Election Day

The last day in India began at 6 am. I didn’t have to go to work because it is Election Day and offices are officially closed by order of the government. I decided I may as well get up and pack my things. I had planned to go to a temple with my coworker at 9am. Truthfully, I am “templed out” at this point and the thought of walking barefoot was downright torture, but it is his favorite Hindu God so I felt obligated. He came from Bangalore for two weeks just to work with me and although we work in the US together, having him in Pune was great relief. He has served as the interpreter, cultural advisor, and decision maker. Hearing him say “Let’s Go!” has been a comfort and he has been renamed “The Professor” during this trip because he is constantly teaching someone something whether it is about Siebel or Indian culture. “Soooo” as The Professor says I packed up and prepared to be out all day enjoying my last day in Pune. When we went to the temple The Professor made us go ahead of him so he could buy the things he would bring into the Temple without the vendors jacking up the prices. He even bought us some flowers to bring in as well. Once in the Temple we presented our gifts to the God and the Hindu Priest gave me some candy. The Professor and another coworker received coconuts. Both are signs of a blessing. I have been praying every day for the same thing for about two months now and I am patiently waiting for that blessing. We spent a lot of time at the Temple for The Professor’s sake and after the Temple, we went to the vegetable/fruit market. Ok, people don’t freak out, but yes we ate some of the fruit. We bought mangos and jackfruit. Pune is supposed to be famous for the mangos and I can honestly say I like them. I am not crazy about Mangos back home, too bad I can’t smuggle some back. Hmm..Then again, I am an experienced smuggler. We visited a couple of other places basically just sightseeing. We ate at a local Indian restaurant on you guessed it “MG Road.” Election Day in India is similar as America, polling places are usually schools and the lines vary by location. We did learn that they take a marker and draw a line on your finger to show that you voted. Throughout the day, I saw many people with lines on their fingers. We then went back to the hotel to freshen up because we made plans to visit my coworkers parent’s house and go for shopping and dinner. The plans change as they normally do and it was a good change. My coworker sent his car with his wife and the “Women” went shopping without the MEN. What a relief!! His wife said she hadn’t had a chance to shop since they got to India and she was ready to shop. We spent some time in two malls. My interest was costume jewelry. The costume jewelry here is not like in the US. It actually looks REAL. After shopping we met up with the men and drove to the middle of nowhere to this theme restaurant. I don’t know how ANYONE finds this place, but it is set up like a village in the state of Rajasthan. You buy tickets that can be used inside and they give you a dinner time. You then drink something that will make you hungry. It tasted like hot, salt water. Inside the village, there are different areas set up representing village life – singing, dancing, magicians, fortune tellers, massages, a person walking on a tightrope and a flame eater (India has no medical insurance-FYI). We hang out going at the various places. I had my fortune read. I won’t be sharing that information. It was good fortune. God is merciful! Dinner was set up family style, seated on the floor. For those that know, my right hip is not good for sitting “Indian style”, but I survived. After, The Professor and I took a camel ride. It was weird. The camel was very warm. My other coworkers had a hard time staying on the camel, but you know I got “woman” hips and legs so I didn’t understand what the trouble was. I was actually more afraid when I rode in the back of the donkey carriage with my coworker’s wife and son. I swear that donkey was blind, we almost hit a tree! I arrived back in my hotel room at midnight, enough time to shower and get some rest before getting up to catch a 5:30 am. Going to that village, was an appropriate ending to an unbelievable trip to the other side of the world.

When in Rome

The last three days have been business as usual in India. Remember, I am here to work!! The long hours I work in the US have funneled over to India. We are usually in the office for twelve hours a day. My time here is winding down and I am ready to return back to the States. Work has been frustrating and team morale was down yesterday. All it takes is a few challenging emails to put you in the dumps. By the end of the day we revived ourselves by listening to our theme song and made plans on how we will spend our last few days in India. Nicole and I have adjusted to life here. We even get snacks on our own. The people that work in the cafeteria find amusement when we arrive. We don’t know what we are ordering, but we find a way to communicate. They speak and understand English, but sometimes we cannot pronounce what we want to their standards. While we were sitting at the table today we were asked by a woman what country we are from. After Nicole answers, the woman said she was curious to know because we had different “physical features” than people in India. That gave us a good laugh. Nicole is an Asian woman of Chinese decent born in Canada, if anyone was wondering. The funny thing is there are a lot of Asian (Chinese/Korean) people living here, but they are considered Indian. I have been so exhausted that I fall asleep on the ride home from work. When I get back to the hotel I usually fall asleep within the half hour. I guess 12 hour days and touring 4 cities in 17 days is wearing me down. I do have enough energy to spend my last day, which happens to be Election Day, running through Pune for the last time. Keep reading the fun is NOT over yet!!!

