Bangalore or Bust: A Travel Log (Day 15)

Author's note: For the last several weeks, I've been posting tidbits of a travel log, which I kept during a two-week business trip (the reason I was in sporadic contact with the world recently). Hope you've enjoyed them, and now without further adieu, I present the final installment. Enjoy!

For those who haven't yet seen the other posts in this travel log, check them out:

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10

Day 11
Day 12

Day 13 

Day 14

(And again, if you're interested in seeing more photos than I'm providing, check out one of my co-workers' blogs from the same trip)

Day 15, Thursday (3/8):

Based on advice from other previous travelers, we left our hotel way early, and arrived at the Bangalore (Bengaluru) airport  well over three hours ahead of schedule. Granted, we didn’t get to see what the line was like later, since we were already in the terminal then, but there was absolutely no line at the ticket counter, no line to speak of at immigration, nor any wait time at the security checkpoint (and I’m pretty sure the guy who was checking me over at security owes me dinner and a movie).

Having been up all day, going to work and then getting no naps before our flight, it was good that (despite what we first thought) they had a business lounge for us to rest in. Three hours in comfy leather chairs definitely beats sitting in plastic bucket seats. Free drinks and (what they tried to pass off as) snacks didn’t hurt either. Shortly after our wheels left the ground, and we left the orange lights of the Bangalore night life behind, I was sound asleep for about a three-or-four hour rest.

Waking up just as the break of dawn was slowly catching up to the plane was a very surreal experience. Lots of pretty colors in the wispy clouds below, and I only wish I’d snagged my camera from my carry-on…a fact I also wished for when we passed over the mountains of what used to be known as Yugoslavia (and I can’t for the life of me remember the names of countries born out of that split) and the sight of so many cities nestled into the terrain there. Sadly, by the time I was able to finish the breakfast meal supplied, and get to my camera, we were then over Germany which was layered with thick cloud cover. I anticipated a fairly rough arrival in Frankfurt.

Never before have my high school German courses been so utterly useful, though, until one of the stewardesses dropped a bucket of ice on the floor. When she muttered “Scheisse” just loud enough for me to hear, I smiled knowingly and had to hold back a little chuckle. Sadly, the joy only offset my disappointment earlier in the flight when I tried and failed to help the passenger beside me operate their armrest-mounted tray table. Even though I knew the button to press, it wouldn’t work for me either. A stewardess came by and worked it correctly in the blink of an eye. I’m going to go ahead and blame the jet lag.

Unfortunately, we were in a different terminal this time, and the lounge in this one was packed full and had a terrible selection of snacks and such. Guess I can count myself as one of the spoiled now. On top of that, the airplane didn’t even leave the gate until after the scheduled departure time. This would come into play a little later, for those keeping score at home. And to add insult to injury, I picked up a second IOU for dinner and a movie from the screener here in Germany as well…which was odd, because the first trip through Germany hadn’t netted this treatment. Maybe this one really liked me…

Met a nice woman from Greece on this leg of the flight…she was coming to Chicago (and took it upon herself to take my pronunciation of Chicago as the correct one, so…) for “pleasure” (versus business…get your minds out of the gutter, folks). She was also able to sleep for most of the flight, so I got a lot of reading done on a friend’s book, Ambasadora. I’ve discovered over these past couple of weeks that the writing on my own fiction has been virtually non-existent. When I did get writing done, it was utter and complete crap.

Pictures of the French coastline

Immigration and customs was actually fairly smooth, compared to what I thought it would be, which was good since we only got in about 50 minutes before our next flight was scheduled to depart from a completely different terminal. Sadly, the ticket counter for American messed around too long with trying to figure out whether they should put us on that flight, or bump us to the next one, and then decided that they were under the cutoff for getting our bags on the first flight. So, there we sat for over three hours…and sadly, no business lounge on this final leg (since we were flying economy on this one).

The view from my seat to the restroom

The view right out my window

A long two-hour flight in a small regional jet with three seats across two rows made things rather exciting (and bumpy) on the way home, and then we get back to find out our bags actually did make it back on the first flight…but only after waiting at the baggage claim for a good thirty minutes or so. So, after being up for nearly 51 hours, with only 3-4 hours of sleep to my name, it was finally time for me to head off for oh so pleasant slumber…and to bring this trip to a close.

