Saturday, 14 August 2021
Sunday, 15 January 2012
The Never Ending Day of Travel
So after shopping and spending my rupees, Deride and I took an auto back to XIME. I then showered and changed into my travel clothes before dinner. We then brought our luggage down to the van. It all fit in the back row, which left 9 seats open. Unfortunately to go to the resturant we had 11 people. So we had to squeeze in. We went to a bbq place and the president of XIME joined us. The food was delicious. The tables have grills in the middle of the table. They kept bringing out kabobs and we kept eating. Then they tell us that was just the appetizers and the buffet is dinner... we were all full. We ate a bit of the buffet to be polite. We then got back on the bus. Luckil there was only 9 of us heading to the airport since Matt and Kanti were heading back XIME. It was a good thing thought since it was a two and a half hour trip to the airport and we needed our own seats for such a long trip.
When we finally got to the airport (seriously traffic in this city is CRAZY), the security gaurd didn't want to let some of us in. Apparently you have to have a boarding pass or find your name on the manifest to be let in. Since some of our flights were at 4, our manifest hadn't been printed yet. He let us in when we showed him our itinerary. Pouria, Kim, Margret, and I had the latest flight at 4 so we couldn't check in until 12:30. We found seating upstairs and just sat around. Finally we went through security. We spent our last few rupees buying stuff. Then Pouria and I sat around waiting for our flight to board. We finally started boarding. Pouria and I got upgraded to BUSINESS CLASS!!! We were super happy. In business class they give you drinks while economy class is boarding. It was freaking sweet!! We also got better food in business class. I had an omelet and champange (yes real champange, and not the cheap stuff). I have fallen in love with business class.
We finally landed in Abu Dhabi. Since we had 3 hours until our flight, we bought a few gifts. We then had to go through security again (big on security here and in India). We got to the gate and clearly we weren't being upgraded. We then got on the plane. I was ready for this flight since it had been over 24 hours since I had slept. I got on the plane, ate, and fell asleep. When I woke up I though I had been asleep for like 10 hours and we would be landing in the next few hours. Instead I had been sleeping for 4 hours and we still had 10 hours. No matter what I tried, I couldn't get bck to sleep. I gave up and just finished reading my book, writing, and listening to music. Near the end of the flight I finally managed to fall asleep but I was woken an hour later since we had to prepare for landing.
We FINALLY landed at JFK (over 20 hours in the air combined, over 10 hours in airports). I was eager to get through customs (while texting with my aunt so I could stay updated on the Ravens game. Go Ravens, beat Brady!). I got through customs pretty quickly and got my luggage. I then got picked up by Jordan to spend the night in New York. I finally got a salad (something I have been craving since we couldn't eat fruits and veggies in India). I can't wait to get home to my own bed and room along with all my stuff.
Well this journey seems to be over. Hopefully my next adventure will come soon.
Much love,
KP
Friday, 13 January 2012
On the Road Again
After sleeping in the big bed (woohoo no cot for me!), I was well rested. I showered quickly since there was no hot water (ironically enough the first 4 showers were cold but Margret who showered last got hot water). We then had a nice breakfast and loaded up. To get up in the hills and see the coffee plants 9 of us had to stand in the back of a truck (this is how the workers get up the hills and so it is how we did it). It was really fun to be truthful. Many of the workers waved as we passed them. We got lots of great views from the back of the truck though we had to be careful since some vines and such could hit us. We learned more about the coffee process (like that most of the berry pickers are women since they are more efficient). We then loaded up again and drove uphill some more. This experience was interesting since some hills rocks had to be placed under the tires to give traction and we all thought we were gonna roll downhill to our death. We made it up to a peak. The death defying experience was worth it because the views were even more spectacular then they had been from the coffee estate. You could see for miles. The mountain peaks looked beautiful. I took lots of pictures but I don't know if they can fully capture the glory. We then headed back down so we could have lunch at the estate. Soon after we had to leave in order to make good time.
