Two Indias Side by Side

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/09/world/asia/09gated.html

I'm not sure if anyone is still paying attention to this blog, but I just found this article in the NY Times that talks about the huge division in worlds between rich and poor in India. Very timely for me, and does a good job explaining some of what I saw there.

Home again home again

I'm back at home, and getting ready for my return to work. The trip home was long and tiring, and not much to report on. I did see Ringo Starr in the London airport, and followed him through it to help kill some boredom. I didn't take his picture, since no one realized it was him, and I was afraid it would draw too much attention to him. I came home to a heat wave, hotter then it was in India, so I've been busy getting the house cooled down with some projects. Miles is happy to see me, but o man, he joined the torrential twos while I was gone. Already had a few timeouts as we get him back on his schedule and rules. He's seemed to expect them and accept them as something he needed to have happen, and immediately bounces back to his good side. Pretty funny.

Thanks for reading, and the words of support from everyone while I was gone. Now back to the day to day life. I'm sure you don't want to read about that...

Siteseeing and Shopping

I'm all packed and ready to go. Leaving for the airport around midnight, I guess to sit in airport and kill time for 2 hours. Hillary Clinton is walking on stage to end her campaign. Good news to end my trip. Anyway...

Ravi and Vaibhav picked me up from the hotel around 11am this morning. They both brought gifts. A very cool jacket for me and something for Anne (I don't want to ruin the surprise). We went down to the driver and started out on our site-seeing and shopping trip.

The first stop was Charminar, a landmark building in Hyderabad.


We parked and bought tickets to walk inside and up the steps to see the view. There is a foreigner increase on the tickets (what I kept calling the white guy tax) Their tickets were 5 ruppies, but mine was 100! The view was incredible, and the square and markets that surround it intense. Words cannot describe:





We came back down the steps and then walked into the market. My hosts keep asking me for my shopping list, and I was not doing a good job of describing what I was looking for. They keep relating to the good available in the terms they are familiar with. Bangles should be worn a certain way, fabric has certain methods of wear. They keep telling me that I don't really want what I'm saying. I finally just pull them into a store and start getting the shopkeeper to bring stuff out. They also are confused about who the gifts are for. I'm getting more then just for my wife. Finally I get the pile of goods on the counter that I want, and then the haggling begins. Ravi goes back and forth with the person helping us, and then eventually with the owner. He gets the price down by more then 1400 ruppies for the whole deal, and the argument stops and everyone is all smiles again. I really wish I understood what they were saying. I know some of it had to do with selling to an American.

We continue on and end up in a fabric store and repeat the same. After putting a pile of goods, the argument starts. The interaction between people here is uncanny. Again I get a great deal, paying pennies on the dollar for the same stuff back home. The girls are going to be happy when they see what I'm bringing home.



I probably would have gotten more had I not been so confused and overwhelmed with the whole thing. If I ever come back here, I have a better idea of what to do, and what do get. I could have spent the whole day wandering around here, but I could tell that neither of my hosts liked the market very much, and we were starting to get hungry, so we headed back to the car. I took some video of the walk as well:




While we waited for the car to come get us, I took a bit of a longer video as well:


I never got a good picture of a baby on a motorcycle, but here is a pair of bikes with some kids:


We went to get some lunch (will you be surprised that it was good?) and then we stopped off at a store where I bought more random Hyderabad specific goods. The place was a bit overpriced, and they would not haggle here. They also sold rugs that were incredible, but pretty expensive (albeit cheaper then the US) I'm happy with what I got here, but it was a bit disarming getting a bill that was 5 figures!

From here we went to Golkonda Fort. This is part of the old city, and big fortress that is over 500 years old. The heat was out at this point, and the steps were steep. Poor Vaibhav, who never walks anywhere outside the office, was out of breath and sweating. We forgot water, and they didn't think we should drink the water that was provided at the top. It was very cool though. It sits on the highest point around, so the view of the city was pretty impressive.

