So I’ve been watching some of the Indian television at night and I’ve been inundated with advertisements for personal beauty products, specifically skin whitening creams from major well know US manufacturers. It is quite interesting to see, from under arm roll-ons to face smoothers from Oil of Olé. As I recall from our discussion about Indian Castes, it is common to be able to tell what Caste and region from which one comes. The whitening products seem to vary from spot to full body lighteners. Having a light completion is apparently big business in India.
The kids made a few signs, I'm leaving this one behind.
Mixed emotions today. I didn’t sleep well the night before, anxious to get going and sad to see all my FedEx counterparts leave. Overall I’m sad to go, but happy to see a new region of India and most of all, Susie. She’s approximately 36 hours from arrival in New Delhi as of 8:30 Saturday morning.As I left the comfort of the Shilton Suites and said goodbye to new friends, I though to myself that I will come back some day and I’ll return with the family — it’s important that they see the India I see. The country is as beautiful as it is heartbreaking to see the poverty and the struggle each day brings to so many. This country needs to grow, but it’s happening too quickly and without the unification of all the states to make this truly one India. In speaking with Jaya this morning, we spoke about the language barriers throughout India. The north and south regions are really different populations with different languages. The diversity in the languages make it hard for the entire nation to standup and fight for a level class. Poverty is everywhere, yet the national numbers reflect a much healthier situation — political corruption is laughed at by the educated in India, not because it is nonsense, but because it is true and you see it as plain as day on the street. John and Elango are both leaders for youth here in Bangalore and I really appreciate all that they do to get the word out to the young so that someday this country can truly prosper.
I made it to the airport, waiting in a queue to drop off my baggage and proceeded to the gate. Oh, for those that are wondering, I had to pay a hefty price to haul some of my luggage on my IndiGo domestic flight — Emirates Business Class this is not. I’m flying from Bengaluru International in Bangalore to Indira Gandhi International in New Delhi on IndiGo Airlines. The airline flies small Airbus A320 planes reminding me a lot of Southwest Airlines. Bengaluru is a small international airport with about 16 gates. I see an IndiGo on the tarmac in the distance and nothing at our immediate gate. While I waited I noticed a few other IndiGo flights come and go, still nothing at our gate. The crowd waiting for the flight slowly organized into a line and I thought I had better get in line — I didn’t know what was happening. Once I got to the gate I noticed we were first boarding a bus. Four buses were used to take us, standing room only, to another IndiGo flight that was not visible from the gate. Apparently, the gates in front of the new construction are active and accessible only by bus. Nothing was parked at the gate, so the only thing I could surmise was that the ramps at the gates cannot lower to the level of the IndiGo jets.
Above India, pollution below
The interior of the jet was like any standard jet. I requested an emergency row seat with a window so that I could look outside and I’m glad I did. Shortly we were airborne and I put in my ear buds and drifted off. About an hour later, mouth gaping open,gum still in my mouth (mom, we know this could have gone), I caught myself and looked out the window…blue sky. We were at cruising altitude and I was struck by the color of the sky. In all my days in Bangalore and the surrounding areas, I didn’t recall ever seeing blue sky. The sky was always hazy, even in Kabini. With trash piles burning and other widespread auto and factory pollution, blue sky is simply too obscured at ground level. As I fly over India, I cannot help but be reminded of the contradictions once again. Going back to the first day I arrived in Bangalore, I recall mentioning the grey, sooty look of everything and now I remember why. After nearly 30 days, it is quite possible that I was getting adjusted to a new, duller color palette.
Down the ramp to the buses
We landed in New Delhi and I proceeded off the plane, down the ramp and onto buses that took us literally 20 yards to the terminal…seriously. We could have walked — this is one of those Indian things that sometimes they just make it harder than it has to be. Anyway, I picked up my bags and proceeded out the door to find my driver waiting for me with a sign that said Christopher Ratner – The Pearl Hotel. I love how we’re able to get drivers for any event at a fairly reasonable cost — this one was free.
Ourside the Pearl, looking west toward the sunset.
As we drove away from the airport, I noticed something that reminded me of Mysore — it was much cleaner here than it was in Bangalore. The green of the trees was very nice, the shade looked refreshing as it was very hot, feels close to 100 today. After passing some very nice 5-star hotels, we started moving into a more dense area that was beginning to resemble Bangalore. We turned right onto the street where the hotel was located and to my surprise (not) this is a very busy street with a lot going on. It looks old and dingy and naturally I was beginning to get concerned — would the hotel be on-par with what I’ve been living in the last 29 days? Within a few minutes, I had my answer — we pulled up to The Pearl Hotel. It looked relatively contemporary on the outside with marble and glass. This is a typical India boutique hotel. The street appeared to have plenty of hotels similar to it, but they didn’t appear as nice on the outside. I checked in and went to my room. This room was similar to the Salem hotel we stayed in week two, just smaller. I had asked the clerk at the desk for a room in the back that would have street noise. He said he’d take care of me and by taking care of me, he found me a room with no street noise…because it’s an interior room. Yes folks, I’m in another cave for a room…but fortunately it will only be for 3 days. This room has windows, but they into the hallway — somewhat odd, but doable. Fortunately, there is a drape that give s me some privacy.
Anyway, I got settled, then ventured out into the city. Went looking for food and I found a KFC. I also ran into a local that was very helpful. His name was Shaan (pronounced like Sean) and he gave me a couple of tips on traveling to Agra and some local food. I then took a rickshaw back to the hotel and settled in for the evening. Tomorrow is a big day for Susie…I think I’ll just camp out and catching up on the blogging.
Hi everyone. I realize you’re probably waiting to know what’s been going on. I’m two weeks behind on my posts, but as some of you know, perfectionism is a terrible quality of mine and I need to take the time to write all my thoughts out completely. You’re patience is greatly appreciated.
Just to give you some insight, team Sustaintech had been working very hard to finalize our research and prepare our presentation last week and this week. Today was the presentation to Sustaintech. I won’t go into the details here, but I’m very pleased with the results and proud to be associated with such a great company that would sponsor an activity such as the Global Leadership Corp.
I have one day left here in Bangalore before I leave on Saturday for New Delhi and then to the Middle East. More info, pictures and video is on the way. I’m filled with mixed emotions today as I’m happy to see Susie this weekend, but sad to say goodbye to the great relationships I’ve built over the past 4 weeks. We’ve all forged a unique bond and we’re bringing back memories we’ll treasure for years to come. More to come…
Our team broke from the typical groove this week as we were working toward completing our presentation for Sustaintech. It was a going to be a long week particularly because I had a few things going on. Not only did I have a signficant amount of work to complete before our Thursday presentation, but I also scheduled a trip to our off-shore technical vendor MphasiS on Tuesday. Recently, in working with my colleague Mark Bentsen back home, we have been exploring the opportunity to have our off-shore provider perform some level of testing on our solution for the Network Fulfillment Center (NFC) project.
Monday, Day 24, was a long day as our team worked tirelessly to complete our documentation and wrap up the presentation. In usual fashion, I had probably too many slides, but all were full of information we thought Sustaintech could use. It was funny, Cheryl provided an observation of me stating that I really like the technical stuff and love to talk about it — not necessarily a revelation, but Cheryl is accustomed to just telling her IT people what she wants and they get it done so that she doesn’t have to worry about all the technical stuff that made it possible. That’s similar to what we do at Office as well. I took it all in stride, though I think she was really telling me that I was being overly verbose – we’ll see.
Tuesday, Day 25, was more of the same with the exception that I was going to meet briefly with our off-shore vendor MphasiS. Our team started the day at a coffee-house with free wi-fi — I have to say that wi-fi has been the most wonderful aspect of the trip. Without it I certainly wouldn’t have had access to my daily doses of information. We had coffee, tea, donuts and cinnamon rolls while we finalized the presentation. I worked with the group until just afternoon when I had to leave to meet my car to the MphasiS.
From left to right, Raja Kumar, Vipule Sheth, me, Aju Paul, Karthikeyan S. and Raghavendra Krishnaswamy (aka RK).
The driver and a gentleman named Raj, arrived just before 1:30PM, our agreed upon pick up time. When he arrived, he insisted that we eat lunch — how could I refuse, so we went Enté Keralam next door to the Shilton where I had some rice and chicken, all Raj had was a refreshing fruit shake. We then left for the office which was about 15 miles aways — about an hour and half commute across town. We arrived at a compound that was secured with gates and security, beyond which was an entire IT community. They had some necessities within the compound, but you could see that areas of the compound were being built and tenants weren’t completely moved in. Per usual, a Cafe Coffee Day, which is like a Starbucks equivalent. By the way, I really miss my Chai Latte from Starbucks — can’t wait to get home.
We arrived at a building and I was taken to the second floor via staircase to the MphasiS office. I was then greeted by the MphasiS team and two women holding flowers welcoming me to their office. It was quite overwhelming as I only expected to meet with few people and see the operation. I could tell I was in for a treat this afternoon and would likely not be returning early. I told my Sustaintech team I expected to be back before 8PM so that we could finish the presentation (plan foiled). The Indian culture is very proud of its hospitality and the team did not let me down. We all walked to a board room where there was cookies and information laid out in preparation for information sharing. I was then offered the customary coconut beverage, which is simply the coconut water within the shell — the entire coconut is presented with a straw. It’s a natural beverage that is very refreshing. I also noticed Oreos on the cookie plate, so I couldn’t resist. Oreos in India are just like Oreos at home.
We dove into discussion about the MphasiS operation and I shared my vision of the NFC project. I was able to provide more context than they had previously understood about the program. In typical fashion, I was animated and energetic using the whiteboard to my advantage to express the systems complexities and opportunities for improved testing. The MphasiS team also shared with me their portfolio of capabilities — I was quite impressed. Once again, my preconceived ideas were a limitation of my pre-India lens. I’m so happy I met the MphasiS team as there is so much opportunity between our two companies. They also showed me around the place meeting teams that support various FedEx projects, not just mine. Then entire building was the FedEx building housing projects from various FedEx operating companies. It was very refreshing. We met at the office for about 4 hours before it was time to head back. They offered me dinner to celebrate our new relationship. I tried hard to get them to be interested in their families and to not worry about me, but I failed and their hospitality took over the evening. Before I could leave, I was presented more gifts including a wooden carving. Wow.
Great food with the MphasiS Team. Raja, Karthik, me and Aju.
We headed back to the area of the Shilton and stopped a great Afghani Restaurant, Samarkand. The last time I had Afghani food was back in Los Angeles, pre kids — so it had been awhile. I figured I had gotten used to Indian food, Afghani food shouldn’t be too far of stretch, plus meat is a typical part of the Afghani diet, particularly lamb, which I love. The evening did not disappoint. We all shared about our families and work, a real bonding experience. At the end of dinner, we were presented these unique after dinner chews that were wrapped in leaves. This is a traditional chew that included herbs and spices that were supposed to help with digestion, including the now common licorice tasting herb and sugar. It was unique to say the least, not bad. I had tried everything brought to me this evening — I felt like real trooper hoping that I didn’t offend anyone. We concluded the night by 11:00PM when I was brought back to the Shilton.
Wednesday, Day 26, was the last day before the presentation. There was a significant amount of tension in the air this day as we wanted to be complete with the deck and get it to the printer — which happened to be a Staples as there are no FedEx Office locations in the immediate area (or India for that matter). I was also not feeling well this morning having taken a Malaria pill first thing in the morning. Despite joining the team on the rooftop terrace, I had to go to my room as I was really feeling queasy and was afraid I might, you know, barf. I really hate the Malaria pill, this is by far the worst I felt taking it.
I was in my room working to clean up the deck and was feeling better after about an hour. The team came in and checked on me, making sure I didn’t fall in to the toilet or something. I could sense they were a little bit tense about getting the deck completed and printed on time — being in the print business, I felt that getting 20 decks printed shouldn’t take more than an hour or two, depending on how busy the retailer might be. This is India, I can’t imaging too many companies are flooding the retailer with print jobs as professional businesses probably have their own printers in their offices to produce most of the work.
Scott found a Staples Print Center near Sustaintech which was really far away. We were moving really fast, time was slipping away and we all felt it, so we started to act without really thinking. Scott, Len and I jumped into a rickshaw and headed down the block. By the end of the block, I recommended to Scott that we should really send the electronic file to Staples so that when we did arrive, we would have a proof to look at before committing the print job. Taking my recommendation, Len, Scott and I jumped out of the rickshaw, paid the guy and ran back to the Shilton. I asked for the nearest Staples from the staff and they said there was one much closer – yay! Scott took up the task of giving the instruction over the phone while I worked on making it print ready and sending it via email. There was little frustration due to a langauge gap with the Staples folks, but we finally figured it out and got them the file. They committed to having a proof within the hour, so Scott and I jumped in a rickshaw and headed out while Len and Cheryl stayed behind. Before we left, Sunil (part of the Shilton staff) recommended that we hit a great BBQ place for lunch.
Scott and I feasting on skewers.
When we arrived at Staples, the business printing center was located upstairs while the retail area filled with electronics and supplies were downstairs. The presentation was coming together just fine so Scott and I headed down the street to Barbeque Nation while we waited an hour for the remaining 19 decks to be printed. Not really knowing what to expect, we found the place quite busy. We asked for an A/C area and they took us upstairs. The room featured tables with grills in the middle — I knew what was going to happen next. The place was actually a fusion between a brazilian and a japanese hibatchi restaurant. They bring out food on skewers and then you heat it/cook it. There is a little flag on the table and if you don’t use it, you continue to get skewers at your table until you can’t eat any more or explode — which is exactly what Scott did (keep reading). Amazingly, the skewer portion of the experience is only the starters with the main course being a buffet and desert bar. Having our fill, we ate only the skewers of chicken, shrimp and lamb. It was all very good and quite filling. We settled up and headed back to Staples.
Back at the business print center, I started spot checking the decks and noted a glaring mistake on the cover — my name was misspelled. How did I not see this. All the other pages were fine, but the cover — oh no. Disaster! “Chris Rather” Ridiculous miss on my part. I looked around for Scott to let him know what had happened, but couldn’t find him — he was having trouble of his own(keep reading, the best part is coming). I then grabbed some whiteout tape to go with our purchase and waited for the last of the decks to be ready. I headed down the stairs and ran into Scott. He had an urgent look on his face. We paid, went outside and hailed a rickshaw. As we were headed back to the Shilton Scott decided to tell me why wanted to leave so quickly. I’m going to retell you what he told me because I’m not sure if Scott was going to recount his situation as he described it to me, and since you know me, you know I talk about poop and Scott had a moment worth sharing because it’s too funny.
Apparently, when Scott got back to Staples, he experienced some rumbling and didn’t feel so hot. He thought he might be able to wait until we got back to the Shilton, but getting back quickly wasn’t in the cards. He began to sweat bullets and then asked the Staples staff for the bathroom. Keep in mind, we’re in India — the bathroom situation is generally questionable, even in brand-name locations, although our McDonald’s experience has been quite good. So he’s in the bathroom and noticed a problem — no running water in the sink and toilet. Panic set in — Scott was ready to go off and no running water left him wondering how the heck is he going to cover this up without water. See our favorite Dumb & Dumber clip below and 15 minutes later Scott and I left Staples. Needless to say, Scott was quite concerned with getting caught. We was more than excited to see that I had the decks in hand and was ready to leave. I didn’t know it then, but Scott was rushing me out of the store to avoid some angry Indians and general embarrassment. In the rickshaw, he fessed up to this and all I could think of was how funny the whole thing was.
We returned to the Shilton late that afternoon and I decided it was time to turn in for the day. I wanted to be well rested for tomorrow’s presentation. I had a quiet evening in and I ate the last of my Tuna for the trip.
Audio Player
We’re back in town Wed and Thur this week and we’re working on Sustaintech activities. This is one of those weeks here in Bangalore the ends with a holiday — Good Friday. We’ve been told that roughly 2% of the population is Christian and therefore Good Friday and Easter holiday’s are observed.
A street named Jew Town Road in India, see it in Google Maps.
Considering that Bangalore has nearly 5 million people, there are close to 100,000 in Bangalore that observe the holiday. In fact, there are several churches near where we’re staying, including St. Mary’s Basilica and St. Andrews Church. Quite a few people I’m with are planning to attend mass over the weekend. That got me thinking, where might there be a temple around here since Passover is coming up too, it might be worth a look — maybe I have someplace to go. So I started with Google Maps to see where the nearest temple might be. Not really to my surprise, I didn’t find anything in the general vicinity of Bangalore. However, approximately 8 hours south-east of where I’m staying is a synagogue on Jew Town Rd. — I kid you not. I’m not sure whether to be offended or relieved. Since it’s 550 kilometers away, it’s not something I can easily scope out. It will have to remain a mystery for this visit. All that being said, we’re headed into a 3-day weekend and I was hoping a group would be planning on visiting a region around Bangalore.
Welcome to Cholera Creek.
In other news, we stayed around the Shilton Wed and we ventured to Sustaintech’s office on Thur for a brief meeting. As it is now week two, we’ve been traveling certain routes and taking note of some recurring scenes, like trash everywhere, people peeing on the side of walls in plain view, dogs that aren’t in the best condition, and my favorite, broken and treacherous sidewalks. The most terrifying of all the sidewalks is one I’ve dubbed Cholera Creek. It’s a special spot we discovered on our way to Big Bazaar. It’s broken section of sidewalk that has flowing water traveling through it. The water is murky white and stinks. It’s a real treat and reminder of what is likely flowing under our feet as we walk around. All kidding aside, Cholera is a serious issue in India. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cholera cases are hugely underreported mainly because disease surveillance is limited, laboratory capacity is inadequate, especially at peripheral health-care centres, and authorities are reluctant to acknowledge, for fear of societal repercussion, that there has been a breakdown in sanitation and in the supply of safe water. Yet the above-cited reasons for poor case reporting appear to apply to cholera exclusively. Acute diarrhoeal diseases overall are also underreported, but mainly on account of poor reporting by private health-care services. According to National health profile 2008, 11,231,039 cases of acute diarrhoea were recorded that year, but only 2,680 were cholera cases and only one death was due to cholera.1 These were the national figures conveyed to WHO back in 2006. Very distressing facts here and this is just one of many issues impacting the health of Indians nationwide. My PSA is over (for today).
On Thursday, after our visit to Sustaintech, we made our way back to the suites and decided it was time to check out some other restaurant and it was recommended that we try the Oberoi Hotel which is past Cholera Creek and up on MG Road (that stands for Mahatma Gandhi). It’s a very nice hotel and we were treated to some high quality food. I could even order ice without fear of getting sick. Scott, Len and I had the minced chicken sandwich, I even ordered mine with bacon and it was fantastic. Cheryl had the beef tenderloin which she shared and it too was great. This spot easily makes one of our top locations for getting great food.
After we ate, it was back to the Shilton to finish our day in hopes to take advantage of Friday. Later that evening, Peter brought forth the idea of going to Mysore over the weekend. Having already stopped through there, I wasn’t immediately interested, however, there was certainly more to see in the area than I got to see the last weekend, so I asked if I could get in on the travel. With that, Patty, Anne, Peter, Paul and I were set and ready to head out at 3PM on Friday to Mysore.
1 World Health Organization: Cholera in India: an analysis of reports, 1997–2006
The next 48 hours were going to be interesting. We planned to visit various areas in the Tamil Nadu area of India where Sustaintech is selling their stoves. As you may recall, the we weren’t too sure what arrangements Sustaintech was going to make for us, so we were all ready for an adventure. Our car arrived at 6:00 AM on Monday and we were introduced to Ashiq who would be our guide for the next two days.
We piled in the car, a driver, Ashiq, us and bags, and we were on our way south out of Bangalore. It was going to be a few hours before we arrived in Karur, so we stopped at got some breakfast. Ashiq appropriately took us to a stop that had both a traditional Indian restaurant and a McDonald’s. What we’ve come to appreciate about McDonald’s is that they have a clean toilet and they have an Egg McMuffin that tastes exactly like home, except that it doesn’t come with ham or sausage. 2/3 McMuffin ain’t too bad. But today, we wouldn’t be having McDonald’s as we thought it might be rude not to eat with Ashiq. So together we all dined in the Veg-only establishment. I tried to eat the mushy rice patty and yogurt concoction, but it just wasn’t in me this morning. After we ate, it was time to get a move on toward Karur. I actually fell asleep part of the way there.
Maha Traders, Karur, stove manufacturing facility (see video).
Roughly four hours later, we arrived in Karur where the stove manufacturing plant is located. This particularly manufacturing facility is central to the local markets of Salem and Erode — two locations we would be visiting later during our trip. When we arrived, I immediately noticed how basic this facility was. We waked in a met the manufacturing manager and some of his support team, and then we toured the facility. We also met Babu, the regional sales manager for the Tamil Nadu area. I had expected something a little more organized, but as always, I am completely surprised at how my preconceived ideas are always challenged.
Several multipurpose stoves ready to go to the warehouse (see video).
Walking in to the facility I recognized the stoves as they stood out in vibrant colors against the grey and dingy contrast of everything else. Blue, red and orange stoves were littered toward the back of the facility. They come in round and rectangular flavors of varying size. This was the first time we had seen a production version of the product. If you recall, at the TIDE facility back in Bangalore, we looked at a prototype model. I’m not an engineer, but the product looks well constructed and rugged for the market.
Stacked Tava stoves waiting for the interior bricks and plaster.
The interior is made of several thermal bricks and plaster to insulate the unit — this is the technology Sustaintech has developed to reduce fuel consumption. Part of our engagement is to determine if there is a safer way to package and transport the stoves. Their interior plaster and brick construction is susceptible to cracking when being transported over long distances. As we experienced on our trip to Kabini during week one, the roads are not always paved and based on our research, the trucks don’t have the best suspension. With four great minds reviewing the units, we took notes and video and wrapped up our visit to the factory within about an hour.
We piled into the car and headed down the road into the city of Karur where we would have lunch with some of the sales team. We weren’t sure what to expect, but we assumed it would be Indian. When we arrived, the place was relatively empty and hot. Apparently, the A/C units were not on. We were seated at a table in the middle of the restaurant and noticed that the air was now beginning to circulate. I assume they turn it on for visitors as we’re not accustomed to the heat. The restaurant was modest size with about 15 tables and wash area right in the main room where you could wash your hands before and after your meal. As Indians eat with the hands, this is far more convenient than finding the bathroom in the back of the restaurant. The kitchen was through a door at the back of the room where a cheerful man came out and introduced himself as the chef. He was extremely happy we were there and he was very eager to cook for us. Again, not to sure what to expect, I was ready to roll with it. Shortly after we were seated, we were treated to dumpling and a won-ton soup…not exactly Indian.
Traditional Indian Fare: rice and lentils.
As we were presented the food, I noticed our Indian counterparts were getting situated to receive a more traditional Indian fare starting with a big banana leaf as their plate. After we finished the first course, we were given banana leafs in preparation of our next course as well — could it be more Indian food. The main course was chicken, shrimp and vegetables…all were very, very good. This was without a doubt the best Indian food we had on our trip to so far.
My compliments to the chef on the right, Babu in the middle wearing purple and our guide Ashiq on the left.
Finally, we were presented with desert which seemed to top off the entire meal perfectly. During lunch, we captured additional information about the manufacturing process and sales. We completed our lunch, took a picture with everyone and we were on our way to our next destination…Salem.
Salem would be where we hold up for the evening and it was probably another 2-hour drive back the way we had already come. We arrived at our hotel at about 5PM. The hotel was probably the best that Salem had to offer, the Cenney’s Gateway. This hotel surpassed our expectations which was a bit of a relief. For the past week, we had heard some stories from other GLC participants that they’ve had to deal with poor conditions when traveling to the field. Seeing that we were in a hotel that had real toilets meant we could rest easy this evening. We were grateful our hosts were taking care of us.
Once we were situated, we met in the lobby for dinner with Ashiq, our guide. Turns out he arranged for the local sales manager and sales agent, Selvam and Aror, to join us. This turned out to be the best thing that could have happened. We had the opportunity to meet the local manager and agent to get uninhibited feedback on their processes and changes they feel could help improve their selling opportunities. It also yielded the opportunity to go out on an evening sales call with Aror. As we were in the middle of questions and drinks, Aror received a phone call from a warm lead that is interested in meeting tonight. So we wrapped up, piled into the car, and followed Aror (on a motorcycle) to his customer call.
Here is the evening sales opportunity: cook in the foreground at a grill, with the owner and wife seated in the background with Aror discussing the details (see video).
This was the first opportunity to see the environment for the stoves. We had seen a couple of stoves on the streets in Salem, but in this case, the customer was interested in purchasing. We parked on a side street and observed from the curb. There was a cook over an existing grill cooking. The owner and his wife were there and they met with Aror and discussed the particulars. As we were observing, I was taking in the surroundings — we were on a busy side street, with lots of traffic coming in and out. It’s dark and there isn’t a lot of lighting around us, regardless there was a large number of people milling about which is so unlike what we do back in the states. The area we were in appeared to have a pretty healthy nightlife, which is probably good for vendors like this. Once we were done observing, we headed back to the hotel where we crashed for the evening.
A typical kitchen burning inside the hotel. You can't see it, but the ceiling is black (see video).
The next morning, we didn’t waste anytime getting up and out the door. We met downstairs for breakfast in the hotel restaurant and caught up with Ashiq. The plan was that we would travel the sales beat with the Selvam in our car and Aror on his motorcycle. We didn’t have to go far from the hotel to hit up the first customer. As we did the night before, we hung back and watched from the curb. Then something unexpected happened, we were all invited to tour the kitchen. You really can’t appreciate the kitchen until you see it. It’s fairly dark and hot, virtually no ventilation — this is where the food is prepared. Certainly beneath the standards that we demand back in the states — see the video to take it in. We would go to 11 more customers on this morning, five of which would buy a stove. The amazing thing about the stoves is that once they’re in a market, word seems to spread and the community knows about them. They are in demand because they a fuel-efficient and reduce CO2 emissions. By noon, we were headed back to the hotel, however, there was one more stop…a collections call.
Part of the current sales role is to follow-up on collections. The guy had received one of the first stoves in the market nearly two years ago and the guy hasn’t paid. The product generally pays itself back within six months and this guy had taken advantage of a situation. When we asked why Sustaintech didn’t simply cut their losses on this particular customer. They told us that doing so would cause the market to attempt to negotiate for lower prices, or worse, some would simply not pay. Clearly the guy knows it and is continuing to take advantage of the situation. But given how the community works, they is not much they can do other than stay on the guy for now. Today, there was no money to be received, so we packed up and headed back to the hotel where we’d have our last lunch before heading back to Bangalore.
Scary.
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.
Sri Muneeshwara Swamy Temple
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.
Cleansed and ready to enter the temple. Cheryl and Jaya in the background to the left.
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:
- I’m on the ground floor of a four-story hotel
- The timing appears random
- It is a rush of water that splats on the on ground rather quickly
- It seems to be more frequent in the morning
- 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).
Left: Mark, Cheryl, Sandy, Anne, Stephanie; Right: Mike, Paul (head only), Sid.
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.
A typical Indian movie theatre is in there somewhere.
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).
Textiles and clothes shops everywhere. Elango (left), Patty (right), Jaya (in front of Patty).
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.
We started our trek into the city gathering in the lobby of the Shilton. Once there, we paired up and started walking, almost single file. The streets are narrow and the sidewalk is in very bad shape. In some cases, the sewer runs just under the sidewalk, so the sidewalk is made of tiles that can be removed. In some cases, the tiles are broken or missing. Overall, the conditions are treacherous. As we continued to walk, I was fixed on architecture, congestion, poverty and pollution. Sensory overload is the only way I can describe it. This world seems very grey in color to me, from the people to the building to the air. The trees are green, but not lush and the climate feels arid. It’s not hard to imagine, but given the heat (over 90 degrees), I’m sweating away.
Typical city bathroom, enter at your own risk.
As we continue to walk, it’s pointed out to us that there is a public bathroom at this intersection. This was a treat, and by treat I mean wow, this is clearly not something I can imagine using. I didn’t go in, but from the stench, I could only imagine what the inside looked like. I did not see any citizens walk in or out of this public bathroom.
I had no idea where we were going, but we are on a quest to find a bank so that we can exchange our US dollars for Indian Rupees. This was proving to be more challenging than expected. Our first stop was a Citibank — yay, not so much. A few of us walked in a saw a line in a very small space that reminded me of being at a county building in Los Angeles. We were not going to wait in this line. So we left and found that there was another entrance to the same bank. We entered and found a shorter line…odd, don’t know why this is the case. Several of us were in line and as the first and second in the group made it to the counter, we were presented with yet a challenge. Apparently, the bank couldn’t perform an exchange on Saturday. So we left in search of another bank…what we found was a backroom office.
John, our guide, explained that there were other ways to obtain an exchange and at probably a better exchange rate than the bank. So we walked up some stairs, and into a small office with three men in it. Some of us sat, while others stood around. While the bank was going to give us between 47-48 Rupees per dollar, they were willing to give us 50 Rupees per dollar and a small transaction fee. You need to realize that the difference is merely 5-6 cents, but because the numbers sound big, they feel big, so we’re all a little stingy with our money on day 1.
Back office exchange going down
As we sat there, many of us were exchanging $100 thinking that the conversion to 5,000 Rupees should last us a while. Paul Davis, Anne Anderson, Scott Garcher and myself were seated in chairs in front of the men with our $100 to exchange, while Mike Kevitch had $500 to exchange. We handed the men our money, there was some discussion, then one of the men took the money and left. This already didn’t feel good to me. We must have sat there for 30 min watching these guys. I was growing a bit more concerned as time went by, thinking if one more of them disappeared, I’m locking the door to keep the last one from escaping. As we continued to watch, these two men were busy doing something. I was looking around the office and I noticed that they had travel photos on the walls and then suddenly I hear one of them on the phone talking to someone about travel arrangements he couldn’t refund. It’s all now beginning to come together. They probably front as a travel agency and then work the exchange as a value added service for their traveling clients. The third man who left a while ago comes back through the door and I kid you not, reaches into his trousers and pulls out a wad of Rupees. He didn’t reach into a pocket, he reached down his front. Clearly this guy ran down the street to exchange the money, maybe another bank, who knows. I doubt we’ll ever know, but seeing that had Rupees, I was satisfied that we had what was due to us. We quickly divided the money and we were on our way.
Next order of business…food. We reconnected with the main group and proceeded to find a suitable restaurant. We’ve been told that a restaurant with air conditioning is a sign of a reputable restaurant and that’s where our guides, John and Elango, took us next. I don’t recall the name of the place, and unless I take a picture, I probably won’t remember future establishments either unless it has an American name, but I’ll try. As a group, we continued to gel and exchange information, learning about one another while waiting for the food. John took us to a typical Indian restaurant. As some of you know, I’m particular about the food I eat, more habit driven than anything else. I was a bit concerned with what we’d get first.
I forgot what this was called
Having no idea what was on the menu, John proceeded to order several traditional plates for us to sample. On the plate that I ate from was various lentils, yogurt, and vegetables with rice and bread. I stuck with the bread and lentils for my first go at traditional vegetarian cuisine. The bread was like a fried dough puff, airy in the middle. There was also a chip-like wafer which tasted very salty — this is the one item I didn’t like. Because there are so many individual items that are included with the dish, the dish itself is in a round tin with lip to keep it all together. No utensils are required as this food is meant to be eaten with your hands. So we ate, and talked and soon after we were off again.
Next order of business…supplies. We started back toward our hotel and stopped at two markets. The first market was very small. The markets aren’t your traditional markets and I have to get some pictures for you. The fresh items they carry aren’t very fresh. In fact, the leafy vegetables, which I will stay away from, were being stored on the shelf in the dry air…not in a cooler or misted with water. I was able to pick up a few items like straws and toilet paper. 
I didn’t need much since I brought a small market with me, including water, snacks, tuna and mayo. This is quite a funny story, actually. I have large roller duffel bag that I stocked with water, Nutrigrain bars, tuna cans and candy — you know, the essentials. I would say that 40 lbs of this stuff was half the suite case, the other half was clothing. I’ll have a lot to space on the trip home for gifts (hint hint). The duffel back was a total of 70 lbs when I started my trip. Upon getting to Bangalore, I was presented with a customs card. One of the yes/no questions I had to answer was related to importing meat and fish. Specifically, the question was phrased like “do you have in your possession meat/pork and live/ornamental fish products?” I was dumfounded by this question…do I have to declare my cans of tuna?I thought about this and just circled NO. I figure my excuse if I was detained was that my tuna was not live, nor ornamental, so therefore I circled NO. I felt good about that, apparently so did customs. 
We left this store and hit another, the next store looked a lot better and it actually had freezers for cold water, yogurt and vegetables — a better sign of what you could find. Clearly, there is no standard and there are varying degrees of shops, you just have to look for them.
Once we collected our supplies, we headed back to the Shilton and unload our purchases. We trekked quite a distance to get back and what I saw was both intriguing and disturbing. There is so much poverty here that it’s overwhelming, and I’m certain I haven’t seen the worst of it. I’m tired and longing to relax. I feel like I’ve been going for days — oh, yeah, I have been. It’s Saturday and I left Dallas on Thursday, with a day long stop in Dubai. I hadn’t slept much and I feel it was really beginning to take a toll on me.
Cheryl and John before dinner
Back at the Shilton, the group wanted to venture out for dinner. Everyone wanted a good pub for drinks and food. One of the areas we passed during our daytime walk was an alley with some pubs on it. To get there, instead of walking, we took the metro. We were going just one stop down from where we boarded, but it did give our feet a rest. The train station was clean, a stark contrast to what was outside on the streets.
The walk to the Guzzlers Inn, following Stephanie and Peter (left)
Tonight we hit the Guzzler Inn for food, drinks and music. It was down the alley and upstairs. Loud american music was playing and the seating was limited. We took two booths next to each other. Tonight I got to know Peter Matev, Mick Morgan, Jaya and John. We ordered drinks and the basic chicken tandoori — they were too hot for me to eat. I could only eat two before I had to give up. Rule going forward — ask for it mild, it may still show up hot, just not scorching. Once we wrapped up, we headed back to call it a night.
I arrived back at my suite and turned on the TV. Plenty of English-speaking stuff to watch, even a movie channel. I was finally at the end of my long day and I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with everything that I had seen and experienced so far. In this moment, I was able to think and collect myself, but I was longing for some interaction from some familiar faces. I powered up Skype and called home.
It was great to hear and see familiar faces. It was all beginning to set in that I was half a world away and it would be some 30+ days before we back together again. With technology, we can at least make the world seem a little bit closer. I was tired and a bit emotional this evening to say the least.
Bengaluru International Airport (BLR)
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 - My new home
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.
I made to Bangalore around 9:00 AM on Saturday after a 13 hour layover in Dubai. I was a bit tired, but ready to tackle what India had in store for me. I’m starting my blog two days into my journey, for those of you keeping track. I won’t forget to share that part of the journey with you. I will post some of my experience in Dubai, but likely as I experienced them when I return in four weeks when Susie and I are both traveling back from India.
To set stage for what is happening, my leadership at FedEx elected me to join a first ever program for FedEx. I am truly humbled and honored that I was chosen to take part in a ground breaking program for managers. The program is two-fold: First, FedEx has elected to share some of their most important resources to help grow developing countries and emerging economies — its people. Second, for the participants to experience life embedded within a different culture and to take away an enriching personal and professional life-changing experience. 13 managers from across the organization are now embedded in India for a month to bring valuable outside knowledge and resources to companies in need of ground ideas to help them grow their business.
As I walked off the plane and on to the jetway into the customs area, I was surprised at how simple the airport was for such a large city – Bangalore was brimming with roughly 9,588,910 people as of a 2011 census. Keep in mind that all of India is 1.2B strong and is second only to China in the worlds population. With that said, I had to keep reminding myself that I’m stepping into a developing country. I had many preconceived notions about my trip in advance and I am eager to see if they align, and if my media-made impressions of India match my experience. Hopefully, through this blog, I will be able to encapsulate my experience each day and share it with you. As a disclaimer to anyone wanting very structured and timely updates, this a journey and I may update my blog multiple times a day or I may miss a day or two, altogether. I will provide updates throughout my entire journey. So on with it…
