India Day 18: Last Day in India

Well, this is my last post from India.  It is very bitter sweet.  The first couple of days of our trip, I have to admit...I was homesick, frustrated, and worried that I wouldn't enjoy the trip.  It was so hot, and chaotic, and loud, and I was rooming by myself at the time.  I sat down at one point and just thought, "What the holy heck have I gotten myself into?"  Now, three weeks later, my bag is nearly completely packed and I'm writing my last post at the desk in the dungeon wondering where the time could possibly have gone.  I can't lie though, I'm super excited to see Erik in London!!  I've got a full blown cold at this point, so I'm hoping a whopping dose of antihistamine for the flight and some sleep will have me feeling better when we land.

Moving on.  Today was our last lecture and site visit (obviously).  The lecture was OK.  It was given by a director of something for GE (sorry, my notes are packed away).  I had no idea how vast GE's business structure is.  The facts were interesting, the presentation not so much.  The speaker tried very hard, though, to include each of our areas of interest in his presentation.

Unnati Bangalore
The site visit was incredible!  I've mentioned that there are little to no social programs here.  Today we visited a center which is privately funded/sponsored which provides vocational training to young people who are from disadvantaged backgrounds.  They range in age from 18-30, some have physical or mild mental disabilities, they may come from poor families or negative home lives, and none of them has completed high school.  Some of them even stopped going to school in the 6th grade.  This program teaches basic computer skills, life skills, and spoken English over 70 days.  The students come learning little to no English, and leave conversationally proficient.  We were able to interact with them some and they were amazing!  In English class, we interrupted the students telling a story about a picture their teacher had shown to them.  One of our group asked them to tell us the stories they had been discussing, and a few excitedly told us!  It was interesting the variation in the stories given the fact that they all looked at the same photo.  Another class told us they like being students there because they'll get jobs after the program finishes.  You should understand; these people are next to, if not completely unemployable in this country.  They have little education and no English skills, little ability to give themselves a rigorous daily schedule, and no ability to earn a respectable income to help provide for their families.  To see a program like this thriving in a country where social assistance does not exist, and where you literally have to work twice as hard to maintain your program is just...I don't even know.  This is the work I would do if I could do anything.  These students must apply to the program.  They want to be there!  To work with young people who want to change their lives for the better, Wow! 

We were all quite moved and very excited to be with the students for the few minutes that we were given.  The students loved seeing us and being able to communicate with us!  I think they even wanted to show off their English skills.  I should mention that in a country as large and as populous as India, many of the regional languages are not able to be understood by neighboring state populations.  The only universal language here is English, so it makes it quite imperative to learn.  Business is conducted here in English, so these students must learn to use it effectively in order to fulfill their goal of becoming employed.

I will sit down in the coming weeks and compile a list of my memories, thoughts, and observations of India.  For now, I conclude my last post from my first study abroad.  It's had its ups and downs:  Personalities have clashed, we've pushed ourselves beyond limits we didn't know we had, we're all exhausted, but it's been a truly amazing journey.  I tried to come without expectation, but you still have some hope of what you'll see or feel.  Any expectations that I did come with were quashed in about the first 6 hours.  It was hard being the oldest in the group by many years.  I bring a different kind of maturity, a different set of interests, and different mindset, and a different view than my classmates.  I'm looking forward to coming back with a new set of expectations and journeying on my own (with Erik of course).  It will surely be a different experience.

For now, I'll continue trying to write from London and Paris in the coming week.  Ahh!!  London and Paris!!  And Clean Clothes!!  (Sorry, Karen, I'm commandeering your wash room).  Look for the posts as I find wifi availability.  

Love to you all who support me so willingly in all my harebrained dreams and schemes!  

XOXO and Keep on Burning...

India Day 17: Visit to Christ University; Bangalore

Our lecture this morning was a little different as we had a guest lecturer come to campus.  He is Mr. Anil Kumar, Director of HR at Intel in Bangalore.  His lecture was less a lecture and more a conversation.  We asked questions about everything from religion and religion in the workplace, to gender inequality, to hiring/firing practices, and much in between!  He was easy to talk to and answered our questions openly.  Hindu by birth, he is now a Buddhist and referred to the Buddhist teachings a few times.  My questions were about choosing the right candidates for a position when there are thousands of applicants, and about the changing society here and its implications on the business world here and abroad.  It's interesting that I've asked similar questions to multiple people and I seem to get severely varying answers from each.  Each answer seems to come from one of two main types:  The "I love India/India is great,"  and the "we have a lot of room to grow, and if we do grow we will go great places" type.  I think I prefer the latter as it seems more realistic.  There are major issues here which are impressive in their scope.  The government is riddled with fraud and seems to do very little in way of supporting this country's massive population, social programs are nonexistent, gender discrimination is rampant, fair labor/work practices are nowhere to be found...I could make a list for days.  The citizens here are very excited to see what the new political party will do.  The new prime minister is being sworn in today, and the people are very excited to see what he will do for the country.  This will be the first total majority in the government in a very long time (if it has ever happened before, I'm not sure).  Everyone hopes and expects that this will be for the better.  I just hope that they are simply so thirsty for change that they've chosen the first person who they think will bring it.  We've learned in the U.S. that the change that is badly wanted may not come despite the promises.  Though obviously, the issue is far more complex that we can understand.

Moving on...We visited the Centre for Social Action at Christ University today.  They have a big recycling project going here and it's very impressive.  The recycle waste paper from around campus, and organic waste which is used to fertilize the plant nurseries on campus, and to fuel parts of the kitchens.  The paper products make recycled paper which is used to make journals, folders, and other paper based items which are sold on campus.  The program is fully self sustaining at this point.  It's really very neat.  I am continually amazed at the fact that despite the lack of modern equipment here, so many wonderful things are happening.  This recycling facility, construction...with all the technology coming out of Bangalore, you'd think they would be able to find/utilize modern construction equipment.  Photos will be included soon.  I may just do that after all the posts go up after I get home.  Sorry, guys.

We finished the evening, a few of us, with our professor while the other few made plans again without inviting some of us.  It's their loss, right?  I'm coming down with a cold and I feel awful.  My teacher wants me to stay with her tonight which I'll do and hopefully get some good rest.  I do NOT want to be sick for my week in Europe with Erik!!  I've been so looking forward to our trip!!  He should be leaving in less than 12 hours for the airport.  I just can't wait to see him--3 weeks is too long!

Keep on Burning...

India Day 16: An Indian Wedding & Bangalore Around Town

Oh my goodness, today was amazing!  The girls and Zaheer started the morning early with an Indian wedding (the one that we essentially invited ourselves to).  It was so wonderful!  The family of the bride insisted that we go up on the mandap (sort of similar to a bimah or a pulpit), and they even asked us to take part in the ceremony.  We threw rice at the couple as a sort of blessing, and in pairs, we poured milk over the couples hands and then rice over their heads before blessing them.  They were so gracious!  After the ceremony while the couple was still taking photographs and everyone was still seated, the bride's sisters ushered us into another room to have lunch.  We were seated and served before anyone else.  In front of us on the table we found banana leaves which our lunch was served on.  It was traditional Indian food and everything was very good!  It was the first meal that I ate without the option of utensils.

A little bit of information on this Indian wedding:  The marriage was arranged by the family(ies) and the bride and groom are cousins.  Apparently the wedding was tame, but to me it was colorful and loud, and very exciting!  The Families of the couple didn't buy new clothes or shoes, didn't get nails done, or hair or makeup, though the bride and groom looked wonderful.  Both in white traditional Indian clothing.  It was a wonderful way to start the day.

We followed our morning with shopping!  We shopped on Commercial Street and the surrounding areas.  I finished finding gifts for all of my people in time to go to the Isckon Temple a little south of where we're staying with Professor Dembla.  It was just the two of us which was a nice change to the group dynamic for a couple of hours.  We talked about religion and culture as we climbed the steps to the temple.  It was busy and hurried from start to finish, so the calming, spiritual experience that Professor Dembla was looking for was pretty much a lost cause.  Though a beautiful site with the gold alter and bright, colorful Gods, it struck me as very commodity-like.  I was a little disturbed by this as the point of religion is never to make money (in my mind).  Despite this, I'm glad I went as it was an interesting experience all around and I got to see a little more of India than I might have otherwise.  

The evening was filled with dinner and much needed quiet time.  During dinner, about half the group was planning to go do something off campus.  It was quite hurtful because those who were planning were doing so in front of the rest of us but not including us in the plans.  They didn't tell us where they were going or ask us if we were interested in joining them.  The ironic thing is, had I been invited, I would not have gone.  I don't want to take part in what they are doing.  But it would have been appreciated to have been included.