Pics from the Fort:





Next stop was Qutb Shahi Tombs, another very old location nearby the fort. After getting tickets, this time not only paying a white guy tax, but a ticket to take pictures we went inside. Lots of people that were important were buried three. It was cool, but we were hot and tired. We walked around for a short while then decided it was time to go. We had been in the sun for hours - I was getting sunburnt and Vaibhav was dying. I got V to take a picture of me there:




On the way back we went thru some villages and saw many cattle and poor people.



This village gives way into Hi-Tec city, the IT center that I had been thru a few nights before. I was able to take some snaps (this is the Indian term for pictures) Good to get a visual of what I described before, buildings and buildings being built and young people with laptop bags.







I can't resist a camel picture. Everytime I'm explained why there would be a camel in town (most people tell me there will NOT be a camel in town) I see a camel in a place that goes against what I'm told. Too bad I wasn't able to ride one, it does look fun.



All around the construction sites there are shanty towns of people and families that are working on the sites. Look for the tents/tarps in the image, and the building is a live apartment complex for more workers in the area.




We stop back thru the office for a few minutes and I took a picture of one of the office people that get everyone coffee and water.


Once I'm back at the hotel, I take a quick shower and then run over to the shopping mall I have been starting at for the week from my hotel. The shoppers stare and scowl at me somewhat, and the shopkeepers at first didn't speak to me. Once I started carrying bags, they started coming up to me more. I bought tons of stuff, shirts, shoes, belts and toys. It was really fun, and the goods are so cheap I felt like a really rich guy. Three nice shirts for $60, good shoes for $25. I finished up and then packed it all in my two suitcases and ordered room service. The girl that took my order giggles as I order the exact same thing as a few nights ago. Those that know me wouldn't be surprised.

In twenty minutes my cab should be here. The trip home is going to be torture, but I'm glad its time for it. Vaibhav is going to see me off. I'm glad I decided to do this blog, been getting lots of emails from everyone about it. It's been good for me to keep my thoughts of it all together and share it with everyone. I may sent a post of two on the way home - it does pass the time. In 30 hours I will be home, I really can't wait!!!

Last day in the office

Ravi comes to pick me up around 10am, and we head to the office. The taxi strike is still going on today. He tells me that many businesses are closed or allowing working from home due to the lack of transportation. One of the turns to the office is blocked by people protesting the fuel hike, waving flags and burning something in the middle of the road. I wasn't able to get my camera out in time for that.

Got to the office around 10:30am. Around 1pm I started to get hungry. The guys told me there is food in the kitchen, it's prepared everyday so people don't have to go out. %50 paid by the employee, and %50 by the company. It's only 40 ruppies a day (approx 1 dollar) I take a look, but it does not really appeal to me, so I try to convince my teammate to go to the mall I was at yesterday on a autorickshaw - these three wheeled open taxis that are everywhere in town. Unfortunately due to the strike, they are difficult to get today. Almost we borrow a bike to ride over there, but in the end, the office manager won't allow this to happen (probibably wisely) He gets one of the programmers to drive us to the mall for lunch. We sit into his car, and I notice that it still smells new, and there are still plastic bags around the sun visiors. Only 1100 km on the odometer. He is very proud to tell me it is new. We get into the road and head on our way.

Yesterday I went to this place with another team in the office. It's about a 10 min drive away. It's a shopping mall of some sort, but it seems that it's mostly the same store on 5 different floors. I really wanted to go back, since I was unable to look around yesterday, and I knew the food was good at the 'Noodle Bar' in the food area. Sudheer is driving a bit timid, but I don't think much of this at first. We missed a turn, then another and finally get turned around to get back to where the mall is. To be fair, there are no street signs here, and much of the road is bumpy, crowded and confusing. This is where I see the camels pictured above - on the main road! Last night Sudheer was telling me that you never see camels in Hyderabad, now here there were two. I ask him to slow down so I can get a quick picture.

We reach the mall, but he misses the parking entrance, and after some hesitation starts to back up thru the mass of autorickshaws, cars, bikes and people moving against us (going the right way) It was quite funny. There is no potential to turn around further up, and it could take another 20 minutes to get back to the mall again. We finally get turned around to go towards the traffic to get into the parking garage. The security is very tight, stopping the car to open the trunk, the hood and look under the car with mirrors. There has been problems with terrorists in the city the past few years, and there was a bomb that went off nearby last fall. The parking garage is very tight, but we find a spot that is fairly open to put the very compact car into.

