Bangalore

We are in Bangalore, have been since the train on Sunday. It's now Saturday, so yeah, been a little busy and issues with bandwidth here  ;) We're getting settled for a 3 month stay of work and exploring!

Sunday, we bid farewell Chennai, at least for now. I'm kind of sorry to leave.. not so much the dirty, smelly, crazy city, and the not so great hotel, but there is something here that is pulling me. It's the people. Made some new wonderful friends, and will definitely be back. But not completely sorry to leave. Next time I'm staying at the Radisson  ;)
The train ride on Sunday was quite the experience. Woke up in the middle of the night (well, 4:15am) to catch the 6am Shatabdi Express train from Chennai to Bangalore. My first "real" train ride. Taxi picked us up and the humidity was so high all the windows were fogged. At freakin' 5am!! Free saunas in Chennai - just go outside! and it's not even summer yet..
Got to the train station, got out of the cab, and porters were there to whisk away our luggage. I think my suspicious traveling companion thought she'd never see her luggage again, and held on to way too much heavy stuff instead of handing it over to the porters. The walk was fast and long to the train, and I think she may have regretted the decision to hang on to all that and lugging it herself, but her decision. I tried tipping them an unacceptably small amount, and the guy scoffed at me, so, properly chastised before coffee I handed over 300 rs which was much more acceptable. We settled into our seats and tried to find enough room for legs and my carry on and Lisa's assortment of bags, then looked around. Full train, as they usually are. I'd read about the Shatabdi and how they are considered some of the best trains in India so was not in the least concerned. I don't think Lisa had done the research I had so was quite a bit more apprehensive than I was, so while I enjoyed the coffee and the breakfast, she stuck with her bottled water. Five hours later, we arrived in Bangalore, and were met by our TCS Program Directors Shailaja and Raj. I love this aspect, of putting faces to names we've known for a while. Whisked away once again, this time gladly being led, so someone else could argue with the porters about the amount, where they just see our white skin and the price goes up.  Commonly done, and I get it, but hey now..
We are taken to lunch at a Chinese restaurant very close to our new home. OMG, is the Chinese food here ever amazing! Indo-Chinese, Chinese food with a kick.  SO flavorful!  then HOME!
Our apartment is a 2-bedroom, 2 bathroom, nice enough place to be comfortable for the next 3 months. We each have 2 single beds in our bedrooms, and what is with the freakin' straw mattresses around here?  :D  Oh well, my back actually seems to be ok with the firmness, but I have yet to sleep a whole night through. Going from a Sleep Number bed to these..  guess I'm spoiled. But they're fine. Place is good, close to work, close to the Main ITPL road so there are shops and malls from large western type malls and shoe stores to small shacks selling batteries, and open air stalls selling fresh watermelon and coconut water. We just need the time now to go explore.
We have a caretaker named Madhav, whose card says he's the Head Caretaker.  I have dubbed him the Head Dude, and that's what he now is. He's very sweet, and takes care of us well. He's from way up North near Nepal, so also understands cold weather. There are also a couple of "boys" here, and they too are sweet, but speak very little if any english. They do the cleaning and the serving of food, and just smile and say yes. No matter the question  ;) Thank goodness for Madhav. And that a sense of humor does not need to share a language completely. He's discovering that I like to joke and tease, and I love to make him smile. I think he's just used to being talked TO rather than being talked WITH. First two days, when we left in the morning, I said to him "have a good day". Day one took him by surprise. Day 2 he wished me in return.
Day 3 and 4 he beat me to it and wished me a good day before I him. That's the stuff I like!!

