Running with Scissors

Audition rule 2: Talk to the accompanist before you sing

2012-01-22T11:51:00.001-05:00

So you’ve entered the audition room and given your music to the accompanist. You take your place, deep breath … and start to sing … … but the accompanist is lost. You stumble; the accompanist stumbles; and the audition goes badly.

Here’s rule #2 – when you give your music to the accompanist, talk to her/him about where to start and stop. And give a short, clear sense of how fast the song is to be played and sung.

The accompanist doesn’t know every show; and certainly doesn’t know every song of every show. And even if he did … your interpretation is likely different. So, talk to the accompanist and tell her/him about the tempo and anything else that might be important of useful.

Then you can take your place, deep breath … and audition your heart out.

Audition rule 1: Follow instructions

2012-01-10T11:23:00.001-05:00

And so begins my musings and ramblings about auditions … and the first rule: read carefully and follow all instructions on the audition notice.

If the notice says to prepare 16 bars of a song. Then pick 16 bars; not 28 or 32 bars – and certainly not an entire song. Assume that you will be cut off at 16 bars. You might be pleasantly surprised if the auditioners ask you to continue … but don’t count on it.

And pick the best part of the song that shows your personality, range, etc. For some songs, the “money part” might be the last section of the final chorus – where the melody soars into sustained phrases and dramatic moments. I am willing to bet, however, that the best part of the song is NOT the very beginning.

If the notice says to bring in sheet music, then bring in the piano music for the song. Do not bring in a libretto that only has the melody line. What do you expect an accompanist to do with that? Honestly, do you want the pianist to just pull an accompaniment out of thin air?

Oh – and when the notice says to bring in music it’s a good idea to … well … bring in some music. Singing an a-capella version of “Happy Birthday” isn’t wise. And don’t be surprised, if this is the case, that the auditioners simply tell you “no.”

Make sure you understand the difference between ‘up tempo’ and ‘ballad.’ The former tends to be played and sung faster and with more energy than the latter. If the notice asks for an up tempo song, then that’s the style you should prepare.

Pay close attention to whether or not you can prepare a song from the show for which you are auditioning. If the notice says not to, then don’t even think about preparing a song from the show.

Lastly, if you are not sure what they’re asking for then ask them.

I sometimes hate the theater

2012-01-10T09:52:00.001-05:00

Yep! Sometimes I just hate being a “theater person” and work in theater, especially after announcing a cast for a show and then getting wind of rumors, innuendos, theories, opinions, etc. … “so-and-so is saying [fill in the blank] about why he/she didn’t get [name of the part auditioned for]”; or, “I got an email/text from [person’s name] complaining about [something to do with the audition].” UGH!

I think I’m going to write out some of my thoughts about the audition process along with callbacks and casting – from the viewpoint of one who sits at the table and actually makes casting decisions.

to be continued …

Oh puh-leeze! Methinks thou dost protest too much

2012-01-04T15:13:00.001-05:00

So, I’ve started the auditions for the musical “Annie.” The audition notice was posted on an online forum, which quaintly says we can “talk with other fans of the stage.”

Sometimes there are, indeed, discussions. And many times there are audition notices for upcoming shows all throughout the area.

Lo and behold, a poster comes along to gripe with a post titled, “NO MOAR [sic] ANNIE” whose text is:

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD..... JUST STOP, PEOPLE.
Same goes for JOSEPH.
I WILL NOT come see these shows.

Firstly, if you choose not to come see any production of “Annie” or “Joseph” … fine. And thank you for sharing.

But why the all caps? Why the apparent ire?

I wrote about this before in this post – when the issue was an apparent overabundance of Sweeney Todd performances. And the question still stands, “Why is this such a big deal?” I really don’t get the problem this poster has. I don’t have a profound desire to police the world of public theater and community theater to ensure that every show is unique from all others.

As long as a theater can cast the show, can sell tickets to an audience, and can make a small amount of cash in the process, what’s the beef?

As much as you might complain … it’s only you that’s really bothered

2011-10-20T07:16:00.001-04:00

(from the world of New Jersey Community theater)

Have been seeing and hearing a lot of “why are there so many productions of XXX this year?” For example, this year there are several community theaters producing Sweeney Todd. Last year saw a plethora of Hairspray productions. And this isn’t just a musical phenomenon … awhile ago there seemed to be several productions of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest or Steel Magnolias.

And I keep hearing people ask – or read their rants – why these theaters don’t all work together? Why can’t they understand that so many repeat or duplicate productions is unnecessary (perhaps counterproductive)? Why why why why why? … blah blah blah.

My question is: why do you even care? … Frankly the only people who are in fact complaining are “theater people” – us folks who participate in theater as performers, staff, directors, etc.

I’ve not heard one single audience member say, “Oh dear. There are just too many Sweeney Todd’s being done this year.”

Here’s the kicker … it doesn’t matter how many different productions of the same material there are. Each theater is going to sell tickets and there is little to no overlap in the audience base for these theaters.

Let me say that again … there is little to no overlap in the audience base for all these different theaters. The only traveling audience is we who are the theater people … I mean I’ll go to different theaters throughout the area because friends are doing a show or a family member is in a show. But I’m not the norm … and nor are those theater people complaining so much … when it comes to an audience base for any community theater.

Perhaps … and this is only a small issue to my mind … there can be an effect in a “talent pool” of actors when there are multiple versions of a show being produced. Some actors may choose not to audition for a show because they’ve already just finished the same show at a different theater and they want to move on to something new or different. Yet there may be others who will audition precisely because it is something they want to do again. Yet, that’s their decision … whether to audition or not. And no amount of complaining by other theater people is going to change that.

“I can’t imagine that all these theaters can find an audience for all these different productions of Sweeney Todd (or whatever musical or play that’s being done many times in a year).” … Well, then you don’t have much insight as to how community theater organizations really and truly work. It’s not all about the theater people as the actors and such … it’s about the audience whom the theater serves. And they aren’t complaining.

Be kind to your accompanist

2011-10-18T08:43:00.001-04:00

Last night I was asked to play for some auditions. The actors were asked to bring in an uptempo song (as well as have a prepared monologue). For the most part it went well … but there were some definite mis-steps made by the actors when it came to preparing their music. And these are so common – I encounter them at nearly every single audition I’ve played for.

So from the point of view of your accompanist who is asked to play for auditions, here are some of my own observations … and believe me! these will be helpful to any actor auditioning for a show.

First of all – BE NICE TO ME! I am here to help you. I’m not here to screw you up or to make you look bad. If you come in with a bad attitude, don’t expect me to take kindly to it.

Realize that I don’t know every single song from every musical ever written. Don’t assume that I just know it. After all you’ve been working on this song and preparing for the audition for some time. I’ve only just seen this music seconds before you are going to sing it.

If I ask you how fast or slow you want the song to be played, don’t look at me like I have two heads. I’ll try to remember that you may not know what the word “tempo” means … so I’ll ask, “How fast do you want this?” or something like that. Please tell me clearly and succinctly. Perhaps you can sing one or two measures as an example of the tempo you want. But don’t look at me like I’m some kind of alien. Heck! If you want to sing well at the audition, then by all means help me understand what you want. I can’t read your mind.

I’m sight reading your music … this means that I have to play the damned thing without having practiced it or even looked at it before. If it doesn’t sound EXACTLY like the way your aunt or voice teacher has played it for you, then forgive me … cut me some slack. I’m doing the best I can. (Remember my first point that I want you to look and sound good? I’m not here to make your life difficult or to make you look/sound bad.)

And as for sight reading and not knowing every single song ever written … please don’t bring in something that is horribly and terribly challenging for a pianist. Oh yeah – let’s bring in a song that has six flats, changes time signature several times, and changes keys three or four times … yeah! that’ll be a good idea (NOT)! Just because you like the song and can sing it with the CD, or because your Aunt Sue or voice teacher can bang it out flawlessly doesn’t mean I’m going to be able to play that bastard within seconds of seeing it for the first time. Pick something simpler.