I ended the evening with a conversation about my hurt feelings with Nate, the youngest group member who is also one of the most mature, and is very wise.  He helped me realize that it was me being singled out which made it a little easier.  I don't care to be friends with people who behave this way, and I therefore don't care that they don't want me around.

It was a good day, overall, and I'm glad to be learning the lessons I'm learning.  I will surely carry them forever.

Until tomorrow....

India Day 15: Mysore

Day 15

Today was a “free” day, though it was planned from early in the morning.  We boarded the bus at 6 AM (remember we I got back to the dorms at 2), and headed for Mysore which is about 4 hours away.  The bus was exceptionally quiet while we all slept or tried to sleep all the way.  What’s a road trip without a stop at McDonald’s, right?  So we stopped at McD’s for breakfast.  Their menu is pretty limited, but we all found something that worked for us.  I had, just the previous day, mentioned that I really wanted an orange juice, so I was excited to be able to order one.  Annnnd…it wasn’t actual OJ.  It was a Minute Maid orange flavored water like substance with “pulp” in it=I was disappointed and didn’t drink it all.  

We arrived in Mysore after some beautiful views as we turned curves in the road, and roamed around a bit.  We did some shopping, visited a temple which we didn’t go inside of because the lines were forever, had some fresh veggies, and then visited Mysore Palace.  It is beautiful, and Huge!!  It belonged to one of the royalty of India during the British rule in the mid or late 1800’s.  We weren’t allowed to take pictures, and much of the inside is replicated anyhow, but I can imagine that in its day, the space was exquisite!  Paintings on the ceilings, intricate tiles lining the floors and walls, pillars in the wedding hall painted a beautiful blue, a court surrounding the entrance where guests and dignitaries would sit, expansive marble floors, hand carved wood ceilings and doors, wood doors with inlaid ivory (which are sadly covered in plastic panes so that no one digs out the ivory).   It was very pretty:  Despite the touristy feel, I’m glad we went.  Though I wasn’t too terribly fond of wandering around without shoes, we got them back easily and none were missing.

Following the Palace tour, we wound our way thru the exit where, of course, there were items to buy and Animals To Ride!!  You’d think this group had died and gone to heaven.  There were two elephants and two camels.  I, along with everyone else had wanted to see an elephant while here, and we did get to see an elephant.  Everyone ran to buy tickets and get in line.  I hung back not wanting to take part.  I knew that it was possible that we’d have the opportunity to ride various animals while here, and I knew months ago that I wouldn’t pay to do so.  Just as I expected, the animals are not well kept.  The camels looked better than the elephants, though that doesn’t say much.  There were uncombed with dead hair visible on their necks, and it was hot and they likely had not had breaks in a long time.  The elephants are a little more telling:  They had tumors growing on them; one on the side of a face, the other on the leg, at least one of them had significant cataracts, his eyes white and blind.  They would come to a stop at the loading stand, lean their poor heads against the stand and wrap their trunks around the bottom.  Their eyes were so sad, and they had little energy, using it all to try to fan themselves with their trunks.  I just wanted to go unfasten everything and give them a good hosing off with cool water and then love on them for as long as they’d let me.  Everyone wanted to know why I didn’t take part.  My only answer was that I have a fundamental issue with how the animals are treated and I won’t pay to support it.  A couple of people told me after the ride that the understood what I meant, one even mentioned that while sitting on top of the elephant, she thought to herself, “This isn’t right.”  And it’s not.  Please don’t pay to ride on animals.  They aren’t meant to be commodities, they are wild animals.  

By the end of the day, we were all completely exhausted.  We got back on the bus and everyone was quiet.  Most of us tried to sleep, though we were all quite uncomfortable.  We stopped at a coffee shop for some munchies and got back on the road.  We finally arrived back to crash after midnight.  Let me tell you, I slept so hard!  All in all, it was a good day despite the length and fatigue.  Our trip is coming to an end very quickly.  There’s a lot left to do in very little time.  We’ve got to make the best of it! 

India Day 14: Narayana Health

Today was a really good day for me.  We started the day with a lecture which I found very interesting.  It was in regards to Gen Y and IT going forward in today’s India.  We discussed the issues that face the emerging market, what has changed in society and culture here, and some of the things that might need to change going forward to help India in its continued growth.  I enjoyed it very much.  We were actually cut off by a fellow student who was ready for lunch while a couple of us were still asking questions. 