We drove for hours heading back to XIME and Bangalore. Along the way we stopped at Gommateshvara Bahubali statue at Shravanbelagola. This is a huge monolithic statue. In order to reach it you must climb more then 600 steps. Outside steps that are work and steep at times. This climb made me realize I am not nearly as young or in shape as I use to be. It also made me hate my adventurous side and determination. A less adventurous and less determined person would of stayed at the bottom and shopped or stopped one they got to the first peak. Noooo, not me. I went all the way to the top while feeling like I was gonna die. The statue was pretty impressive I must admit. When Deride took my picture she said I looked like I had climbed a mountain. I look horrible in the photo but that's because I had just climbed a mountain lol. Going down was much easier thank goodness. On the way down we saw these 4 guys carrying this woman up the stairs in a chair. Lucky lady but I would of felt guilty.
We then got back on the bus. A half an hour later we stopped at Coffee Day to grab some snacks. I devoured a piece of chocolate cake. We then got back on the bus for another 3 hour drive. Eventually we reached XIME. My first order of business was to pack because disorganization while traveling annoys me. My bags are now all packed and ready for the trip home. I then took the longest shower ever because that mountain climbing was hard work. Bedtime soon followed.
Now it is my last morning here in India. The ones of us who have late night/early morning flights are chilling in the computer lab and about to go shopping to spend all these extra rupees (reuppes go far here. I took out the equivalent of $130 which is about 7000 rupees). I will see you all soon in America (where I plan to eat so many of the foods I have missed. salad is first along with cheesecake factory and chick-fil-a breakfast).
Can't wait to see you all!
Much love,
KP
We drove for hours heading back to XIME and Bangalore. Along the way we stopped at Gommateshvara Bahubali statue at Shravanbelagola. This is a huge monolithic statue. In order to reach it you must climb more then 600 steps. Outside steps that are work and steep at times. This climb made me realize I am not nearly as young or in shape as I use to be. It also made me hate my adventurous side and determination. A less adventurous and less determined person would of stayed at the bottom and shopped or stopped one they got to the first peak. Noooo, not me. I went all the way to the top while feeling like I was gonna die. The statue was pretty impressive I must admit. When Deride took my picture she said I looked like I had climbed a mountain. I look horrible in the photo but that's because I had just climbed a mountain lol. Going down was much easier thank goodness. On the way down we saw these 4 guys carrying this woman up the stairs in a chair. Lucky lady but I would of felt guilty.
We then got back on the bus. A half an hour later we stopped at Coffee Day to grab some snacks. I devoured a piece of chocolate cake. We then got back on the bus for another 3 hour drive. Eventually we reached XIME. My first order of business was to pack because disorganization while traveling annoys me. My bags are now all packed and ready for the trip home. I then took the longest shower ever because that mountain climbing was hard work. Bedtime soon followed.
Now it is my last morning here in India. The ones of us who have late night/early morning flights are chilling in the computer lab and about to go shopping to spend all these extra rupees (reuppes go far here. I took out the equivalent of $130 which is about 7000 rupees). I will see you all soon in America (where I plan to eat so many of the foods I have missed. salad is first along with cheesecake factory and chick-fil-a breakfast).
Can't wait to see you all!
Much love,
KP
Chickamagalur
Hello Hello Hello!
Thursday morning we packed up all of our stuff and we left Infosys. It was sad to go since they had softer beds and an actual shower. We loaded up on the bus and away we went. Our final destination was Chickamagalur Coffee Estate. Along the way we stopped at a few temples. the first was Belur. This is a 12th century temple. We had an hour to just walk around and explore. Like usual they made us take our shoes off (shoes are not big in India I have come to learn). This time I was prepared though. I had a pair of socks in my purse, which I dubbed my "Temple Socks." No more bare feet!! I walked around taking tons of pictures of the architecture and statues. The ground was super hot even through my socks. Afterwards we left the temple and collected our socks. Once again we were a spectacle as Indian children kept wanting to talk to us and vendors kept trying to sell us stuff. We then loaded up on the bus and were off to our next stop.
Our next stop was Halebeed temple. They had some pretty cool statues. The architecture of these places were amazing. It took both places about a century to complete and all the carvings are so detailed. Out came the "Temple Socks" so I could walk around inside the temple. Professor Kanti told me I could get rich here selling temple socks to tourist who are not use to/don't want to take off their shoes (it is a future endeavor of mine lol). We were getting ready to leave when of course the vendors started following us. I bought a couple of things since i had lots of rupees and to get them to leave me alone.
We then went back on the bus. The roads here make New Jersey's look great. I never realized how much I love pavement until this trip. Getting to the coffee estate of Chickamagalur was rough. The owner of the coffee estate was an old friend of Kanti's who had been encouraging him to visit for years. When they heard he was coming to India they told him to come and bring his 12 students along. Professor Kanti told us our short stay at Chickamagalur would be like camping since they would trying to accommodate so many of us. Well i don't know what kind of camping Kanti has done, but this place was hardly camping. We had all prepared ourselves to be sharing 1 room and sleeping on a hut floor. Instead they had a beautiful house with plenty of room. The girls shared 5 in one large bedroom and 5 in the other large bedroom while the 2 boys shared a small bedroom. The house was super nice. In fact my first thought upon seeing it was borrowed from Gus from Psych: "I have never been so motivated to make money before." The views up at this estate were amazing. We were up in the mountains and from the yard and the bedrooms you just had beautiful views of the different mountain peaks. We then got a short background on coffee making (did you know coffee beans come from berries???) and toured the facilities. We then went back to the house and had a bonfire with hor dourves. Then they fed us a nice sit down dinner. Mel and I were at the two person table which we labeled the "date table." Soon it was time for bed.
Stay tuned for my last couple of days!
Much love,
KP
Thursday morning we packed up all of our stuff and we left Infosys. It was sad to go since they had softer beds and an actual shower. We loaded up on the bus and away we went. Our final destination was Chickamagalur Coffee Estate. Along the way we stopped at a few temples. the first was Belur. This is a 12th century temple. We had an hour to just walk around and explore. Like usual they made us take our shoes off (shoes are not big in India I have come to learn). This time I was prepared though. I had a pair of socks in my purse, which I dubbed my "Temple Socks." No more bare feet!! I walked around taking tons of pictures of the architecture and statues. The ground was super hot even through my socks. Afterwards we left the temple and collected our socks. Once again we were a spectacle as Indian children kept wanting to talk to us and vendors kept trying to sell us stuff. We then loaded up on the bus and were off to our next stop.
Our next stop was Halebeed temple. They had some pretty cool statues. The architecture of these places were amazing. It took both places about a century to complete and all the carvings are so detailed. Out came the "Temple Socks" so I could walk around inside the temple. Professor Kanti told me I could get rich here selling temple socks to tourist who are not use to/don't want to take off their shoes (it is a future endeavor of mine lol). We were getting ready to leave when of course the vendors started following us. I bought a couple of things since i had lots of rupees and to get them to leave me alone.
We then went back on the bus. The roads here make New Jersey's look great. I never realized how much I love pavement until this trip. Getting to the coffee estate of Chickamagalur was rough. The owner of the coffee estate was an old friend of Kanti's who had been encouraging him to visit for years. When they heard he was coming to India they told him to come and bring his 12 students along. Professor Kanti told us our short stay at Chickamagalur would be like camping since they would trying to accommodate so many of us. Well i don't know what kind of camping Kanti has done, but this place was hardly camping. We had all prepared ourselves to be sharing 1 room and sleeping on a hut floor. Instead they had a beautiful house with plenty of room. The girls shared 5 in one large bedroom and 5 in the other large bedroom while the 2 boys shared a small bedroom. The house was super nice. In fact my first thought upon seeing it was borrowed from Gus from Psych: "I have never been so motivated to make money before." The views up at this estate were amazing. We were up in the mountains and from the yard and the bedrooms you just had beautiful views of the different mountain peaks. We then got a short background on coffee making (did you know coffee beans come from berries???) and toured the facilities. We then went back to the house and had a bonfire with hor dourves. Then they fed us a nice sit down dinner. Mel and I were at the two person table which we labeled the "date table." Soon it was time for bed.
Stay tuned for my last couple of days!
Much love,
KP
A nice cool drink
Hi Again,
Today we started off with a couple of site visits. We first went to University of Mysore's iSchool. This was by far my favorite site visit. We got brief overview of the school and then a few students showed us around their building. By the time we came back downstairs many students were out of class. We had a light snack while talking to many of the students. I made a new friend, Irene, who is from Tanzania, Africa, and is currently a student at the iSchool. I got to learn all about her background while telling her about myself and my education. One of the most interesting things I learned from talking t the students is that most people come from an engineering/IT background. It was odd to us since we all come from liberal arts backgrounds but very cool to learn about. While on campus we toured their museum which had a lot of dolls and puppets. We then had a discussion and told the students about our various programs while learning about those. Many students here in graduate school are being supported by their parents (they pay for the education) which was interesting. Mostly in America graduate school is self-financed. It as also interesting to learn that most don't work while going to school. The conversations were really great, but soon we had to leave.
We then visited the Center Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI). This was not one of the better visits. Their facility was super hot. I thought I was gonna pass out. I had to go sit down. Most of the group was kinda miserable since it involved a lot of standing and heat. We got to see how they reach out to rural communities and respond to disasters with nutritious food which was interesting. We were all ready to leave but we waited around for a half an hour to see if the bus could get into a different gate. It couldn't so we just walked to it.
We then visited the Brindaum Gardens and KRS Dam. It was soooo beautiful and peaceful. It revived all of us. Walking around in the gardens, taking goofy photos and just enjoying life made for a feel good time. Most of us ended up at the Big White House on the top of the hill. We set out on the balcony here we had spectacular views of the gardens. They also served alcohol there, which is one of the few places that do here. It was very ing watching the sun set. When we were walking down to meet at the designated time and spot, the fountain lights came on. All the fountains had different lights. It was gorgeous. Definitely something all should see.
We then headed back to Infosys for our last night. We had dinner in their nice restaurant. We called it the "Floating Pond Restaurant" since it had a moat with koi in it and you had to walk on stones in the moat to get to the restaurant. Then it was shower and TV time. I watched part of Hercules before falling dead asleep.
Much love,
KP
Today we started off with a couple of site visits. We first went to University of Mysore's iSchool. This was by far my favorite site visit. We got brief overview of the school and then a few students showed us around their building. By the time we came back downstairs many students were out of class. We had a light snack while talking to many of the students. I made a new friend, Irene, who is from Tanzania, Africa, and is currently a student at the iSchool. I got to learn all about her background while telling her about myself and my education. One of the most interesting things I learned from talking t the students is that most people come from an engineering/IT background. It was odd to us since we all come from liberal arts backgrounds but very cool to learn about. While on campus we toured their museum which had a lot of dolls and puppets. We then had a discussion and told the students about our various programs while learning about those. Many students here in graduate school are being supported by their parents (they pay for the education) which was interesting. Mostly in America graduate school is self-financed. It as also interesting to learn that most don't work while going to school. The conversations were really great, but soon we had to leave.
We then visited the Center Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI). This was not one of the better visits. Their facility was super hot. I thought I was gonna pass out. I had to go sit down. Most of the group was kinda miserable since it involved a lot of standing and heat. We got to see how they reach out to rural communities and respond to disasters with nutritious food which was interesting. We were all ready to leave but we waited around for a half an hour to see if the bus could get into a different gate. It couldn't so we just walked to it.
We then visited the Brindaum Gardens and KRS Dam. It was soooo beautiful and peaceful. It revived all of us. Walking around in the gardens, taking goofy photos and just enjoying life made for a feel good time. Most of us ended up at the Big White House on the top of the hill. We set out on the balcony here we had spectacular views of the gardens. They also served alcohol there, which is one of the few places that do here. It was very ing watching the sun set. When we were walking down to meet at the designated time and spot, the fountain lights came on. All the fountains had different lights. It was gorgeous. Definitely something all should see.
We then headed back to Infosys for our last night. We had dinner in their nice restaurant. We called it the "Floating Pond Restaurant" since it had a moat with koi in it and you had to walk on stones in the moat to get to the restaurant. Then it was shower and TV time. I watched part of Hercules before falling dead asleep.
Much love,
KP
Tuesday, 10 January 2012
You look South African, but you have an Indian Head
Well hello America,
Today is Tuesday and we had a full day ahead. After a full night of uninterrupted sleep (I slept until almost 7, a first here!), we went to breakfast. Then we had a lovely tour of the Infosys campus in the extra large golf cart. This is their training facility so it's super big and super nice. We then had a short Q & A with the man who is in charge of training. then we saw more of the campus and then went to their library. They have the biggest corporate library in India and possibly the world. We had a short chat with the head librarian which was informative. We then got back on our golf cart and went to one more building on our tour. There we talked some more about training and recruitment.