Please have your music clearly marked! If you’re starting at the chorus of a song, then let me know. If you’re not taking the first ending but are going to screech through the second ending, then let me know.

Mount your music in some way. If you bring in a book, fine … but when you bring in seven separate, unattached sheets of music you are just asking for trouble! Funny thing about having separate sheets of music … they get mixed up; they can fall off the piano onto the floor; they cause all kinds of difficulties.

So if you have separate sheets, either put them into a binder of some kind or tape them together so that they can ALL stay on the piano while I’m playing for you.

And finally, it would be good form to thank me. A simple “thank you” will go a long way … perhaps I have a say on whether or not to call you back or to cast you. If you show disdain or an attitude, I bet you won’t get either recommendation from me. I’m nice to you … I’ve played my best for your audition … at least smile and say thanks.

Happy Independence Day

2011-07-04T09:13:00.001-04:00

What is this day really about? What were the grievances and reasons for declaring independence … and not just a request to compromise?

Read the actual document and find out …

Happy 4th of July

because he’s all about transparency and honesty and freedom of speech and stuff

2011-04-30T09:23:00.001-04:00

(Update: Chronicle responds after Obama Administration punishes reporter for using multimedia, then claims they didn't)

I guess the reporter didn’t have that tingly feeling crawling up the leg …

where did the time go?

2010-09-09T09:24:00.001-04:00

I stumbled upon a framed photo (literally stumbled over it since it is leaning against the wall, sitting on the floor of the den) of the boy’s very first public theater show - “Oliver!” Looking at that group photo of the cast, I was flooded with some memories and the question, “where the hell did the time go?”

After several years of our having moved back to NJ, my wife decided that it was time to get back into theater … it was how we met; and she really wanted / needed a creative outlet. So, she found a local community theater’s announcement of auditions for their annual Christmas play. That year it was “A Christmas Carol.” She was cast as Mrs. Cratchet … and in the course of rehearsals and performances she made some long-lasting friendships.

Now up to that point our son had done school plays … yet he was interested in how this “real” theater company did things. So many times I would drive him to the theater to drop him off just so he could watch. And during performances he’d hang out back stage with the other actors. Well … as they say, the bug bit him. And when this same company announced their big Spring musical he wanted to audition.

The boy was getting more and more excited as the audition dates approached … he found a song to use and worked on it for several weeks. The wife and I coached him on how to present himself during auditions … the typical stuff of ‘be confident,’ ‘speak clearly,’ yada yada yada. The day of auditions I found a photo of another production of “Oliver!” and made several little posters – putting them up throughout his room and the house with little statements like, “Break a Leg!” … “Have fun – I know you’ll do well” … and the like.

And the kid got cast as one of the orphans … also as one of Fagin’s gang …

And thus began his “career” in local theater here. Since that show, in only a few short years, he’s been busy doing one show after another; and he’s ventured out into other community theater companies.

But I saw that photo of the very first production he auditioned for and was cast in … where the hell did the time go? The boy was thrilled being in the show!

Yeah – these are the kinds of memories he may not recall … but I certainly do and cherish them.

13 years ago

2010-05-31T08:20:00.002-04:00

Memorial Day weekend is often a bit somber for me - on the one hand it is a day of remembering those who gave their lives in service to our country; yet on the other it is a much more personal day of remembrance as this was the weekend that my father passed away. And it seems that no matter the amount of time that has passed so far, this is a time where I tend to get a bit foggy as I remember the good, the not-so-good, the funny, the serious ... all the time I did have with him. But for some reason the memories that loom the largest and clearest are those of his last weekend.

We were living a nearly 8-hour drive away; and with a two-year old, making the trip to visit was not easy ... so our visits became few and far between. We'd plan for visits during long weekends (like Memorial Day weekend). And so in 1997 we did just that. Because the cancer had come back - this time with a vengeance - Dad and Mom weren't able to visit us for their grandson's 2nd birthday. Dad just couldn't make that kind of trip anymore; and Mom had to take care of him. Yet they so desperately wanted to see the grandchild ... so we agreed that we'd make the trip during Memorial Day to have another birthday celebration.

I know that Dad was looking forward to the visit - probably more than I'd ever know, quite frankly. I later found out that he had been hospitalized only a few days before but signed himself out so that he could be home to welcome his grandson.
As we arrived at their house after a tediously long drive (having a two-year old strapped in a car seat is not a lot of fun!), I tried to explain as best as the kid could understand that grandpa might look differently from the last time we saw him. (The chemo was doing its best to destroy his health as well as destroying the cancer)

There he was - Dad was sitting in "his chair" wrapped in his bathrobe and a blanket, wearing a cap as he had since lost all of his hair. He could only talk in a whisper; and he was no longer able to eat nor drink but for a tube that had been placed directly into his stomach.
The kid took everything in stride to be sure. He was his usual rambunctious self - playing with toys on the floor right there in front of grandpa - and Dad just seemed to glow with joy at watching the little rascal.

Then the night took a turn for the worse.
At some point in the early morning hours, my mother woke me up to ask for help. Dad was having problems and she needed to pack a small suitcase because she was sure he'd have to go to the hospital. The ambulance was called. Mom insisted that she be with Dad in the back of the ambulance, so I drove another car to meet them in the emergency room. I got a bit lost getting there ... the dark roads were unfamiliar to me - and there's not much help available at 3am. But I did manage to get to the emergency room only 20 minutes after Mom and Dad arrived.

Checked into a room, the oncologist on call came and gave Dad the once-over. The last time I saw him alive was that night in the hospital bed ... Mom and I standing at the foot of the bed with my arm wrapped around her - both of us looking at him and telling him that, "It'll be okay," and that we'll stop by to see him the next morning.

That next morning we received a phone call from the doctor on call that Dad has passed at some point during the night. Taking Mom to the hospital that morning included quite a flood of tears from both of us - my having to pull over a few times because the crying was rather intense.
A priest greeted us when we arrived at the hospital - expressing his sorrow for our loss and assuring that Dad had received the last rites. "His sins are forgiven," were his words to us.

Seeing him lying there cold, eyes still open -
I did not think then, nor do still think now, that he had passed
peacefully. It wasn't a scene of peace ... I don't know if Dad struggled
to stay alive during those last moments or if he was angry or if he
eventually accepted and resigned himself to the inevitable ... it just
struck me as I saw him there that it wasn't a gentle passing.

There next to him were small pieces of paper and a pencil - since he wasn't able to talk well at all he wrote down his conversations ... and it was clear that this was part of his conversation with the oncologist that evening after Mom and I had left him. "The days of ice cream and milkshakes will be back" ...

So there you have it - my particular memories of a Memorial Day weekend in 1997.

An oldie but goodie - Brigadoon

2010-02-27T11:21:00.001-05:00

Yet another show is in the works for me - this time as music director for a local production of Brigadoon. This is at a theater that I've only worked at one time before ... performing as the Narrator in their annual production of A Christmas Carol.

When working on that show last December I felt amazingly welcomed by the company and production staff of the theater. "This is a place I'd like to work in more often," I thought and said to myself.

Where ... here I am ... working on a large musical.
And it does not disappoint. The folks involved are great.

It's been awhile since I was an actor - and it was fun getting back to it

2010-02-14T09:12:00.001-05:00

So, last night was the final performance of a murder mystery / comedy, "Catch Me If You Can" (no! it's not that Leonardo DiCaprio movie!) at one of the community theaters here. It was a fun run of performances ... sure loved my fellow cast members.
But wow! ... it was a while since I was last on stage in a play and with a substantial role. I mean I've had small roles in a few things that went largely unnoticed; but this one was an all-out-full-scale-OMG!-it's-the-lead-role-in-the-show kinda thing. And since I had not plied the craft of acting for such a long time - whoa boy! was I rusty at it.
Even when I was "in the biz" and working nearly constantly (many years ago), I knew (or at least hoped) that I was a decent enough actor to create a complete character and get the job done, so to speak. ... not a great actor by a long shot! ... a good actor who knew what I was doing ...
For this one, I sure couldn't have done it without the support of my fellow cast-mates.