Following the great lecture we boarded the van to go to Narayana Health very near our college here in Bangalore.   As I mentioned before, I was very excited about this opportunity!  We were escorted into the facility and to an academic round for a presentation.  The director of neurosurgery, Dr. Komal Prasad, addressed us informally and answered questions which were thrown at him mostly by me, but also by Connor.  I was fascinated!  Some of the items discussed were micro insurance, a policy that is intended for low income earners to afford health insurance at as little as .15 cents per day (as in $0.15 USD).  The average cost for a coronary artery bypass graft under U.S. Medicare is $20,000-$42,000, and Indian private hospital is $5,000, and at Narayana, it is $2,000!  And I was told that even at $2,000, they make a profit at over 7%.  Granted that their volume is absolutely huge, but that’s still pretty impressive!  We toured the facility:  Inside the main building and the cardiac center, and viewed from afar the cancer center, eye institute, trauma center, and multiple other specialty buildings.  This man was just so interesting to talk to.  He gracefully answered all of the questions I could think of to ask, and never seemed bothered despite the fact that we took up two hours of his very busy day.  I’m excited to tell my coworkers about it all when I see them!  The facts are amazing, though it couldn’t ever work like this in our country.  People here will wait to see a doctor for hours without complaint.  There is little privacy s the laws here are very different than those in the U.S., and we have such an overly abused assistance program already, that sufficiently modifying it would take power that we don’t have.  They have multiple, multifunctional hospitals around the country and are building another in the Cayman Islands.  The director of neurology (?) gave us a few minutes as well.  He was quiet and kind and was so glad to meet us!  He asked us our names and where we’re visiting from, and told us about the board exams that his students would take beginning this coming week.  Good luck, students!

After our amazing visit which I didn’t want to end (I think I had about 25 more questions, and that was before the answers raised more questions), we went back to the dorms to get ready for our evening out.  After much drama and a spat between another group-member and myself (which ended in somewhat unnecessary apologies all around from me), we all were ready and boarded the rented van to go to a club called Skyye for the evening.  It is a rooftop club/bar in the center of the city with views for miles.  It got dark quickly, lighting up the city and the floor of the outdoor terrace.  I had a few drinks, enjoyed the time with my new friends (Indian and American), and danced the night away.  Everyone had a genuinely good time!  Most of us arrived back at the dorm at about 2 am which required special approval from about 4 people.  I felt like I was 12 years old again asking permission to spend time out on a school night.  I promptly went to sleep for about 3 hours before rising to get back on the bus to go to Mysore for the day (more on that visit in the next post).  

Until then…

India Day 13: Bangalore & Tech Mahindra

I was not feeling well this morning.  I had a bit of a stomach bug most of the day, so I didn't eat breakfast or lunch.  I managed a piece of bread at our site visit to Tech Mahindra (they gave us sandwiches and tea), and some rice and a piece of bread for dinner.  I was feeling really, really badly during our meeting, so a 2 hour nap following our visit didn't hurt anything.  My tummy feels better for now.  A good night's sleep will do the trick I think.

Unfortunately, I felt so badly that I couldn't even pretend to pay attention.  Cold chills, dizzy head, and stomach cramps don't make for a good day.  I actually felt very rude to be so "uninterested," when I actually was simply trying to keep breathing and not vomit all over their board room.  I did get, however, that they are into everything:  Farm equipment, IT, app development...the list goes on and on.  I wish I'd felt better...or better yet, that I'd stayed in my room to sleep.

Our lecture this morning was somewhat interesting.  Our Professor showed a few videos that were pretty interesting.  They were about social media and what kind of an effect they have on the world, IT, and marketing.  The statistics are pretty interesting.  I'll have to see if I can get a copy of the link and share it.

I am currently listening to a conversation between 2 local girls and some of my roommates about plans to go out for tomorrow...It's kind of funny.  No one can agree on anything, and no one will say what they want to do. 

I'm very excited to visit Narayana Health tomorrow!  They built a conglomerate in a span of 10 years from a 300 bed facility to a 5,700 bed operation.  They house the largest cancer center in India, dialysis units, tertiary care in liver, kidney, and heart transplants, and a large telemedicine network.  I'm looking very forward to talking to them and learning about the systems and processes in the healthcare system here in India.

We have some more shopping to do, many of us need to work on gifts for family, which we are told we can take care of this in Mysore (Saturday) and Bangalore (around town Sunday).  We're all excited for a couple of days of site seeing and fun.  These last days have been pretty packed and morale is slipping some.  Some of the group members are even counting days until they get to go home.  I feel like over all, there are many opportunities to improve on this trip.  We discussed this with Professor Dembla, and she agreed with some of our suggestions.  This being the first trip to India, I think it's a learning experience for all of us and that those lessons will be well used in the future.   

We had a discussion  the other day about a Global Learning certification.  We've each completed half of it with this study abroad, and we'd have to take part in a planning process for some international education programming.  We are also going to get information on hosting international students similarly to the students who have hosted us here.  I'm so excited about this!!  I would love to answer questions and show students around my home town!  More information on that when I get home and have access to it.

It's very late here and I need to get some rest to be ready for our visit tomorrow.  I'm trying to work on a post about overall reflections on India.  Eventually I'll get that written, though it may take a couple of weeks.

Until tomorrow....

India Day 12: Bangalore & Ellucian

After a few days of rough, rocky emotions from all of us, today was a good day.  In my book, anyhow.  We were up and ready for breakfast on time, and followed with lecture and lunch.  The lecture was about IT in India, which I've discussed that I have little interest in.  But today, we heard about how the IT industry came to settle in Bangalore, which was surprisingly interesting.

Our visit to Ellucian was really great!  I was fascinated to hear about the agile business model they implement and how it's working for them!  They work in team groups which have open work spaces on each of 4 floors.  Each floor also contains one of their "CLEAR" values:  Collaboration, Learning, Engagement, Accountability, Resourcefulness.  There were quotes on the walls in the stairwells which referred to these values, along with inspirational quotes on the walls surrounding the work spaces.  The dividers between work stations were low enough to see over and are made of white board material so that employees can make notes as they think of pertinent ideas.  I just kept thinking to myself that "I could work here!"  Mr. Srinivas (VP & Country head, India), and Mr. Kumar (Senior Manager HR) spent a lot of time with us.  They were gracious and kind, and they answered our millions questions easily.  They ordered Subway and served us sodas (I've been dying for a Diet Coke!!), and gave us gifts for visiting (a nice mug).  I was overwhelmed by the philosophy of the company, and by their excitement at speaking with us.  They were absolutely wonderful hosts, and I'm so excited to apply for an internship (they have an intern program at their Fairfax, VA office!).  Or I could apply to intern here in Bangalore, which I'd be totally ok with.  I like this city.  I can't say, though, that I'd like to stay much longer than the 8 week program. 

Anyhow, we received permission, thanks to Dr. Dembla, to stay out with the van late.  We had a few minutes to look around a high end shopping center, and then had dinner at The Hard Rock Cafe Bangalore!  It was nice to relax a bit and not go straight back to the dorm to hang out for the rest of the evening.  We enjoyed a couple of drinks, conversation, and laughs!

A good day is worth 4 bad days--especially when you're half a world away from your family and haven't spoken to them in days.  Shout out to my dad who is doing great post op!!  I hope you're back to 100% when I get home!

 Ria at Haji Ali--You make a wish and tie the string to the tree.  When your wish comes true, you return and remove your string.

 Ria and I at Haji Ali

 The view from the walkway to Haji Ali.  You walk along the walkway through the middle of the Arabian Sea.

 Goa Wildlife--Sort of:  They are owned, but not well managed

 Lord Ganesha at Baywatch Resort, Goa

 Goa

 Cow Among Trash in Goa

"Prison Bars"

Just some of the bugs on night one in the "dungeon"

Note:  In my opinion, our accommodations are not so terribly bad.  The beds are uncomfortable box springs, and the rules are very tight, but eh, I'm trying to make the best of it!

Until tomorrow...

India Days 10-11: Bangalore

Day 10:  Marlabs
We awoke in time to get up and get ready by 10:30 for breakfast....only to receive a knock on the door at 9:15 AM to tell us that "you come, breakfast now."  I politely argued that we were told 10:30, and I lost the battle.  In fact, we had breakfast at 9:30 AM, a lecture at 10:30, lunch at 12, site visit at 2, dinner at 8, and lock-down at 11.  Not a late morning after all, though we were late.  We were all irritated.  I didn't get a shower, didn't have time for makeup....Just a bad start to a day.  Poor Briana and Kearstyn, I woke them up by saying, "Hey!  We have breakfast in 15 minutes, get up!"  Keep in mind there are five of us in a space meant for four, with one toilet, one sink, and one shower:  Not a good combination overall.

Despite the rough start, we had a good lecture which discussed marketing foreign brands in India.  Our site visit in the afternoon was to Marlabs, an IT Outsourcing Firm.  It was an interesting talk given by the CEO.  Some of it was over my head as the IT credit I'm earning is an elective and I actually know NOTHING about IT/IS.  But it was interesting and we were treated as rock stars.  They discussed an account for the company that owns Gate Gourmet (the company that provides meals for Delta, among others).  It was a project management software that they designed which allows coordination of meals for all flights coming and going from any city.  It allows for changes for delays and cancellations, and anything else that needs to be conveyed regarding meals on flights.  It was neat that they worked with Delta which is based out of Atlanta, our home, half way around the world!

After arriving back on campus, we spent some time in Dr. Dembla's guest house.  It is far nicer than our "dungeon" as we've dubbed it.  We spent a bit of time watching a Bollywood movie which I didn't understand a word of, but it was fun.

And then The Warden called her house and told her that it was time for us to come back.  For the record, we had discussed the fact that we had to leave in 5 minutes.  We spent our short walk back griping about our "prison."

Day 11:  ITC Infotech 
We had a moderately interesting lecture this morning with a very personable professor, followed by a visit to ITC Infotech.  I was pleasantly surprised at how "green" this company is!  They run a sustainable business, both in commerce and in the social sphere.  I enjoyed listening about the projects which support the rural farmers here.  They have created a sustainable pulp supply for paper, and have educated the farmers as to positive use of soil, use of computers, distribution (which is typically done with ITC directly who offers them a premium price to do business directly with the company), and in turn the farmers are educating their families and finding work with ITC for their wives from home, nearly doubling their household incomes.

The campus was beautiful, too, with a zen-like garden outside the education building, and a small fish pond inside the lobby of the same building.  Each element of the earth (water, earth, etc.) are represented in the design of the buildings, and it creates an interesting aesthetic. 

We met some new students this evening who are interested in taking us out later in the week.  We're all in need of some fun to boost morale again as we're a bit bummed at the lack of interaction.  I think the overall thought on this part of our journey is that if we could combine the organization/scheduling of Alliance College and the fun-loving spirit of the students at HR College, we'd be set!  We're only accompanied by one student per day here, and they are apparently specifically told not to tell us about the night life.  They've been very nice, though.  The student yesterday, Dixika, was really sweet and is from Nepal.  I was so excited to talk to her about Nepal and my hope to visit there one day that I peppered her with questions about everything Nepali!  She seemed happy to answer my questions and I appreciated it.  

The lectures have been interesting and engaging here which is a plus.  We've not yet done any sight seeing yet--though this weekend we'll see Mysore and have a tour of Bangalore.  We'll also "crash" and Indian wedding...Ria has wanted to see an Indian wedding since before we touched down, so today at our site visit, one of our hosts mentioned that a former coworker will get married this weekend.  Dr. Dembla mentioned that we'd like to come, so he whipped out his phone, explained that 12 American students wanted to see an Indian wedding and asked if we could go.  And she said YES!!  So, early on Sunday morning, before touring and shopping, we'll attend an Indian wedding.

I'll load photos tomorrow.  Until then...

India Days 6-9: Mumbai Farewell, Goa, First Night in Bangalore

I'm so sorry for the delay in getting these up...wifi has been entirely unavailable for multiple days.  I finally have unlimited access in the evenings to use email and post blogs, so I'm trying to get everything caught up.  My poor family thought I'd been kidnapped and I was being held for ransom.  Anyhow, I'm working on it.

Day 6:  Last Evening in Mumbai & Farewell      
Today was our last day in our first city in India.  Not one of us can believe we’ve already been here a week!  It’s gone so fast and we’ve done and learned so much!  We spent the morning in a lecture, another by Professor Ambulkar and I enjoyed it just as much as the previous.  Again, it was on entrepreneurship in India.  It’s fascinating what can be done with a little ingenuity!  We saw short videos; one was of a young woman living in a rural community who created a clothes washer that consumes no energy.  It is a bicycle with a large box attached to the front.  The user pedals the bike which turns a cage inside the box, after tossing in water and detergent.  So in rural areas where there is limited or no electricity, or where there simply isn’t extra money to have a clothes washer, this is a viable option!  

We then each gave a dreaded “presentation” about our reflections on our trip thus far, our ideas as to whether or not we’d consider doing business in India and where we fit in, and opportunities within our majors here in India.  I discussed the fact that it’s been an incredible journey so far, and that the students who’ve been with us have been very kind.  Professor Dembla asked what I haven’t liked, so I told her (and Professors Navin and Shamira and the students present) that the lack of schedule and subsequent chaos has been quite overwhelming for me.  I explained that at home we have very set schedules:  We’re up at 7, at work by 9, leaving by 5, in bed by 11…Professor Navin whispered to Professor Dembla, “is that really how it is?”  She responded, “Yes, it’s true.”  I thought that was a bit funny.  I also discussed that I don’t see a place for myself in business here, mostly because Erik and I know we want to own a retail store and I haven’t seen any interest in the sort of business we want to go into.  I told him I’d come back to visit, though, that we really want to see the north of India and Nepal.  I think he found that interesting.

We spent the afternoon shopping for “traditionals” (traditional Indian attire) to wear at our farewell dinner.  We didn’t know we needed these on our shopping day, so none of us purchased them.  It was interesting seeing as none of us knew what to look for or what is acceptable.  I chose a white outfit with a pale aqua-esque paisley print.  It’s so pretty and there are pictures to follow.  After shopping we joined our new friends and classmates at a party in our honor.  It was nice to interact with the Indian students in such a laid back setting.  They showed us traditional and modern Indian dances, helped us make wishes in the Hindi spirit, and we laughed and ate until it was time to leave.

It’s a bit overwhelming that it’s time to leave our new friends already.  They were asking us to find ourselves on their Facebook accounts on day one—literally!  I can’t say, though, that I’m not excited to see what the rest of India holds.  Mumbai, while a very interesting city, is not my love.  I don’t care for the noise, the hustle/slug pace all at once…I learned that I’m surely not a city girl.  I will miss the experience, though.  I was so overwhelmed before, and now, after the farewell, I’m glad I came.  I enjoyed myself and was happy to have the opportunity to say goodbye to everyone.  They gave us each a very nice gift, a wooden box with a photo of the whole group in the lid.  Inside is a beautiful blown glass bird which we can keep and remember our time here.  We felt badly that we had nothing to give to them.  We intended to exchange gifts, but in all honesty, time simply got away.  I will send gifts after we return home to some of them, the people I felt I connected with.  And we’ll have to do much better in the future!  

And I should add one note:  The drama that was spoken about from the other night and the club and such was apparently a very big misunderstanding.  I have apologized and the apology has been accepted, and it’s behind me.

Tomorrow is yet to be written…until then, keep on burning!

India Day 7 & 8:  Goa

After rushing to the airport on Friday morning (we really can’t seem to get anywhere on time), we boarded a plane to Goa where we spent the weekend.  We touched down and found our bus to our resort, “Baywatch Resort Goa.”  It was beautiful!  The rooms were nice and clean, the service was ok though no hustle was found at any time, there were American food options which our stomachs were in need of, and the Beach!! 

We each had something to eat and went about planning our following day.  There was interest in massage, para-sailing, banana boat rides, and jet skis.  We had a tour planned for 1 o’clock, so we tried to plan accordingly. 

The following morning (Saturday), Dr. Dembla, Ria, Rebeca, Zaheer, Connor, and myself walked on the beach.  A few of us para-sailed (all 10 minutes were amazing!  Don’t worry, we only paid 700 rupees/about $10) and then joined a couple of others at a beachside shack.  We sat, ordered a couple of drinks, a snack, and before we knew it, it was noon.  We were relaxing in over sized beach chairs under a sun shade with a beautiful breeze and a view of the Arabian Sea.  When the suggestion was made that we skip our 1 PM tour, we all quickly agreed!  We had such a nice, relaxing day with too many drinks, a couple of snacks, and a really nice employee who helped us with questions and our orders.  His name is Deep, and he is entirely awesome!  He gave us discounts on our drinks “because we ordered more than 10 mojitos.”  At some point or another we said goodbye and wandered back to our hotel to take showers, have dinner, and go out for a bit…Which wound up leading us back to the little shack on the beach (called Rendezvous).  We each had a couple of drinks and said goodbye, explaining that we wouldn’t be back tomorrow because we were leaving.  Deep was, again, gracious and kind, wishing us well on our journey and asking us to return another time.

