Delhi has epic jams: packed boulevards that stretch to the horizon; masses of vibrating, coughing vehicles; drivers and passengers for whom the queue in front of them dictates exactly what their fate will be for the next hour, but who will battle each other every single inch anyway.

Driving in Bangalore is different: it’s death by a thousand minor intersections. You finally free yourself after waiting at one eternal red light, you see open road ahead of you, and you think, “Maybe the next light will go in my favor.”

But it will not.

There’s only one man who could overcome Bangalore traffic. And I spotted him as soon as I started walking around.

Though I’d never been to Bangalore before, I knew there were two things I had to experience. First, I appreciated the city’s famous weather by strolling in its famous parks.

And second, I ate here:

By the time the rice and sambar had arrived at my plate, my intake was labored; by the time I’d finished my sweet, I was in pain. And when the waiter told me there was still fruit and ice cream coming, I… I…

I refused. I’m ashamed to admit it: I actually couldn’t eat it all.

Friends, when it comes to thalis, I am out of practice.

After leaving MTR, I re-commenced wandering, hoping exercise would make me hungry again. Somehow I found myself in the older part of Bangalore, whereupon I stumbled upon one of the most picturesque markets I’d ever seen.

And then, it was off to Crosswords to discuss the book.

My conversation partner for the evening was Vikramajit Ram, author of Dreaming Vishnus: A Journey through Central India and the upcoming Tso and La: A Journey in Ladakh.

A book is a child you cannot raise: you bring it in to the world, and all you can do is hope others recognize the potential you think you see in it. In the video below, you’ll see Vikram introducing my book.  And you’ll see me beaming like a proud parent as he does so.

(You can read a much more detailed account of the event here on Angela’s Adventures in Bangalore.)

After the event, I joined a former coworker for an evening of cultural discovery at Bangalore’s beer bars.

And then, I returned to Delhi. I spent the day journeying to bookstores, shaking hands with owners, and signing copies; and then I spent the night at the Olive Beach Restaurant, discussing the book once again with Sonal Shah, editor of Time Out Delhi.

Three hours later, I was on my flight back to the States.

Do one thing: help me make this book a bestseller. The more books I sell, the sooner I will return to India. And maybe next time, Jenny (and Georgiana) will join me.

If you’re in India, buy Delirious Delhi on FlipKart. If you’re elsewhere, buy it here.

Mumbai is much more intense than Delhi. It’s India’s Manhattan: as a peninsula, its waters prevent a Delhi-like sprawl. So Mumbai has grown up instead of out.

Imagine the population density of Old Delhi multiplied across an entire city.

That’s Mumbai. You walk in the streets because every inch of sidewalk has been claimed for business. You ignore the speeding taxis.

Somehow they don’t hit you.

Mumbai abounds with elegant old buildings that have been swallowed by the pressures of the city.

Beneath the signboards and hanging laundry and air conditioners are once-stunning examples of Art Deco and Victorian Gothic and Islamic-Indian. Look closely, imagine some fresh paint, subtract the haphazard additions, and you see buildings as glorious as the showpieces of Miami and Geneva and Istanbul.

But I’m not here just to gawk. I’m here to promote a book about quiet old Delhi to sophisticated, jaded Mumbaikers. To ensure I’d connect with them, I needed a Mumbai state of mind. This meant strolling along Marine Drive…

…visiting Chowpatty Beach…

… and stuffing myself with bhel puri.

Then, with my shirt pressed crisper than I’d ever been able to iron it myself (for ten rupees, a sidewalk ironwallah made it look better than new), I was off to Crossword Bookstore to do my reading.

At the foot of Malabar Hill (and within walking distance of the spot of our famous gora evasion experiment), I met Sharell Cook, one of Mumbai’s most famous bloggers, and my conversation partner for the night.

Together, under the unblinking glare of the camera from DDI news (did anyone see the report?), we discussed the three most important Hindi words for any traveler to know (I even attempted my most persuasive “bhaiya”), the philosophical lessons of Delhi traffic, and how expats in Delhi react when the air-conditioning goes out. (Hint: we panic.)

Here’s a brief clip of me reading an excerpt from chapter eleven, exploring the mindset of American travelers who visit India.

Following the event, I spent a night in Mumbai as a writer should: I joined an editor from HarperCollins and an editor from Time Out Mumbai at the Mumbai Press Club to dine drink whiskey, eat fried fish, and discuss the universal truths of journalism and casual Fridays.

Next stop: Crosswords Books in Bangalore on Wednesday, and then back to Delhi for a reading at Olive Beach Restaurant in Chankyapuri.

Two years after leaving our Delhi home, I’ve returned for the publication of my new book about life in this city of sixteen million.

And returning after so long has brought a strange mix of nostalgia and immediacy.

It’s joy and melancholy combined: it’s magnificent to be back, it’s depressing to have left, it’s sad to be away from where life is now.

I arrived on Thursday night. I slept, I recovered, and then I dove into this newer Delhi, where a spotless shining South Delhi Metro now deposits me under the havelis of the 19^th century. Amazing to begin here…

… and then so quickly be eating here.

Old Delhi always used to evoke a sense of unknown—a sense that I’m seeing centuries of history I can’t comprehend. Now there’s a new emotion: wistfulness. My memories are now part of the cacophony. Walking through the lanes, the things I see remind me of the life Jenny and I lived here, too.

And here’s what’s more amazing: as many times as we came in the past, there are still countless sights I’d never before seen.

And then, from the old to the new: off to the American Center the book launch, where somewhere between 75 and 2,500 people gathered to celebrate the release of Delirious Delhi.

(Crowd estimates may vary.)

I was joined on stage by Sonal Shah, an editor at Time Out Delhi. Together we discussed the book, my post-Delhi hairline, my secret food-hoarding habits when I was at work in Gurgaon, and why the greatest thing to ever happen to Delhi may or may not be Big Bazaar.

It was a great event, with laughter and only a few awkward moments. If you missed it, good news: there will be an encore event Thursday, 8 December at Olive Beach restaurant in Chanakyapuri! Details have been posted here.

If you’re in Mumbai and Bangalore, we’ll see you on Dec 5 and 7! If you’re in the US or elsewhere it the world, pre-order your copy now!

Finally, cheers to Sushobahn from Singapore for buying six copies. Let’s hope everyone else follows his example.

Next: the launch in Mumbai >>

Delirious Delhi is on FlipKart, in bookstores across India, and available online worldwide.

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If you like what you’ve read, you can find the book in Indian bookstores or on FlipKart. Or you can order online for US and worldwide delivery.

NOTE: A SECOND DELHI EVENT HAS BEEN ADDED! SEE BELOW.

(Click image for printable version)

• Delhi: 2 Dec at 6:30 PM. At the American Center Auditorium.
  (You must carry a photo ID! Click for details. PAN cards OK.)
• Mumbai: 5 Dec at 6:30 PM. At Crossword Books on NSP Marg.
• Bangalore: 7 Dec at 6:30 PM. At Crossword Books, Sarakki Industrial Area, JP Nagar.

For up-to-the-minute information, make sure you like the book on Facebook.

UPDATE: A second Delhi event has been added to the roster! Join us on December 8 at 7:00 at Olive Beach restaurant in Chanakyapuri! See below for more information.