Quick NY stop and then unbelievably India

Dear friends and family,

 Please forgive me if you don't get a reply from me. Now in India and the internet is very spotty so far. Not everything gets through.

Quick stop in NY. We packed in many meetings in a couple days. Lucky us, we got to stay at Chuck’s NY apartment. (Chuck had already given me permission previously to take pictures of his place).

Visit and drinks with Ann Hatch & Paul Discoe’s beyond gorgeous Japanese temple-looking apartment, which they call the dojo. Paul built this inside a building across from Cooper Union.  L to R, Paul Discoe, Don, Ann Hatch and Henry Drewell. Not shown is the lovely Sarah.

The meeting of the two genius couples (Ann Hatch and Paul Discoe meet Sarah Khan and Henry Drewell).



Don photographing Lyle Ashton Harris in front of Lyle's collage which may turn into a tapestry.



Then on the plane for the long trek: NY to London (never left Heathrow), then London to Delhi. Jet-Lagged, but happy. It all went very smoothly, except for clearing Security at Heathrow. Flying on Xmas and they were in high alert because of some threat. My bag, among many bags, was pulled off for closer inspection. Took a half hour; fortunately, we had enough time. It turns out you can’t place your iPad in your bag in England. US allows it.


Then landing in Delhi at 1:00 in the morning, long wait to get our e-tourist visas stamped, and then find our driver who had been patiently waiting for us, for hours.

Thick, acrid smog outside, which made the airport's interior a little hazy. That combined with our jet lag contributed to the dream sequence. (Don: we wandered out the main door to find Raj, our driver, not finding him we turned back to re-enter the airport but the armed guards would not let us in - I tried reasoning with one and found myself inadvertently looking down the barrel of his assault rifle. He wasn't intentionally pointing it at me.)

We’re in a different world now.

Checked into our hotel at around 2:30 am, December 26, or very late Xmas night. Nap. And then off to our cooking class.


They weren't quite ready for us at the cooking class, so we walked around the neighborhood. Women wear their gorgeous saris out to shop, walk the dusty streets, help with construction work, clean hotel rooms. They look absolutely gorgeous.


 Street scenes


The chrysanthemum garlands are everywhere.


Aloo tiki vendor, it smelled and looked delicious.



And it was; Era with Raj, our driver.


Love from Era and Don in India



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