It has been three weeks since I arrived in India. Whenever I stepped out of the airport in Delhi, I felt like I was coming home. Isn't it strange that you can feel more at home in a foreign country than where you come from? What could be the reason for that? It's as if my soul knows its way around here better. The resonance of the country seems more in tune with mine. And although most of it is foreign, it seems to be more about things from long ago that I have only forgotten.
My patience is tested a bit every day because I can't get things done efficiently. Yes, I am quite Swiss - chop chop and please yesterday rather than tomorrow. So its either because I don't know where to get something, because I'm dependent on a car (I already have a motorbike), or because I can't communicate sufficiently. Although the latter is rarely the case. My meagre Hindi is usually sufficient with English inclusions and hand signals. But my resting times are already more extended and I start to lose track of time. I just adapt a little better every day.
I am in the process of decorating my flat. I love to surround myself with beauty. There are so many beautiful things here in India. Even the very simple, everyday objects for you, like charpai and brass bowls, tin boxes and fashion jewelry, I find very beautiful. The fabrics and colors, the materials, plants and sounds (excluding the honking of traffic horns), the spices and cooking on gas, even the heat, warm my heart. However, I must confess that online retail is currently my best servant when it comes to getting something into my flat in the shortest possible time. Anyway, my flat is slowly taking shape and I am very happy about it.
Apart from my own four walls, I really hope to make good friends here. I am an approachable person by nature and very loyal when it comes to friendships. I like to have deep, personal conversations. My experience so far is that people here are rather reserved when it comes to their personal things, but I have also been able to make friends who are already important to me now. Isn't it one of the most important things in life to have good people around you whom you can trust? People you can call in the middle of the night and know it's OK. They come to you when you need them most and you are with them when they call you - no ifs and buts.
By the way, I am the proud owner of a scooter. The left-hand traffic and the traffic in general here is quite a challenge. However, I already move surprisingly confidently in the wild confusion and am grateful for another piece of independence. I like it when the warm wind blows around me and I can stop at any time as soon as I discover something interesting. The road network, however, is still a mystery to me. To me, all roads somehow look the same and I lose my sense of direction. Yesterday I got completely lost and was somewhere behind the railway tracks. At this point, cheers to online navigation.
India permeates me with a naturalness that I can only describe as pleasant and I am happy to be here.