Reconnecting with Friends

2009-11-22T08:17:00.001-05:00

Last night we went, as a family, to see a local production of Damn Yankees. One of the reasons was that several of our dear friends were in the show ... and we hadn't seen them in quite some time. That's just the nature of things, I suppose, in that the local public theater scene is a very tight knit group (everyone knows you) but that you're always doing something while your friends are doing something else.
So we definitely looked forward to seeing our buddies both in the show and afterward - if only for a few minutes to hug and tell them how much we miss them and how good it is to see them.

And that's exactly what happened ... we hugged, said how great it was to see them, said that it's been too long ... and talked a little bit to catch up ...

Overall a fantastic evening.

Nuts in Sayreville

2009-09-12T08:25:00.001-04:00

It's been a long time coming ... with my having been away from "serious" theater (of the dramatic kind and not the fluffy musical kind) for many years, actually ... I've had the great fortune of working on a local community theater's production of Tom Topor's play "Nuts" ... at the Main Street Theatre Company (www.smstc.org).
One of the more exciting and fulfilling moments in all of this was seeing my DW take on a dramatic role ... she's known in these parts much more for her musical theater prowess and character roles than in the more contemporary, serious, non-musical ones.
I was so proud of her! And indeed proud of the entire cast.
My role was as producer - which in the world of community theater means the schlepp that has to get things done - mostly tasks that are no fun (like run around the town putting up signs or searching for props or mopping the stage floor). But even though it wasn't an artistic adventure for me, specifically, it was a very fulfilling one.

The passing of a priest and pastor

2009-08-18T21:05:00.002-04:00

Yesterday wasn't a great day in the homefront news arena ... got word of the passing of a priest and former pastor. Msgr Michael J Alliegro was instrumental in welcoming us to the parish we now call home and for which we are immensely grateful.

It was 1998 and we just moved to NJ from northern VA. The boy was nearly 3 years old and the move was prompted by a job transfer. The parish we had while in Virginia was vibrant and welcoming and everything we wanted; and we were all involved in the music ministry there. So we wanted to find a new parish home that was as similar as possible in terms of the parish life and to be able to participate in their music ministry as well (knowing that we'd never find an exact replica of our Virginia parish - but it was extremely important to us nonetheless).

We visited all of the neighboring churches. For one reason or another we were dissatisfied with them - some more so than others ... one parish wasn't welcoming at all regarding our toddler boy, another just seemed so disconnected as a community, and so on. Sadly we were told that our "legal parish" was the one closest to us and that if we ever wanted to register at a different parish we would need some letter from the Bishop's office allowing us to do so. Frankly, I hadn't heard of this before yet we knew it was important to be obedient to the local ordinary.

After several weeks - we decided to give one other church a try ... kind of a last ditch effort to find a parish home.

We arrived for mass to see quite a few people there ... quite a few young families - which we took as a good sign of course. One of the ushers, a Knight of Columbus - because he was wearing the lapel pin, extended his hand and welcomed us right off the bat.

A few minutes before mass was to start the cantor introduced a new song to the people, which was a 'call and response' style. The people's response being, "I say yes my Lord." So we were introduced to this song; and then the mass begins.

After the homily there was some welcoming ceremony for candidate and catechumens ... and this call and response song was sung. I felt a real sense of warmth and welcome and vibrant life at this church, and I was hoping that my wife was sensing the same thing. Glancing over to her I was getting the impression that she was feeling likewise.

After the song, our little boy leans over to me ...
"Daddy." in a not-so-hushed voice
"Yes"
"I say YES my Lord!" he blurts out

I'm hooked!

After mass my wife and I both agreed that this was the parish for us. And now we were preparing to swim through red tape to register given our understanding that this was going to require a letter of some kind.

The priest was standing outside greeting the people and wishing them well as they were leaving. We waited and then introduced ourselves and explained our situation. The priest, Msg. Alliegro, was the pastor of the parish and said to us that all we needed to do was call the parish office and explain to them that we've already spoken with him. His final words to us that day were simply, "Welcome."

And we've been a part of this parish ever since - ever grateful and thankful that we are.

Msgr. Alliegro remembered our names from that first day - which was quite a feat considering that the parish is made of nearly 2500 families. And he always made sure that we were welcomed by introducing us to other families and organizations/ministries in the parish.

We spent nearly five years with him as our pastor and remained in touch with him when he was reassigned as the rector of the St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral parish.

After fighting illness for a number of years, Msgr. Alliegro was finally called home on August 17, 2009.

To say that I and my family will miss him is an understatement, to be sure. He was a model priest and pastor and we are fortunate indeed to have counted him among our friends.

(cross posted to: http://monastica.blogspot.com/2009/08/passing-of-priest-and-pastor.html)

Family vacation - last day

2009-08-16T18:06:00.001-04:00

So we ended our little vacation in Lancaster with no clear idea of what to do. "Wanna see more Amish things?" ... 'Nah' ... and the other little wrinkle is that many things are closed on Sundays. Hmmmmm ...
After breakfast we were looking at some brochures and came up with the following ideas:
a living museum about the underground railroad - which was a big part of the history here.
a tour of President Buchanan's house
a tour of a pretzel making factory
All a big bust ... they're all closed on Sundays.

Oh well ... guess we'll have to do some outlet shopping.

But then we found this little brochure on Rock Ford Plantation, which was apparently owned by an adjutant general to George Washington during the Revolutionary War. A quick look on the web ... BINGO! ... it's open today. So, off we went.

The plantation is on the grounds of a public park ... we had some time to kill before the 11am tour began so we took in a little stroll through a "five senses garden"

It was a pleasant stroll through some paths and water features.

And then we got to the plantation. No pictures allowed inside the building ... but the grounds were so beautiful.

The view as you approach the rear of the home.

Garden and barn, seen from the side of the home. The barn, and many of the grounds, are used for weddings, receptions, parties, etc.

As you walk around the building, which has a wrap-around portico porch.

The front of the home, which is what you would have seen in the 18th century as you approached from town. But it is not used ... have to enter through the rear.

The tour was nearly 2 hours ... our guide was so full of great information, and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
The home was built between 1792-1794 for a General Hand and his wife.

Vacation Day 2- bus tour and musical #2

2009-08-16T17:49:00.001-04:00

We continued our second day with a bus tour of Amish farm country with a few stops at some key shops (quilt, ice cream and pretzels). Our driver is himself a Mennonite and lives right here, so we got some first-hand knowledge of this area and what it's like to live here.
We're glad that we did the Amish Village earlier in the day because that gave us a better perspective of an Amish family's life ... and then with the bus driver giving us his personal experiences (apparently his parents were Amish), we got a lot more out of the bus tour.

The obligatory stops along this 2-hour tour were fine ... the first one was the most impressive and tempting! ... the quilting shop. This shop is owned and operated by the driver's family ... but OH! the things we saw. All of the items are hand made, of course, and it is unfathomable to me how much skill, time and patience goes into the making of these quits. Some were truly exquisite! We figured on average that it takes 400-500 hours of work to complete one quilt ... and that's if you're highly skilled and know what your doing so that you're not wasting time.

What's a "quillow"?
It's a quilt that is also a pillow .... you've got to see these things!
The quilt is about the size and shape of a very large sleeping bag. When you fold it up and tuck in some extra flap or something you actually get a pillow - like the kind you would use on your sofa.
How cool is that!
Well, the wife bought one and the boy got one for himself as well. And the price is almost like cost ... 35 bucks for this thing.

We ate a smorgasbord dinner ... that was fine - we're used to these kinds of buffets, so this wasn't really any new adventure ... except that the food, of course, was all local style cuisine.