Soon it was lunch time and since Kanti runs a tight ship and we had to leave by 1 to go sightseeing, we only had about 15 minutes. We then went to see Mysore Palace. It is a beautiful palace. We had to ay foreigner prices but it was still cheap. To go inside the palace you had to take off your shoes which I was not a fan of but I did. the palace is pretty though we weren't allowed to take pictures. Once we exited the palace we were then herded to small museums that you had to pay for (everyone has a hustle), but none of us were interested. We were interested in...
THE ELEPHANT RIDES!!!! Yes ladies and gentlemen, I rode an elephant in India. Katie, Kim, Collen, Diedre, and I got up on the elephant contraption and went on a ride. It was soooo much fun. We took lots of pictures and had tons of fun. We then got down and finally FINALLY got to collect our shoes. We took some more pictures in front of the palace. We then left the palace to go shopping. I again could not help myself and bought a few things. While we were in the market place these young Indian boys befriended us and wanted to know where we were from and all about us. They were the ones that were surprised I was American. They told me "You look South African, but you have an Indian Head." We went to an emporium and bought lots of goodies. So many things to buy, so little time! After our shopping trip we then went up to Nandi Hills. The views up there were AMAZING! We got to take breath taking pictures of all of Mysore. We also got to see monkey's (today was an animal day). While at the top of Nandi Hill's all of these Indians were so fascinated by us and kept asking to take pictures with us. One boy even requested to take pictures with me alone. It appears he was quite taken with me. He also wanted to get a professional picture by the photographers at the hills but we were leaving. He was sad to see me go. On the way down the hill we saw the bull statue.
Now I am back at my room in Infosys and ready to eat. Talk to you soon!
Much love,
KP
Honk Honk Beep Beep
So Monday was a day of misadventure. To start let me give you some background. In Indian honking is expected when driving. Many trucks have signs on the back that say "Sound Horn." Apparently it is there culture and you can't go more then 2 minutes without hearing honking. So now onto the story...
Well Monday started off normal enough. We had breakfast at XIME. We then packed up our stuff to go on the road to Mysore. We got a new luxury bus, so instead of having the exact amount of seats for our group the bus now fit 18 and had under carriage storage. About an hour into our journey, we get a flat tire. So we pull over to the side of the road and the bus drier and his assistant tell us it will only take about 15-20 minutes to change. Well 15 minutes turned into... 3 HOURS!! It seems that the spare tire was also flat. So the bus driver had to wave down a random truck and hitch a ride to the closest service station. Meanwhile we were stuck on a bus in the middle of the highway. We made the driver's assistant turn the bus off because as much as we appreciated AC we were more afraid of running out of gas and being stuck longer. Around the hour and a half mark we all voted to forgo our site visit to Bangalore University because we really didn't want to drag out the day. Finally the bus driver returned and they changed the tire while Professor Kanti yelled at them for such inefficiency.
Soon we were off and continuing our journey. We stopped at a KFC for lunch, which we were all happy about because most of us our sick of Indian food. We then stopped at a few sightseeing places. We went to this nice old temple for starters. Then we went to a summer palace. We were going to go in but here in India they have two price tags: one price for Indians and one price for foreigners. Kanti was so outraged that the Indian price was 5 rupees but the foreigner price was 100 rupees. He told us it wasn't worth it so we took a few pictures and got back on the bus. We then stopped at a river called "Two Lovers Meet." It was very peaceful.
We then finished out trek to Mysore an got to Infosys around 5. We had to go through crazy security (our luggage was screened, we had to declare cameras and laptops, etc.). Finally we were shown our rooms. they are much nicer then XIME, and more importantly they had a real shower!!!! Most of us skipped dinner (again sick of Indian food) and instead went to the Infosys supermarket and picked up crackers and such. After a nice long shower it was then bed time.
The moral of this story is: never expect a 3 hour journey to take 3 hours. Ours took 8!!!!!
Much love,
KP
Sunday, 8 January 2012
Sightseeing in India
Hi America,
So after a week of visits and school related activity, today was a fun sightseeing day! I feel much better then i did these past 2 days and was able to participate. We started at the botanical gardens. We hiked up a small hill and saw some nice views. We also got to look at a couple of temples. Then we walked around the park and saw the different ponds and gardens. Some of the places looked like they were straight out of the Secret Garden or something (like the Little Princess pretty).
