It is going to be close to two months since
we moved to Ahmedabad but it surely feels like a lot more. It was not easy with kids crying every morning before school, missing old friends, getting small things done around the house, getting used to the new routine, home and neighbourhood. We are still getting there I would say, to still feel like we are 'home'.
In the first month
of our stay, we experienced rainfall every single day. It rained in the day, it
rained through the night, all afternoon and at times continued endlessly for
days at varying speeds. On one occasion, we even had to rush to the kid’s
school, wade into knee deep water to get them back home. The week after, the
schools remained closed for an entire week!
It made me wonder how much it could rain in
one place, when it would finally stop and if the entire country’s monsoon
clouds had gathered over Gujarat and to an extent it indeed had and Gujarat was
in a state of flood. Parts of northern Gujarat and rural areas were badly
affected.
Thankfully, even after torrential rains
80-90% of the roads are still where they were and even on rainy days the area
we stay in was not water logged and there were no reports of people being stuck
in traffic for hours on end. This was a small miracle compared to what would
have happened if Gurgaon/Delhi was to get even a fraction of this rainfall.
What was even more amazing is that the first day after the rains stopped, there
were people at work repairing main roads that were broken!
After the first few weeks, I have managed
to pick-up a few words in Gujarati, recognise the roads and places nearby (big
thanks to Google Maps) and even manged to visit a stepwell (Adalaj Ni Vav) and
Baroda, which is just two hours away via the super smooth expressway. During
this time I have also come across some nuances of staying in Ahmedabad/Gujarat
which might be unique to those coming from outside the state.
·
- It is difficult to get a white fridge! Yes, I went to several dealers but it seems there is little or no demand for white fridges. People seem to prefer grey or dark metallic shades. Even a lot of buildings here are grey rather than any other colour. Interestingly, when it comes to cars, white is the most favoured colour. Also, the luxury car of choice here is the grand old Mercedes, rather than the more popular Audi or BMW in comparison to north India.
- Driving is slightly different too. Even with traffic signals on, traffic police need to be present in person to make the citizens move in a disciplined fashion. Drivers honk so much that I have come to believe that they are probably given licenses based on their ability to honk rather than drive. I really do hope this changes before my ears drums are permanently damaged. Parking is usually a challenge, with a general aversion to park in basements, even when it is available free of charge. Once you drive on the streets of Ahmedabad, chances are you won’t complain about driving in Delhi/ Gurgaon, which is famous for 'roadrage'. Even on the expressway, people tend to take the emergency lane on the extreme left to overtake rather than from the right. Surely, our Dilliwalas wont have stepped off the accelerator if they had access to such a smooth express way, but here people stick to the speed limit of 100 kms/hr.
- Ice-cream everywhere! The frequency and the ease with which you will spot ice-cream parlours (Havmor) is much greater than ATMs and medical stores. There are numerous stores that exclusively sell ice-cream.
- There
are certain unique practices too which are new to me, such as, taking footwear off
outside homes, stores and even clinics. Most homes have shoe racks placed outside the
entrance and sinks fitted right in the dining room for washing hands.
- Lastly, there are certain grocery items that I was used to and never could have imagined I would not get at the neighbourhood super market for instance– Nestle Dahi, Ananda paneer, breads from Britannia/English Oven or any of the major brands. But, there are alternatives that quickly take that place and this is the land of Amul, so I have been introduced to a wider range of Amul products than I ever knew existed. Amul even makes cookies...did u know?
I also see influence of neighbouring
states, Rajasthan and Maharashtra here, in terms of clothing, buildings, and
celebration of festivals, but surely Gujarat does have its own distinct flavour.
I am enjoying the benefits of staying in Ahmedabad.
Everything is within a span of 2 to 10 kilometres. There are new places to explore on weekends, I am enjoying cleaner air
(let me not talk about the hard water here), driving on emptier roads (since I
stay in a newly developed part of the city), listening to Gujarati radio (with Bollywood songs), waking
up to the calls of peacocks and chirping of birds. I can even hear the train go
by on silent nights. Sighting peacocks, mongooses, langoors and even nilgais
around the area is not uncommon.
I am
in the mood to enjoy whatever Gujarat has to offer, culturally, historically,
gastronomically, and emotionally. And I would encourage my friends to come
visit us. Just like Amitabh Bachchan says, “Kuch
din to gujariye Gujarat mein!”
Ladies: The shopping is good too, especially for ethnic wear with plenty of
exhibitions to go to.
Here's another post on Ahmedabad that I had written sometime ago.
Here's another post on Ahmedabad that I had written sometime ago.
