I meant to post this days ago...but the rains have been pretty killer and the electricity was knocked out for a few days to the internet cafe. But here goes..updates since the first few days of Delhi.

The Monday after I arrived was Buddha’s birthday, therefore a national holiday. Meaning for me that the archive and embassy were closed. Grrrr. So hung out most of that day, and called Moses about Tuesday. I was leaving Wednesday and didn’t have a great deal of time to hang around waiting for taxis. Tharpa (a friend I’d met at the guest house—she worked up in Sikkim, which is very near Darjeeling) decided to come with me around, and so we were picked up at around 8:30 am. I had decided to try the archive straight away, rather than driving to the American Embassy’s Cultural affairs office to get my THIRD letter of recommendation. Seriously, my research is of nothing sensitive, important, or (frankly) that interesting to anyone but me. I assumed that two letters from my University (advisor and graduate director) and a letter from the AIIS (American Institute of Indian Studies) would suffice. I was wrong.

We arrived at the National Archives of India—very impressive building with a huge courtyard and drive way from the gate house to the entrance of the building. The guards (about 5 of them) stopped our car and said that I had to go through the gate house to get access. So walked in and the small man (not stature, but status) growled at me to give him my letters of recommendation or he wouldn’t let me in. I, very coolly, said “One moment please,” and produced them promptly. I think he really, really wanted to tell me to shove off (you know, power trip of the bored and lame). But he took one look at the envelopes they were in and gave me a pass to get in. They wouldn’t let Tharpa in, only one person. So walked in and wandered into the first office I saw. I’m not convinced that it was the correct one…but whatever. The man at the desk asked me to sit down, and explained that there was no way they would let me have access to the archive without a letter from the embassy’s Cultural Affairs Office. I argued with him for a minute—gently of course, by explaining that I didn’t actually NEED access at that moment. I just needed someone to write a letter stating that they would allow me access in the future. No. No. NO. Fine. Great, grand, wonderful. Not only that…but he told me that I should really get back within the hour, otherwise I would have to wait a few days. I don’t actually understand that logic (I now believe that the actual person I needed to speak to was coming in and he wanted to make sure that I only went through him!). So I had to walk all the way back outside, find the car. Find Tharpa (who was making great friends with the guards—they were even bringing her tea). And head out to the U.S. Embassy Cultural Affairs Office. Everything was closed on Monday, and I had been basically incoherent on Friday (I’d arrived at the airport at 1 am Friday morning) so I hadn’t gotten all the details from the office about what I needed…only a name.

So we arrived, and the security was impressive. More than any other building in Delhi, I think. Tharpa had to give up her mobile phone and camera at the door…I had nothing but papers, so I was ok. The woman at the front desk called up to the woman in the office. We waited in the lobby for about 5 minutes, and this woman appeared. She asked me to sit down and explain my situation. I gave her my letters of recommendation and a copy of my research proposal (which I has only thrown in my bag at the last minute—it was my only copy!). I explained to her what my project was about and my situation. She said that she would give my packet to her boss and would call me when he finished the letters. I said, “Oh…didn’t I mention that I am leaving tomorrow morning?” She told me that her boss, understandably, doesn’t like to have things shoved under his nose to be immediately signed—and so she asked me if they could send them to me. I’m thinking—what the hell do I need with these letters once I get to Darjeeling? This means that I would have to return to Delhi sometime this summer (more money blown) just to pick up these blasted letters, give them to the archive, and then leave the same day? Come on? Do I really need to go to this archive that badly? Ok—I do need this archive that badly. So I agreed. I started to give her the address of the hotel in Darjeeling—but I didn’t have the full address. She looked at me—do I detect a bit of pity?—and asked Tharpa and I to wait there for a few minutes. I’m thinking “great. This is how my research begins? What kind of anthropologist doesn’t have the address of where they are staying at every point in the trip. I suck.” Tharpa and I talk for a few minutes, and then the woman appears…with an entire folder of things. She had, in about 15 minutes, convinced her boss to sign the letter for not only the National Archives, but the Archaeological Survey of India, made extra copies of my research proposal, extra copies of my letters of recommendation, and extra copies of the letters from her boss!!!!! I nearly kissed her. She fixed my world in about 15 minutes! And made sure that I had her phone number in case I needed another letter (which I did, this week—but I will get to that later).

So we were on our way! We found Moses, drove BACK to the archives, and went back inside to that same office. He wasn’t there…but two guys playing on his computer were. I explained, again, what I needed and they asked me to sit on the strange, uncomfortable couch in the office. Fine. They disappeared. Fine. And an angel appeared—the assistant archivist! She asked me to follow her to the archives (where I was…I will only discover when I return here next year) and explain to her what I needed. So we did, and I did. Then the main archivist showed up. She passed me to him…and he told me that he couldn’t write a letter. Oh. How very disappointing. Then he says, “What if I just give you access to the archive? How long? Is one year enough?” WHAT!!! You can just do that?? Even if I’m not going to be around for another year? WHAT!!!! I asked if I could have access for two years—“Since I’m not going to be returning for a year.” He says, “Of course! Please fill out this form.” The form was about 10 lines…he stamped it…and I was done! I made sure to get his full name and title to quote in my grant proposals—But I have research access to the National Archives in India until May 2007! Good stuff. The entire transaction took a total of about 10 minutes. He then let me into the archives to let me begin! Unfortunately, I had other errands to do AND get back to pack. But I do have a bit of an idea what the place looks like, and he did explain the set up and procedures.

I went back outside to get Tharpa, we picked up my ticket and hotel information, changed money, and then had Moses drop us off at a coffee shop on Janpath. Tharpa and I had a bit of lunch and cooled off in the air conditioning (it was about 120 at that point) before we walked down Janpath to do a bit of end of trip shopping. At the end of the road is a McDonalds—so I just HAD to order French fries and an orange soda. Sat in the air conditioning, with my fries and soda. Brilliant! Absolutely BRILLIANT!!! I love Delhi.

We decided to catch an auto-rickshaw back to the hotel…and on the way, Tharpa asked me if I would mind if we stopped off at the Oberoi. She’d had her hair done their a few days before, and wanted to know what the man had used because in the heat and humidity had not changed her style (her hair is curly like mine and it had stayed straight for two days). So I agreed. I am so glad we did. But that will have to wait for another day…