After dinner we took in our second show at the Sight and Sound theater ... this one about Abraham and Sarah. It was a good show, although no where near as good or as spectacular as In The Beginning (the one we saw our first night here). Once again, the entire show ... its focus, the script, the songs, the whole shabang ... suffered from some very thin theology. Unfortunate ... because the story is filled with so many layers of all sorts of meetings and prototypes ... in fact, I read and study with my 8th grade students the passage of Abraham being asked to sacrifice his son, Isaac. There's Melchizedek, there's the account of Lot and his wife, the whole covenantal relationship between God and his people through Abraham, and the list goes on and on and on.
It's just that this show focused only on one simple theme of remaining faithful to God through everything.
Hey! That's a GREAT lesson and one definitely worth hearing and seeing and contemplating ... don't get me wrong. Like I said, it just seemed awfully thin.

And this one wasn't so much a musical as it was a 'play with music' ... there were songs, of course, but they sure didn't seem as well integrated into the story or with the characters as it seemed in the first show we saw. And that was too bad because both the lead actors had some rather incredible voices. And the songs were a tad bit more preachy ... not so much pushy ... but just a bit 'preachy' in their message.

All in all, though, a really great evening.
Probably the best part of the entire day was when we were all getting ready for bed and the boy gave to both wifey and I a thanks ... that he had a really good day.
THAT was worth everything!

Family Vacay Day 2 - all about Amishness

2009-08-15T12:43:00.001-04:00

So today we've decided to do the Amish sight seeing stuff today. After breakfast we went to an "Amish Village" ... I use quotes because although real, this village is more of a showcase rather than a real working Amish house or farm.

We started off with a tour of an old Amish home ... apparently this one is authentic - was perhaps even used at one time. The tour was very interesting - admittedly I am quite ignorant of the ways of the plain people (there are three groups here in Lancaster PA: Amish, Mennonite, and the Brethren). What was fascinating was to learn about their culture - realizing that they're not backward nor primitive ... just quite dramatically different.

This is a typical stove - it's gas or propane ... not wood burning. The lamp is movable, with wheels, and is kerosene fueled.

Keeping with the kitchen theme ... this is a cupboard and the sink. The green shades are used in the summer time to keep the sun out ... they don't use air conditioning, so keeping the hot sun out during the summer is important.

An array of Amish clothing ... most of these were of the more formal type - when going to church services. The tour guide explained all of the details and nuances ... like the shirts are only to be of single color - no patterns, stripes, florals, checks, etc. - and that there aren't any reds or yellows. Simple, simple, simple of course being the hallmark of it all.

Examples of outerwear ... the long item is the woolen shawl/cloak that a woman would wear outside. It is apparently folded and wrapped several times. The jackets are for the boys/men (as are the straw hats, of course).

Here we began our tour in the "good room" which would be akin to a living room. This is set up as though for church services. I did not know that Amish have no formal church buildings. They have church in their homes - each family hosting church at least once per season/year. So, the family would have to move out all of the big furniture pieces and bring in these simple (and not too soft/comfy) benches.
Church services go on for four hours ... ugh!

An example of a bedroom ... these beds were of rope tied and woven to the frame ... according to our tour guide, today's Amish use box springs and mattresses just like we do.

Oh - by the way ...

2009-08-15T08:16:00.001-04:00

here is where we're staying:

The Sight and Sound Theater - family vacation day 1

2009-08-15T08:12:00.001-04:00

The Sight and Sound Theater: The first thing I said when I entered the theater was "wow!" because of its sheer scale. This thing is huge (their millennium theater, that is. There is another theater - living water- that we're going to see today).

This is the view of the Millennium theater when you first see it from the parking lot.

This is a statue/fountain at the theater's entrance ... imagery from Isaiah ...

It is no secret that this theater and the entire organization of it is seriously Christian ... bible-based Christian, to be more exact. That's fine ... cool, even ... hey there! I like the Bible, too. Okay - so the organization here sees this as a ministry ... as a way to evangelize by putting on bible-based theater. Fair enough!
One of the ways I see it is that there is just so much doo-doo out there in the entertainment world ... so much stuff that really is pathetic in terms production and quality ... and there's plenty of stuff that is morally objectionable - plenty that is plain ol' amoral too. It was refreshing to see a piece of theater that was deliberately made to go against that grain.

This is the curtain when you enter the theater ... doesn't do it justice here ... it's actually 4 stories tall! And the entire stage wraps around the audience.

Can't complain at all with the production itself (by that I mean the set, lights, costumes, etc.). In fact they were astounding. All of these elements came together (as they're supposed to do) to give me a feeling of awe ... wow! again. I think I even said wow! once or twice during the show.

The end of Act 1 is the barring from the Garden of Eden. During the entire intermission these actors had to stand onstage with those flaming swords.

Nor could I complain about the acting and singing. The quality there was also top notch.

This is a Fontanini creche display in one of the areas in the lobby. Since wifey collects Fontanini ... well, let's just say that it was cool to see this.

The script ... okay ... that was a little stilted in places ... but I gotta admit that it could have been much much worse (think about some productions with all that stilted language of "thee" and "thou" and non-conversational sentences). Bringing a bible story to life on stage is no mean feat ... I was impressed and very much entertained. Bottom line = a night well spent with family.

The theology that was presented was a bit thin and their vision of Church equally so. But that is to be expected, I would say. Besides, I wasn't looking for a deeply refined Christology or Ecclesialogy ... and I would be really put off if they were terribly, horribly preachy ...

The fact of the matter was that I very much enjoyed myself ... and I think that the wife and boy did too. And we all said how much we'd like to come back to see some of their other shows ... their Christmas shows (they have 2) and their new show about Joseph.

Right in the middle of the lobby is a display for their new musical about Joseph ... you know?!? the one with that colored coat ...

... and it was red and yellow and ....

So the reason for this is ...

2009-08-15T00:02:00.001-04:00

Two things to say ...
1) the reason why we're in Amish country, and 2) the reason why I decided to restart this blog after nearly three years of silence ... for number 1 ..
The mom-in-law got us gift certificates to this place called the Sight and Sound theater, which just happens to be in Lancaster (or thereabouts). It's a theater that pretty much tells (or performs) bible stories.

And now for reason #2 ...
It's been awhile since I just wrote ... and frankly I missed that. Whether or not I'm actually any good is very much up for debate. But the act of writing ... of recounting the day's events ... of just sharing my thoughts ... all of this was very appealing in the first place when I started this particular blog. And I wanted to recapture that ... at least in some small way.
So, it's back up and running.

Hey! This might be something I stick with for awhile.
It might be something that I quit only after a few short weeks or months.
I'm just not sure.
But nevertheless, I'm enjoying this for now.

Family vacation day 1 - A taste of the 50's for dinner

2009-08-14T18:40:00.001-04:00

We really only have two and a half days scheduled for this vacation ... just an extended weekend ... yet OH! how we all have been waiting for this weekend to come.
We're in "Amish country" in Lancaster PA. And tonight we had dinner a little place called DJ's ... which bills itself as "a taste of the 50's."
Here's a photo of the outside and the bar stools inside.
Let's just say that this little place was a lot of fun ... like someone just plopped a little soda shop from many decades ago right into the heart of Lancaster ...
We walked in and all three of use just smiled because it looked like so much fun. There was chrome all over the place, those great 1950's colors of red, white, that funky greenish-blue ... and the music was all oldies.

The menu was pretty typical with burgers, fries and such ... but this was just what the doctor ordered for us.
We had such a big lunch that we only wanted to have something light and easy for dinner before we saw the show. This fit the bill just perfectly.

a view of the inside of DJ's ...

No longer the end

2009-08-14T16:27:00.002-04:00

I've thought a lot about this blog lately ... mostly because it had brought such wonderful memories ... as I remembered my trip to Pune and all the wonderful people I met and the great things I did ... oh yeah ... I worked while there too.
And it dawned on my only a few days ago that this is still a great way for me to keep track of what's been going on with the home and family and friends ... this being a personal blog and nothing professional or work related.
So, it has been resurrected so to speak.

