The Nizami Family

This is the family i will be living with for the next 7 weeks or so. I will be referring to them quite extensively in future posts and it would be useful to know who's who.

That's Salmi Chacha (Uncle Salmi), Auntie Farhana (his wife), Faiza (his 20year old daughter who's entering Uni next month), Alim (his 16 year old son in 12th Grade who is not pictured here), and Azim (his 10 year old son in 4th Grade). Then there's Farhan (a 7 year old boy, also not pictured), the son of the family's maid, who is so frequently at their house, he's almost adopted. They are the humblest and most hospitable people i have ever met. Extremely nice and caring Everything and anything that you ask for would be done almost instantaneously. They will go out of their way to make you feel at home. I can't begin to tell you how lovely they are. At no costs and with no expectations of anything in return, we have our breakfast, lunch and dinner home-cooked and served without asking.

A MUST SEE!!!!!!! [video below]

The house that we live in is something and somewhere i'd never imagine i would live. I mean the house itself is fantastic. Just the way up the house and the area surrounding the house, is not something i'm used to, but hey, that just adds up to my India experience. I am very thrilled to live in this semi-slum residential district called Hazrat Nizamuddin. It is also sometimes referred to as the Basti area. It is characterized by very narrow lanes, rickety walls and structures, power lines entangled right above our heads, alot of shouting across shops but still, very colourful and full of live in its own way. It's a predominantly Muslim area in a Hindu-dominated region of India. Its 2 minutes away from the shrine of a muslim Saint - Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya - a very big and well known shrine. Because it is a semi-slum area, the people here (except the Family) are also less affluent, usually living on the bare minimum.

As i walk out to the main street, I see young children (aged 3 to 7) playing with no shoes on, wearing dirty and/or torn and tattered clothes, but eyes so wide and bright. Its the simplicity they have known all their life that makes their games and their jest a luxury. I intended to teach them English, basic reading of alphabets or rhymes, but was advised against it because those kids apparently are not interested in studying and instead of sitting down, will run away and not return to my class.

Some things that are not common in Singapore would be the tripping of the electricity. It will go off and on at irregular times of the day and when that happens, the generator will automatically come on but things like the TV and toilet lights are not connected and so, remain dead for the next 3 to 4 hours. There is also no landline, no house phone because everyone in the Family owns a mobile phone. And, there is no wireless internet, except for internet of Salmi Chacha's phone (which i am not borrowing unless i am compelled to out of desperation).