Dusty Delhi

On a Sunday in New Delhi, we slept-in a little. The bottom of my feet are hurting! We begin our journey going to a famous temple "Akshardham". http://www.akshardham.com/. The security is super tight because this type of temple in another city was the target of terrorism. We were only allowed to bring in a small wallet and a water bottle. Before the temple, there is a huge courtyard the leads up to the temple dressed with grass, flowers, and fountains. The temple’s architect is amazingly detailed. Crowds of people that follow this particular sect of Hinduism- "Swaminarayans" have journeyed on that same day to visit the temple. We observe the ceremony that is performed and walk through the temple and visit each god that is represented in the temple. It was a very comforting experience. After we leave the temple we spend some time in the courtyard and get snacks/drink. This is where I experience another part of Indian life-food sharing. People reach into each others plates and drink from each other’s cups. One of my coworkers, who is a native Indian, takes my “pulpy orange” juice and drinks it. I was dayum thirsty, but you know me, I had a backup! We leave the temple and visit the Ghandi mausoleum and museum, do some shopping (browsing), go to the President’s House and India Gate which is very similar to The Mall in Washington, DC. While riding around, New Delhi, it is clear that this is one of the more advanced cities in India. It is also one of the hottest. The heat began to take a toll on us again (even my camera overheated) so we retreated back to the hotel to freshen up. During this time of the year the weather is changing (temperatures will reach 110 degrees) so New Delhi is dusty and windy. It was nice to shower and then relax in the club lounge with food until it was time to catch our flight back to Pune. At the airport while waiting on our delayed flight, I befriend two men. I happened to sit in between them and both ironically start talking to me. I guess men in North India like my style. One starts talking about the delayed flight. Then the other asks where I am from. We chat about the cities in India, flight delays, and what each one of us does for work. One is in IT and the other is a CPA for the Income Tax Department (it is income tax season here as well). The CPA says "may I ask your good name". We exchange names and then unfortunately..goodbyes.
Facts about North India:
1. Women will cover the head with their scarf out of respect for elders.
2. Men will bow their heads and point to an elders foot as a sign of respect.
3. Con Agra is a famous candy.
4. Children of a certain age, especially female children, are expected home before dark.
5. It is H-O-T.
6. 12 or more people fit in an auto-rickshaw.
7. The men love Charisse (LOL).

Feeling HOT in Agra

The next morning we catch a train from New Delhi to another city called Agra. I was told that the train was a "first class" train. I hate to see what the other class trains look like, but I was happy to have my own seat. I have seen trains ride by with people crowded in and standing (as normal). I listened to my favorite pop song which has now become the theme song for this trip and drift in and out of sleep. I gaze at the countryside and the slums of India. It is early in the morning so I witness the beginning of the day rituals. There is no electricity in these "homes" which are basically shacks made of tin or wood. People are outside half naked or naked (mostly kids) bathing from a pot of water; a teenager is brushing his teeth, a mother is combing her long black hair. Please don't ever take advantage of the fact that you have electricity and running water in your house. When I finally get into a good sleep we arrive in the city of Agra. The scene out on the train platform is a remnant of the NYC Port Authority. People are sleeping on the platform. Beggars are all over the place waiting for the "rich" to get off the train to give money or their bottle of water which they will drink and then sell the plastic. There are also people lined up to have a tourist pay them for a tour. This is a famous city; the Taj Mahal is here. Our native colleagues arranged a tour guide so we meet up with him and proceed to wait for the car. Little kids are following us out of the station begging "Madame, very hungry, please". A boy is holding his younger brother who is rail thin, maybe 6 months old with a worn t-shirt and no diaper/underwear. It is heart wrenching. But you cannot offer any money. It will just trigger a crowd of other beggars looking for the same. The little kid won't give up. Finally, one of the cabbies smacks him (yes, physically) and he moves to the next group of people. I purposely did not watch the movie "Slumdog Millionaire" because I didn't want my view skewed, but apparently this movie focuses on kids that are street beggars.
We finally get in a car to head to the Taj Mahal. Please don't let my first paragraph turn you away. When we arrive at the Taj we have to walk through a park, our tour guide tells us "please, don't answer any questions". This park is full of hagglers trying to sell you souvenirs and a "tour" of the Taj. Apparently, the entrance is free today, but that won't stop them from trying to "sell" you a ticket. We go through the usual security regime. Now we are tourists; the cameras come out of bags. The Taj Mahal is more amazing than you can imagine. We stroll up the large courtyard that is in front of it as our tour guide explains the history. Somewhere along the way, I realize I have admirers. I guess it would be appropriate; the Taj Mahal is a symbol of love. But Indian admirers? Is this for real? When we stop to take pictures, one of them comes over and asks can he take of picture of me- "Madame, very pretty, picture?" I am a little freaked out. No, I didn't pose for the picture. We spend some time roaming around this grand building admiring the architecture and detail. Our course we are barefoot to preserve the marble. Okay, okay. You are barefoot almost EVERYWHERE here. Somewhere along the way, I now realize my admirers have become stalkers. I guess I am "hot" to these Agra men. I was hot, the weather was hotter. By 11am my feet were burning-top and bottom. We left the Taj Mahal and at Agra Fort I met “Raj”. Another admirer, yet younger, trying to sell me snow globes with the Taj Mahal inside. He said “Madame-my name is Raj, you can look when you come out”. And sure enough he was waiting for me upon my exit. That young entrepreneur tried to sell me 10 snow globes for 100 rupees ($2). Now what would I do with 10 mini snowglobes? (I guess you will find out if you get that as a souvenir-lol). After lunch and some shopping we decide to leave by two drivers and not wait for the train. We were all hot, sweaty, and tired. This drive in the US would have been 2 hours, in India it took 6 hours. Car topics included: marriage, traditions, redlining on motorcycles, the job market, places we have visited and of course SLEEP. By the time we got back to New Delhi, we had time to eat dinner, drink wine, and drift to sleep. I think I dreamed that someone loved me enough to build me a Taj Mahal.