And the first entry of this new focus is a family vacation that has just begun.
We're in Amish country - in Lancaster PA. It's just an extended weekend thing, but we've been looking forward to this for some time.

More to come soon.

The End of this Blog -

2006-12-17T05:03:00.001-05:00

This is the last post for Running with Scissors (post #132).

I started this blog to stay in touch with family, friends and coworkers while on my temporary work assignment in India. Now that my trip is over ... so, too, this blog comes to an end.

I had thought of continuing it ... I've kinda got hooked on blogging a little bit ... but doing so would only dilute this particular blog's purpose. So, when I decide to blog agaiin - it will be a different name and such.

Explore this blog - take a look at all the pictures and adventures. Look at the archives ... and use the tag cloud in the right margin to view posts about a particular topic.

a Final Group Photo

2006-12-13T07:36:00.000-05:00

Right before leaving Pune (and after the rooftop bon voyage celebration), we took a group photo of the team ... this was shot in the lobby of the office.

Categories: Pune_team

Pictures from Pune

2006-12-12T11:39:00.000-05:00

My last day with the Pune team ended with a little rooftop celebration of our time together. They got some sodas, sandwiches (you'll be able to see me feeding my face in one of these photos) and some sweet mango treats ... YUM ...

This is me with the Pune team's leader here ...

(Always feeding my face ... )

Categories: Pune_team

The Long Flight Out (Part 4) - I'm Home

2006-12-12T07:47:00.001-05:00

The layover in Frankfurt was fine (just wish I had some toiletries, though) ... and was back on the plane heading home on time.

After another eight hours or so, I'm landing in the US ... meet up with the Mrs. ... and we're heading home.

First order of business: a nice hot shower!

Then dinner and unpacking and sleeping.

I'm home ... and all is well.

Categories: journey, home

The Long Flight Out (Part 3)

2006-12-12T07:43:00.001-05:00

Thankfully when flying business class you have your own "special line" ... just makes it a whole lot easier.

I get up to the counter ... and am told that I am only allowed one carry on ... "But this is my carryon and the other is the laptop." ... This was the rule of the airline (I checked their website before heading to Mumbai just to be sure) ... but NOOOOOO ... flying out of Mumbai, everyone is only allowed one bag and one bag only.

AND ... I was told that passengers were not allowed any (none, nada, zip, ziltch) toiletries or toothpaste in any of the carry on baggage ... At least when I was flying out I was able to carry one small, clear ziploc baggie that had small sample sizes of toiletries. Not when flying out of Mumbai ... it ALL has to be in the checked luggage.

So, I have to go all the way back to where the x-ray machines are for the checked luggage ... I swap some things around between the two bags making sure that I have a change of clothes with me just in case ... and proceed to check a third bag for the flight home.

Go through security (which is a serious pat-down job by a very serious looking military officer, who is flanked by another officer dude weapon at the ready) ... and I am at the gate ready to get onboard.

The flight to Frankfurt is about 8 and-a-half hours ... I manage to get some sleep (FINALLY!), watch a movie (White Christmas, the one with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye), and get to Germany without any problems.

Now it is a four-hour layover in Frankfurt.

Categories: journey, Mumbai, baggage, Frankfurt

The Long Flight Out (Part 2)

2006-12-12T07:30:00.001-05:00

Taking a flight out of an Indian airport is ... ummm ... interesting, to say the least.

As we pulled up to the curb, three guys come rushing toward the car - open the doors - get a wheeled cart - load up my suitcases onto the cart - and they're off taking me to the entrance. I really should have expected this ... but with it being nearly midnight (and after a full day's work) and a bit bleary-eyed and foggy-headed, I just didn't realize until too late ... these three guys were not airport employees. They rushed the car in order to make a couple of bucks.

They stop by the door to the terminal ... one of the three guys wraps his arms around the cart containing the suitcases; the other one stands right in front of me; the third one (off to my side) tells me to pay them in euros. (I don't have euros ... only a couple of dollars and a bunch of rupees).

Sizing up the situation, I reach into my pocket and pull out a 500 rupee note (about $10 US), give it to the guy on my side, bump the guy away from the cart and call for the security officer in a loud voice ... and I'm pushing the cart away from these three characters. Sheesh! ... Okay ... I'm in the airport now.

Before heading to the counter, all passengers must have their baggage screened (only that which they will check for the flight). I went through this once before when going to Delhi ... you put the suitcase onto the belt and it gets xrayed. When it emerges, two security officers wrap a belt around the suitcase and secure it tightly ... the idea is that you cannot open the suitcase without breaking the seal on this belt. With my two suitcases ready to be checked I go find the counter to check into my flight.

Categories: journey, Mumbai

The Long Flight Out (Part 1)

2006-12-12T07:15:00.001-05:00

Leaving Mumbai was an adventure ... to say the least. Arrived at the airport at midnight (local time) for a 3:25 am flight out to Frankfurt.

Getting to Mumbai was a little bit of an adventure ... I had a driver arranged to pick me up from the hotel at 8:00pm local time. So, with my bags all packed I'm waiting outside ... 8 o'clock ... 8:02 ... 8:04 ... hmmmm ...

A friend offered her cellphone for me to call the company the driver was coming from. "Ten minutes." was the curt reply.

8:10 ... 8:12 ... 8:16 ... still no driver pulling up. Called again. "The driver is there." ... he must have pulled into the driveway of the hotel right next to me (a common mistake). ... Sure enough ... I find the car ... BUT ... No driver!

Running around asking anyone who's nearby if they are my driver or if they know where the driver is ... Oh ... he went for some tea, I was told. I AM IN A PANIC. There's a car with no driver and I have a plane to catch to get back home ... this is not a good sign.

I'm sure it was only one or two minutes ... but it seemed like much longer ... My driver walks up the hotel driveway and the doorman of this hotel descends on him explaining and gesturing that I'm waiting for him.

We load up the car and off we go.

I notice that there is less than 1/8 of a tank of fuel. Leaning over I ask, "Do we have enough petrol to get to Mumbai?" The driver just nods ... this isn't a good sign ... "Do you speak English?" ... only very little. ... So, this time I don't ask; I tell him: "You will stop to get petrol." And each time I saw a gas station I would tell him to pull over to fill up the tank. He eventually did ... thank goodness ... I was having visions of running out of gas somewhere along the Pune/Mumbai Expressway with no hope of rescue.

The drive to Mumbai is little more than three hours ... along a twisty-turny, six-lane highway that moves through the mountains. I think this guy averages 100 kilometers per hour for most of the drive ... and then ... BAM! We hit traffic in Mumbai, slowing to a crawl.

We finally get to the Mumbai airport and get to the departures terminal.

Categories: journey, Mumbai

The Last Post from India

2006-12-07T13:10:00.001-05:00

This is post #125! and it will be my last one sitting here in India. I've enjoyed writing about all of my adventures (and misadventures, too) ... this was a fun way to document my trip and the experiences I've had. I hope that you stalwart few who have been following this blog have enjoyed it as well ...

Things will be rather hectic for me tomorrow (Friday) as I wrap things up and pack and get myself to Mumbai for the long flight to home.

So, what have I learned from this experience ... ? ...

Way too much to put into one whole post, but here are a few parting thoughts ...

India is a country of incredible contrasts - which can be jarring at times to this US-guy ... It is a place where things just sort of happen at their own pace - sometimes it is fast, bordering on insane (like driving), and other times it is quite slow and deliberate. Just take it all in stride; and as Douglas Adams says in The Hitchiker's Guide: "Don't Panic."
Courtesy and good manners go a long way. Maybe we should all stand when others walk into the room or approach your table.
Family is the heart of a person's life ... work hard, play harder and always make time to spend with your family ...
Celebrate other's talents ... cheer, applaud, whistle, laugh and dance ... life's too short to be on the sidelines. Get in there and just dance . And invite others to do the same.
Add a little spice by ... well ... adding a little spice. I've come to enjoy Indian food quite a bit.