We have our own bedrooms, where the internet access is (a cord, no wi-fi) and our own baths, both of which have major deadbolt locks on the doors. Took us a minute to realize that our bedrooms were our havens, but the rest of the time people tend to come and go in and out of the apartment, whether it's to serve food or to clean. Unnerving sometimes, but I'm getting used to it. The door stays open, but we can bolt it if we want to. But, we each have laptop, tv, desk and our own space, so it's cool. Just different.  Power goes out every day, usually in the morning when most people are heading to work, and I think that's by design so that the power can be directed toward the IT and other businesses rather than homes during the day, but there is a generator so the dudes are great about getting that running right away. It gives us light, tv, internet, coffee and the blow dryer, but it doesn't heat the water.  So, if we haven't already turned the heat on for the hot water tank in each bathroom, we're sunk. BUT, I found out 2 days ago that there is a back up for the hot water, and that a bucket of hot water can be had for the asking.  Note to Payal...  I understand.  :)  I have not taken a shower here yet, but for the 1st day when it wasn't that great.  The bucket way is quite nice!

Bangalore!  Bengaluru  The Garden City What we have seen so far has been beautiful and amazing. The weather is glorious. So much cleaner than Chennai. Smells better most of the time, too ;) Flowers everywhere, parks, beautiful architecture. We are off to explore the city now, going shopping on Commercial Street.  More later about first week WFI  :)  (Working From India)

Bar fight in Chennai

So, we want to know about the almost bar fight, eh?  ;)  Wasn't really all that much. 
We went to a bar at a nice hotel with my friend Pratik and a friend of his. The four of us sat at a nice table, they had beers I had diet coke, we ordered food, I was watching people drinking and talking and dancing and doing what people do in bars. Nobody was sloppy, and it seemed more like groups of friends having fun rather than any kind of "pick up" activity. Just a nice night out in a nice "Applebees" kind of place.

My Indian friends tell me that going to bars is an uncommon activity for the vast majority of people, especially the women.  I was enjoying seeing the young people acting like free young people. I see the weight of convention as rather heavy here, especially for the women. I imagine it is quite similar to what it was like in the US - remember when "good" girls didn't go to bars?  :::blech::::

Anyway, I wanted to take a picture of Pratik.  I pulled out the camera, and within seconds the "camera police" were there telling me pictures were not allowed.  Well, as those who know me know, when I'm told I'm not allowed to do something, something that is quite harmless and what I WANT to do, I get testy.  He tells me that pictures are not allowed.  Thinking I would accept that as an answer was his mistake. I asked why they were not allowed.  He said that picture taking is not allowed in any pubs in Chennai.  Mistake number 2 - still does't tell me why.  I asked again, "why?" Same bullshit answer. Now, I am bright, do have a clue and know why.  Oooh.. somebody "may" not want to be captured while in a pub.  Another convention thing, and a "what would THEY think?" I can't stand those.  Who CARES what other people think? 
Well, apparently these folks do and it'll take a while to get past that, if ever, and just because I don't care doesn't mean I need to lay that down as a shared response. That one's going to need to change, though. Tourists and more that come into this country and partake of such outings are going to want pictures.
And really..  the risk of anyone caught in the background of my picture of my friend being shared with their freinds and neighbors and family who would judge them for it is very, very low.

I told the dude, you can tell me that's the rule, but if you can't tell me the WHY behind the rule, I can't accept it. He wsan't getting it, so I let the poor guy go after a few more rounds of questions.

That's when Lisa dubbed it a bar fight. 

Pratik's friend who accompanied us (wish I could remember his name) told me he'd taken picutures many times there.  Pratik told me to go ahead and take the photo.  I did not.  I don't need trouble in Chennai my first week there on behalf of Ameriprise Financial and TATA.  THAT would probably not look good, and there is where I care what others think.

Just a little.  I was tempted.  ;)

Grab something to drink, it's a long one :)

Our hotel in Chennai really does suck. The smells, the broken air conditioners, the open windows allowing mosquitoes in, the hard beds, the realization that there are few if ANY other women here, no internet access, walls that could use a fresh coat of paint (and probably some Lysol)…Going to the Radisson yesterday just for the afternoon to use their business center was like walking into an oasis. Beautiful, well-trained people greeted us to clean, air-conditioned, lovely smelling (!) surroundings, and I’ll bet the mattresses are not filled with straw like they are at our hotel. Yep, I checked through a hole in mine. No wonder it’s so frickin’ hard! Oh well, one more night. Large trade event in town has made rooms at reasonable prices scarce. But, we did not come here to be pampered we came here to experience. That, we have done.

