As I sit by the pool side table, it's 39degrees, a dry humid day here in Delhi and the lockdown for Coronavirus is into Day 17. Firstly let me begin by saying, that I truly hope that you and your family are safe and sound during these trying times in our world. Now that the important stuff is out of the way let me introduce myself, I am Renaav Singh, a sports physiotherapist from Durban that wandered up to Johannesburg and finally shipped off to India as the newest arrival to Wanderers Sports Medical Centre(WSMC) family, as their international employee.

I have been based here in Delhi for now going on 7months, after the completion of an initial 6week period last year May/June 2019. It's been a 5 years courtship between WSMC and myself. But finally we were able to get onto the same team full time from August 2019. I was first approached by founder, Craig Govender, to represent WSMC on a short contract back at the end of March 2019. This all happened really quickly, while I was leaving for Malaysia, as one of the physiotherapist for Team South Africa at the Touch Rugby World Cup 2019. We came to an understanding that worked best for all parties and within 5days of landing back on South African soil, I was hopping onto an Emirates Airline flight for my first experience of 'Incredible India'.

The job profile was to treat some private high-end clients. In blink of an eye the 6weeks flew by and I was back on my way home, to South Africa. After arriving back in South Africa I returned to my normal routine, as head Physiotherapist of Moroka-Swallows Football Club in preparation for the new upcoming National First Division season. However a few weeks later, Craig was back, and this time.... 5years later.... We were finally able to get onto the same team. The challenge laid down was massive, a year in India!

October 6th I arrived in Delhi for my first 6month stint, the year would be split into two 6month contracts due to visa requirements. I have traveled a fair amount, but this was my first full time working contract internationally. I immediately put down a plan of action, anticipating that the language and cultural changes would be my biggest challenges. While I might be of Indian origin, Hindi has never been spoken in my home, and so I had to begin learning a few words to get me by. This would allow me to better relate and communicate with the people I would encounter daily. I have since spent a lot of time learning words and simple phrases and now my vocabulary is not that of a total "ferangi" (foreigner).

To tackle the challenge of the cultural adaption, I decided my best option would be to use my palate... My love of food! I am foodie, I love exploring cuisine that is new to me. In every country I travel to, understanding the locals means you have to do what they do. There is no better way to experience that, than over a meal. Now to anyone that has been to India, you will know, that to an Indian, every meal is an event. I have loved eating the local foods, it is so diverse province to province. The same type of core ingredient is cooked totally differently everywhere in India you go. There is nothing I love more than, strolling the streets exploring all the local "dabba's" and sweet shops. India truly is a foodies heaven. I have also learnt how ingredients specific to particular areas are used more in certain types of dishes, such as coconut and rice are predominantly in South Indian cuisine due to it being grown more freely in the south, or fish being a staple for the western areas such as Kolkata because of the accessibility to the Bay of Bengal. 

My job description here in India has allowed me to travel to many province's such as Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Goa, Uttrakand and Mumbai, as well as internationally to Singapore on three separate occasions. From all my travels I have gathered such an appreciation for the Indian culture, yes the madness that is India is there, but when you start to stay here long enough, patterns start to emerge. The first time I saw a cow and cart on the highway, I nearly got whiplash trying to turn my head to see if my eyes were deceiving me or not.The first time I saw a random pop up night market selling fresh produce under battery run single-bulb lights, with old weighted scales for pricing, I was awe struck. The first time I walked through the slums in Mumbai with doorways and alleyways snaking left and right with literally thousands of people harmoniously cohabiting peacefully, I was left speechless. These things I can't explain or describe but it's India and somehow, it works. How, I can not tell you, but it works.

Yes there are struggles, no, the dreaded "Delhi belly" has not struck me down, and I only caught a mild case of "homesickness" roughly 3months in. But there are things that I as a foreigner with a different perspective has had to adapt to, patience being the prime thing. Things move at their own pace here in India. It's the land of "decide now, move when you can" . Having lived in Johannesburg for nearly just over 3years, traffic is a daily occurrence but nothing is like India traffic. The bus, car, and cycle rickshaw drivers all share the same road, the road that  sometimes acts as the pathway for the local farmer to move his massive herd of cattle, either goats or cows, from point A to point B and all these occupants have to weave and navigate their way through the criss crossing mass of pedestrians that are trying to cross the road or get to their destinations. It's safe to say.... That the rules of driving in India are more like guidelines than rules per say!!

Having completed my first 6month stint here, I do miss my family and the other normal aspects of South African lifestyle. Unfortunately the COVID19 pandemic is holding the world to ransom, resulting in a complete grounding of all international flights and human activity. I felt it was the best decision to stay on in India until things have settled and changed. The risk outweighed the reward. However, I have tried to use this time wisely and profitably. Rather than focus on not making it back before the lockdown or missing my grandmother, sister and father's 60th birthday this April month. I have decided to use this time to reflect on what is going around me, my goals and my thoughts. I have spent a lot of time reading, exercising and journaling. I have ticked off 2 bucket-list items during my time here in India, namely seeing snow for the first time on "snow mountain" in Nainital near the Himalayas and secondly flying on a private jet not once or twice but three times. I have now set my sights on visiting "Mount Khalash" and "Rishikesh", both places of extremely religious mystic not to mention the iconic symbol of love, The Taj Mahal. These are what I hope to accomplish in my next 6months here. 

Let me leave you with the only way I can best describe India and my life here to you, a South African. Like a "potjiekos", you throw into a single pot,  of random seemingly endless number of  ingredients, that make no sense what so ever..... But the end result..... The coming together of a dish that is nothing short of spectacular!