All in all I've enjoyed my time here ... I am glad and grateful for this opportunity and experience ... I hope to put what I've learned to good use ... and I'm ready to go home.

Namaste

Last Night in Pune - And for Dinner I Had ...

2006-12-07T12:30:00.001-05:00

Can you believe it?! ... I'm having a hard time myself - this 6-week assignment has come to an end. And this is my last night in Pune (maybe I'll return some day ... I really wouldn't mind at all ...)

I've come to enjoy the people here and this city ... it's a big city but it has a "small town" feel in many ways. Yet it is the people here who have made a lasting impression on me.

I know that I've mentioned this before ... and it bears repeating ... they all have been so generous toward me - generous with their time, friendship and human spirit. I will indeed miss them all - as I now count them among my friends as well as colleagues. THAT is definitely a bonus for me.

And what did I have as my last dinner here in Pune? ... Picture this scene ...

I'm in the hotel here and their special is named: Juan's Paella

Hokayyyy ... an Indian hotel serving paella ... you know I have to try it! ... and it was quite good, too. ... Sure, it had some distinct Indian spices kind of thrown in for good measure .... but hey! I felt so multicultural.

Categories: Pune, dinner, Pune+team

"A Day of Infamy" - December 7th - Memories of Dad

2006-12-06T23:43:00.001-05:00

Today (12/7) is "Pearl Harbor Day" ... once so strong a part of the US psyche that now is fading into a distant memory ...

And once again, I am thinking of my father.

Yesterday, while doing a little shopping, I had remarked in passing to my friends accompanying me that my Dad was in India in 1945. And how it must have been an incredible experience for him back then ... as this has been an incredible experience for me today.

My journey home will begin tomorrow (Friday) evening as I leave Pune to go to Mumbai ... and then to fly back home. And OH! the memories I will cherish from my time here in India.

Categories: Pearl+Harbor+Day, Dad, home

Danged Pigeons!

2006-12-06T11:53:00.001-05:00

The window sill outside my bedroom is cracked, and it eventually caved in. It's hollow underneath; and so a family of pigeons has taken up residence right outside my window.

All night long I'm hearing the cooooooo and chirps of these danged birds.

And tonight's dinner special was tandoori quail ... there's an odd silence outside my bedroom window tonight. ... ... hmmmm.

Maybe my noisy neighbors were actually ... well ... they looked like awfully large "quail" on my plate ... ...

Categories: hotel, dinner

Another Rooftop Birthday Party

2006-12-06T03:13:00.000-05:00

Must be a tradition here ... have a birthday - go to the roof ...

Today was the birthday of another team member here in Pune. We go up to the roof of the office building (really cool view of the Pune skyline!) to have a quick little celebration ... with some snack food available for all.

One of the foods was a pastry puff filled with veggies ... I ask what its name is ... "What do you call this?" ... thinking that it's something like a samosa ...

"A veggie puff," was the reply. ... ... Needless to say we all had a good laugh on me for that one.

Categories: birthday, cuisine

I Can't Believe It ... Nearing an End

2006-12-05T20:42:00.001-05:00

Has it really been six weeks since I've been here in India? Whoa Boy! ... what a trip ... what an experience ... it seems as though the time has just flown by ... of course, it has been difficult being so far away from home and family (at times it was rather difficult).

I really don't think that I would have been able to focus on my assignment and the work required here without the incredible, loving support of my family through all of this. I am quite a lucky man ... no question about that!

Today and tomorrow (Wednesday and Thursday) will be finishing up work here with the Pune team ... and then I have to pack ... and late Friday I'll head over to Mumbai to begin my journey home ... arriving in the US on Saturday.

Categories: travel, home, wrapping+up

Saying Goodbye to Delhi and Going Back to Pune (Part 10)

2006-12-05T00:18:00.001-05:00

My Delhi tour wrapped up around 3:30-4:00pm local time and it was back to the airport there. .... now I'm thinking that since the guy here in Pune who had originally made all the arrangements - since he cancelled my tour because of the misunderstanding from the morning's conversation ... did he also cancel my flight? ... here comes that pit in my stomach again.

But all was well ... Whew!

Grabbed a snack at the airport, read a bit, then boarded the plane when announced.

Two hours later I was back in Pune and was taken to the hotel here ... arriving around midnight. ... Called home to tell them I was back safe and sound ... and made my confession to my wife about the Kashmir rug ... "Oh?!? (pause) Okay ... (another pause) Where are we going to put it?" ... I'm not in the doghouse (too much) ... "As long as you're safe ... and get home safely ... That's all that's important to me."

Through it all, this weekend's trip was a vast mixture of extreme highs and excitement and extreme lows ... with some awe, frustration, fascination and fun all thrown in for good measure. I'm glad I made this trip.

Categories: Delhi

A Visit to Kashmir in Delhi (Part 9)

2006-12-05T00:16:00.001-05:00

The very last stop in Delhi was to a family-owned and operated "factory" in Delhi. The family is from Kashmir and they specialize in making rugs and pashmini ... based on the traditional way of doing it in Kashmir.

I was taken into their factory and showroom and they showed me how they make their rugs. Kashmir rugs are single-knotted (Persion rugs are typically double-knotted) ... made from wool or silk or both ... and the wool used is actually from Kashmir ... when it's sold in the US, the spelling gets changed to 'Cashmere' ... which is the softest around. ... What makes Kashmir wool so soft is that they'll only use the wool from the underside of the Ibex's neck and underbelly ... so it takes quite a few animals to collect enough wool to make something.

After learning how they make their rugs, then I was shown a wide array of the rugs in their factory ... that was a treat! ... I was sitting in their 'showroom' and they bring over some green tea that was infused with herbs and some biscuits (we'd call them cookies in the US) ... then the show began.

Each rug was brought out rolled into a bolt ... the man would stand at the opposite end of the room from me ... then he'd pause and then bow ... when he bowed he'd basically unfurl the rug so that it rolled toward me. So, rug after rug ... bow and unfurl ... one after another ... it was quite a show.

And My Goodness! These are beautiful works of art!

Okay - I bought one (had to make a confession to my wife back home) ... which although it was a little more money than I would have liked to spend ... it is just something that could never be bought back in the US (and if we ever did buy it back home it would cost many more times what I spent here). And through some arrangement with the Delhi government these cottage industries are free from taxes ... which could range anywhere from 15-18% ... and can be shipped overseas at no additional charge.

So in about two weeks time our Kashmir rug will be arriving at our doorstep back home. And I really think that we're going to hang it on the wall ... it is after all a beautiful work of art.

Categories: Delhi, Kashmir+rug, shopping

Hindu Temple (Delhi Part 8)

2006-12-04T23:44:00.000-05:00

My second to last stop in my whirlwind tour of Delhi was a Hindu temple ... and there is a special story to this particular one.

It is the first temple to allow outcastes to enter it ... It was inaugurated and dedicated by Mahatma Gandhi ... and his stipulation for doing so was that the temple should be open to all humanity, no matter their class.

One man built this temple as an act of charity and generosity (sorry - don't remember his name) ... it seems that all the men in his family would die when they reached 45 years old. Believing that there was a curse involved, the man sought out a guru to find out if there was anything he could do. The guru instructed him to perform an act of pure generosity and charity for all people ... and so this temple was built.

It is actually an entire complex that includes the temple, a hospital, an orphanage, a school and a pilgrimage center. By the time all of it was completed and opened to the public, this man was 89 years old. He lived a little bit longer ... building more temples in other cities ... and he eventually died at the ripe old age of 97.

This man's family still maintains the temple and its precints to this very day. They set aside 20% of their income each year toward its upkeep and operations. The city of Delhi does not have to pay for anything ... and it remains open to all.

No photos are allowed inside the temple ... had to check my camera at the door ... but the experience was quite incredible ... there are intricate carvings all over the place with many shrines to the Hindu gods and goddesses. My guide spent a great deal of time explaining the symbolism of the statues ... why they were holding certain objects, why they were dressed in a particular fashion, and so on.

Categories: Delhi, Hindu+Temple

The Red Fort (Delhi Part 7)

2006-12-04T09:27:00.000-05:00

Delhi is also famous for the Red Fort ... so called because ... ummm ... it's red. Actually made of red sandstone that was part of the Moghul empire (the fort, not the sandstone ... sorry for the confused sentence construction here).

Apparently there's a bit of competition between Delhi and Agra in that my guide in Agra would say things like, "When you see the Red Fort in Delhi you will see how much smaller it is compared to the fort here in Agra."

Unfortunately, I was not able to go inside to see for myself.

Two years ago there was a terrorist attack here, which has closed the fort to tourists. It is a fully operational military installation in Delhi to this day.

From this picture you can get a sense of the scale of this building.

Categories: Delhi, Red+Fort

Samadhi of Mahatma Ghandi (Part 6)

2006-12-04T09:18:00.000-05:00

The RajGhat is a very sacred place in Delhi as it is the location of Mahatma Ghandi's funeral after his assisination in 1949. This park is probably among the best kept and manicured I've ever seen. The entrance is down a sloping road ... so you're actually entering the park at the low end of its slope. Among the hustle and bustle of a city like Delhi (15.7 million people live in the city!) ... this park was very quiet. Would never have known I was in the heart of a huge city.

This photo was taken from a walkway bridge looking down at the place where Ghandi was cremated. The black marble (with the floral wreaths) is the exact location. And there is an eternal flame right by its side.

Ghandi was, as you probably know, the father of India in that he led the Quit India movement through to her independence from British rule.

I have always been an admirer of Ghandi. And certainly one of the most wonderful parts of this trip was to come here - to this quiet place.

Here in Pune, at the Aga Khan palace, Ghandi's ashes are interred. I took a day trip to the palace my first weekend here ... so I felt that coming here to the RajGhat in Delhi was like completing a circle of some kind.

Categories: Delhi, Gandhi

The Lotus Temple in Delhi (Part 5)

2006-12-04T09:14:00.000-05:00

The Lotus Temple - so called because it looks like ... well ... a lotus flower - is a temple of the B'hai faith. And it is a place of pilgrimage as well.

I, as a nonbeliever, am not allowed into the temple itself ... so I posed for this photos just outside the temple precints.

Categories: Delhi, Lotus+Temple

Delhi Peace Monument (Part 4)

2006-12-04T07:47:00.000-05:00

Next stop was the peace monument in Delhi, which is actually a memorial shrine to the Janists - which are a small religious sect fashioned after Budhism. Entering the monument area - of course sans shoes ... and this time I had to remove my belt because it was leather - you walk through gardens that also contain marble plaques and such.

This bas relief is of a lionness suckling a calf and a cow suckling a lion cub. The symbolism reminded me a lot of Isaiah - where the lion shall lie down with the lamb ... a universal symbol of peace. And how appropos that that thought should come to mind given that this Sunday was the first Sunday in Advent.

The peace monument itself sits ontop of a hill. No photos are allowed of the monument because it is a holy shrine. The monument is a statue of a famous Janist prophet and teacher, sitting like Budha in the lotus position - to posture of peace.

But I was able to take a couple of photos from the hillside shrine looking out over the city of Delhi.

And here's the minaret I was just visiting, viewed from the peace monument hillside. You can really see how tall it is.

Categories: Delhi, minaret, peace+monument, Advent

Delhi Minaret (Part 3)

2006-12-04T06:58:00.000-05:00

The most visited place by Delhi locals is this fortress/mosque and minaret ... which is the tallest minaret in Delhi. My guide told me that this is the tallest minaret in all of India.

This is inside the mosque (which is no longer used). It was originally an Hindu fortress and temple that was ransacked by the invading Moghuls. They destroyed the fort and temple and replaced it with this mosque.

The interesting thing is that they reused all of the stones from the original temple, so it is probably the only mosque (at least that I know of) where there are figures of people carved in the stones ... all the mosques that I'm familiar with only have script from the Koran and do not show any images of people at all.

There is also a story to this iron pillar. It is pure iron and centuries old. Yet there's not a lick of rust on it. My guide told me gleefully that this is the only piece of pure iron that is rustproof.

This is the mosque's archway - which faces west, toward Mecca.

Categories: Delhi, minaret, mosque

Delhi (Part 2)

2006-12-04T06:50:00.000-05:00

After visiting the New Delhi sector, it was off to a mausoleum of a noble ... I don't remember the name ...

The entrance gate to this mausoleum.

The mausoleum is a combination of red stone and marble

And here I am on the steps of the mausoleum.

Categories: Delhi, Delhi+Mausoleum

Delhi - New Delhi (Part 1)

2006-12-04T05:57:00.000-05:00

My tour started at the government/administration area ... the capital of India. Dr. S told me that New Delhi refers to the government sector which the British built.

Delhi, on the other hand, is used when referring to the rest of the city. This is the Indian Parliament building ... couldn't get any closer than this unless I was a member of parliament or some visiting dignitary ... as much as I may be a legend in my own mind at times, the police wouldn't accept those as real credentials. The building is in the shape of a colloseum.

This shot from the car is the India Gate - which is the entrance to the New Delhi government sector. The roadway is called Raj Put, or Royal Way/Royal Road.

All along the sides there were stands and bleachers being erected in anticipation of January 26th - which is Republic Day. India became an independent country on August 15, 1947 but they did not adopt their constitution until January 26, 1948. So, India celebrates her independence holiday on 8/15 ... and her becoming a republic on 1/26.

This is the presidential palace - as seen through the gates surrounding it. It was originally the home of the Viceroy of India during the British rule.

And these are just government buildings of all kinds ...

Categories: New+Delhi, Independence+Day, Republic+Day

An Inauspicious Start in Delhi

2006-12-04T05:51:00.000-05:00

On Sunday morning, because I had been sick the night before, I seriously considered cancelling the rest of my trip and head back to Pune earlier than planned. I managed to call my contact here in Pune ... unfortunately, such a change would cost me more money ... and I really couldn't justify the expense. So, I took some more medicine and decided to play it out as originally planned.

At the guesthouse I met a couple from the US, who have been in Delhi for two months. The gentleman works for the company I'm visiting ... he works in one of their US offices, but he's been visiting their Delhi office for this time. Two months! Now THAT'S a business trip.

At 9am a guy from the company came to pick me up to take me to the tour office where I was to meet up with my new driver and guide ... but ... things got messed up.

Because of my phone call to my Pune contact, I guess he misunderstood my final decision to stick with the original plan, he cancelled my tour guide and driver. DOUBLE UGH!

After a few phone calls - thankfully the guy with me had a working cellphone - we got a guide set up ... but no driver. So, this guy from the Delhi office stayed with me the whole day as the driver.

My tour guide introduced himself as Doctor - I'll call him Dr. S. When I asked "Doctor of what?" he replied, "Doctor of holistic medicine."

And Dr. S. told me that he is also a professional photographer, a worker for a children's charity, and a teacher of German (I didn't see any connection to that one).

So, during the entire tour in Delhi Dr. S. treated me to a brief Eastern medical/personality analysis/reading based on my birthdate (astrology) and my name (numerology). ... According to Dr. S:

I am artistic - leaning more toward the performing arts
I need a creative outlet in my life - and I work to find one
I am a deep thinker ... okay ... everyone can laugh at that one
I definitely have a sweet tooth
I snore - so I must start wearing a ring on my pinky ... apparently that will give enough pressure on some point that connects to some 'anti-snoring' whatever
I love my sleep
I like to have my own space
I have a heavy personality ... this sort of goes with the 'deep thinker' thing ... where I am not so easily persuaded into something, but prefer to do my own thing and not get pushed into something I'm not interested in ... which is a very diplomatic and polite way of saying that I'm as stubborn as a mule ;-)

It was certainly an interesting time speaking to him.

