Similar to Latin America and yet completely different, the hustle and bustle of Delhi’s markets; Easy to make contact; STREET FOOD – Six years into his stay in the capital, Chilean Ambassador Juan Angulo can easily roll up the things he loves about his current home.
Arriving in Delhi in January 2019 and experiencing the deadly Covid pandemic, the 61-year-old feels he learned a lot about India in those months.
Angulo is a career diplomat with over 36 years of experience in the Chilean Foreign Service. After two years of study at the Chilean Diplomatic Academy, he studied at L’École Nationale d’Administration in Paris. During his career he has served in Paris, Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Brussels and had a second visit to Paris before coming to India.
In Chile, he has been Head of Cabinet of the Director General for Administration, Head of Cabinet of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Acting Director of the European Division, and most recently Deputy Director of the Environment Department, leading the Chilean delegation to the COP. At the technical level.
He is married to a former Dutch diplomat and has children.
Angulo spoke to The Indian Express A series of interviews With ambassadors from Delhi — their home.
Edited excerpts:
How long has it been in Delhi? What is your favorite place to visit?
I have been in Delhi for about six years, I think the longest the Chilean ambassador has been here. This is partly due to the pandemic and preparations for our president’s visit, hopefully in early April 2025.
It’s hard to choose just one place… If I want to relax, I love a walk in Lodhi Gardens or a beautiful nursery: I love a quiet stroll and the constant sound of a group of family and friends having a picnic or posing. Instagram reels, and a way to integrate historical monuments into everyday life. But when I visit Old Delhi, I love the vibrancy of the streets and the ability of people to navigate the apparent chaos. It … reminds me of walking the streets and shops when I was a young boy in Santiago, looking for car parts or wood for a craft project. I always have a craft project going on or I need to repair something at home, so markets in Old Delhi, Lajpat Nagar or Kotla are goldmines for me where I can find parts I can’t find anywhere else.
And last but not least, Nizamuddin and the Holy Sufi Temple. There is a special atmosphere that is difficult to describe. I always take visitors there.
Three things stand out about living here?
I think about our first visit to Old Delhi. We landed just two days ago and my wife and I took the metro to Chandni Chowk. The main road was being repaired, so people were led through narrow corridors. We got lost in the little streets and walked around. We found Gurdwara Sis Gang, Jama Masjid, and a beautiful Jain temple hidden in Naughara Gali among the beautiful gates.
Coming from Latin America, I’m used to the hustle and bustle of market streets but there were so many things to discover here, it was unforgettable.
Pandemic lockdowns I will never forget. The calm and blue skies of the city and the repatriation of Chileans here were extraordinary experiences. I learned a lot about India in these months, perhaps more than in previous months.
And then, most importantly, I think the many friendships we’ve made here. I was amazed at how welcoming the people were… being away from home, it was like finding a big family nearby.
Does pollution bother you? How do you and your family cope?
Of course, pollution bothers me, as it does everyone else. I like to play tennis (and table tennis) and run regularly. Of course, I can’t do this when the pollution is so high. We luckily don’t suffer too much from it; Apart from having air purifiers in rooms at home, we don’t really take any special measures. But I worry about the long-term health effects of living in this bad air, especially for people who work outside all day.
Do you suggest the administrators work to make Delhi a better place?
Having lived in Delhi for a few years, I can understand the complexities of managing a city with the population of a medium-sized European country. A city is not an isolated entity; It is influenced by many aspects outside its boundaries. Pollution is an important part of it. I know we live in a very privileged part of town, and I think it would be great if more people could live like we live here.
Favorite food in town?
I think the love of food is mostly about the people you eat with and where you eat it. I love dal makhani at home… my wife still talks about the haleem she eats in 2020, is willing to make a significant twist for palak patta chaat, and eats everything with paneer. I remember a delicious pan kulfi prepared by a chef at an event at our house.
My wife and I like to cook so we don’t order much but I have fond memories of street food in Old Delhi where a good friend took us out for Mughli food several times. I have also been to other places like the beautifully restored haveli near Jama Masjid, Karim or the restaurant at Dharmapura Haveli. And in different parts of the city, Olive, Guppy, or Indian Accent at New Friends Colony where we once had an amazing gastronomical menu of 11 small but incredibly tasty Indian dishes.
I love discovering beautiful places steeped in history, and in that category, Quality Restaurant at Connaught Place is one of my favorites. Also, and although I didn’t try all of them, it’s always nice to eat at restaurants in houses representing the different states of India in Delhi. The food is very different but always good.
Memories of Delhi that will stay with you forever?
It’s hard to choose. I think Gandhi Memorial is one place where I felt emotional being in a historical place. The presentation of the certificate to the then President (Ram Nath) Kovind in the beautiful Durbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan was a particularly solemn event; This is my first time as an ambassador, I will never forget it.
I have also visited several universities here and have been very impressed by the active and energetic Latin-American sections. There are many similarities between our two regions, and many students are eager to learn Spanish and learn more about my part of the world. I would like to talk to the students and share some thoughts about different aspects of my country and my region, its challenges and opportunities…
How do you introduce someone back home to Delhi?
I’ll tell them about the history, the seven or so cities that made Delhi the way we see it today…and that’s more than most guidebooks can tell you. I will tell them about the places they should see and the books they should read to understand something about the richness of this city. I would tell them, of course, to see the important monuments – Humayun’s Tomb and the Qutub Minar – but also to cross Nizamuddin’s road or explore the lesser-visited Mehrauli site. There is always more to see in Delhi if you keep your eyes open.
Will you or your family miss anything when you say goodbye to this city?
Definitely the warmth of the people, the friends we made. I would also miss the many parks in the city, the proximity to many monuments, and the history that is everywhere if you only look. And, of course, the possibility of discovering new regions in India with a short flight from Delhi.
How is Delhi different from other major capitals or cities you have served?
I would like to say that you can connect with many different types of people here. Although my country is far away, I immediately felt at home and saw many similarities in the way you invite people (on the same day!) and the way people celebrate. Punjabi dances also have rhythms similar to our music and many Indians love Latin-American music. Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam are very formal in their way of inviting people, I remember people taking out their agendas (before iPhones existed!) when you wanted to invite them and then three weeks later start saying the date!
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