एक महीना (One Month)

Gosh!! We’ve already been in New Delhi for a month!! It doesn’t seem like that is possible! We have had a great first month here and have just about gotten fully settled here! I’ll try to highlight some of the things we have done over our first month here in New Delhi!

As I posted in the last blog we got into our flat (apartment) two weeks ago! It is great and spacious and a welcome retreat from the heat of Delhi! Believe me when I say it has been hot!! Once you get above 38C or about 100F it doesn't matter if its humid or not, its hot!! Right now as I type it is 12:05pm and it’s 104F but it feels like 112F! Needless to say, I will spend a good portion of my day inside today! But back to the flat! It’s two bedrooms and two bathrooms with a good size living and dining area with a small kitchen, but we are so blessed to have the accommodations that we do! Here are a few pics of the place!

The Living Room

The Dining Area

Our Bedroom

Scott's Closet

Kaysi's Closet

Our Bathroom (Sorry About my Swimming Trunks in the picture)

Guest Bathroom & Clothes Drying Room

Our Kitchen

The Washing Machine and RO Water System

Our Fridge!
I left out the picture of the Guest Bedroom.. its a little disorganized at the moment!

Now on to the rest of the blog!!It took a few weeks, actually it pretty much took a month, but we are now registered x-pats in India!! It took two trips to the FRRO (Foreign Regional Registration Office) but we got it all taken care of! It is quite a task to get all of the forms filled out as well as all of your supporting documents uploaded to their website before you even are able to get an appointment! Setting up our first appointment took Yashpal (one of the workers at VARDAN who is a huge help) and I about 2 hours of combined work to get the files to the appropriate size and uploaded. He also accompanied us to FRRO for our first visit! The second visit wasn’t as complicated! There were fewer documents to upload and it was a much smoother process! The second time Anupam one of the main managers of the clinic accompanied us and we were in and out in about 2 hours! (Thats quicker than getting a license at some DMV’s/MVD’s back in the States!). So yeah! We are registered residents of India now!!

Getting our registration completed also allowed us to get our internet at the flat as well as our sim cards for our phones! They are a little bit more strict on who they allow to have phones here (or at least foreigners who are here). After the sim cards were purchased it took about 5 days before they became activated. Before activating the phones there was a representative from the mobile company who came to our flat to verify we were who we said we were. That process included a guy who came to our flat, took down information from our visa’s, as well as pictures of them to verify we were legally here and entitled to a mobile phone! Much different than going down to your local Walmart and buying a Go Phone or walking into a ATT or Verizon store and then walking out the same day with a new phone and cell phone plan. So after that visit, a trip to a local market to purchase a phone (which I will write about later) and two phone calls to activate the phones after 5 days we had our own cell numbers!! Woohoo!!! 

So, the trip to the market to buy a mobile phone was an interesting one. I had went earlier in the week to one of the big chain electronics stores and just couldn't bring myself to pay what they wanted for the phones. Granted it was less expensive than what you would pay in the States. So after asking my driver as well as Yashpal at the clinic where to buy a phone I was directed to the Central Market (a market I hadn’t been to prior). When I arrived our driver, Rakhesh, dropped me off and told me to call when I was ready. I asked him where to buy a mobile phone and he directed me to a few stores. On approaching the first store I was greeted by the security guard who pointed at my backpack and then pointed at a chair sitting outside the store … Its common for security guards to look through your bags before going in so I unzipped it so he could look in. He then again pointed the chair and said something in Hindi, so I sat in the chair.. He was a little puzzled so I stood up and asked if I could not take my bag inside. Luckily a man inside the store came to the door and allowed me in with my backpack. I guess my driver witnessed me struggling to understand the security guard so as I was being shown phones he tapped me on the shoulder and then became my translator! Which I was so appreciative of! I decided that all of the phones in that store were more than I wanted to pay so Rakhesh directed me down the street to a different store where he accompanied me in and helped me in finding a phone! I think I got a fairly good deal on it and it seems to work good and should do just fine for the next year! Now the craziest part of the trip to that market was as we were walking back to the clinic. I am getting pretty confident in crossing streets and even walking along side them. (Mom, you dont have to read this part!) As we were walking, I hear and then look up and see a car coming towards us quite fast.. I am very close to the cement divider so I am not concerned.. as the car gets closer I realize he is going to be very close to me. I had to slightly dodge the oncoming car and felt a good whoosh of air as it zoomed by! Rhakesh then turned around and stared down the car and said crazy driver in his broken english! Rhakesh also told Kaysi about the car almost hitting me the next day! 

