Returning home vicariously

I’ve really been enjoying Google Earth, Google’s (not-so-anymore) new aerial imagery viewer. Like everybody else I’m sure, the first thing I did was find all the places I’ve lived. I’ve put a couple images here partly for my own nostalgia and partly to show off Google Earth. It really is amazing, better than having a globe on your desk.

The first set of pictures is from our neighborhood in New Delhi, India, where I lived for four years when I was very young. It was hard to find. I had to send several pictures back to my father and mother to comment on before I narrowed it down to what you see here.

The houses along our block were mostly three story flats, with common side walls, sort of like townhouses. That street was amazing. I remember people bringing camels and elephants that kids could ride for a fee, and trained dancing bears and snake charmers performing. The “elbow” in the street was wide enough for kids to play ball games like cricket. The roofs were cool too. We had the top flat with a huge open veranda, from where I could get onto the roof. Since it doesn’t rain much there, the roofs are all flat, and since the houses adjoin one another, it makes it easy to explore. My memory is spotty since we left India when I was not yet seven, but just finding these aerial photos was thrilling nonetheless. Definitely the next best thing to being there.

The second set of pictures is from our block in Detroit where I lived for about ten years. Finding the block on Google Earth was not as startling since I visited there not long before I left for Malaysia and took a number of photos. The aerial view is still neat though. I especially like how the freeway looks so clean and orderly from the sky. How deceptive.