But, had we not stayed here, I may not be as enamored with the traffic as I am. I can get a cup of coffee and stand at a window at this hotel and watch the amazing morning rush hour traffic right from a window outside my room. I have been found there many times, just staring. There’s a symphony of horns, a spectacle of sites and color, unidentifiable and sometimes potent scents while I enjoy a cup of Indian filter coffee which is thick and sweet and strong. There’s a young man selling fresh coconut milk from a bike who has a designated spot right across the street from the hotel. I’ve seen him arrive for work in the morning, then cross the 4 (yeah, right) lanes of traffic and the median to get his breakfast from a nearby stall, then cross that traffic again to start his day selling. Like many others along the streets, they are there providing refreshment for thirsty or hungry commuters. A (motor)bike with a couple came along, him dressed for work in an office, her in a sari sparkling with sequins (she’s been riding on the back, side-saddle). They checked out the offerings and chose a coconut. The seller then very skillfully hacked at it with what appears to be a machete, and soon it’s offered to the buyers with a straw or a spoon and they drink, get back in/on their vehicles and off to work or school or wherever they are headed. Then he settles back into the boredom of waiting for the next person to stop. Yesterday he had 3 customers all at once, and I felt pleased. Guess I adopted him or something.

We went to Prakash’s wedding on Tuesday night, full of jetlag and wonder at how people find their way from one part of town to another. Maps don’t help. There’s no GPS. So, one stops and asks. Anyone, and particularly the Auto-rickshaw drivers. We arrived just in time as the bride was just heading down the aisle. Lovely wedding, Christian and very similar to American weddings, but with the bride in gold and much gold jewelry, and flower wreaths similar to other Asian religions to signify the marriage is official. LOUDest wedding I have ever been to! Horns honking outside the open church doors which open right to a busy street, people moving about, children running around, talking going on, and a horde of photographers buzzing around the couple like gnats. Wee bit different than weddings in US . While seated waiting for band to begin and the reception to start I looked up and there was Ganesh, who used to be with me onshore. Was very good to see him and his father whom I have also met before. But, since jet lag was gaining a hold thought we’d just give our gift and our regards, and then leave. Custom with Indian weddings is to present the gift to the couple in person and then have picture taken with them. I’ve seen some of the wedding pictures…there have been HUNDREDS of pictures of people and a gift and a bride/groom who look dazed. Little did I know that a line would form and the line was LOOOOONG.

We were fading fast and would not have been able to tolerate the long line so we asked Ganesh to deliver the gift for us, which he accepted, and we went back to the hotel to sleep.

Next day, after a good nights sleep we spent a good deal of the day at Dakshinichitra which was really nice (Thanks Vasant!) A little history, culture, a little shopping, a little bargaining/negotiating/arguing (we were with a PRO) and a nice lunch.  A little more shopping later and we headed back through the mezmerizing traffic again.

 
We also stopped along the Besant Nagar portion of Marina Beach for just a short time.  It's the 2nd largest beach in the world.  I do want to make it back there and be there in the evening when there can be 1 million people on the beach. It's been making a comeback from being severely polluted and is now one of the not-to-be-missed spots in Chennai. After the day touring, we had dinner at Arvind's home.
 
I have to fast-forward just a little bit.  But, having no internet access for that first week was probably not such a bad thing.  Lisa brought along 2 laptops and a blackberry, I have one laptop and an iPhone. Had we had internet access I think we would have spent too much time not experiencing.  ;)   Although, it was good to be able to get access at the Radisson for an afternoon.  Was an oasis, lemme tell ya....