So a little about our driver Rakhesh. He’s a very nice guy and speaks some english and knows his way around Delhi great!! The couple before us Peter and Katie Rumford affectionately named his car the Ghetto-Mobile which I think is a fitting name. Unlike most of the other drivers the car is actually his personal car and although it may be a little older than some he is very proud of it! Unfortunately the gear box (transmission) had some issues but hopefully it will be repaired and back up and running soon! Until then he is driving us in his father’s car. Update on that, his car is now fixed and was able to drive us this weekend but the company he works for sent us a new driver today. He speaks very little english so we shall see how this arrangement works! 

This past Friday there was quite a wind storm! It was on the same level as those I often experienced growing up as well as in my time in New Mexico. There were lots of tree branches that were broken off and unfortunately it knocked out our electricity for almost 5 hours! It made for a slightly uncomfortable Friday night but thankfully the power came back on about 30 minutes after we had decided to go to sleep! Things like this help to make you more appreciative of those luxuries when you do have them! We can see how throughout this year God will teach us patience in a variety of ways! 

Kaysi is getting accustomed to work, although it may take a few more weeks to become fully adjusted! She is enjoying the variety of patients she is getting to treat as well as the freedom to treat that areas in which she sees disfunction! She is getting mentoring time throughout the week where she is able to mentor the Indian Physical Therapists(IPT’s) who are working at the clinic. They have also just hired on a new group of IPT’s and she is excited to see how they will progress and grow as they are introduced to Functional Manual Therapy! It is a joy and a blessing from my side to see her passion and excitement about the work she is able to do! It is even more interesting and fun to get to hear her ‘talk shop’ with the other CFMT’s that are here! 

We are continuing to enjoy the church we have found and look forward to going each week! We have met some nice people through the church as well! This Sunday we had lunch with a couple we met who sat in front of us the first day we were there. I was able to have lunch with the husband and the pastor of the church this past week which was a good experience! We had amazing hamburgers that to my best knowledge was actually beef..It’s always nice to get out and about during the day and meet new people and also to help me from going stir crazy while Kaysi is at work! One place I have frequented often is Starbucks (sorry Rob) in the nearby M-Block market and where some of the baristas already know my name! I’ve also found a small grocery store that I can get some of the basics we might need during the week. Most of our main shopping for food is done in the Defense Colony Market which is just a couple km away! 

One of our staple items we buy at the market! Creamy Peanut Butt!

Overall we have had a great first month in New Delhi! I have found that it is hard to recapture our experience in a few words so thanks for sticking with it to the end of the blog! We hope to get out to do more exploring here soon and when that does happen we will get some more pictures up and posted!! I am toying around with the idea of doing a whole post of simply pictures that remind me of people back home.. I'll see if that idea grows wings and takes flight! Anyhoo.. We love you all and thank you for taking time to join us in reading about our adventure here in India!!!

Our First Few Weeks in New Delhi!!

We have been in New Delhi for 2 weeks now! It seems crazy! Many of you are asking for pictures and so I am trying to be very diligent in taking pictures while at the same time not acting like too much of a tourist since we do actually live here. So I will post a few pictures here and there but it may take a few weeks before I get a good amount of pictures up on the blog. I’ll try to give you a little insight into what New Delhi is like as well as telling you a few fun stories of our first two weeks! Here goes!!!

To start things off the best way I have heard India described is complete sensory overload! Where I am used to things being organized and orderly this is not always the case here. Things are crowded almost everywhere you go especially when driving. I have tried taking some pictures but they don’t quite do it justice. The driving is at best ordered chaos and at worse absolute chaos. It humors me at times to imagine what my mom’s reactions to traffic would be.. On that note we had two very interesting things happen to us on our first Saturday. Foster, one of the other CFMT’s here offered to take Kaysi and I to ACSA (American Community Support Association, which is at the American Embassy)  where there is a pool and you can get some American food. It is an awesome getaway from the craziness that is New Delhi. 

Pool Side at ACSA

On our way there we ran out of gas in the middle of the afternoon in probably one of the busiest streets in New Delhi. We heard a beeping noise when we got in the car.. and soon we figured out what it was trying to tell our driver. Then after leaving the ACSA we were making a u-turn (which are always a fun adventure in India) and came within a few feet of getting t-boned (something Foster assured us was not a common occurrence).

Our driver trying to figure out something after we ran out of gas...

So the driving is always an adventure, I am learning how to not tense up when riding. The good news is although it looks like chaos the drivers are very aware and know exactly how much space they need to fit their vehicle into an open spot in traffic! 

It is also fun seeing the autos, even got to ride in one a week ago!

 the occasional cow! 

Your sense of smell and taste are also overwhelmed. When we first arrived we both asked each other what that smell was, apparently it is just simply what it smells like here and which we have now become accustomed to. (Kinda like not noticing the refinery in Artesia). Tastes and food is one area we are still working on adjusting to. Most everything you will order will have some sort of spice to it. We are blessed to be in a guest house where our meals are prepared for us but even the conti (or continental) food has a little kick to it. Kaysi is having a harder time adjusting to this than I am. The guest house also just serves vegetarian food so that too has been an adjustment. Pray for our stomachs and bodies to quickly adjust to this.