Airports

We spent the weekend in New Delhi/Agra. We left Friday evening. I will document the airport experience. You need a ticket to even GET IN the airport here. In the US we have the TSA, here a form of military runs airport security. They check your ticket and then you give your bag to the airline for a security check and they will lock the bag. You then get your boarding pass (there are no fancy quick check kiosks) and proceed through airport security. If you have a carry-on it must have a tag from the airline. Someone checks your ticket and then you put your carry-on through a scanner. The carry-on limit depends on who looks at you at the time. Maybe if they like you they will allow you three, maybe only one, it depends. Women and men go to separate lines. You are patted down and hand scanned even after you go through a metal detector, doesn’t matter if it did not go off. You don’t necessarily have to take your laptop out of your bag, again it depends on who you talk to. My only assumption is that most people here don’t carry laptops. Your carry-on bag tag is stamped as well as your ticket (twice on both sides). Then we sit in the chaos of the airport. Doesn’t really make sense to get on line when they call the flight, remember, there is NO line. You get in where you fit in. There is no fancy machine that connects the terminal to the aircraft, it is simply your feet; you walk to it. Before you exit the door for this walk, security checks for the stamps on your ticket and your carry-on. In both of my weekend trips I have flown Kingfisher Airlines which is like the 5 star airline here. They still serve meals. As a matter of fact, the flight attendant woke me up to give me my drink and my meal. We arrived in New Delhi around 9pm and met some other coworkers that flew in from Bangalore. In total there are seven of us on this field trip. Getting a cab was interesting, cabbies flock to you when you leave the airport soliciting you to ride. The Americans let the three native Indians do the negotiating. The cabs are old style English cars. The streets in New Delhi are completely different than in Pune and Bangalore. New Delhi is the capital city so the streets and highways look similar to home. I am instantly impressed. Traffic is still the same, although there is less ability to ride on the opposite side of the street when traffic is backed up because there are medians. LOL. The first night in Delhi we don’t do much but eat dinner and go to bed since we have a 6am train. We are at the Taj Palace. In every city I have stayed at a Taj Hotel. This one is the BEST. I can’t even believe my eyes. They hooked us up and put us on the Club floor so our accommodations include access to the lounge, fruit basket and wine, and breakfast. Life is good.

