As an American who has spent much of my adult life living outside the United States, I have a great love for learning about and experiencing other cultures. This led me to spend 11 years in the U.S. Foreign Service where I had the privilege of experiencing life in the UK, Israel and the Philippines. (I used to joke that I didn’t live in Europe – the UK clearly is not Europe, the Middle East – ditto Israel which is very different from its MENA neighbors, or Asia – the Philippines is SO culturally distinct from other East Asian states.) There are many countries where a tour of duty did not materialize – including Canada (Montreal), France, Italy, Iran and India.
My great love affair with India started long before my first trip more than 26 years ago. So it was very important to me to travel with my husband to India in December 2025 – to give him a small taste of the country and the culture. It was a wonderful, memorable trip for both of us. I do not claim expert status on India – and am sharing a memories of our trip at the request of friends who have asked about the experience.
To me, a visit to India is not complete without a trip to the nation’s capital New Delhi, and this is where our trip started. New Delhi has a number of amazing hotels; over my years in the corporate bubble I was fortunate to stay at the Taj Mahal hotel, at One Mansingh Road. I was the trip planner for my husband’s first India trip, and splurged on a one night stay at the Taj Mansingh to ensure that my husband’s Delhi stay would be as comfortable as possible after the journey.
Over the years I have experienced the wonderful inclusive spirit of India in December. I remember, for example, after visiting Bangalore in 2004 as a conference key note speaker and later receiving a Christmas Card from the wonderful Leela Palace Bangalore Hotel staff dressed in their Saris and posing in front of a huge Christmas Tree. (I may have the card in my Hannukah box and will add it here if I find it. It was definitely a keeper.)
Hindus greeting a Jew for Christmas – non-ironically. That for me is India in a nutshell – the ability to enjoy and assimilate foreign cultures without losing their own.
Whenever I have traveled to India in December I have come to expect and enjoy the Christmas decorations. It is something that I have come to take for granted. I did not think to mention this to my husband and he may have been taken by surprise by the sheer quantity and variety of Christmas decorations – and the occasional Channukia (Chanukah candelabra).
Every nook and cranny was decorated, every meal in the hotel restaurant featured Christmas tableware. So we had our wonderful Indian breakfast with delicious coffee in Santa Claus mugs. If it was in the United States it could have been suffocating, to be honest. In India the seasonal immersion in Christmas is charming to me. The Taj Mansingh Christmas decorations in the lobby – shown above and below – provide a taste of the experience.
So that is my first vignette from our December trip. We had one full day in New Delhi, spent with dear longtime friends, visits to a wonderful new museum and old favorite venues – which I will circle back to in due course.
More to come!
Your Second-Middle Age: 