We then went to Bangalore's own version of Central Park. In the park they have an art museum, library and children's library. We got to explore both libraries with a tour led by the nice lady librarian. For some reason the only patrons in the library were male, yet all the librarians were female. We don't know what that was about. We also got to see the children's library which was a short walk from the Central library. I had mixed feelings about a separate kids library. By this point I was exhausted and famished. I only ate a small breakfast so as to not upset my stomach. But my body was ready for more food.
We had lunch at this place called Infinitea. It is a tea shop and cafe. I had a delicious grilled chicken sandwich which totally revived me. I was so ready to spend the afternoon shopping which is what we did. We went to a craft and arts store where I bought a few things. then we went to a street where there was plenty of stores and carts. I managed to barter my way to a few good deals. Then we were all ready to go back to XIME. We had dinner back at XIME and most of us started to pack. Tomorrow morning we leave for Mysore so I will try to write again soon.
Much love,
KP
Friday, 6 January 2012
FIrst week of India
Well last time I wrote we had just landed and got a day of lectures. On Wednesday we went to Infosys (one of the largest software consulting firms). We got a lecture about what they do and then were shuttled off in 2 of the biggest golf carts I have ever seen to have lunch on their campus. We then got to tour the campus. Unfortunately 1 of the golf cart drivers was at lunch so we only had one cart that couldn't fit all of us. Luckily the campus has plenty of bikes that trainees and workers can use so a few of the group rode behind the cart. I stayed in the golf cart for our first destination to the convention center. We went by a huge glass pyramid based off the pyramids at the Louvre (based off the Great Pyramids of Egypt). It is a super cool campus. When we left for the next leg of our tour I decided to be adventurous and ride a bike. Let me tell you riding a bike is much more difficult then the stationary bike at the gym. But what they say is true, because I picked it right up! It was great fun. Afterwards we came back to XIME to have dinner and relax. A few of us walked down to the villages. We looked so much like tourist since we stuck out. I fell asleep by 9 because I have become a grandma.
On Thursday we went to the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore This school is considered the Harvard of India. The campus is AMAZING! It looks like Legends of the Hidden Temple, (you know that old game show on Nick?). It is all these beautiful carved stone buildings with vines and natural greenery. After a quick lecture we went to lunch on the campus. Then we got to tour the library which was pretty sweet. The library tour kind of fell apart when our professor went missing and this guy got stuck with us and had no idea what to do. Afterwards we got to see more of the campus and take some pictures. We then went to Forum Mall. It's just like an American mall, but after so many tours and school related stuff we wanted some fun. We then went to an emporium where they sell handcrafted Indian art. I might of bought a few things for myself and maybe others. Our bus driver then took us to see a Hindu Temple. A few went in, but most of use stayed outside and took pictures (we are all attached to our shoes and do not like walking around barefoot and it is required to remove your shoes to enter the temple). Then a few tried the coconut water that a vendor was selling. It was dark by the time we got back. We had dinner and then because these days are so draining it was off to bed.
Friday was a packed day. In the morning we visited HCL and learned all about their company. It was interesting to see how companies here manage information. These companies are super secure and you have to go through a vigorous set of checks to be allowed inside (sign the log book, visitors pass, picture taken, another visitor's pass that must be signed before we can leave, etc... you getting the point???). I unfortunately started to feel bad during that visit. It seems the time change and some of the spicy food has upset my system. I felt like crap for the rest of the day, which sucked because we then went to IndiaCan. This is a program started by the niece of our professor. It helps people who want to get into broadcast journalism get a start by teaching them various aspects and improving their English. One of the guys who works there gave a great presentation about India. He is knowledist (which means he knows a lot about the different cultures). He answered many of our questions about what we have observed here. We then took the bus back home. Everyone here drives crazy. They are probably second only to the Italians in my experience. They love to honk. In fact you can't go a mile without here 10 people honk. The traffic here is also crazy crazy CRAZY!!
Today since I was still feeling sick I have spent the day at XIME. I'm okay with that though. I'd rather miss a site visit (these visits are getting a bit dry) today, then sightseeing tomorrow. I'm really excited so I am trying my best to get healthy. Hopefully I will be back to 100%. I will try to write soon (though it is hard since the computer lab is usually closed by the time we get back).
