Saturday 20 November 2010

The air that I breathe* - The Hollies

This was one of the first few pics i took on my first morning at New Delhi - right outside the hotel.



No, it is not the morning mist u see! I thought it was initially and the weather is quite cool in the mornings and nites. But wat u see is really the dust/haze.

I went there expecting to fall sick due to the food or the water - but little did i anticipate that i will fall sick due to the air! The air quality was so so bad. There was one evening when i could almost not go outdoors. Even with a handkerchief over my mouth, i could still smell the smoke. It was like the place was on fire - but there were no flames nor heat.

When i got back, i came across this news report from Al Jezeera about the air quality at Delhi:-



It was the same as smoking 20 ciggies a day!!!!!! What was sad in the report was the optimism in the ending part. But this news report was made 2 years ago - and now things have not improved at all!!!!

So i feel sick - really bad. I lost my voice. One of my students woke up on competition day to find her eyes swollen with some goey liquid in them. I had to take her to the eye hospital - thankfully, due to the 'luck' of the draw, we did not have to moot that morning. Anyways, the doctor concluded it was just an allergy reaction due to the dust.

I really hated it - each time i traveled out, my eyes would water and my nose would clog up. i have told many people that while i had a great trip, i dun plan to go back to Delhi again. This is one of the reasons - and a big one too.

It was sooo god to be back home and breath in relatively clean air! This is something which i have taken for granted too many times. Thank you lord for the air that i breathe here.

*Their last major hit single and one of my all time favourite songs!

No comments: