Today we decided to organize back at the Shilton Suites rather than venture back to the Sustaintech office. Quite honestly, their setup is less than ideal and they’re very busy. We don’t want them to feel as though they need to host us, and we prefer the more acceptable bathroom situation back at the Shilton. We planned to meet at 10AM as we’re all continuing to adjust the time change. Also, the commute situation didn’t seem to be worked out completely. Sustaintech was supposed to arrange our travel to and from the Shilton each day, but it appeared yesterday as though we were on our own — we brought our situation up to Jailan so that she could get it  worked out with Svati. The good news for the day is that I did not get sick from consuming the ice at TGI Friday’s the night before. I find having ice in your beverage is physiologically comforting. :-)The hotel has a small workout area in the basement with airconditioning so I decided to try the treadmill. With the A/C running, the basement is tolerable and the treadmill is in good shape. I got 45 min in before going upstairs to get ready for the day – shorts and t-shirt, perfect for working on the terrace as we organized and planned the next four weeks of our engagement.

My teammates and I assembled on the terrace and started to work. Scott Garchar works for FedEx Custom Critical, Cheryl Orange for FedEx Services Marketing and Len Myers for FedEx Freight. I’m the propeller head in the group so immediately I started to organize what technologies we’d all use. Given I had planned to use my iDevices to assist me and my work, I naturally leaned toward Dropbox for all of us to work from a single shared folder. If you don’t know what Dropbox is, it is the single best way to gain access to your files, pictures and music anywhere, anytime. It securely stores copies of files in the cloud so that you can access them anywhere. So if you don’t have it, get it. Together, we worked through resolving a couple of technical difficulties and dove into collecting and reviewing information about Sustaintech. We did this until around 2:00PM and decided to break for lunch…back to TGI Friday’s and Big Bazaar we went.

This was my first lunch meeting with the group. I let them know the ice was safe to consume and they looked at me as if I was crazy. I explained that I was here the night before and Patty and I had toured the kitchen — they seemed a bit shocked, but I assured them all was well and that the ice was safe. Despite my testimonial, they all opted not to get ice in their beverages. To verify that I wasn’t simply making it up, I texted Stephanie, my risk-taking ice partner, to see if she was feeling okay. She responded with, “Will let you know I get a break from the restroom. You?” Amused I text back, “hahahah…you’re fine.” She immediately replied with, “LOL! R U OK.” I told the group that Stephanie was fine too, but they just didn’t trust the proof I was presenting — this is a now a personal challenge. I will get them to take ice in their beverages before the end of our engagement.

We also hit Big Bazaar again and picked up more supplies…this time it was Oreos, tin foil, lemonade, and more water. Water seems to the be the one thing we’re consuming constantly. I’ve been feeling a bit dehydrated since arriving, so I’ve been finding myself drinking bottle after bottle. Keep in mind, I brought nearly 20 bottles of water with me in my suitcase. The climate here is very hot during the day with the temp around 90-95 most days, so drinking water is a must.

So back to the terrace we went, it was about 4:30PM when we returned and John and Sid were organizing a trip to a local Hindu temple that was right around the corner from us. We wrapped up our work around 5:30PM and I proceeded to haul my work back down to the ground floor where my suite was located. As I proceeded down I must have placed my foot incorrectly on the step and within split second I fell down the steps down to the next floor. I had made quite the noise going down and it got the attention of everyone in the building. I landed on my butt and I was in a substantial amount of pain. Fortunately, each floor has a small sitting area and Cheryl managed to help me over to the closest one. As I thought about what happened, I was wearing my flip-flops and the smooth stone steps combined with the smooth sole of my flop-flops where a disaster waiting to happen. As I sat there, dumbfounded, I turned my concern to my backpack, which I had landed on during my descent down the stairs. Inside, my company laptop and new 3rd generation iPad. I quickly opened my backpack and inspect the contents — all was well, screens were intact and no visible signs of damage. Feeling relieved, I turned my attention back to my butt and the fact that both hotel staff and colleagues were staring at me wondering what to do next. Jailan and Jaya were there asking if I should go to the hospital, I said no. I asked for ice, of which a small bag with 4 cubes were brought — clearly not enough, nor was it flat for me to sit on. So I asked for a towel to be put in water and then chilled. Realizing that everyone else was on the bottom floor waiting to go to the temple, I pushed through and said I will be back for the chilled towel when I return from the temple. I got back up on my feet and proceeded to my room to get my shoes on. I did do a quick butt check and noticed a quarter size red splotch on my cheek. I was simply going to suck it up, push thr0ugh the pain and get on with the temple run. I joined the team outside and we were off.

