'Delirious Delhi' by Dave Prager.

For anyone interested in, or planning to visit the REAL India, this is a most worthwhile read. 30 year old New York ad agency copy-writer and his wife are posted to the Delhi branch for 18 months. The book recounts their shock, pleasure, dislike and final acceptance of a very different country. The tale details in some humour, their challenges on a very practical level--- from renting an apartment, buying food, coping with incessant 24 hr. street noise, managing corruption, handling social relationships at the office and with the ever-changing expatriate community to name a few. A memorable passage in the book relates how Dave passed the same traffic island each on his way to work in his taxi. At 7.00am on a hot morning he noted a young mother and small child standing on the island who appeared to be waiting for someone. When he returned from work in his taxi at 7.00pm, mother and child were still there amid all the pollution and noise. Next morning, at 7.00am, mother and child still standing on the island, probably without food, sleep or drink for 36 straight hours. Who were these two people and what became of them? A great read.