Until the next time...

Bangalore or Bust: A Travel Log (Day 14)

Author's note: For the next several weeks, I'll be posting tidbits of a travel log, which I kept during a two-week business trip (the reason I was in sporadic contact with the world recently). Enjoy!

For those who haven't yet seen the other posts in this travel log, check them out:

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10

Day 11
Day 12

Day 13 

(And again, if you're interested in seeing more photos than I'm providing, check out one of my co-workers' blogs from the same trip)

Day 14, Wednesday (3/7):

Today was our final day in Bangalore. It’s hard to believe that almost two weeks have passed since we first left Wichita, but there you have it. Today was filled with one final training session, than a final get-together with our respective teams to go over the plan from here. This was followed by plenty of group photos, and gifts given to us by our tremendous hosts. Then, it was time for a rather lengthy commute back to the hotel for packing up our gear, as our return flight would be leaving Bangalore at nearly 3AM Thursday.

When I arrived, I noticed there were no more flower petals on the bed or the bathroom, but at least they returned a vase of flowers to the bedroom table. I was beginning to think maybe they felt completely slighted, despite having tips come in every other day.

Tonight at the hotel, there was some sort of “family celebration” in one of the outdoor courtyard rooms, which has been the loudest event of the trip. Had to turn up the volume on the cricket match here in the room so I could hear…since I’m all packed up and ready to go. Still over five hours to go before we leave, and at least an hour before the Chinese buffet (which rocked last week) opens here at the hotel.

On the topic of cricket, even after nearly two weeks of watching matches, I still have the impression that it must be the most boring game ever to watch live (though I really enjoyed the 1-hour highlight episodes they keep showing from past matches). This is especially interesting, because baseball is far more exciting to watch live than to watch on television.


And that's all for today...be sure to come back for the final (yes, final) installment...

Bangalore or Bust: A Travel Log (Day 13)

Author's note: For the next several weeks, I'll be posting tidbits of a travel log, which I kept during a two-week business trip (the reason I was in sporadic contact with the world recently). Enjoy!

For those who haven't yet seen the other posts in this travel log, check them out:

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10

Day 11
Day 12

(And again, if you're interested in seeing more photos than I'm providing, check out one of my co-workers' blogs from the same trip)

Day 13, Tuesday (3/6):

It’s been rather disturbing to me to read the Times of India (the country’s national paper) each day, and every day I seem to see a news story about someone committing suicide. Today’s was a front page article about a 16 year old who threw himself in front of a Metro train yesterday, the ones we had just ridden the day before. In fact, this occurred at a station barely a mile or so from our hotel. I’m not certain whether life here is just that much more disparaging (which given the conditions, one might be able to believe) or that American papers just don’t give the event coverage when it happens (another believable possibility). Either way, it’s been sad to read about young (such as a pre-teen setting herself on fire) and old (a middle-aged man hanging himself) alike taking their own lives. Side note: There were actually two more stories later in the paper about more suicides as well. This was the first time that I recall seeing this many in one paper.

A long day was punctuated by several meetings throughout. Today’s training session bucked the trend of most of the recent ones, and had increased attendance. Hopefully everyone got as much out of these as we’d hoped. Between all of the meetings, and other goings-on from back home, it was a bit of a hectic day. Then, another long drive back to the hotel in traffic…

While driving along, watching a young boy urinating off the top of a construction pile, I couldn’t stop pondering the state of Bangalore itself. Trash lines the streets, when it isn’t being burned randomly throughout the city. Debris from construction or other sources just piles up wherever it’s placed. My personal opinion is that Bangalore would be a gorgeous city if there was simply some effort taken in the disposal of refuse and debris. However, I think I’ve only seen one small trash can in all of our walking excursions around the hotel. In a city of nearly ten million, one would think they’d be more prevalent. Of course, given the care (or lack thereof) that is shown in the roads and sidewalks, it’s really not surprising that trash disposal has been granted a similar fate.

This is the sort of thing that would get our HOA in a tizzy

My kingdom for a trash can

Can't really see from this vantage point, but the "river" was filled with trash too

Two members in our group were going out with some of their team tonight, and another was staying at the office late, so I was on my own for dinner. Being the ultra-adventurous sort, I decided to have dinner by myself at the hotel. Gave me plenty of time to finish up reading Battle Dancer by K M Tolan. Great read, for those who haven’t checked it out (though I’d highly recommend picking up the rest of his Dancer series first).

