Ozzy Goes to India: Emperor Shah Jahan and Adrian Peterson

“Oh, Delhi… I’ve been there a few times. Now that’s culture shock… about as much as you can get… unless there’s a war” – Team Morrow of ESPN Fantasy

There have been two moments in the last 72 hours that stick out and have made me genuinely excited.

The first, was my entrance into Red Fort. This magnificent structure is not just a building or two, but instead a mini city within Old Delhi that was built in 1638 by Emperor Shah Jahan of the Mughal empire. Before entering the fort, I decided to do the most touristy thing of them all… I got an audio walking tour headset. Admittedly, I felt dumb walking around with a shitty MP3 player hanging from my neck, but as I went from stop to stop on the tour, I actually did feel like I was transported back into the 17^th century. Ninety minutes later, with probably two gallons of water lost through sweat, I finished the tour with a huge smile on my face. This (along with work, of course) is why I came here…

The other moment that sticks out is learning I’d have the first pick in my upcoming fantasy football draft. I honestly feel that by owning Adrian Peterson, I’m already half way to a championship…

Now, I know many of you out there are probably thinking, “What the hell? Why do you care about fantasy football when you have this once in a lifetime experience to fully immerse yourself in culture?”

Because it’s an escape.

Because living here is fucking hard.

I love experiences like the Red Fort, and I love learning about the educational practices here, and I love navigating the city and learning to communicate with the locals. But this is culture shock. Before coming here, seasoned travelers would often look at me with a “good luck” face when they heard I’d be living in India for two months by myself and I’d never been overseas before. They would often ask, “Why did you pick India for your first trip?!”

Even, ironically while chatting in an ESPN mock fantasy football draft, a member of our armed forces commented on this, stating, “Now that’s culture shock… about as much as you can get… unless there’s a war.”

Wow, as crazy as it gets besides a war. Read that again.

I couldn’t imagine doing this journey without two things: technology and back home hobbies. While each day here is an adventure (and is tough sometimes), my ability to communicate consistently with Lindsay and my mom has been crucial to preserving my sanity. Additionally, those back home hobbies, such as fantasy football, make the homesickness and occasional wishes of normality more manageable.

Don’t get me wrong, I love being here and am incredibly grateful for this opportunity. But, when homesick and entrenched in something so different than what you’re accustomed to, it helps to win the first pick in the “Boom Boom Fantasy Football League.”

As promised, here are lots of pictures! You can click on the pictures to 'blow them up'...