Moving to Delhi

hi emma
i am namita live in ny with my son 10 and hubby. i have spent a lot of yrs indelhi at my grandma,s and my sis lives in noida now. it shud not be a problem finding any kind of baby food as there r special stores which cater to foreigners so u shud be able to find everything although i wud suggest to take whatever u can. ofcourse once u settle in u can try the local things if u like. what area r u moving to? a lot of things we take here for granted r not as easy there. i am sure u will be using filter water. eating at a good clean restaurant is very safe. delhi is generally very safe especially using a car i am sure there r guards in the area where u r. i dont think u shud have any problem adjusting people r very friendly and helpful u will have a lot of fun shopping and will get used to all the easy help available take parmalat milk to start with as i did when my son was 1. good luck and enjoy the stay

 

Emma

I'm South African, of Indian descent, and lived in New Delhi for a year after I married an Indian man. I really enjoyed living in the city - it is cosmopolitan, but also can have more of a small town feel to it than other big cities, if that makes any sense!

Where you live, and where you shop, go for entertainment, etc. will make a big difference to your experience there. We lived in a neighbourhood called Jor Bagh, which has a beautiful park called Lodi Gardens across the road, and is also close to the Habitat Centre, one of my favourite places

Welcome to India Habitat Centre Online - Lodhi Road, New Delhi - 110003 (India) Tel 24682001-09 | Fax 91-11-4682010, E-mail : info@indiahabitat.org

There was also a western-style butcher, and well-stocked deli just around the corner from where we lived. I also shopped at Khan Market. We didn't have a baby at that time, so I can't advise you on the availability of those supplies.

I found Delhi to be relatively safe. I would go out by myself, and although I do not speak a word of Hindi, could usually make myself understood. If you have a driver, that will become easy for you. Again, I'm not sure how this would work out with a baby. My best advice to you would be to stick to populated areas, be firm and not overly friendly to strangers, and don't be taken aback by people staring at you. India has a problem called "eve-teasing", which is basically harassment/molestation of women, but I never had a problem. I think if you project strong and confident body language, you should be fine. Also, don't wear clothes that reveal too much skin (shorts, halter tops, etc.)

One thing that really plagued me about going out in Delhi was the lack of public restrooms. Maybe things have changed since I've been there, but I was used to usable and clean public restrooms, and Delhi did not, in my experience, have enough of those. I'd often have to run into a McDonalds and buy something (and there aren't that many around) just to use the restroom, and they were frequently not at all clean. Also, it might be a good idea to always keep toilet paper or wipes with you.

You're more than likely to get an upset stomach at some point during your stay, simply because of the change in climate, food, water, etc. Be careful what you eat and drink. After a while, you hopefully will acclimatise and can relax your food restrictions and be a bit more adventurous. The street food in India made me think I was in heaven (I like to eat!) but it can be unsafe, especially to the unaccustomed digestive system.

Oh, there is a wonderful ethnic arts and crafts open market called Dilli Haat which I also loved visiting.

Dilli Haat

This is a great, comfortable place for browsing and soaking up local culture, with safe food too.

I think that if you keep an open mind, and are prepared to put up with a lack of what you might consider certain conveniences (also, be prepared for lots of noise and crowds - probably more than you're used to, day and night), you'll have a very enjoyable and memorable stay in Delhi. I know I did

Good luck!

 

Welcome to <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">New Delhi</st1lace></st1:City>. <st1:City w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Delhi</st1lace></st1:City> is the capital city of the country. It is a bustling cosmopolitan city and has every amenity and facility needed to make your stay comfortable.
The expatriate population in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Delhi</st1lace></st1:City> has a nice and lively time with their own parties and get-togethers. South Delhi Area with its wide roads, numerous flyovers and leafy trees and many neighborhood green parks has a substantial expatriate population. You are sure to find a 24x7 drug store nearby. I don’t think food for your baby is going to be problem as the best stores here stock many imported baby foods.
Unfortunately, the famous <st1:City w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Delhi</st1lace></st1:City> summer is fast approaching and temperatures easily cross 40 degree centigrade in the month of May and June.

 

Welcome to <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Delhi</st1lace></st1:City>. Noida is a fast growing community just outside the city limits of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">New Delhi</st1lace></st1:City>. There are many upscale residential areas and I am sure you would feel comfortable here. The best things about Noida are the many malls especially Sector 18 area.
Malls as a concept have just about arrived in this part of the country lets say less than 10 years back, but we are fast catching up. Besides American fast food chains like McDonalds and KFC, malls have discos, nightclubs as well as shops selling trendy clothes, fast selling consumer goods like TVs, refrigerators, air conditioners to beauty treatments and cosmetics to groceries and every day necessities.
With a driver, I don’t think you will have much of a problem. The average man on the street however has a habit of staring at westerners – I think you will get used to it.