After lunch (which was excellent as usual) I ask to goto the toy section on the 4th floor. It says it's a mall, but it's really more of a department store, and every toy in the small section could be bought back home. I'm hoping for something uniquely Indian, but there is nothing really just spiderman, fisher-price and legos. After delaying us, I feel like I must get something - so I buy a hotwheel car and a Yo-Yo (Miles randomally asked for this a day or so ago) Both items are made in China.

When we get back to the car, the parking has crowded around the car. He tries to get the car out, but is having a great deal of trouble, can't master the three point turn. At this point I discover that the 1100 km on the car is the only km he's ever driven, and very new to the whole experience. A security guard comes over and starts yelling and blowing his whistle, which adds to the pressure, and not helping this car get out. It takes a very long time to work it out, inch by inch. I feel bad for him so I try not to show my amusement of the whole situation.

As we are finally heading back to the office, I see dark storm clouds ahead and ask if it's time for the rains. Both of my hosts assure me that it is not going to rain, that it's not time for this yet. 5 minutes later the sky opens up and floods the streets. People on motorbikes and foot continue on, not even seeming to notice the pelting rain soaking them. I've riden a scooter in the rain before - it sucks. I don't know how they handled this monsoon without flinching.

After the work day was over, the head of the office takes me to a nice place for dinner. We have drinks and more good food (Indian and Thai) One thing I haven't mentioned about this place that is very strange to me. Every restaurant you goto, the wait staff puts all the food on your plate, they pour your drinks for you, and basicly do whatever you tell them to do. Every so often, they will walk over and put more food on your plate. The people I've been with bark at the waiters, make demands and provide very specific instructions to them in curt 'do this / don't do that' terms. There is so much of this here; drivers, doormen, security, cleaning people and water boys, all servants to whomever is present. In the office there are women and men that walk around cleaning up desks and providing water, and 2-3 times a day would bring me a small cup of coffee. No one says thank you to them, in fact they are treated with complete indifference, almost like they are a robot there to do a job and there is no need to acknowledge them.

Tomorrow is siteseeing and shopping. My ride will be here in the morning. 24 hours from right now, I will be on my way to the airport. I've enjoyed my time here, but I really miss Miles and Anne, my bed, and my iphone data plan.

Team dinner

Left to Right: Satish, Nori, Steve, Kiran, Sudheer, Felix, Vaibhav, Ravi, Vijay
Unfortunately, by the time the camera came out, several people had left, I will try to get pictures of them in the office today.

Last night I went to dinner with the IT team here. It may have been my most fun night of all. We ate, and drank, and told stories and laughed, and drank. We asked each other many questions and shocked each other with the answers. I learned so much about the culture. I was very surprised to learn that I was one of the oldest people in the room, most of the team is under 30. Many are married, and every marriage was arranged by their parents. Only one of the parents had more then one kid, and most have no intention of having a second. We talked about how caste and religion play a role in their lives and families. I heard about where everyone was from; Hyderabad is a meeting of the north and south of India, and everyone has migrated there from far away. Only a few people were truly from the city. And like all guys with some drinks in them, we talked about sports. A few of the guys were really into the NBA and baseball (but not MLB) Cricket and football are very popular here, and I explained how completely unknown cricket is in the states and how football (soccer) will never take fully in the US (sadly).

There were many questions about what the US IT team was like. The interactions between the people across the oceans are limited, and tend to be mostly via IM and email. As I learned the personalities of these people, who until this night were only names on tickets for me, I realized the biggest challange we have becoming one team; How do we get to know each other seperated by 1000s of miles and 10.5 hours of time? The people I met were young, smart and fun, but none of them were really known to me before. I knew everyone's names, I knew what they did, but had never even heard many of their voices before. Several of them I could imagine hanging out with if they worked in our office in the US.

Today is my last day in the office, and I'm surprised to say I'm sad about it. The week has gone by faster then I expected. I think I have gotten what I needed here; a better idea of what is going on, how things need to be and ideas on how to make it better. I think there is still more to the story here, more that I'm not seeing, but how globalization is changing the world has never been more clear to me.