And then finished up the evening by catching The Day After Tomorrow on one of the local movie channels. Rather a disturbing to be watching a movie in English, and still get inundated with the English subtitles as well…though it does help in catching the background dialogue going on with foreground conversations, which you wouldn’t ordinarily hear.

People have asked me in the last few days whether I’m excited about getting back home. Many asked me similar things (about being excited and/or nervous) when I was preparing to come over here nearly two weeks ago. I was neither of those two then, nor am I feeling any excitement about heading home. It will be good to get back to normal, but it just is what it is…not good, not bad, just part of the job.

And that's all for today...be sure to come back for the next installment...

Bangalore or Bust: A Travel Log (Day 12)

Author's note: For the next several weeks, I'll be posting tidbits of a travel log, which I kept during a two-week business trip (the reason I was in sporadic contact with the world recently). Enjoy!

For those who haven't yet seen the other posts in this travel log, check them out:

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10

Day 11

(And again, if you're interested in seeing more photos than I'm providing, check out one of my co-workers' blogs from the same trip)

Day 12, Monday (3/5):


Another long drive into work this morning, and as mentioned, the event of the day was seeing our corporate CEO walk through the area. I guess I never really paid attention before, but the man is really tall. Walking around to view projects cherry-picked by the local management, he only spent a short while in the area. Then, we were carted off another thirty minutes away to a country club for a brief all-hands meeting. I’m not sure he knew what they were planning for him, but I felt the padded throne was a bit much (sorry, no photo - would like to keep my job a little longer).

That said, the day also went long because of this, which caused us to be stuck in traffic on the way back to the hotel, to the tune of over an hour-and-a-half drive time. Got back, changed clothes, and then we were rushing back out for a walk to a nearby restaurant (another steakhouse, at which I ended up getting roasted lamb, still for around eight bucks). We discovered that there was an attached bowling alley, so we thought we might check it out. Unfortunately, at the equivalent of three dollars a game, it wasn’t that much better than back home. Throw in the fact I didn’t have my own ball or shoes with me, and we beat a hasty exit.

It surprises me how in such a short time we’ve gotten so used to the traffic congestion, as well as the number of people swarming about on the sidewalk. You also discover that being a hard-ass is the best way to fend off the street vendors and beggars. As well, traffic speeding past in close proximity doesn’t normally concern you. I’m not sure if this is a good thing or bad…but with only two more days here in Bangalore, it will be interesting to see how life back home appears in contrast.

And that's all for today...be sure to come back for the next installment...

Bangalore or Bust: A Travel Log (Day 11)

Author's note: For the next several weeks, I'll be posting tidbits of a travel log, which I kept during a two-week business trip (the reason I was in sporadic contact with the world recently). Enjoy!

For those who haven't yet seen the other posts in this travel log, check them out:

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10

(And again, if you're interested in seeing more photos than I'm providing, check out one of my co-workers' blogs from the same trip)

Day 11, Sunday (3/4):


This was the first day where we weren’t scheduled to do anything until much later in the day. As such, it was up to us to find our own entertainment. Rather than try to get myself lost in the streets of Bangalore (having no sense of adventure myself), I hung out in various spots around the hotel. I hadn’t discovered that the hotel had a massage area, but at nearly fifty dollars for a sixty-minute session, I wasn’t all that eager to try it out. I went ahead and hung out by the pool area, where pigeons have (for most of our stay here) used the water as a drinking bowl. Fortunately, I’m not a swimmer, so didn’t have to share time with any feathered friends and whatever they may have been leaving behind. The breeze was exceptional when it was present, but most of the time there was none, and the high temperatures made it so that I headed back up to my room.


As I was setting up to get another hour of Internet time, housekeeping came to the door and asked about servicing my room. Since it needed to be, I grabbed my gear and came to a small lounge area to get a little writing and reading done. Asking for a Coke, they proceeded to bring me a Diet Coke (which was easily corrected after I asked). I’m not entirely sure why this is, but I had the same experience at work, where someone bringing me a drink did the same thing. Perhaps most Americans coming in ask for a diet drink? Or perhaps they’re trying to tell me something about my weight and physique? Either way, I wish they had more Pepsi in this hotel, since the previous day’s housekeeping service neglected to restock the lone Pepsi I’d used the day before…another reason to let them have at the room when they asked.