Survival of the Fittest

I haven’t found the time or the energy to blog in quite a few days so I will attempt to catch up. The rest of last week was a normal routine; breakfast, ride with a driver that does not obey traffic laws to work, stop for coffee (we finally found a coffee place that was half decent), sit in traffic to get to the office. The routine is now of Indian life. When we arrive at office we set up our desk area and check a few emails and then go down to the cafeteria to get a snack. I usually get a juice because it comes in a bottle and I can actually drink and enjoy it. My drink is “pulpy orange” by Minute Maid. We retreat to our desks and work until about 12:30-1pm. Then we go eat lunch in the infamous cafeteria. I heat up my Jenny Craig and bring it with me. I have discovered this yogurt drink which I sometimes include with my meal. I tried a few new food items that I can’t recall the name because they are too complicated, but nothing has really thrilled me-either too spicy or the texture was weird. I did try some spiced buttermilk, but it was a bit too creamy for my liking. They also eat a seed and sugar mix after lunch to ease digestion and smell good. I like the sugar crystals, the seed is OK, tastes like black licorice, but it is weird to have in your mouth. After lunch, occasionally I will walk up to the “tapori”-which is basically a stand on the side of the road to sit while my coworker smokes. It is good to get out in the sun since the office is usually very dark. The men that hang out in the tapori find it amusing that me and my other female coworker are there. I tried some betel nut with the attempt to stay awake the other day. It is basically some little pieces that you chew it your mouth. They tasted like rubber, made my lips numb, and the smell was so intense it did keep me awake. I googled betel nut when I got back to my desk and you may read for your knowledge: http://www.apollolife.com/healthy-living/Smoking,-Drinking-and-Substance-Addiction/featured-article/chewing-betel-nut. Then it is back to work until around 5pm. Since we have been staying in the office later each day, we usually go to eat again at this time. I usually get an omelet which is good because sometimes it is too late to eat dinner or I am unsuccessful at finding an enjoyable dinner. At home, I eat eggs once a week, here it has become the staple to my survival. I have other survival tactics: I do not wait in line anymore. With a population of over a billion, there is no concept of queues. I get my receipt for the food and I immediately jump in front of people. The first week I waited patiently only to realize that someone always cuts me, now I am the cutter. No one looks at you funny or says anything, it is a normal thing. This is how traffic is kept in the orderly chaos it is in and how this billion gets the things they want or need. When the elevator comes I jump right on and shove my way in. When the bus arrives at the airport I dive in between people and find my spot on the bus. I walk out in front of cars to get across the street. I even have a favorite pop song from a Bollywood movie -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvW4HOKcnPs - "Kabhi Kabhi Aditi Zindagi" or "Sometimes in Life Aditi" Aditi being the girl that stars in the film.
My coworker who is Indian has noticed the change. He is proud that I have adjusted to life here. There is one adjustment I cannot make. Aside from the food, I would have to get a pedicure. Exposure to feet here is so prevalent I guess no one cares how their feet look. Most people wear sandals (even at construction sites) or they walk barefoot (yes, even in the office) so you can imagine the state of a person’s foot. I will not elaborate, but let me just say the “pedi egg” is not making any money in this country.

A Normal Routine

On my return to Pune, I was happy that a coworker had arrived that morning. I met up with her for dinner. The cab driver we had was clueless and I knew I was being driven to a life of selling the "goods" in a Brothel. We went for dinner at this place called the Stonewater Grill. Before leaving I asked the hotel concierge that recommended the place if we were dressed suitable to go. He said yes. I had on a tshirt. Upon our arrival, it was clear that this place was a nightclub and we were told "there were no tables". I have never been turned away at a club in the US and now I am feeling some type of way when it happens to me in India. We decide on another place and get eaten up by mosquitoes while trying to enjoy dinner. Honestly, the best regular food I have had here has been Pizza Hut. I guess the Indian food is good, but I cannot handle the spicy taste. I am a wimp.
After the weekend you would think that the bathroom at the office would smell OK, it actually smelled worse. I definitely did not miss that. I still don't understand how people hang out in there. The last two days have been normal days. I am actually not falling asleep at my desk and thankfully not up at 4am. I worked really late the last two nights catching up from being in a jet lag coma last week. I now have three coworkers here with me, two of them speak Hindi, one is actually staying at the same hotel. Things are looking up...

Observations

The last day in Bangalore we met up with another coworker that arrived the night before and had a good breakfast. This Taj Hotel is a lot better than the one I am staying in and I thoroughly enjoyed the food. After all, I nearly starved the death the week before. All three of us, meet up with Bhanu and Shiva again, at the mall of course. This time a different mall. I bought a pair of shoes for $11USD. Hey, I am a female, natural lover of shoes. They wanted to go to the movies, but the sign outside turned me off. You were not allowed to bring in bags, cameras, cell phones, etc, etc. WTF? I didn't see any secure lockers so I had no clue where you would put those items. We end up walking around the city. I had to catch my flight back to Pune so I left by 3pm. The airport was a mess in Pune. It is too small to handle three flight arrivals at the same time. I found it funny that EVERYONE gets a luggage cart even if they only have one bag. Interesting observations:
1. Drag Queens dressed in Saree's (yesss!)
2. Black People!! BPC is up to 10 in the city of Bangalore (does not include my coworker)
3. Single men are called "Bachelors", Single girls are called "Spinsters" (I am going to have to stop from crying myself to sleep tonight)
4. Street hustlers are every where
5. Red lights are not a rule, just a suggestion
6. In the south part of India, women ride in the front of the bus, men in the back
7. Dogs and Cows roam the streets like people
8. There are NO SUVs
9. Mosquito bites are vicious(don't worry I took the medication)
10. A Plaid shirt and stripped pants match