After work today, I'm going to dinner with the head of the office. Tomorrow is siteseeing and shopping. Then, at 4am Sunday morning, I head home. I do hope to come back and spend some more time with my newly made work friends from far away.

The world is flat...

This is Baig. He's my driver for the week. Except for today, today there is a strike for hired cars, cabs and buses. Not sure how I'm getting to work today but I was told not to worry. He's a nice guy, and I hope he returns tomorrow.

Work was about the same yesterday. Talked to many of the managers here. Really hit it off with the HR manager here. He asked if I was interested in a tour after work, I was eager to accept the offer. We left around 9pm, and made a quick stop for some beer. With 'road soda' in hand, we took off for Hi-Tec City, an area in Hyderabad where the tech companies are located.

Mile after mile we passed huge complexes of every multinational company you can think of. Hundreds of thousands of people are employed here, involved in an economic explosion I was seeing first hand. With the explosion of work there is also an explosion of construction of not only office parks, but housing, restaurants, malls, etc. I lost count of the giant cranes dotting the skyline building the next super park. We talked about the staffing issues and growth problems the city faces, but how overall it's wonderful for the area. My guide was born and raised in Hydrabad, so this must have been incredible for him to have watched this all develop. If you had a doubt of where the technology industry is heading, this journey showed me the way.

After an hour of driving around gawking at all the buildings (and a quick stop by the side of the road to release the beer) we headed to a African themed restaurant for a late bite and more good conversation before taking me back to the hotel for the night. Drunk, full and tired, I almost didn't make my daily call home. Today I have more meetings and lunch and dinner plans. I see the end of my trip coming, but still have not been shopping! Hopefully tomorrow I can make some time for that.

Election news from here

I woke up and watched the news, BBC, CNN and Indian 24/7 talking box equivalent. US election news dominated it all. I had hoped that the dems would settle this before I made it home. Seems HRC does not want to allow that to happen. The BBC reporters were amazed by this. CNN reporters seemed to see it coming. India just reported the facts.

Can someone drop a house on her already???

Tuesday (nothing exciting today)

Pretty boring day really. Got up, went to work. Went to lunch at Subway (yes, the same one) Got a meatball sub (chicken of course) Everyplace has Veg and Non-Veg marked clearly. Subway has different lines for each of these. The days are very long. It's funny being ahead of London time. The US doesn't start to wake up until after 5pm here. And once their day gets going and they are ready to talk, I'm spent, ready to go home. Much of what I'm doing here does require speaking with my team back home, so 8pm will be the earliest I could ever leave. No big deal really, just need to plan to see the city more in the morning.

Got back to the room and talked to Anne and Miles via Skype. I swear he's talking better then last week. We've been having actual conversations - it's really amazing. He sang a bunch of songs to me today too.

I ordered room service (Indian/Chinese) the food here is just incredible. Can't get any beer but a lager unfortunately. Funny you can't get an INDIA PALE ALE in India! I plan on taking a sleeping pill in a short while, after a couple of episodes of 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'

Here is a night shot from my hotel room, of a shopping mall across the street that I hope to visit before I leave.

You want a job? Fix my computer!

Had a very productive day in the office today. Didn't get there until around 11:30am, but from what I have gathered, that is about the time most people start in our office anyway. Since there is overlap need with the US, many people work 11am-7pm so they can 'speak' (read, email/IM) their bosses in the US in their morning. There are several shifts here to accommodate this, some people don't start until 6:30pm and work all night to provide support to the US.

My day there started off with a broken laptop. Apparently my laptop was damaged over my travels this weekend. Guess we will get to see if the onsite support we have for laptops will be as good here as it is back home. I do a laptop swap with one of my staff here and I'm finally able to begin work. I went to lunch with the Managing Director here (Italian - go figure) and then came back and had some meetings with office staff and the development team.

Soon enough the day wound down and we made plans for dinner, and it was off to get some proper Hydarbadi Braini. I have a driver for the week, who it seems will always be waiting for me outside where ever he drops me off. His name is Baig, and he's very nice, and very talkative. I can barely understand a word he says, but he assures me he understands me.

After a nice meal and many drinks, we head back to the hotel. Baig takes what seems to me to be an alley, and we pass several groups of people (almost all male from what I can tell) and then come across a group of kids and young adults blocking the road with their cycles. They are playing a drum, and there is a camel with them. That's right, a camel. It's sitting down, and has a saddle on it, and there is a number '786' on its side. No one in the car seems to be as amazed by the site as I am; no one ever seems to be phased by what is going on in this city but me. The car is forced to stop, since one of the scooters is put into our way, and one of the older (and drunker) people approaches the car and begins to yell at Baig in Hindi. The crowd gathers closer, and I quietly lock the door on my side. The camel looks indifferent. He asks why we don't backup and let them drum and ride their camel, as though it's a common event to ride a camel with drum core at midnight in an alley. I really wanted to take a picture, but I was afraid it would make the situation worse. Eventually we make it thru and Baig gets me back to the hotel.

Once back in the hotel, my laptop will not connect to the wireless, due to the change in laptop. I call the support desk, and the gentleman working the phones helps me in very good English. He's speaking to me in simple terms, so I explain that I'm here to do IT, and that I'm looking for someone to hire. Help me on the phone and you might get a job. He gets very happy about this fact, and asks for my email address to send his CV. He helps me get connected (I suspect via an unpublished method) Naveen will be considered for my new position here, he did a good job helping me.

That's it for today, it's late now and I need to get some rest to start it all over again tomorrow. I have a weekly conf call for my team on Tuesdays, 9:30am EST. This won't be until 7pm IST, so it will be another late night for me. No pictures today either, but I will try to get some tomorrow.

India Math and New Cultural Rules

Being here I find myself having to do constant math. Here is a list of the calculations and new rules I have to learn:

• Time in EST is IST + 2.5 hours (then move it 12 hours back)
  example: currently it's 10am here, 10 + 2.5 = 12:30am
  
• $1 = approx 40 ruppies. Unless you are changing money at the Goa airport, then it's $1 = 38 ruppies + service charge. I refused the service charge (%12) and asked for my money back - he then waived the service charge
• Nodding your head does not mean yes. Yes is more of a head tilt from side to side. I suspect nodding means that they are not sure what I said. (V has somewhat confirmed this for me)
  
• "Please remain seated until the seatbelt sign has gone off" means take your seatbelt off, get your bag and run up front closer to the door.
• Lines are something to walk to the front of and push your way thru.
• Time does not work consistantly here. "One moment" means you will sit there until you complain - 10-30 minutes (or what you asked for will never show up)
  
• In US hotels, when you order breakfast with window of 9:00-9:30am it will arrive at 9:25am. In India it will arrive at 8:50am.
• If you order cereal in India it will arrive with boiling hot milk (which I'm not able to eat)
• No rule that is stated can be taken seriously - unless the person enforcing the rule has an automatic weapon.
  
• No price given is the best price, many times its %50-70 over what you will really pay.
• If you have money, you can do anything here. If you are poor, you quietly watch other people do anything they want.
  
• Dividing lines in the road are for decoration, not driving lanes.
• Street signs are for the weak.
• Car horns should be sounded as often as possible, to let the people around you know that you will hit them if they don't watch out.
• Even though someone is honking at you, there is no reason to stop what you are doing and get out of their way.
  
• If you get into an accident, the person that gets out and yells first and loudest wins, reguardless of true fault. (this was told to me by V and our cab driver last night - I hope to witness this one while I'm here)
• Electrical Power is not something that can be expected to function at all times. I've seen the power go out in my hotel several times (5 star hotel I might add) at the resort it happened several times while watching the cricket match - noone even seemed to notice or comment on it sitting there in the dark for 3-4 minutes. It also happened while V and I were in the sauna, left there in pitch blackness for 2 minutes.
  
• Everyone can speak english, but if there is a non-indian present they will choose not to.
  

Goa

I'm back in my hotel room after a very fun (but way too short) visit to Goa.

