Monday evening I chatted with Allie as she made the most of her twelve-hour layover in the American Airlines Admirals Club at JFK. Per her report, unlimited cappuccinos and made-to-order guacamole really took the edge off. First thing Tuesday morning, I rolled over and checked the status of American 292--nonstop from New York to New Delhi--to find her still awaiting takeoff. I also noticed that the previous day's flight had been spontaneously diverted to London Heathrow, which I kept to myself until she arrived safely in Delhi that night. Throughout the day, periodically checking the progress of AA 292, there was plenty of time to learn about the controversies stirred up within the airline workers' union by that particular route. It turns out American doesn't have rights to operate in Russian airspace (not that it would right now anyway) and the resulting routing pushes the flight to the brink of the sixteen-hour limit for smaller crews. To save money, the airline claims the route is under sixteen hours and staffs it accordingly, given that longer routes require additional crew and therefore produce additional expenditures. If everything runs smoothly, the flight clocks in at fifteen hours and change. If there are any complications, however, that can push the total shift over sixteen hours, which breaks the union contract and requires a change of personnel. Hence the diversion to London.
Even with the short runway delay, AA 292 reached Delhi the evening of May 31 without any major issues. Upon finishing my evening pakhawaj lesson, which thankfully was at home, I set off for the metro to catch the express line out to the airport. Despite having to travel due north on the yellow line to catch the express train that runs southwest to the airport, the metro makes up for indirect routing by bypassing Delhi traffic. I reached Terminal 3 around 10:30 pm with plenty of time to establish myself at our designated meeting point (Pillar 15) before Allie walked out the door at arrivals. We embraced for the first time in three and a half months and hired a taxi back to Hauz Khas, where a midnight snack and three flavors of Naturals ice cream (Kesar Pista, Lychee, and Chocobite) awaited us.
Miraculously, Allie appears to have sidestepped jetlag almost entirely. I'd say it was the timing of the flight, but I departed from the US and arrived in Delhi at comparable times back in February and got wrecked. She slept through the night right away, and despite a waking hour here and there has handled the transition to Delhi life like a champion. The heat here has gotten unbearable again, and as a result, most of our excursions have been confined to after sunset. We've had three great dinners out--oddly enough all South Indian--and the past two evenings we've gone to see shows. Friday night my friend Anirban sang thumris and ghazals, accompanied by tabla and sarangi, at Depot 48 in Greater Kailash 2 (GK 2). Then last night, following an exceptional dinner at Juggernaut, we went to see Tansen at Trialogue Studios, a small-cast production at an intimate venue in Greater Kailash 1 (GK 1). Accompanied by a drummer (who played both tabla and pakhawaj) and a harmonium player, a total of three actors (all of whom were competent singers) told the story of Akbar's famous court musician, Tansen, through narration, dramatization, and song.
Today, we rest and pack for our upcoming trip to the mountains. Fifteen weeks after arriving in India, it's officially time for a vacation. Though it's been painfully hot here for some time now, we're entering the worst of it. From now til monsoon promises to be virtually unlivable in Delhi. Today will reach 109 here, and the next four to five days are expected to break 110. By contrast, daytime highs in Manali, where we'll spend Wednesday evening to Friday morning, are forecast to be 45 degrees cooler. Tomorrow we'll leave the house to Kyle, who returned from Rajasthan Wednesday afternoon, and his friend Parijat, who arrived from the States Friday night. Having taken a morning stroll to Gulmohar Park, we may not even go outside again until then. Fortunately, we have everything we need right here.
Back in a week with news from Himachal Pradesh.
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