A Night on the Town

The evening in Bangalore added more excitement. After we took a rest in the hotel, we headed out to meet another co-worker who is actually from India. He is not from Bangalore, but from a place called Hyderabad. (Note this important fact for later). We meet him and his cousin, Shiva, ("Anna" aka "Brother") at the mall. My coworker, Bhanu, is what us Americans call a Mall Rat. He told me his spends his days off either on the couch watching TV or at the malls in Bangalore. This is a typical mall except the population in Bangalore is almost 7 million people. So you can imagine how packed the mall is with people. It is like nothing I have ever seen. Just a general note-if you are standing on line, everyone is packed up against you. They will even cut you if you don't pay attention. We ate at the food court. The food sucked. I don't think they have chickens here because every time I order chicken it sure doesn't taste like chicken. We go to a bar on MG Road (every city has an MG "Mahatma Ghandi" Road like Martin Luther King in US). The decision is for me to ride on the back on Bhanu's bike since the four of us cannot fit in the auto rickshaw. For future reference, if you want to stop traffic in Bangalore, put a Black Woman on the back of an Indian Man's motorcycle. The women already stare at me, but this time EVERYONE was staring. It was quite funny. After a while of riding on the back I finally asked "Are we lost"? The reply was no. Then shortly after, he says "We are lost". LOL. Shiva kept calling and I keep answering telling him that we are nearby. We finally meet the them at this place called simply "The Pub". I drank Kingfisher beer and listened to a mixture of music. I actually witness some guy singing "Don't you wish your girlfriend was hot like me". Over drinks, we discussed classicism where in India it is openly called a "Caste" system. All of the information I learned in high school years ago, but it was interesting to learn from a person that lives it first hand. Because I have mentioned him by name I will not mention his Caste, but as you can figure out he is not of a lower Caste, as those people, unfortunately, would not be able to hold the type of job that he has or attend college as he has. The only difference in this classicism is that it is more difficult or nearly impossible to change your class, in the US, you can work hard to change your class and no one would know what it was before unless you tell them. The bars close promptly at 11pm, last call is 10:30pm. On the ride home, maybe it was the buzz from the beer, but I was greatly appreciating my life. After the beers, I finally was able to sleep the ENTIRE night, although I had some crazy dreams.

Bangalore Bash

I arrived in Bangalore at 10am. The airport is significantly larger than Pune airport. On the cab ride to my hotel, I rode with the window down and I could smell the jasmine. It is an instant difference from the city of Pune where I have been all week. Bangalore is a bigger city that had its "tech" boom earlier so the city grew. Pune is going through that now so everything is still located in the city area and expanding out. Bangalore is also much further down south. The hotel is more spacious than my hotel in Pune. My coworker arranged for us to do a "tour". It was an older woman that is an official tour guide of the city. She took us around to the classic spots of the city and gave us a lot of history. I received a blessing at the Bull Temple. The Bull Temple (see attached) is for the Hindu God "Shiva-The Destroyer." I hope the blessing works. Everyone needs a blessing at times. We also did some shopping. Yes, the people at the stores are exactly like the street vendors in New York. Pushy and of course deceiving. Salesmen. Period. Bangalore is a city that definitely felt the IT boom early. It is very developed and most of the population is making a "good pay." I was so exhausted that I began to fall asleep while my coworker was negotiating a purchase of a rug. When I returned to the room for some rest, I held the jasmine that was given to me close to my nose and prayed to God. I was already so blessed for this opportunity to be able to travel to another country. Just this experience alone is quite a blessing.

Living on the Edge

Today is my 6th day here. I have not completely gotten over the time change. I am usually ok when I am in my hotel room once I leave it is like I am drugged. I worked until 8pm yesterday because today was a holiday. We took an extended lunch with the reporting team who is all "freshers" as they call them. New hires. It was nice to be around people that are so enthusiastic about their jobs. To be young again..sigh. I did something that I admit to you now. I had chai tea with my coworker from a street vendor. OH NO. I drank the water. Hell, it was boiled. I love chai. It was sweet and it woke me up. I never pictured in my life I would be sitting on a stoop with my $300 laptop bag in business attire behind some street vendor drinking next to a pile of garbage. It is the only booth that is right outside the gate. My coworker goes there to smoke and eat these nuts that give you energy. (I will get the names later). Needless to say I survived.

Today, I slept in and then spent useless time trying to book a plane ticket online to Bangalore. I kept getting an error message about my credit card. I then spent useless time trying to book it over the phone. The call kept disconnecting. I love this place. I finally surrendered and had the hotel travel desk do it (with additional fees of course). In the meantime, the cell/SIM card I was so happy about stopped working. The hotel staff also helped me find out the problem-the phone. That is what I get for getting a used phone. I went and bought a new phone for $40 USD. NO Contract, no paperwork, no NOTHING. The hotel sent someone with me so the guy wouldn't "rip me off". I then took a cab around the city. That is the only way to get around. If you saw how people drove here you would fully understand why I wasn't walking. I went to this area called Koregaon Park (rich people), shopping areas, Aga Khan Palace (Ghandi), Shaniwar wada (palace of indigenuous people Peshwas), and Parvati Hill. Ok, I am not complaining, but it is cheaper for Indian residents to go to these places. Granted it is only $2 USD, but the US needs to get on board with that plan, US citizen discounts! I was really the only tourist that was not Indian. People stare alot, especially the woman. I felt weird about having my camera, but I did it anyway. Parvati Hill provided a nice view of the whole city which is the attached picture. One exception-I had some slippery sandals. The walk up was OK. But on the way down, I actually TOOK my shoes off for fear of falling and splitting my head open in front of strangers. I wear shoes in the HOUSE so that was BIG for me. On the way back..I stopped for Pizza Hut. It was SO nice to recognize food! I am heading for Bangalore in the morning..

In and Out

The office is about 15-20miles from the hotel that I am staying in. It takes about 45minutes to get there in the morning. If we leave later than 8:30 it takes even longer. There are two routes we take. One is single lane road, some dirt roads, some bumpy roads. The other is a "highway" in which is paved because the commonwealth games are coming. Very similiar to what we do if a city in the US has the Olympic games. Once we finally get near "InfoTech Park" the road is packed. Everyone is on this road to go to those buildings on the hill for work. People are usually in cabs or mopeds/motorcycles. Backpacks full of food. The road is lined with huts of shops or torn down houses. School kids carrying plastic bags hitch rides to school. Once we get to the "hill" it splits to what they call Phase 1 or Phase 2. Phase 1 all of the buildings are complete and occupied. Phase 1's biggest occupant is InfoSys another IT Consulting Company. Phase 2's largest occupant currently is IBM.
Just outside the gate 100 feet away from the first level of security people are living in the side of the hill in grass or tin covered huts. There is triple security. One gate is where they cabs drop you off. This is the only smoking area allowed. There are about 10 security people. I can't figure out why. The gate is pretty busy, but 10 people? Then there is another gate. Once inside you go in the building and guess what??? Another area where you show your badge. I HAVE to find out what is going on in this building. Whatever it is, it is not on my floor. The elevator floors are -1(basement), 0(main floor), 1, 2..so on. You wouldn't believe how many times I hit 1 to go to the main floor. I am on the 4th. There is a gym that does medical screenings two hours a day. I need to go. I have lost 2Kgs since here, I can't complain I haven't seen 73 next to my weight in a minute. (Don't everyone run out to do the conversion). When you first go through the door on Floor 4 it smells of oils or incense. Not a bad smell. The office is usually dark. They conserve lights here, which makes perfect sense. AC is low. Today is was kind of high, which surprised me since it was cooler outside today. It is a normal cubicle style format. Around 10:45 everyone goes to the bathroom and then the break room to get the horrible coffee. Then at 12:30 everyone goes to the bathroom and then to the cafeteria on the "0" floor. They have lunch options (Indian) for 45-50 Rupees, basically $1USD. Crazy. It is a FULL lunch. And you can go back and get seconds. They eat with their hands. No napkins. Rice they eat with a spoon. When you turn in your tray there is a sink that everyone washes their hands. Around 3pm, the same bathroom/coffee thing happens. Today, I discovered at 4:30-5, people go downstairs and eat again. Different food, "snack" type of food. Some of them have a long bus ride to their house so I imagine they eat and then leave around 7pm. The WORST part of the office is the bathroom. It literally smells like hot shit. That is exactly what I mean. I am still trying to figure out how those Soldiers in Iraq that had waste duty (setting on fire and stirring) survived. I would have gone AWOL the first minute. The funny thing is, they put moth balls in the sink drains to disguise the odor. I want to scream that doesn't HELP. What is even crazier!! People stand in this bathroom and talk on the phone. WTF? I get in and OUT.