We arrived at the Sri Muneeshwara Swamy Temple which is down the street from the Shilton Suites. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but we were all there and ready to experience it. Upon entering the temple, we needed to check in our shoes and socks as we were not allowed to wear them into the temple. We deposited our belongings with the shoe clerk (under the temple) and proceeded to go upstairs. I could really feel the pain in my butt from the fall at this point — I was thinking that it was fortunate I have a pretty fat ass to cushion my fall, or I could have been in real trouble. Perhaps my Indian adventure would have ended before it even got started. None the less, I pressed on. Upstairs we waited in line to cleanse our feet and hands before entering the temple. To clean our feet, we walked through a granite trough filled with water — I was feeling post-traumatic stress given my recent fall. I could just see slipping on the granite again today.

Once we were purified (by washing our hands and feet), we needed to cover our hair in a cloth that was provided to us. Some of the girls brought their own. Before entering, we were told to approach the altar, kneel, pray if desired and provide a small offering if we wanted to. Naturally, I’m all about good Karma, so I chose to provide an offering of some Rupees. I approached, kneeled (which was somewhat tough given I had fallen just an hour ago) and then I dropped a few Rupees into the chest in front of the altar. The men proceeded to the left and the women to the right where we sat and observed for about 30 minutes (check out the video). I asked Sid for some of the background given what I was seeing. There was a song being played by a soloist and accompanying drummer singing a bhajan — a devotional song. Sid explained that the music and lyrics are common and are the verses in the Hindu bookof scripture. The book is in the altar covered by a cloth. To leave, we passed around the back of the altar, clockwise to the right where we met the girls and headed out the door. At the door was a man kneading a grainy clumpy brown mush. He hands this mush out to everyone leaving the temple. I forgot what this was called, perhaps someone reading this can give it a name — I searched the web and couldn’t find the name. I took a small bite of it and found it not to be a good taste, so I wrapped it up and took it back to my suite where I forgot about it until the next day.

When we returned to the suites, we assembled on the terrace to share some personal stories and continue getting to know each other. Paul and Len have some of the biggest personalities of the group and they entertained us with some great stories. Afterwards, I went back to my suite and settled in. I watched some Big Bang Theory on the iPad and tried to get some sleep — tonight would be the worst night so far when it comes to getting some good uninterrupted sleep. I did take some Advil and never did get the iced towel for my butt.

I slept well the first night. I put on the mask I received on the plane and plugged in the headphones and I was out. I wasn’t bothered by mosquitos the first night but I did wake to sound of running water splattering on the pavement on the other side of my window. I do have a window in my room, however, the window is frosted so that I’m not able to see out. Normally, I’d be like WTF! However, I am in India and I suppose I shouldn’t be too curious. I’m sure there is a very good reason why I shouldn’t be looking through the window. Here is a couple of facts to work with:

1. I’m on the ground floor of a four-story hotel
2. The timing appears random
3. It is a rush of water that splats on the on ground rather quickly
4. It seems to be more frequent in the morning
5. And it sounds occasionally heavier than just water, almost chunky

So if where I’m leading to isn’t obvious, or if I’m making you feel a little uncomfortable, I suggest you skip to the next paragraph. I’m probably way off here, since I can’t see out the window, but I can only imagine this is an exit for some of the plumbing. I did do a little investigation and found out that my situation is not at all bad. Our toilet at the Shilton looks like a western toilet, however the pot is wider and the flush system relies directly on releasing water to push the waste along. Back in the states, I believe water is pulled down into the plumbing based on some sort of pressure — I don’t think there is pressure here. I press a button on the wall several times to release water depending on “the payload” that needs to moved. I know, day two and I’m already talking about poop — deal with it, we all do it. The bad news is that in my research I discovered what a more typical Indian toilet looks like. It’s a squat style toilet — that right, a whole in the ground. I haven’t had the pleasure yet, but you’ll know when I do.