We went back to the hotel and I got ready to leave in the morning.  Most everything was packed so all I had left to do was get up for my Massage!!  It wasn’t nearly the best massage I’ve had, but it was relaxing and enjoyable.  Relaxing and enjoyable just in time to run to the airport again:  We’re on our way to Bangalore!  

Keep on burning….

Day 9:  Settling in Bangalore; the Prison

So...What can I say?  We arrived in Bangalore to an impressively pretty airport after an airplane ride that can only be described as a bus ride by air.  We made 2 stops during which we all stayed on board while the plane was quickly cleaned and re-boarded by more different passengers than the previous leg (45 minutes tops to turn it around).  The drive to Alliance University in Bangalore started beautifully with pretty roads, plants and trees, and an exciting teaser of what was to come.  As we continued to drive, the roads soon became reminders of Mumbai with kamikaze “scootie” drivers and crazed bus drivers.  Following a nail biter of a drive (we all had to cover our eyes multiple times as the driver accelerated before hitting the breaks mere centimeters behind the car, truck, or scooter in front of us), we arrived to a beautiful campus full of trees and grass and we were pleased to arrive to a warm dinner which included a non-veg dish (read:  Meat!).  After our tasty meal in a nice dining hall, we were shown our rooms.  They are decent as far as dorm rooms go, but we were shocked to find that the boys and girls would stay in different buildings.  We were also quite shocked and not too terribly happy about this, as we’d expected an experience similar to those we’ve already had.  We’ve become a close knit group and we were bummed to be so far apart. 

After our room assignments, we went for a short tour of the campus with Suchey.  We talked to her and her friend Ashwan about life in America, MBA programs, and other topics.  On our way back, part of the group stopped and was looking at something on the ground.  As we approached I asked what they were looking at.  It was a scorpion, and though some were a bit freaked, I thought, “oh, no big deal, we have those at home.”  Oh my goodness, we don’t have these at home!  It was HUGE!  Like the big, black, venomous, actually-do-damage type of scorpion.  Oh. My. Goodness!  Suchey told the security guard posted outside our dorm (across the street).  He came over and started blowing a whistle.  I’m not sure what that was meant to do, but eventually he found a broom handle like stick and smashed the tar out of the big, black, venomous, actually-do-damage scorpion.  It’s still there, dead on the street.

Little did we know after all of this excitement, that being housed in separate buildings was the least of our worries.  We were informed that we would be subject to an 11 PM curfew, and we would not have wifi access as we were told we’d have.  A few minutes later at 11 PM, the doors to the building were locked from the outside, and the common area lights turned off.  Apparently, we are to not only be in at 11, but also in our rooms.  And it doesn’t end there!  The girls were all chit chatting in our rooms (connected by a jack-n-jill bathroom) when we heard Ria screeching.  When she came hopping in and told us that there were bugs in hers and Rebeca’s room, I thought she was just being dramatic.  And then I went into their room to check it out.  She was NOT being dramatic!  There were a hundred big mosquito/mothy looking things flopping and flying around their room.  Long story short, The “Warden” (literally what she is called) came and turned off all the lights telling us that they would be gone in a minute.  After about 30 minutes, we finally convinced her that the window was broken and sitting in the pitch black would not fix the problem.  She killed the bugs put paper in the window, and swept the room.  It was quite an event.  We’re all exhausted, we’re worried about our group-mate, Alex, who made a visit to the hospital tonight due to food poisoning, and we are trying not to freak out about our current conditions.  Poor Ria wound up half crying/half laughing at the debacle in which we found ourselves. 

We all couldn’t stop laughing at the fact that we haven’t spoken our loved ones in days, we feel as though we’re in prison (“warden” and all) and we are stuck here for a week and a half.  Like Connor said, though, these 9 days will be only what we make them, so we better make them great!  I like the attitude and tried to remind the girls of this fact through our hysterical, tear-stained laughter.  A plus; Suchey told us that we don’t have lecture as we’ll only attend site visits while here, and we don’t have to be at breakfast tomorrow until 10:30 AM!  A late morning for us is a nice surprise!

Until Tomorrow…Keep on Burning!