Contradictions | RKG
I didn’t want to go. I tried for months to convince my wife to cancel the trip. I wanted to go to Hawaii. Something relaxing. My wife was steadfast. Our kids had never been to India. The grandparents were eager and healthy and available. She reminded me that we only have so many Christmases left before our boys go to college. Why would it be any different next year? The news of extreme pollution in Delhi in December gave me my best hope. When the AQI reached 450, I made some progress. I am not proud of this but I even played the health card. “450 is like being inside of a forest fire. It’s bad for the kids. The grandparents too.” But instead of canceling, my wife looked up the AQI in Mumbai. 150. All the rest of the cities were fine too. She shortened the Delhi portion and replaced it with Mumbai. Off we went. They say India is a land of extremes. That’s true. Opulence and poverty. New Delhi and Old Delhi. Range rovers and rickshaws. Places where you can’t find an inch of personal spac