If you're ever going to go shopping at Pondy Bazaar for silk and/or gold, go with some local women, not so much for their company but for the experience! Having Arvind's mom and aunt fuss over us and deal with the sari and gold sales people was just fun to watch.  Arvind's mom is Banu, and we certainly have a bond - must be that kid of hers. Whatever, I have some new friends for a lifetime, methinks. Banu and her sister Rani did all the choosing of colors and materials for the saris, and even though she'd ask my opinion as to what color I liked, it didn't matter..  she chose what SHE thought looked best.  The colors are fabulous, and all credit goes to her. We shopped Thurs. night I think. Friday morning, went over to Arvind's home again and the women took our measurements to stitch the blouse that goes under the sari. Then Lisa and I went to visit Sridevi and Ram who used to work in our domain onshore but moved back to India last year and had a little girl. Pics are on Lisa's Facebook page. We had lunch there and visited for the afternoon, another lovely day in a real Indian home with a beautiful family. That night we went out with my friend Pratik and a friend of his to a really loud  bar so Lisa could have a night out in Chennai. Turned out to be too loud to even talk so was a bit hard, but it was fun. Good to see Pratik and to catch up and know he'll be back in the US before me. :)  I almost got into my first bar fight in India.  :D  Stupid rules... 
anyway

Headed back to Arvind's house where the plan was that we'd now have the blouses made for the saris and have our pictures taken, as that was the dear wish of Banu that we do so. Got there, and discovered that the power had been out most of the day, which it is wont to do in India. So they are frantically scurrying back and forth between houses, fitting things on us, cooking, pinning, measuring, cooking, while Lisa and I are trying to stay out of the way. . Power comes on, food is prepared, we eat, one more time just the two of us while Banu and Rani and even Arvind stand and watch and cajole us to have a little more of this.. one more of that..  Sure was excellent! Then we get to go get dressed up.  We're 1/2 way dressed (at least I was, I think Lisa was completely dressed) when the power went out again. No matter.. they finished dressing us by candlelight. Arvind's father came home about then, so he was able to view the final product. 

They then presented us with gifts - payals (ankle bracelets) for both of us, and earrings that Arvind's dad had to go find and pick out.  They had borrowed a nose ring from one neighbor, the hair decoration from another, and they were very very excited to have these photographs taken. We do look good, don't we? 

That was last night, we are now in Bangalore having arrived here after 3 hours of sleep and a 5 hour train ride, and meeting more people I know but have not met yet, getting settled into our apartment which will be home for the next 3 months, and I am so tired my eyes are closing and my head is nodding while I write this.

So, Good Night! 

First day in India... erm, night actually.

Couldn't tell it is night by my body but from the dark outside. eh, it's just jet lag and will pass. We whisked through customs and the airport and got our bags while I fretted about exactly where and how we were going to find my friend Arvind whom I had only seen a couple pictures of in the 2 1/2 years since he joined my Infy team. We followed the crowd out the exit and there's a crush of people there behind a barrier holding up signs and offering services and I scanned about a half a second and saw his face and knew him! And he knew me! thankfully he was able to steer us out and around and into his car and outta that airport. I'd read numerous things about the touts and scammers and people just clammoring to help you so they can make a living, and could readily tell just by scanning all those eager alert faces that they saw $$$ and a bulls eye on our backs. I don't think getting out of there would have been a fun time on our own so Thank You to Arvind, who is just as wonderful if not more so than I knew he'd be!
Our hotel on the other hand... That's more the reason I can't sleep than the jetlag I'm afraid. We wanted an "Indian" experience, and by Jove, I think we got one! just as I had gotten out of bed (hardest damn bed this soft white woman has EVER sat on) to kill a mosquito, Lisa is knocking on my door saying she had just been bit by something and showed 2 bites on her ankle and her lower lip was swollen. Located the antihistamine and the mosquito repellant, went back to her room where I killed one, came back to my room to try to sleep but when I went into the bathroom I could see the damn things coming in through the window! good thing we,,'re taking the anti-malarial meds. I think we will be finding a new hotel tomorrow.
It's 4am and I really need to sleep but this really hard bed and Mosquitos after so many warnings of malaria - well, as I said to Lisa -toto, we are not in Kansas anymore!
( if you don't get the reference, watch the Wizard of Oz)
hopefully next entry will be from different hotel ;D

OOO - WFI ...or... Out Of Office, Working From INDIA!