So Sunday begins with a 10AM orientation. Breakfast was ready for us on the terrace. The group assembled and Jailan, Jaya, Elango and John are all here to help give us a bit more Indian context as we work with our clients. We covered the Caste system which is the primary hierarchical order in India culture. A special nod goes out to my professor, Kate Balch, whom with out her I would not have had the foggiest idea what was going on during orientation. For those of you in need of a quick lesson, the Caste system is the predetermination of your hierarchy in Indian culture. If your father was a laborer, you are generally the same. In today’s Indian culture, if you or your family has the means, you could advance. This is not as common. What is common is that your surname identifies your Caste. As John explained, it’s common to be asked what your surname is in order to identify your hierarchy in society.

After orientation, it was time to venture into the city again with the first order of business being lunch. Yesterday’s lunch was different and dinner was too hot, so I was curious to see what today would bring. We took auto-rickshaws to our next destination (more on those later).

The restaurant today is the Empire Restaurant. After being seated, I looked at the menu and noticed that we had the A/C menu. We were sitting in the A/C room, meaning we had air conditioning while we ate – this is not the norm. Naturally, there is a slight increase in the price of the food when eating in the A/C room. Again, an establishment with air conditioning is your more reputable establishment and you’re going to pay for the luxury. The food was great, traditional Indian fare that wasn’t too spicy. We even ordered seconds of the chicken tandoori. The team really seemed to get into lunch today.

After lunch it was time to venture out and explore more of the local area. As we started to walk down the street, I was able to take in more of the surroundings. As we started to walk, one of the first places we passed was a typical Indian movie theatre — the Sangeeth Theatre. There were a lot of people milling about, street vendors selling sugar cane water and fruits. Everyone appeared to be waiting for a movie. This is something I want to check out later. My only hope is that the theatre isn’t simply standing room, but more like your typical, sit down with your own chair theatre. I won’t expect leather seats or cup holders.

Just outside of the theatre we found our first cow — there were actually two of them just hanging out in the crowd. We continued down the street, I could sence we were moving into another, slightly different area of town. On the sidewalk, there were various vendors peddling flowers, shoes and other things. Mixed in with peddlers were the beggars and the hungry. They’re all over the place and it’s very depressing. Many are missing limbs, some even looked as though they were deliberately maimed in order to be more sympathetic while begging. If you recall seeing Slumdog Millionaire, it appears exactly to be the situation dramatized in the movie (more on that later).

We continued to walk into a shopping area that was very congested. This was an amazing street with vendors selling many Indian textiles and other products. We visited a store and I found some traditional clothing I’d like to bring back to the states.

The team decided it was time to break up into two teams, those who wanted to go back to the hotel, and those who didn’t. I decided to head back with Sid and a few others. Along the way we passed a mosque that perhaps I can explore on another day.

Not feeling particularly confident in my abilities with the team as I think about the task at hand. The objective is sales, transportation and packaging and I’m an IT guy — a propeller head by trade. I’ll do what I can and then some to deliver for our client. We kick things off with them tomorrow and I’m looking forward to it.

As I reflect on the day, I’m curious to see more of India. The city is chaotic with throngs of people everywhere. As we roam around the city, there are interesting smells, some pretty foul. The small area we were in had people struggling to make a few Rupees in the hot sun. Shoe cobblers, fruit vendors, drum salesmen all line the streets looking for money. It’s a way of life for the lowest members of this society. It’s hard for me to imagine what this life is like.

9:15 AM: The air was bit sooty, the smell was a mix of burnings and something else, but I don’t know what. I was prepared for this and lets just say my expectations were met. I walked into the main entrance and was greeted by John Shanth Kumar Joseph and Elango Stanislaus. Both helped me with my bags into a car and shuttled me into the city to join the rest of the team that had arrived hours earlier. They were both a sight for my travel weary eyes.