Much love,
KP
On Thursday we went to the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore This school is considered the Harvard of India. The campus is AMAZING! It looks like Legends of the Hidden Temple, (you know that old game show on Nick?). It is all these beautiful carved stone buildings with vines and natural greenery. After a quick lecture we went to lunch on the campus. Then we got to tour the library which was pretty sweet. The library tour kind of fell apart when our professor went missing and this guy got stuck with us and had no idea what to do. Afterwards we got to see more of the campus and take some pictures. We then went to Forum Mall. It's just like an American mall, but after so many tours and school related stuff we wanted some fun. We then went to an emporium where they sell handcrafted Indian art. I might of bought a few things for myself and maybe others. Our bus driver then took us to see a Hindu Temple. A few went in, but most of use stayed outside and took pictures (we are all attached to our shoes and do not like walking around barefoot and it is required to remove your shoes to enter the temple). Then a few tried the coconut water that a vendor was selling. It was dark by the time we got back. We had dinner and then because these days are so draining it was off to bed.
Friday was a packed day. In the morning we visited HCL and learned all about their company. It was interesting to see how companies here manage information. These companies are super secure and you have to go through a vigorous set of checks to be allowed inside (sign the log book, visitors pass, picture taken, another visitor's pass that must be signed before we can leave, etc... you getting the point???). I unfortunately started to feel bad during that visit. It seems the time change and some of the spicy food has upset my system. I felt like crap for the rest of the day, which sucked because we then went to IndiaCan. This is a program started by the niece of our professor. It helps people who want to get into broadcast journalism get a start by teaching them various aspects and improving their English. One of the guys who works there gave a great presentation about India. He is knowledist (which means he knows a lot about the different cultures). He answered many of our questions about what we have observed here. We then took the bus back home. Everyone here drives crazy. They are probably second only to the Italians in my experience. They love to honk. In fact you can't go a mile without here 10 people honk. The traffic here is also crazy crazy CRAZY!!
Today since I was still feeling sick I have spent the day at XIME. I'm okay with that though. I'd rather miss a site visit (these visits are getting a bit dry) today, then sightseeing tomorrow. I'm really excited so I am trying my best to get healthy. Hopefully I will be back to 100%. I will try to write soon (though it is hard since the computer lab is usually closed by the time we get back).
Much love,
KP
Monday, 2 January 2012
First Few Hours in India
Hello America!!
Well I officially landed in India around 3 am. I had 2 layovers: one in New York were I got to hear the happy news of my Ravens winning the division (GO RAVENS)! My second was in Abu Dhabi, which has a super sweet airport. Getting to the institute was an interesting experience and I must say the drivers here give the crazy Chicago people a run for their money (though still not as bad as the Italians). I got to my room and met my roommate who had gotten in about an hour earlier, then immediately went to the shower because I have been traveling FOREVER! I lost January 2nd in the air (only the second day of the year and I'm already losing days). I then got to lay down for an hour on a very hard bed. But as I told myself: I'M IN INDIA SO WHO CARES! After breakfast I walked around the institute with my fellow study abroad mates. Now we are waiting for lectures to begin. I hope these lectures are interesting because I am a bit tired and do not want to be caught sleeping (that would be bad). Well it is almost time. I will write again soon. Hope you are all enjoying your day!
Much love,
KP
Well I officially landed in India around 3 am. I had 2 layovers: one in New York were I got to hear the happy news of my Ravens winning the division (GO RAVENS)! My second was in Abu Dhabi, which has a super sweet airport. Getting to the institute was an interesting experience and I must say the drivers here give the crazy Chicago people a run for their money (though still not as bad as the Italians). I got to my room and met my roommate who had gotten in about an hour earlier, then immediately went to the shower because I have been traveling FOREVER! I lost January 2nd in the air (only the second day of the year and I'm already losing days). I then got to lay down for an hour on a very hard bed. But as I told myself: I'M IN INDIA SO WHO CARES! After breakfast I walked around the institute with my fellow study abroad mates. Now we are waiting for lectures to begin. I hope these lectures are interesting because I am a bit tired and do not want to be caught sleeping (that would be bad). Well it is almost time. I will write again soon. Hope you are all enjoying your day!
Much love,
KP
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