Time to resurrect this blog. First entry was 9 months ago; time to give birth again! (what?)
Anyway...

On Feb 1, 2010, I will be leaving the U.S. to land in India approximately 23.5 hours later. Will be working in Bangalore with my team from TCS (Tata Consultancy Services) and visiting with people who used to be my team from Infosys. I'll be attending a wedding, visiting temples, touring the countryside, being stared at, trying to avoid squat toilets, shopping, enjoying festivals, and comparing reality to movies. Oh, and working. It's going to be the busiest 3 months of my entire life, and I can't remember anything I've looked forward to more!

Especially now that I got this over with!!  Geo.. close your eyes ;)

Four shots in the left arm, two in the right.   Well, if that's the worst part of the trip (and it should be) let's GO!!! 

Some people come into our lives and quickly go.

Some people come into our lives and quickly go. They stay in our lives for awhile, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never ever the same.

Two years ago I became a Team Lead in technologies of a new department, under a new structure, with new responsibilities. I would be leading and working with a team of people I did not know, most of whom are ½ my age, who were born and raised in a different land and culture 8000 miles away. In the new world of outsourcing and globalization, this is how it is. People are educated, trained, and placed where their skills fit the job need. Others work from their 8000 miles away locations in close contact via computers, cell phones and conference calls. But when you work in close proximity with people, no matter what your differences may be, or how far away they physically may be, there are similarities and there is room for laughter, and team work, and supporting each other and taking care of each other.

For the past 2 years I have graciously been given the gift of friendship from a group of amazing, wonderful, funny, smart, and sometimes kind of wacko people. With some I have become very close. There are about 10 of us that have lunch nearly every day, whom I've gone bowling with, to Indian dances at the U of M, Bollywood and American movies, boating, picnics, potlucks of Indian, American and Swedish food, who have taught me how to cook Indian (North and South), turned me on to Indian music (Hindi and Tamil), and with whom I've gone ice fishing. I've held your babies, met some of your parents, been listed as emergency contact when surgery was needed, and given the great honor of accompanying while picking up an engagement ring. There have been wedding celebrations and there have been tragedies. We’ve raked leaves together, traveled to the Black Hills together, shot pool, played games and cooked together, laughed and drank (me, diet coke) and danced together, and with 1 or 2 we’ve cried together. You're all wonderful, smart, kind, funny and I love you. Every one of you. Even the one dating my daughter. J

Stuff happens in the workplace, and now due to the rebidding of contracts, my friends are moving on. Some already have. This week many more are. Some will stay, but things will change. Life goes on.

I want to thank each of you for bringing so much color into my life, and for you to know that I've been working for longer than you’ve been alive, but the past 2 years have been the most fun and memorable I’ll probably ever have. I’ve learned so much, laughed so deeply, and have enjoyed my work life and my home life so much more because of your presence in both. I'm devastated and heartbroken, and you’ve seen me cry and you will see more of it. You have told me not to cry or to feel sad, that this is just how things are, but I’m telling you that I will cry and feel sad, and that it’s ok. I learned a long time ago that there’s a balance in life, and if you want to feel great love, you’ll feel great sadness. That’s the price. It’s worth every penny, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm deeply grateful to have had the opportunity to know you and work with you and know we've had a great gift for the past 2 years. What we’ve had together is not common, but a rare and wonderful thing and I will treasure our time together always.

You all are the bravest people I have ever met. It's been my privilege and honor to work with you and play with you.

I will be seeing you.

Namaste.