2016...not the resolution one.

It's here, this New Year, 2016; bright and happy if greeting cards and whatsapp messages are to be believed. We are back from our wonderful trip and have been rudely awoken into Term 2 by alarms this morning as School beckons. 

It was mostly a great trip. For the first time ever Kid had not. a. single. meltdown or crying fest for anything. On the contrary my seasoned traveler took everything from ridiculous flight delays to lost-for-7-hours-with-incompetent-driver and ridiculously early safari times to the running out of his favorite crackers in his stride. He showed great patience and a far greater understanding of many things on this trip than he has before: the sometimes chaotic sights and sounds, the entirely encompassing love of family and the aging of his grandparents. There was a moment in a restaurant which had a step up and then a step down and I had my mothers hand. Before I could say anything he went and offered and held my dads hand to help him. My dad didn't need the help but he takes every chance to hold his small grandsons hand and this moment brought a lump to my throat for them both. 

Some bits of our time in Delhi:

- In the quite mild Delhi mornings I had lovely lie-ins (even 8am counts!) while Kid and my dad ate hot buttered toast in front of the heater and Oggy the Cockroach (in Hindi and a programme I never ordinarily let him watch). 

- We had lunch at Punjabi by Nature twice and Kid ate buttered naans and chicken tikkis galore. He loved it even more than Peshawari in Mumbai (which he had proclaimed was his true love just the week before). 

- We had to hire taxis to follow the odd even Delhi experiment. Not practical for us but certainly a wonderfully de-congested ride through Delhi on all 4 days.

- I had a get together with 15 school classmates one evening. I hosted it at home and had it catered by the wonderful Rumi's kitchen. We ate and talked till tummies and jaws could bear no more. Many I was seeing for the first time since school but many were just catching up from previous trips. It was a great evening with many interesting discussions and much reminiscing about our youth. 

- Wandered around Dilli Haat after 15 years. It has changed and almost all for the better. Lovely to see that they are more organized and better at displaying their beautiful hand made crafts. Even better to see signs asking people not to bargain and instead to respect the prices set by these artisans. I didn't buy as much as I anticipated but did get a spiffy pair of sandals and Kid got a wire puzzle thing from my mum (I was pleased to note it looks exactly like the ones She used to buy us when were kids). 

- Saw a few other people, none for long enough though. Spent loads of time with my mum and dad and Nik and P chatting about something anything nothing. Eating kathi rolls, indo-Chinese, grilled cheese toast and copious amounts of chocolate. 

It's the start of a new term, a new year and 11 days in I'm already behind in my list of things to do. I have some reflections and resolutions to post and I'm hoping the positive attitude I gained in the Delhi air lasts.