The heat was hotter than I expected. I packed lots of business attire and I started to wonder if I brough the wrong clothes. We’ll just have to see how this works out.

John and I spoke quite a bit throughout the car ride. I was asking many questions about what I was seeing. The road from the airport was a contrast of old, dilapidated and/or unfinished construction with high-end billboards for luxury living and expensive products. The billboards seemed out-of-place given the landscape. I was completely taken aback by this, I just watched as the landscaped rolled by taking it all in. India has been referred to as the land of many contradictions, and in fact my experience so far is exactly that 15 min into my stay. I wondered what else India has in store for me.

Some of our discussions included the relationship between Pakistan and India and how the American media seems to spin the two countries as escalating into war if one so much as points a nuke at the other. We also discussed some of the political turmoil in the country…light conversation. Quite fascinating, actually. I really hope to get a better understanding of these topics and many others during my assignment.

Driving in India is something I can’t even contemplate. Elonga is a pro, he is weaving in, around and squeezing through some spots the made my cringe. This is a totally new experience. Some of you know that I love rollercoasters…this is the equivalent, but with no safety system. You may be wondering why I don’t have many pictures to show for this. Well, I was too busy holding on!

We made it to the suites just after 10 AM and I was actually feeling quite tired, between the 14 hours to Dubai and the 13 hour layover, coupled with my lack of sleep and a short flight to Bangalore, I was feeling punch and ready to crash.

The Shilton Suites is an interesting building. It looks more office building on the outside, but the interior is clearly boutique. My room includes the basic necessities and a small kitchenette with microwave and refrigerator. Clearly the place is designed for longer than your average hotel stay, which is great because this is now my new home for the next four weeks. Overall it’s not bad. I have everything that I need and it’s clean — perfectly livable.

After I unpacked, it was time for a brief orientation meeting with the rest of the team. This was my first opportunity to meet everyone — I really had no idea what to expect as I hadn’t worked with any of these individual before. I trekked up 4 flights of stairs to the terrace at the top of the Shilton (they do have an elevator). Not everyone was there as some were already out exploring stores that were close by. All I wanted to do was go to sleep — but that would be hours away.

Jailan Adly is the primary CDS representative who is here the first week to kick-off our engagement. First order of business was introductions. CDS is the organization that is doing all the travel prep and in-country coordination while we’re in India. Accompanying Jailan is Jayanthia “Jaya” Kannan who is the local CDS representative. Supporting is throughout the engagement is Elongo Stanislais and John Shantha Kumar Joseph are both our local logistics coordinators who are here to help us on a daily basis. Jaya, Elongo and John are our guides throughout this process who will help us acclimate to our new surroundings.

We continued with introductions from the rest of the team and jumped right into basic necessities — food, water and cash. The rundown on food and water is like the rules for Gremlins with many things to be aware of:

• Avoid the street vendor meat and vegetables – may be undercooked and washed in tap water.
• Avoid leafy vegetables – again, may be washed in tap water.
• Avoid peeled fruits – fruit is naturally safe to eat if it remains the peel.
• DO NOT have ice in your beverages — again, may be made with tap water.
• If you get a can beverage, use a straw — the can may have been in ice or tap water.
• Brush your teeth in with bottled water — again, water is apparently hazardous to our health.
• Close your eyes in the shower — I may have added this myself, because I’m now very scared of the water.
• Don’t give to beggars — you’ll be swamped.
• You can drink street vendor coconut — it’s generally safe to drink, however, the hatchet they’re using to open it may not be. (I’ll be avoiding this one).
• Don’t go anywhere alone — it’s better to travel in pairs.

With that out-of-the-way, the last order of business was to understand the cash situation. The Rupee’s current conversion is about 50:1. Seeing the team as whole didn’t have Rupees to spend, it made sense for all of us to venture out into the city to explore. With the safety briefing aside and everyone fairly settled in their accommodations we all agreed it was time for all of us to go get cash and check out the local neighborhood. Despite being tired, I was excited to get out into the city to see what is was like. It was barely noon and we had a whole day ahead of us.