet observer of Delhi lifestyle. I can't promise this will be the most profound list of things I've learned about myself, India, or life - but it is sure to make you smile.

So, with that, June 4, 2009 - my 366th day in India. Time to start reflecting.