Kelly in Dehli: The Bollywood Musical

First, let me give a shout out to my new favorite little boy who is the cutest little newborn I have ever seen - Spencer Benjamin L. - born to my cousin Jonfu on November 26. He is truly a cute baby! Not squished!

Back to Delhi... So I am currently living the development conundrum. We switched hotels last night. We went from a guesthouse (which would have been too expensive for me if I were here on vacation) that was not as nice as some hostels I've stayed in to a five, yes five, star hotel. This hotel is even well under the per diem rate and was only $20 more per night than the guesthouse with cold water and no internet. It is quite possibly the nicest hotel I've ever stayed in. If I have to stay in a hotel for three weeks, this is definitely the place to be. Now here is where the development conundrum (or in my case, guilt)comes in. Here I am, in a city filled with abject poverty, staying in a five star hotel. Now, fortunately or unfortunately, India has a sizable middle class and sizable upper class, so my hotel is also full of Indian business people. It helps to ameliorate the guilt a little when there is a mixed population in the hotel. There are also buddhist monks in my hotel as well. I didn't know they travelled so swankily (is that a word?). Maybe the Dali Lama is there. Anyways...

On an exciting note, during my stay here I will get an opportunity to visit the red light/scrap metal district!!! One of our projects works with children (mostly girl children)of commercial sex workers. It is one of the poorest slums in Delhi. That is the reason why I do this job. Not for the swanky travel accomodations, but for the little girls who are given opportunities so that a life in the sex trade is not a certainty at birth.

Back to more office life....