If there was one culinary staple still missing from my India experience before yesterday, it was authentic Mexican food. Some of you may recall our attempts at dealing with this deficiency on our own. That’s all good and well but, honestly, it’s a little tedious and time-consuming to make homemade Tex/Mex night a regular event. Enter Sancho’s, a great new Mexican restaurant at South-Ex II here in Delhi.
My friends and I were simply blown away by how great this place is. There are no compromises, and not a single Indian item on the menu (to me this is a sign that a restaurant is the “real deal”). The chips, seven kinds of salsa, guacamole and margaritas were fantastic. I could easily go back 3 nights a week for that alone. The entrees we ordered were exactly what we hoped for, right down to the nice little details like shredded/pulled chicken in my burrito (the first time I have seen this in India). They even had churros for dessert! As if all this weren’t enough our bill was sent to the table in a sombrero. Unfortunately, the head chef (a Mexican-American from Texas named Jorge Romero) has Sundays off so we couldn’t thank him, kiss his feet, offer our first-born children, etc.
A friend of mine is the house DJ at Sancho’s on Fridays and Saturdays (not that I need more reason to go), so it looks like this will be a weekly indulgence for me. If you live in Delhi or are just traveling through, you owe it to yourself not to pass this place up, hombre!
posted by Jesse at 7:34 am
posted by Jesse at 12:49 pm
I drive my own car in Delhi. The worst part about this is not the crazy traffic, nor driving on the opposite side of the road, nor even shifting with the opposite hand (as you might expect). It’s the late night checkpoints set up in posh neighborhoods by the Delhi Police to fatten their wallets that causes the most grief. Because I’m foreign, I can’t recall the last time I moved through one of these checkpoints without being stopped and asked to present my license and registration. More often than not, this is followed up by some bullshit citation they want to give me for an astronomical amount.
At first they tried to fine me for not having the original copy of my vehicle registration card with me in the vehicle. Though the amount they were asking for is high, this is correct according to the Transport Department:
Q.4 Can I keep photocopies of registration certificates with vehicles?
Ans. You should keep original registration certificate with your vehicle and keep photocopies at your home. The court can prosecute for not having original documents with you.
I started carrying the registration card around with me but to my dismay they continue to find new ways to harass me. Most recently I was stopped for talking on my cell phone while driving. While this is again a legitimate infraction, the officer was asking for 2000 rs fine! This is double the actual amount (see this page for a list of infractions).
To date I have never paid for one of these over-priced citations, nor should you. What the police are trying to do is illegal. Like most in India they are jacking the price because of your perceived status so they can make an extra profit for themselves. Know the laws and know the fines (print out the page above and carry it with you). Don’t give them a reason to harass you more than any one else, and you should be OK.
If all else fails, here’s a tip that has worked for me on more than one occasion (though bear in mind I’m not sure how legal this is; the fewer cops the better, in large numbers they may just get angry): be very confident that the police are trying to screw you and call someone “important” on the phone. More confidence is better. You could be personal friends with the Chief Magistrate! Meanwhile, pull out your camera and start taking pictures of the scene. The bigger your camera, the better. You could be a reporter! There is a good chance the cops will tell you to just move along. After all, if they are in the wrong, they don’t want trouble any more than you do.
Good luck out there.
posted by Jesse at 1:11 pm
Sunday afforded me the opportunity to make history by taking part in the first ever Gay Pride Parade in India’s capital city. My friends and I heard about it through the national media coverage and decided to check it out, even though they only expected about 150 people to show up. India must be in denial, because there were almost a thousand people there.
The event was small enough that many of my friends made appearances in the media coverage, interviews and photos:
Some friends were also mentioned in this Yahoo Article
The cast of characters was interesting, including a Gay Dog, a Gay Baby, and quite a few men in dresses!
There are mixed reactions to the parade among Indians here and abroad. Interestingly, most of the negative comments I have read are from those living abroad. This supports what I have heard before; Indians outside of India are more conservative than those back home. There is a judicial review concerning the legality of a grandfather law banning same-sex relations in India going on right now, so it seems times are changing. I’m very interested to see how big this parade gets next year, but I can always say I was here for the first one!
posted by Jesse at 11:58 am