Office Points:
Good Location +1
Nice Builidng +1
Food -1
Bathroom -Infinite (LOL)

A Better Day

On my fourth day, I am feeling much better. Yesterday, I was too delirious to write. I went to work yesterday and hunger/sleepiness took over. Even the RICE is spicy. I was so sick to my stomach I left work early-no I haven't drank bad water or fruit. But I haven't mention the smell of the office bathroom. I have a sensitive nose, I can smell a bum 10 blocks away. I can smell that bathroom mostly because it is in my nose memory. My plan is to write a different entry describing the office so all you waiting in suspense must wait. Sorry. Back to yesterday..I was falling asleep at my desk. I could not keep my eyes open. I left. I couldn't even stay up on the drive home, my driver probably thought I was high. When I got back to my room, I was feeling discouraged. So as not to let my readers down..I skipped the blog. I slept from 5:30pm -10:30pm and didn't wake up once. I then went back to sleep from 1am-5am. I woke up refreshed. Hopefully, I have finally kicked this jet lag. It is a bitch.
Today things are looking up. I found some places to explore on my upcoming days off. I got a cell phone. This whole SIM card is new to me, but it definately is the bomb. I packed a nice bag of survival food. I made a chicken sandwich in breakfast. For lunch, I had white rice which is the safest thing and my sandwich. I wasn't hungry all day. What a relief. Sleepy..well..I cannot tell a lie. That sandman jumped on my back around 4pm,but I fought it off. Hey, maybe I had the "itis", afterall the chicken was labeled "kentucky fried chicken".

First Day at the Office

I couldn't sleep last night, maybe because I slept so much or the fact that my body is still on EST. I was up by 4am and maybe slept another 30 minutes before I got out of the bed at 7am. Breakfast was ok, but as I am typing this I wish I ate more. My ride (coworker) arrived late. I expected that. Traffic was NUTS. A lot of cars, a lot of people on mopeds and motorcycles. People just walk in front of moving traffic, cars cut each other off. Everyone seems to be going in the direction we are going. The office isn't too bad. I was going to write later, but I have to get this out of my head. It is 90 degrees outside, there is little to no AC. I mean I am sure it is on, but I don't feel it. It is comfortable though. The office is dark, no one really turns the lights on and the shades are drawn. I am too sleepy for this!! I met the team, some of which I recognized because they were in the US three months ago. It is 10am and barely anyone is at work yet. People arrive around 10:30am. Around noon, I see group of people head to the bathroom. Those same people head to the break room. I guess all this is a "team effort". I go to lunch. I choose the "noodles" because it seemed like a safe choice. They were spicy and the "donut" was hard as a rock. I only brought one protein bar, I should have bought more food. Tomorrow it is me and Jenny Craig. It is 3:11pm and I am starving, tired, and my head is pounding. There is a coffee machine. I am not a big coffee drinker, but I know bad coffee. There is a water cooler. I am trying to figure out why they have such a difficult time holding their water bottle up without touching the opening. I am now drinking water out of the cooler in which someone else's water bottle mouth opening was "hugged" up against. I guess I have had worse. I mean as a child I must have eaten dirt before right? I can't even get grossed out. Water and Jolly Ranchers is all I have. Oh, and coffee that resembles mud. I have to stay awake and fight hunger. What time is the car coming to get us? :-)