Your sense of sight is also overwhelmed as well. There is always so many things to look at I feel that I need time to slow down so that I can take it all in. When on the streets there are always tons of cars, as well as people walking. At the metro station near Kaysi’s work there always tons of people there. In most stores there are items stacked floor to ceiling in about a 10 foot wide store. Luckily there are always tons of employees at these stores to help you out, you never have to wander around looking for someone to help you they are just right there! The stores are usually located in neighborhood markets which at first can be overwhelming but are very interesting! You can get almost anything you need within the markets, you just may have to go to 15 different stores! I soon will be having to go and purchase our groceries and other goods there so I have been tagging along with a couple of the other spouses of CFMT’s to get the layouts down. You also are overwhelmed just by the sheer number of people as well as the variety of different people you encounter.

One sense that has been awesomely overwhelmed, is the sense of welcome we have received! First and foremost the people here have been great! The staff here at the guest house are very accommodating and always very friendly! We also attended Delhi International Christian Fellowship the last two Sundays for church! It was awesome to get to worship with such a diverse group of people while there! Even met someone who knows someone I know back in the States. (What a small world after all, haha the song is in your head now!). 

Kaysi had a full first two weeks at VARDAN the first week! They have a day of training one week a month and that was the week she started so she worked six days last week. She worked the regular 5 days this past week. After returning to the guest house after the first day at work she was crazy excited about the clinic! She was like a kid on Christmas morning! She is so excited about all the opportunities for treatment she will have over this next year!! There are also numerous Indian Physio Therapists and Kaysi was given a cake for her birthday on Wednesday!! Their tradition is to cake people which is what the pictures are below! They allowed me to be the first to cake her! 

One other great bonus is the other CFMT’s that are here from the States as well! They have been so gracious in including Kaysi and I in weekend outings to the pool and to a movie and one couple (Pete and Katie) had Kaysi and I over last Sunday night for a Birthday Supper for Kaysi which was amazing!! 

Kaysi Birthday Meal

Kaysi's Birthday Snickers!!

We have felt so welcomed everywhere we have been! One last blessing this week is that we were able to move into our apartment on Friday which has been awesome to have our own space now! We were able to go to the market today and did our first bit of shopping!! We look forward to sharing more with you all as we continue on the great adventure that has just begun! Thanks for all of your support and prayers for Kaysi and I as we have began our adventure of a life time!!!

We Are in New Delhi

I am sure by now that most of you heard the news or rumors about Kaysi and I. No, we are not pregnant (Although I am sure that was the news our parents were hoping to hear back in January when we told them) but yes we have moved to New Delhi, India. We arrived last night at about 11:30pm. Thats 1:00pm central time in the States. Everyone we have met so far has been very hospitable! Katie, the wife of one of the CFMT’s here took us around some this morning which was nice to get an idea of where a few places to go to the market are. It was a nice and cool 42°C which is around 107°F! There are lots of city noises that I am sure we will have to get used to but at this point we have seen what we sort of expected. I will post next week sometime on our experiences during the first week!

So, why New Delhi, India. As some of you know Kaysi is a Certified Functional Manual Therapist. Through that certification she has been offered a job with the innovative clinic in India VARDĀN. There she will be able treat patients as well as train Indian Physical Therapist. Kaysi is super excited about this opportunity and the stretching and growing she will experience through the process! I will be able to continue in my seminary classes online which will allow me to possibly take more than one class a semester. I have a few leads of places I might be able to volunteer with so I am excited about that as well. 

Overall we are excited about the opportunity God has blessed us with to live in a foreign country for a year and experience living in a culture completely different from where we grew up and what we are used to! We know that the next year will be a time of stretching for us in so many ways! We know that it will be stretching for us emotionally as we move to a place where neither of us know anyone, apart from a few colleagues Kaysi has met throughout some of her training and some friends of friends who live in India. We know that it will be stretching spiritually as God moves us out of our comfort zones and grows us! It will be physically stretching as well. Lubbock, Texas is the biggest place I have ever lived and New Dehli is just almost 100 times bigger in population… It may take me a little while to adjust to the amount of people. I am sure that will be an adjustment for Kaysi as well. Also the food will be an adjustment. I can be adventurous in what I eat so it will stretch me a little bit but I am excited, Kaysi is a little bit apprehensive about the change in diet, but I am sure that she will adjust just fine! 

So as we begin this journey we hope that you all would keep us in your prayers as we begin this Gray’t adventure! (sorry for the play on words that is super corny)! I  hope that I am able to keep up this blog regularly while we are here in India to keep all of you informed on the things going on as we will be half way around the world! We love you all and thanks for reading!

-the Grays