Everything is So Delhi here…

‘There is yet another get together planned in Smoke House Deli,’ I told Specky, ‘but we will need to register and they will choose only a few to attend it.’

It’s so Delhi,’ she said.

‘How did you know?’ I asked.

‘What?’

‘This conversation is So Delhi,’ I remarked, laughing, and then told her that the Delhi Travel MASSiVE was happening in another few days and the aim was to connect travel professionals across Delhi. The website told me that these Travel MASSiVEs are global initiatives aimed at connecting the local travel industry and travel enthusiasts, travel brands, travel start-ups, travel professionals, and even travel writers, bloggers, and journalists!

‘Ah!’ she said, ‘this is So Delhi!’ And then she smiled and asked, ‘So you want to be there as a travel blogger and a travel enthusiast?’

‘Yes,’ I said, and then went on to tell her that these Travel MASSiVEs started in Australia in 2010 and were happening in over 30 countries all over the world. So the two of us registered as Specky is far more enthusiastic about travel than I am, though she hasn’t blogged so much about the way she controls our travel plans! And then we waited for the outcome.

The waiting for outcomes is again So Delhi!

We did finally get a phone call asking us to reach Smoke House Deli in Hauz Khas Village on the 7^th of July at around 4 in the afternoon. We reached, braving the Delhi traffic snarls, the Village constricted Village entrance, and after spending a good half hour trying to find parking space in the Village parking.

‘This is So Delhi!’ I muttered.

‘Wow!’ said Specky as we went down the stairs in that narrow lane only to emerge on the other side where we could see the lush green, the lake, and a crumbling sentinel from the past all converging with the mouth-watering aromas floating all around.

Specky said, ‘This is not So Delhi.’ We were all smiles as we were ushered in what appeared to be small for the large gathering that we thought would be there. Someone noticed us soon enough and we got talking to a wonderful conversationalist from Shanti Travels. The place was filling up and soon we were just a few inches away from actually jostling for space. Mocktails and finger food were circulating… and the mocktails were simply charming. The finger food servings happened at lesser intervals and I thought, ‘They’re possibly going slow on the food as they want us to talk and interact more.’ Well, that is what we were doing all the while.

Eateries going slow on free food is again So Delhi!

I’m glad I was there that day as we did happen to meet Vikramjit Singh Rooprai, Asif Khan Dehlvi, Subir Dey, and Pawan Soni and did discuss the intricacies of knowing Delhi better and how to photograph it better. We also happened to be in the same group for a quiz contest that was announced just after Karan Singh had shown his skills with mind-blowing mind-reading… and we won! We won vouchers for Smoke House Deli and I hope we don’t forget to go there again to use them.

Meeting people is wonderful… and if you happen to find the sort you’d love to interact with even after an event, I’d say it was a successful meet. I even met another travel blogger who gave me crucial tips on the sort of books I need to get my hands on for a deeper and more intuitive understanding of this city. I think I’ll be buying them soon enough.

Meaningful interaction is So Delhi.

I did click a few pictures and am sharing a few of those few here… and I’ll appreciate if you like my post because of those pictures and also because of the way I have written about the DTM.

And don’t you dare to say, ‘This is So Delhi!’

…and, by the way, if you really want to know Delhi better, the right way is to be So Delhi!

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Arvind Passey
30 July 2013