Air conditioning seems to be a luxury that most do not want to use too much of in this country. At work, we’ve noticed that they don’t turn it on until the official start time for most workers, 9 AM. It makes the first hour or so rather unbearable for the rest of us. I also notice that the restaurant and lounge area don’t seem to want to turn the temperature down too much either. This may in fact be their way to reduce the number of power outages, which they’d run into earlier in the week…or it may just be the fact that I’m a spoiled American. Haha.

Apparently, there are no consistent liquor laws here in Bangalore. When visiting the pub yesterday, I noticed that they considered minors (for which they would not serve alcohol) to be anyone under 21. In the lounge here at the hotel, they consider anyone under 18 as a minor. At the steakhouse we’ve grown a bit fond of, they even have minors serving alcohol (according to the server bringing the bottles out, he was 17). Rather odd thing.

Writing notes to the housekeeping staff is the key to incredible service. Another member of our group had mentioned the same thing. After not having my mini-fridge re-stocked with Pepsi the other day, and then having large bottles of water (which don’t fit in the fridge to make them cold) in the room, I wrote a note requesting Pepsi to be stocked along with smaller water bottles. I returned to my room to find the bed made up with flower petals all over it, three cans of Pepsi in the fridge and six small bottles of water scattered on every available table surface in the room. Far better than the Hard Rock, where I requested a second drink and twenty minutes went by before it finally showed up.

Ahhhhhh-chooooo!

Pretty sure I spent more time picking this stuff up than anything else...

 
After some members of our Indian team showed up, we were off for a little more last-minute shopping. Picked up a few more scarves, and was introduced to the fine art of shopper’s negotiating. Actually ended up reducing one item by around 50% (and the total bill by just under that amount). Tricky, tricky.

Then, it was time to take a sampling of some of the mass transit options here in Bangalore. First up was the newly constructed Metro, the elevated train which runs between (currently) four stops. These are the reason for all of the massive construction delays through several areas of town, including on our way to work. It’s quite a modern system, and also very much a novelty for the local population, who were taking just as many pictures as we (as tourists) were. Unfortunately, with only four stops (at about 7-8 km from end to end), it’s still very much in a test setup. Although for 15 rupees (or about 35 cents or so), it’s also quite a bargain…and will be a fabulous addition to the city when they finally get the first phase completed sometime in 2014.

The station closest to our hotel (and the current end of the line), MG Road

The station at the other end of the line

Next, one of our team wanted to try out the auto-rickshaws that we’ve been encountering this entire time (and that have been the bane of our existence in city traffic). Squeezing three grown adults into the back of one (we took two separate autos) was quite a bit of a trick, but we ended up getting it done. I also felt I reduced my life span by about five years with all of the exhaust fumes I inhaled. Definitely not my favorite method of transport.

Our next stop was a place called UB Square. I didn’t have enough zeroes trailing my salary to shop here, nor would I want to spend that sort of money on consumer goods such as clothing, watches and the like, but it was interesting to see the place.

Gorgeous view, and lots of shopping, but not in my price range...

Then, it was back to a different set of autos for the return back to the hotel. This driver made things really exciting with all the weaving and jockeying for position (the first guy we had was far more tame in comparison), but the real excitement came when we arrived. Our Indian team lead and the driver began arguing for quite a while. After the exchange, we discovered that the driver was trying to extort 50 rupees (~1 dollar) for what should have been only 20 rupees (~50 cents). The trick (and I noticed this with our first driver as well) is that they turn off the meter for foreign riders, so they can do this to us. According to our team lead, they also have this knack for dropping riders off in the middle of nowhere and robbing them blind. Yes, definitely glad we have drivers…and can’t wait for the Metro to be completed.

Five years off my life, and they want an extra fifty cents...

 
And that's all for today...be sure to come back for the next installment...

Bangalore or Bust: A Travel Log (Day 10)

Author's note: For the next several weeks, I'll be posting tidbits of a travel log, which I kept during a two-week business trip (the reason I was in sporadic contact with the world recently). Enjoy!

For those who haven't yet seen the other posts in this travel log, check them out:

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9

(And again, if you're interested in seeing more photos than I'm providing, check out one of my co-workers' blogs from the same trip)

Day 10, Saturday (3/3):


Today was the first time I could (and did) sleep in during the trip. Breakfast was light, and sunscreen was applied, as we prepared for a short shopping trip to a local mall suggested by some of our Indian team members.

If there wasn't a bigger symbol of Americanization...plus, they don't use real beef in the States either.

Look closely, and you can see the guards with metal detectors here too...

3D Gaming machines...the kid inside me really wanted to...

One of my co-workers taking a few practice swings in the cricket batting cages

It was surprising to me that that there was so much (what I consider) Americanization to the mall we visited. Before our guides showed up, three of us found the Indian equivalent of a Wal-Mart Supercenter, and picked up a few gifts for folks back home. Most of the other stores in the mall seemed to be clothing or electronics shops, and they had entire areas devoted to children’s play areas. Also saw 3D gaming machines, but didn’t try them out. According to our team members accompanying us, the prices for all the goods were also higher than you could get elsewhere, so we went ahead and left the mall for more reasonable shopping. Along the way, we visited the apartment of one of our Indian team members (as well as the apartment of his parents on the floor below). It was a good time, and we even had our picture taken by his mother.

Then it was time for a trip around “old” Bangalore which was far cleaner than “new” Bangalore. The prices here were extremely better than those in the shops around our hotel, and even more so than the prices over in Mysore last weekend. Ended up picking out some scarves, a petticoat (or skirt), and several bangles (bracelets) all for less than twenty-five bucks. Guess I should have waited on buying that Sari…

Once our gifts were all purchased, the Indians we were with took us over to a small pub (I assume it’s called 1522, based on the signage and the coasters). Great place, and the Hard Rock could have taken some lessons from these folks. Great service, great atmosphere, and great music at appropriate levels. We truly enjoyed ourselves at this place.

Not to worry, I enjoyed myself...but did not partake... ;-)

Today, our driver seemed to be eager to take us on some scenic tours, including past what I believe was the state’s high court and other government offices. Then, on the way home, we drove past the Bangalore palace (or as he explained, the “guest palace” for the royal family from the Mysore palace we saw last weekend). Then, for some reason, he tried to stop by some more shopping locations…not sure if he was looking for some kickbacks from the shop owner perhaps?

The state's high court

Another government office...notice how they forbid child labor and alcohol on the work site...good plan!

 

The guest palace...it's good to be the King (or friends of the King)

All in all, a good day…

And that's all for today...be sure to come back for the next installment...

Bangalore or Bust: A Travel Log (Day 9)

Author's note: For the next several weeks, I'll be posting tidbits of a travel log, which I kept during a two-week business trip (the reason I was in sporadic contact with the world recently). Enjoy!

For those who haven't yet seen the other posts in this travel log, check them out:

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8

(And again, if you're interested in seeing more photos than I'm providing, check out one of my co-workers' blogs from the same trip)

Day 9, Friday (3/2):

Having gotten back to the hotel quite late, it was good that I had requested a wake-up call, because that was the only thing that woke me up the next morning. Rushing around to get ready for work is something I haven’t had to do for the entire week, being as how I’ve been waking several hours ahead of a normal schedule. So, needless to say, I was a little off-kilter for most of the day.

For lunch, most of the group and our respective Indian teams ended up heading to what seemed an upscale Indian restaurant. It was a welcome change from the pizza we’d been having the last several days. They fortunately toned down the spice to a more reasonable level for us, which was good. I enjoyed my selections, personally.

All in all, though, most of the rest of my day was spent in meetings and in answering e-mails from Wichita. I really didn’t feel like I accomplished much, but that’s how life is sometimes. Hopefully some rest and recuperation will help even things out in the coming week.

On the way home, I’ve found that my comfort level with the traffic conditions seems to be reaching a point of saturation. In fact, since I didn’t have time to read the local paper this morning, and my day was filled completely, I ended up reading it in the car on our way back to the hotel. All the honking horns, the suicidal pedestrians launching themselves out in front of speeding vehicles, motorcycles and auto-rickshaws racing past and jockeying for position…none of it really fazed me all that terribly. I guess it really is all in what you’re used to.

I’ve also discovered, however, that I seriously over-estimated how much free time I would have on this trip. It seems like I get up and go to work…then come home to work and barely any time passes until we’re heading out to get our dinner. And then it’s usually time to come back to the room and go off to sleep after a call to my wife. This isn’t going to bode well for my attempt at meeting all of the writing goals I set for myself.

Another trip to the steakhouse yielded very heavy traffic at night. The restaurant was far busier than it had been earlier in the week, and for some reason, the T-bone steak we had this evening was presented in a far different way (and more familiar to those back home) than before. There was also a mishap with one of the other fellow’s beers spilling and dousing my jeans (thank goodness for the hotel laundry service). I have a feeling that’s why the driver would often roll down his windows on the way home. Another late night, but a good way to relax after a long week.

And that's all for today...be sure to come back for the next installment...

Bangalore or Bust: A Travel Log (Day 8)

Author's note: For the next several weeks, I'll be posting tidbits of a travel log, which I kept during a two-week business trip (the reason I was in sporadic contact with the world recently). Enjoy!

For those who haven't yet seen the other posts in this travel log, check them out:

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7

(And again, if you're interested in seeing more photos than I'm providing, check out one of my co-workers' blogs from the same trip)

Day 8, Thursday (3/1):

Another day in Bangalore traffic is about the same as the rest, and off to work we went. Part of my duties while I’m over here is to provide a set of training modules for our team. Well, it started out as just my team. Then, on my first day back (Monday), I find out from my boss that his boss has asked that another group (in another area under the big boss’ purview) sit in on the training modules. The more, the merrier, I suppose.

Well, when I finally get in there (yesterday) to have the first class, it starts out okay, but then people start showing up. Turns out a third group decided they wanted to join as well. Without going into the nitty, gritty details, I really didn’t understand how the training I was giving even applied to this third group, but proceeded to carry on with the session. Lots of vacant stares in that group, but all in all, I thought it went pretty well. I noticed today, while giving the second training session, that the third group didn’t bother stopping by. Apparently, they must have realized what I had figured out the previous day.

I also discovered that the fabric I bought over the weekend CAN in fact be tailored into a Saree (Sari?) in Wichita, so one last crisis averted [Note from the author: It turned out the fabric was not actually long enough to fabricate the wrap and the blouse out of for my wife, so additional material has to be purchased here in the States for the latter]. And I realized that my stockpile of clothing was getting a bit low, so had to put some laundry through the system here. With the prices listed on the form, I have a feeling they know the captive audience they have here at the hotel, and are doing their best to be good little capitalists.

During the long drive back through traffic, I began wondering whether our driver had ever considered a career in Nascar or Formula One racing…

Today, I also discovered an extra vase full of many different flowers (I’m sure my allergies are going to love them), one step up from just the flower petals in the bathroom. Apparently, this is what happens when you tip the housekeeper. One of our other team members on the trip wrote thank you notes to the housekeeper and ended up with flower petals on his made-up bed. I warned him he might want to watch out, or he might end up with an extra guest accompanying him back the States…

Thankfully, only had flowers strewn about the room...no extra guests, wives or housekeepers came back with me.

 
The highlight of the day, however, was after work, when the group (and some of our Indian team members) took a trip to the Hard Rock Café in Bangalore, which happened to be just down the street a half-mile or so (although it seemed like a lot longer walk than that). I can’t even remember the last time I visited one of these places, but think it may have been in Orlando, during the summer of 1992. For those who don’t want to do the math in their head, that’s twenty years between visits. Was I really missing much?

Recall that Bangalore has been trying to change its name back to the original Indian "Bengaluru"

The building which housed the place was apparently an old library, built of huge stones. Overall it looked great. Unfortunately, we’d inadvertently come to the place on a special night, where they featured three live groups conducting a “battle of the bands” on a stage inside. It made it very difficult to converse with everyone at the table except for when the bands were changing out. Two of the bands seemed okay, although I couldn’t really understand whether they were covering songs or singing new material. The third band however, seemed to fancy itself a dark heavy metal band. Although I’m a fan of metal, this wasn’t really up my alley. The wait staff also seemed rather useless in bringing you refills and the food you ordered. I ended up having a “Legendary” burger, which was a great burger, but way too much food (definitely could have shared with someone). And of course, I ended up buying a few t-shirts (one for myself, the others for gifts).

One of the tamer bands...taken as I was headed over to buy t-shirts.

 Overall, I could have done without the live bands, or the lazy wait staff, but it was a good time…and since I likely wouldn’t get another chance to visit the place, it was a worthwhile trip (although we took a different route on the return to the hotel, which had us walking right over an open sewer line. Definitely not an exciting time…).

And that's all for today...be sure to come back for the next installment...

Bangalore or Bust: A Travel Log (Day 7)

Author's note: For the next several weeks, I'll be posting tidbits of a travel log, which I kept during a two-week business trip (the reason I was in sporadic contact with the world recently). Enjoy!

For those who haven't yet seen the other posts in this travel log, check them out:

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6

(And again, if you're interested in seeing more photos than I'm providing, check out one of my co-workers' blogs from the same trip)

Day 7, Wednesday (2/29):

Another day at the office, complete with a trip through the city traffic. It still amazes me how many people are moving around the city at all hours of the day and night, though I imagine that’s what happens when you fit ten million people into one city. I’m also surprised that my allergies haven’t been far worse than they have been, with all the pollution from so many vehicles and all the dust and dirt tossed into the air all over from the massive construction projects.

The only trucks on the road were the big ones, so here's your compact truck shot

Driving along on one of the few elevated roadways, you can look down into a shopping district on our way home from work...

A truck or a bus? You decide...

Thousands of these little shops were stationed by the roads all over town. I can't imagine how most of them stay in business with that number of stores available.

A common site, construction along the roadway. Don't drink the water, indeed!

I also have to wonder about the bridges we travel over, which somehow have constantly fast-flowing water even though there hasn’t been any rain. Actually, maybe I don’t want to wonder about that too much…

A bridge on the way to work...fast-moving full river. It never rained a single day we were there...

 
The lack of infrastructure planning really makes one ponder how a country with this many people could survive for this long. An elevated train system (The Metro) is being constructed, but rather than the typical state of affairs back home, where detours are formulated and alternate routes are constructed, they simply start digging up the roads to put in what they need (in this case, the support pillars) and let the vehicles sort of wander wherever they can to get around the construction. It’s quite entertaining.

Build, build, build...

Right overhead...scary!

They've definitely been American-ized...these two are supervising a hole being dug, by a third guy actually in the hole.

This evening, an ambulance came rushing along with us. With no room for any of the cars to pull over (even though no one was even trying when they could), it does make one think that emergency services would be a nightmare if any sort of mass disaster happened, where citizens would need large amounts of fire and rescue. You wouldn’t want to trust your life to this sort of response time, I don’t think.

With the traffic around Bangalore, ambulances were forever trying to get through. I would hate to have needed these guys' services...someone should do some air ambulance marketing here, stat!

Watching local news, and somewhat related to that topic, apparently there was a terror attack averted in Dehli today. This reminds me of the week or so leading up to this trip, where a bombing or two actually did happen there. Although one might be a bit frightened about the future here, I’d been told shortly after that earlier report that the distance from Bangalore to Dehli is about twice the distance from Wichita to Minneapolis. Though I didn’t confirm that information myself, my personal comfort level hasn’t been impacted all that much. I still feel extremely safe at the hotel and at the office (whose security is just as much), and the drives in between have a far greater risk of me ending up as a pancake from wayward vehicles. That said, if something were to happen, I figure I know where I’m going in the end, so why worry?
The rest of the team appears to have reached its fill of the Indian cuisine, ending up ordering pizza again for lunch. I have a feeling if they try to do so tomorrow, I may in fact have to venture back to the Indian cuisine. Love the pizza (and it’s definitely a very close copy of the ones back home), but having pizza day after day is going to have the same effect as having Indian food day after day.

Other exciting news, it was just announced that the CEO of our company’s conglomerate parent was going to be making a day visit to the local facility on Monday. What timing! It would be the first time I’ve ever seen him in person, I believe, and to think, I only had to travel halfway around the world to do it…haha.

The hotel has a dinner buffet on Wednesday nights (and Friday and Saturday, apparently), and tonight’s selection was an Oriental buffet. A welcome respite from both the Indian and the American cuisine both? Perhaps so. It was also equally entertaining with our group’s interaction with a waitress we’ve come to know here at the hotel named Meena (which means "eyes" in her native language...not "ice" as I confusingly thought she was saying the first few times...). She probably wonders if all Americans are as crazy as we are, we being her first experience with them (according to her...I have a feeling that may have just been a ruse to boost tips, haha). Tonight’s excursion was topped off by some in our group teaching her American slang, and then attempting to get her to teach them the same words in her native language. Fun times…

One of my co-workers, with our regular breakfast waiter on the left, and Meena on the right

Oh, and I also introduced her to the wonder of a Nook e-reader…even got her reading from it, with the first few lines of The Cure. Guess I should have brought a paper copy along…ha. I almost had her reading from Chronicles in the NIV Bible (what came up first), but figured that might cross some cultural boundaries that didn't need crossing that soon...probably should have, anyway...oh well.


And that's all for today...be sure to come back for the next installment...

Bangalore or Bust: A Travel Log (Day 6)

Author's note: For the next several weeks, I'll be posting tidbits of a travel log, which I kept during a two-week business trip (the reason I was in sporadic contact with the world recently). Enjoy!

For those who haven't yet seen the other posts in this travel log, check them out:

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5

(And again, if you're interested in seeing more photos than I'm providing, check out one of my co-workers' blogs from the same trip)

Day 6, Tuesday (2/28):

One of the big news items out of India today was the auto-rickshaw drivers union declaring a one-day strike (desiring to raise the standard fare rates and such to combat inflation, improvement in working conditions, etc.). I’m not sure their effort had its intended effect of “crippling” the country, though. In fact, it was a glorious day as far as we were concerned, at least traffic-wise, on our way to work and back. We constantly joked that they should have "stuck it to the man" and carried out that strike for at least the next two weeks...

This was taken in pre-strike conditions...and in light traffic. You can imagine how much better it was when almost none of these things were on the road.

Combined with leaving a little bit earlier on both ends, we were able to cut both drive times in half (about 30 minutes either way). The workday is getting a little easier, although IT issues again plagued me most of the day. I think the plan to make me feel like I’m home may be going a little overboard at this point.

For those who enjoyed the bomb-searching entry guards at the hotel, this was the barbed wire they had guarding the walls of the facility.

It wasn't all security measures, though...some great foliage around the hotel as well.

One of the statues on our daily drive into work

 
With our traveling group having our fill of the local cuisine (topped off by issues from the previous day’s lunch, as mentioned in the previous post), we discovered that Pizza Hut has a fairly large presence in this country, and so we made a special effort today for lunch to order a few. Some of our Indian team members joined us, ordering a vegetarian pizza for themselves, and the Americans ended up getting a pepperoni. It actually tasted less spicy than the ones back home, which seemed ironic in a way. All that said, it was a welcome return to something a bit more normal for us. Our stomachs were definitely thankful, but not nearly as much as when we decided to go balls-to-the-wall for dinner, and visit an actual steakhouse near our hotel (maybe a mile or so as the crow flies, but about two or three miles using the various twists and turns of the city)!

Millers 46, great little place in Bangalore…not sure how stereotypical this could be, but the western theme of the place went quite well with all of the Asian waiters dressed in cowboy attire. Also a tremendous value, where a massive T-bone with sides (although they claimed the vegetables were “boiled”, they seemed a little hard/raw, so with the cucumbers from Monday's lunch on my mind, I passed on those) and two small glasses of Pepsi cost the equivalent of around $12 (taxes included). Great place, even if the driver had to ask around to find it.

Two of my cohorts in crime, all smiles in anticipation...

Sadly, I didn't think to get pictures of the waitstaff

The next time we came here, the T-bone was a bit more appetizing, but still made our mouths water with every bite.

 Also discovered that our hotel is apparently the “in” place to hold receptions and stuff around here, as the last few nights have included massive receptions of one type or another. There’s not really a “parking lot” per se, so it makes for entertainment watching the drivers navigate around. All in all, things are going well. And now that the stomach is happily digesting something familiar, it’s time to call it another night.

And that's all for today...be sure to come back for the next installment...