Smog and More Smog
The smog is thick in Delhi. Really thick.
Oct 31
Homeless
Stray dogs are commonplace in Delhi – across all my visits, I’ve probably seen hundreds. Surprisingly, most seem quite calm, but as a precaution I never get too close, as I have no desire to visit an emergency room in a foreign country.
I spent most of today visiting a college campus, participating in student presentations and meeting with various staff and faculty. However, at one point this afternoon I found myself with about half an hour of free-time, so I wandered outside to check email.
No sooner than I settled in, the dog pictured above decided to join me. Seemingly self-conscious not to venture too close for my comfort, she sat quietly by my side until I retreated back indoors.
It pains me to see so many stray dogs wandering the streets here. The dog owner/lover in me wants to bring them all back on the plane with me and give them a better life.
Earthquake
I’m spending the week abroad, working from my employer’s New Delhi office. Today a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck the region, which the U.S. Geological Survey reported as having an epicenter based in Afghanistan.
Despite being over 650 miles away from the epicenter, the tremors caused the 6 story office building I work in to shake for about 30 seconds … which felt like an eternity. Immediately all building in the giant office complex were evacuated, flooding the streets with thousands of workers.
Reports are early, but I fear for those much closer to the damage. Today was a humbling reminder that Mother Nature wields a powerful fist.
London Layover
London Heathrow (LHR) is a major international airport, and British Airways practically owns Terminal 5, the largest free standing structure in the UK. According to Wikipedia, Terminal 5 is designed to accommodate 35 million (yes, million) passengers annually – all of whom spend a few hours between here and there, killing time as they await a connecting flight.
Add me to that list … my connecting flight to New Delhi doesn’t depart for a few hours and in the meantime, I sit here killing time in the British Airways lounge.
Wandering With Purpose 