I woke up at 6am yesterday and was not able to go back to sleep. Very frustrating. But at least I was able to find, download and watch the Lost finale. I would have done this legitimately, but ABC blocks non-US viewers - haha I watched it without the commercials. V came to get me from the hotel around 11am and we readied to go to the airport. I remember to take my medicine, and decide to take a vitamin for good measure and as I'm walking out the door quickly take an immodium (my tummy was not great that morning) and drink it down absentmindedly with some tap water. As I'm swallowing the 1/3 of a cup of water, all i hear in my head is all the people that warned me to not drink the water and that it was a serious risk. Figures I would do this while taking something to make me NOT sick. I shuddered and shrugged, and we were on our way.

The trips to and from on the roads have become my favorite. It's amazing the controlled chaos that everyone drives in. Two wheeled vehicles (powered and not) weaving between trucks and cars, everyone honking. People on the motorcycles talking on their cell phones, giving rides to 1-3 additional people, even mororbikes with 2 children riding with both parents, once with the child (5 or 6 years old) STANDING between Mom and Dad on the moving bike. It's really a site. Here is a clip (and by far a more tame trip then I've seen at other times)



Th extreme levels of poverty are amazing. Frequently we pass little shanty towns:

And herds of cattle:


V is completely indifferent to it all. He's from well a to do family and for him, it's just the way it is. He tells me there is an expression in India, "if you have money you can do anything you want" I've heard so many stories about the absolute corruption in this country so far to know he's not kidding. My mouth was on the floor of the car constantly, and he's barely paying any of the scenes outside any mind.

We arrive at the Hyderabad airport and go get our tickets. The airport is brand new. There was a sign that was bragging about the first 60 days in operation that was the day I landed. It's very clean, and very tall, almost like a train station. There are some quotes about travel on glass windows that look over the runway.


As we are sitting there, enjoying a coffee, my stomach reminds me of my tap water mistake from this morning. Luckily I wasn't gone long and that was the last of it. ;-)

Once our flight is ready to board, they put us on a bus and take us across the tarmac to a really small prop plane.



We board from the back and take a short, but cramped flight to Goa. I slept.

Once we arrive, Vaibhav has a quick smoke then we hop in a car that takes us off to our hotel.

Goa is on the coast and and in a jungle. We went thru a winding road for 30 km thru little villages until at one point we come to a stop at a railroad track. Mobs of cars and cycles wait on both sides, and we sit for quite some time. After a while, the guard just opens the gates - no train is really coming.




V and I get to our hotel, a very nice membership only family hotel. There are tons of little kids and teenagers roaming around. I think I'm the only non Indian there. We have some drinks and snacks, and I need a nap - I'm just bonked. Sadly, I slept thru the sunset, but I wake up with enough time to get to the beach before dusk is gone.

The beach is huge. The sky is large. The bugs are MASSIVE. We decide to go for more drinks and dinner and try to sit at the outside bar, but even the staff says we should take cover, the mosquitoes will be coming soon. We go inside and find a table near to a cricket game on TV and order some Fenny. Fenny is the drink I was told about, made from raw cashews and a specialty in Goa. I order a shot at first, it tastes like tequila, and has a special buzz like drinking just tequila does. Then I discover a mixed drink for it called Kings. It's strawberry and delicious, and I lost count of how many I had. We watch the cricket match and talk about the world until I was past the point of clarity. We have a late bite in the room and then goto bed.

In the morning we goto the spa for an awesome massage and then while deciding what to do wth the little time we have left it dawns on me what that ocean is: That's the Indian Ocean. I insist we go in (V wanted to go in one of the many pools) The water was amazing and warm. Alas we didn't have much time, only swam for a short while before going back to shower and pack.




Here are some pics from the resort:







There were little kids everywhere, and they really made me miss Miles.

On our way out we stopped at a liquor store (shack) to buy some Fenny. We got 4 bottles there for less then what we paid per round of drinks at the hotel (550 rupees) If all goes well, I should return with two bottles for everyone to try.

Here is V buying them. That's the whole store.



Here are some ladies walking thru a Goan village on our way out. I love all the bright colors everyone wears.


Here's me before getting on the airline to go back to Hyderabad (wearing some t-shirt I found lying around):


Bye Goa! I hope to see you again someday!



I would definitely want to go back there someday. Next time spending more then 24 hours :)

Tomorrow is the office. Talk to you soon.