Puna at 5am

I am fully awake when we land because I am reading an article about the use of medication to make eyelashes "longer, lusher, and darker". What in the world? I am SO not down with the eyelash craze. I can feel the change in the temperature. Everyone is so polite or nervous. The ground crew person escorted us in the building. The woman at immigration was taking a really long time. Does she know I have meat products in my bag??? Yikes. She must be giving Customs the heads up. I get my luggage and it is sent through a screening machine. I make it through. I am so excited that I am officially a smuggler. The airport is deserted. Very few cabs, but tons of "Auto ricksaws" Yea ok. I am regretting I didn't arrange a cab ahead of time. Things are looking really suspect. The guy asks me "how much do I want to pay". I finally get in the cab. The cabbie drives worse than a NYC cabbie. It's 5am and the roads were empty, but he still almost took out two young girls. They didn't even flinch when he beeped the horn. I get dropped off at the wrong hotel. The sign was not in English, but when I arrived inside I see it is "Sun and Sand". Now I know I clearly said TAJ Blue Diamond. The hotel gives me a ride, luckily it is only 5minutes away.
Did I mention the security check to get into the hotel? They make cars open the hood and truck and then they take a cart with a mirror and slide it under the car. I have to go through a metal detector and they check my bags. Do I feel safe? Um..let me get back to you on that. I am escorted to my room by the front desk person and my bags come later. We wouldn't have all fit in the elevator. LOL. My plan was to shower and rest a bit because it was 5:30am, but somehow I slept until 4pm. Oops. I was exhausted. This is by far one of the nicest hotels I have been in. When I grow up I want my shower to look just like the one here. I will be accepting donations upon my return to the States. It is now 7:30pm. There is no iron so I am forced to use the laundry service. I suppose I shouldn't complain that I spent $3.00 for two outfits to be pressed. My plan is to catch up on emails and relax before going back to sleep. Tomorrow will be my first official day at the office and roaming the city. Wish me luck.

Frankfurt Fury

Of course, I am in a coma when I arrive in Frankfurt. I am so dazed when I get off the plane I walk past the "Transfer" center without stopping even though I know I need my boarding pass for my next flight. I wasn't given any instruction to specifically stop there, but I had a gut feeling. Instead of following it, I followed my sleepy feeling. I found a recliner and slept another 2 hours in the airport. Hey, a girl was tired. I had 5 hours before my next flight. I wake up to a young woman and older man chatting away about not eating meat. I remember, I will be without beef for 3 weeks. Don't worry I managed to binge before I left. I turn my phone on and I get nothing. I got this iPhone because it is supposed to work everywhere. I go back to the "Transfer Center" and no one is there. Crap. All the other routes lead to immigration or security. I choose security. Would you believe you can go through security without a boarding pass??? That hasn't been the norm in the States for many years. I get my boarding pass. I decide to get something to eat. There is "McCafe". McDonalds in the US=bad food. This place served soup and bagels and all sorts of Coffee. I simply LOVE milk outside of the US so I opt for milk. I walk around. I did manage to count the Black people I see. Airport Security rides around on bicycles. Moet at the Duty Free is 25 Euro. The bathrooms are super private-door to a door to long door stalls. Yes, there is tiolet paper. I stop by the Business Class Lounge and get a few more snacks. You know I collect food like I may not eat later. This place has a shower. Must be nice to fly like this all the time. This may be my one time so I make the best of it; free internet, charge my ipod/iphone. I turned my iPhone on once again, because I am a hopeless romantic. It WORKS! My next aircraft isn't so special, but it is Business Class only. I manage to READ a magazine. Lately, all I have read is work related items and street signs. This flight is 8 hours, I need to eat so I let the flight attendant know to wake me when they serve the food. They tried to kill me, the lentils and lamb was so SPICY that I went into a coughing fit and my body temp went up instantly. The next few hours was full of sleep and plotting of how I was going to smuggle the Jenny Craig meals in my luggage through Indian Customs.

Black People Count (BPC)=4 Men Airport

Recliners

My first flight is to Frankfurt, Germany. I arrive at JFK later than I wanted, because that is how me and JR do. LOL. It didn't help that it was pouring. Surprisly, the airport is dead, maybe because it's 8pm, I guessing it is the rain cancellations. There is NO line to check-in. When I board the flight I am oblivious to what that aircraft looks like. I knew I had Business Class and I have flown First Class before, but this was TOTALLY different. I am in the front of the aircraft. When I board, there is a staircase, wtf? I am guessing it goes upstairs to the Pilot Deck, because I am in the second row and all I see is a blank wall. LOL. Ok. I am cultured. I really am, but this is NEW. Has anyone every seen the commercial for some airline where the seats turn into beds. YESS. I don't want to brag too much because not all of my colleagues will have the luxury of Business Class, but this aircraft was meant for me, the sleeper. Anyone that really knows me is aware that I can sleep standing up, but this is luxury sleeping! These seats even have a massager. I look around and realize that everyone has kicked off their shoes. They are serving food. I have a problem eating around strange feet. As usual, I am so exhausted that I fall out before we leave the gate. I did manage to hear some fluzinettzz (blah) fluegenz, gubernezz (blah, blah). Yea that was German. What? ZZZZ. I wake up for a few minutes during the flight to take full advantage of my "recline" to sleep position. The next 6 hours are a blurrrr. Sorry, I love sleep.