Wednesday, September 20 Downfall of Fiesta, Fayaz, Delhi, and Riots
I was awoken on the train to Delhi by 5 text messages; from Airtel, Airtel, Airtel, Hutch, and Airtel welcoming me to UP, Haryana, and Delhi. The last one said “Win Fiesta”, and for a second my heart started pounding. Free Fiesta for life? Turns out it was a Ford Fiesta, definitely not as good. I rode the Metro home and had some lunch before taking a much-needed shower. I have become so lazy and dirty in India. My shirt is completely brown, my eyes lined with black goop, black under my long nails, my hair is knotted, and a film of dirt and dust is caked onto my face. 
I spend the day relaxing before Hindi, where I have to explain why I was gone. Then I came back and went to dinner with Ro and Puran to Haldiram’s, a three-story fast food restaurant, mithai factory, and bakery. It was delicious. I know that Fiesta is trying to mimic them. Fiesta has the same thali; same white rectangular plate, same vegetable dish, same dal makhani, same parantha, same raita, and same rice. But Haldiram’s is much better, comes with dessert, salad, and naan, and takes 1/10 the time. And, because of the Metro, it’s only two stops away and takes a shorter time to get our food at Haldiram’s. The Metro is like teleportation; you don’t even know you’re in a different place. Sorry, Fiesta, but as the days go on, I don’t think I’ll be sticking with you much longer. Fiesta has recently added a sweets refrigerator (probably financed by our houses’ regular patronage), but that’s about all they’re going to get. As my immunity to Delhi cuisine has
strengthened, I am eating at more dhabas and less sit-downs. They’re tastier, cheaper, more food, and more uniquely Indian. Also in terms of learning to work the system and not get ripped off, today I discovered how to make train reservations online. I set up an account with Indian Railways, and now I just type in what source station, destination, and date, and it brings up all my options; it’s amazing. I can either get an e-ticket I print out myself, or I can opt to have it sent next-day delivery to the Study Center for free. Freedom! Sorry, Fayaz Travel Agency on Janpath that blatantly tried to rip me off (by mistaking the train number with the train price), I don’t ever again have to patronize your crummy, expensive, slow, lazy scam of a business. Or any other of the dozens of cheating travel agencies in Delhi. Along with the demise of these two businesses is the demise of basically every business in Delhi. The municipal government has cracked down on unregistered businesses, which account for a large percentage of the businesses in the city. Jobs are scarce in this city, and people find them by making them any way possible. Many are run from residential homes, and Delhi is attempting to make the city more zonified. This means that no business can be conducted in strictly residential areas. The people who have set u
p businesses in their homes rely on this for their livelihood. And in most cases, they have bribed authorities who have turned their shoulder for the need for permits. But now, Delhi is cracking down, and the people are not happy. All over South Delhi, there are massive strikes, and mobs of angry working-class individuals have rioted and even stoned authorities to death. Along with this, apparently a month from now, there is to be held a massive protest by the bicycle rickshaw drivers’ union because Delhi wants to get rid of all of them, too. Delhi is in the midst of a transformation; it will be interesting to see what happens. Along with these strikes, many people on EAP were planning on going to Thailand, which is currently in the midst of a revolution. A military coup apparently is holding the government of Thailand. And in other headlines today (I’m not making this up), I read, “In China, panda bites man, man bites him back”, and “Surgeons in China who said they performed the first successful penis transplant had to remove the donated organ because of the severe psychological problems it caused to the recipient and his wife”. The world is a great place.
I spend the day relaxing before Hindi, where I have to explain why I was gone. Then I came back and went to dinner with Ro and Puran to Haldiram’s, a three-story fast food restaurant, mithai factory, and bakery. It was delicious. I know that Fiesta is trying to mimic them. Fiesta has the same thali; same white rectangular plate, same vegetable dish, same dal makhani, same parantha, same raita, and same rice. But Haldiram’s is much better, comes with dessert, salad, and naan, and takes 1/10 the time. And, because of the Metro, it’s only two stops away and takes a shorter time to get our food at Haldiram’s. The Metro is like teleportation; you don’t even know you’re in a different place. Sorry, Fiesta, but as the days go on, I don’t think I’ll be sticking with you much longer. Fiesta has recently added a sweets refrigerator (probably financed by our houses’ regular patronage), but that’s about all they’re going to get. As my immunity to 
strengthened, I am eating at more dhabas and less sit-downs. They’re tastier, cheaper, more food, and more uniquely Indian. Also in terms of learning to work the system and not get ripped off, today I discovered how to make train reservations online. I set up an account with Indian Railways, and now I just type in what source station, destination, and date, and it brings up all my options; it’s amazing. I can either get an e-ticket I print out myself, or I can opt to have it sent next-day delivery to the 
p businesses in their homes rely on this for their livelihood. And in most cases, they have bribed authorities who have turned their shoulder for the need for permits. But now, 
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