Categories: Delhi, guide, astrology, numerology

Going back to Delhi

2006-12-04T02:29:00.000-05:00

My touring of Agra is over ... and I'm back in the car - said a thank you and goodnight to my guide - and I'm heading back to Delhi.

Another 5-hour car ride! UGH

It was a bit rough getting out of Agra ... but the driver really did a great job navigating the roads and heavy traffic. Then it hit me ... since my driver doesn't speak English, and given some of the difficulties finding the meeting place in Agra where I was to hook up with the guide ... does he really know where to take me once I get into Delhi?

A slight panic set in the pit of my stomach. Well ... he's my only form of transportation ... and with my cellphone not working (just couldn't get any signal the entire weekend) I am completely in his hands now. Say a prayer ... say lots of prayers!

I was so tired that I did manage to crash while in the car ... sleep that is ... no actual vehicular crashing (thank goodness!). And when I awoke we were only 3 hours into the drive.

Finally approaching Delhi, I tried to confirm with the driver that he knew where to drop me off ... all the while saying to myself: "Please, God, get me to my destination safely." And I kept thinking what would my father have done in my place ... just go with the flow ... keep your eyes open and lookout for anything unusual ... keep trying to communicate as best as possible ... and hope for the best.

We did arrive at the correct location - the Delhi offices of the company I'm working with over here in India. - WHEW!

Arrived there around 11:30pm local time. I was greeted by the guards (who saluted me as they held the door open ... oookayyy) and met with one of the office managers there. They gave me a minute to freshen up, have a drink of water, and even called home (my first chance since leaving Pune).

They got a cab for me to take me to their guesthouse.

I am very grateful for the company here to allow me to stay overnight in their guesthouse ... saved a bunch of money compared to a hotel room.

The guesthouse is HUGE! with beautiful rooms on every floor. The bathroom where I was (on the second floor) is bigger than I've ever been in ... here are a few pictures of my accomodations.

The night wasn't the best ... I got a bit sick. Probably from the combination of eating so fast in Agra and my nerves because of concerns about getting lost in Delhi at night. So, I spent most of the evening in the bathroom than I did in the bed.

Thankfully, I brought my medicines along ... so with some time and a calmer stomach, I managed to get a few hours of sleep on Saturday.

Sunday morning started my adventures in Delhi.

Categories: Delhi, driving, guesthouse, lots+of+prayers

Agra Adventure Wrap-Up

2006-12-04T02:20:00.000-05:00

After touring the Taj Mahal and the Fort, I was getting really hungry ... I was up since 4am and only had a breakfast on the airplane to Delhi. My touring of Agra was finishing up (it was now 5pm local time).

My guide asked if I needed to eat a little snack. "Oh yes," I said ... and I was taken to a little restaurant that had seating outside. The sun was setting so it was a bit cool ... it is at least 10-15 degrees cooler in Agra than it's been in Pune. Thankfully I was wearing a long sleeved shirt ... but still ... I just couldn't enjoy the food much because I was shivering.

Basically, everything in Agra caters to the tourist crowds ... and as you might imagine, the prices are all much higher than other places because of this. My dinner cost me 2-3 times what it would have in Delhi or Pune. It cost me 850 rupees for this "snack" which was more of a light dinner (thankfully) ... but still ... that's a lot of money. The same meal would have cost me around 375 rupees back in Pune. Oh well.

After the dinner, my guide then took me to an artisan's colony to see how they make the inlaid marble. I was invited to sit in the front of the building to watch the craftsmen do their magic. The leader of this particular enterprise sat with me and walked me through how they do it.

Step by step, he explained how an artist would draw a pattern on the marble in pencil lead then give it to the next artist. He sits at a grinding wheel (by the way ... I completely forgot to take a picture of all this ... oops!) and would chose a small semi-precious stone. The grinding wheel is situated on what I would describe as a loom kind of apparatus. The wheel is vertical and the artist would hold a stick with a rope in his right hand ... pulling and pushing the roped stick to make the wheel move. In his left hand he would finesse the semi-precious stone into the desired shape.

After making the shapes, this artist would arrange them into the pattern on the marble itself and put some glue on them to just hold them in place ... time for the next artist to take over.

The third artist would trace around the glued pieces of gemstones and then remove them from the marble. Now this artist would use a small chisel and basically scratch scratch scratch until he created the well into which the gemstones would ultimately live. The challenge here is not only to make the correct shaped pattern, he would have to be very careful about how deep he should go ... every gemstone must sit in its recessed area and be perfectly level with the top of the marble itself.

Once all of these steps are done, the gemstones would be placed into the marble; and they would be glued in with some "secret formula" resin that permanently fixes the gemstones into place. The marble is then polished and washed. Voila!

With everything done by hand, a coffee table sized marble piece could take anywhere from 4 months to 1 year to complete.

Okay ... after the demonstration I was whisked into their gallery to see all of the handiwork ... and with a hope, I am sure, that I would buy something. I did.

I bought a handcarved, solid marble jewelry box with a floral inlaid pattern. If this were bought in the US, expect to pay anywhere from $150 on up. (My cost in Agra was 1800 rupees, which is approximately $40).

Categories: Agra, marble, shopping

Agra Fort (Part 2)

2006-12-04T01:48:00.000-05:00

It's difficult to really grasp the size and scope of the main courtyard here ... but this is HUGE!

This place was the main public court for the Moghul emperors. Here is where they'd hold court for visiting dignitaries as well as for the nobles of the land. The emperor would sit underneath the gallery, his throne placed on top of a large marble platform - which was raised up so that he was the 'highest' person in the place.

The sun was just not playing fair today ... my guide took this snap of me on the riverbank side of the fort ... that's supposed to be the Taj Mahal off in the distance.

There are mable signs like this all over the fort complex. This one is in the main courtyard area.

This is the Grape Garden. My guide told me that this used to be filled with grape arbors - hence its name. And the large marble structure in the middle was used as a bath - only for the ladies of the court. This courtyard was part of the private court of the Moghul emperors. No one was allowed in here except for the emperor, his immediate family and his most trusted advisors.

The fort is completely surrounded by a moat (empty now) that used to contain alligators and other snakes ... one more deterrent for any invading army. This is the bridge to the entrance to the fort - crossing over the moat into the first set of fortifications.

Categories: Agra, Agra+Fort

Agra Fort (Part 1)

2006-12-04T01:13:00.000-05:00

The other famous site in Agra is the fort - built by the Moghul rulers of the area. Akbar is probably the most famous of the Moghul emperors ... and of course Shar Jahan was here as well (he's the one who built the Taj Mahal).

The structure is actually a huge complex of buildings ... serving as a fort, a royal palace, royal court, and imperial residence. It was the seat of the Moghul empire in India.

This is the entrance from the gatehouse to the fort itself. The entrance is a steep incline ... which served as part of the fort's defenses.

My guide told me that if the fort were to have been attacked (and it never was), the guards would roll a huge boulder down this ramp, crushing the invading army and ultimately sealing off the entrance when it reached the bottom of the ramp.

From the river side of the fort you can look across to see the Taj Mahal.

There were monkeys all around the fort ... do not touch!!

Categories: Agra, Agra+Fort

More of the Taj Mahal

2006-12-04T00:20:00.000-05:00

(The Taj Mahal - Part 4)

These pictures wrap up the highlights of the Taj Mahal ... be sure to check out my album on the right sidebar for all of the photos.

This is a view of the entrance to the Taj Mahal ... looking at it from the Taj itself. Oh ... and the grounds surrounding the Taj are some of the most exquisite gardens ... very simple ... completely symmetrical ... just a lush garden that exudes peace and tranquility.

This last photo is of one of the four small towers that surround the Taj Mahal ... taken from the 'back door' of the Taj (the north-facing side) ...

The north side of the Taj is adjacent to a river. Across the river is the Fort ... which was my next stop in Agra.

Categories: Taj+Mahal

The Taj Mahal

2006-12-03T21:16:00.001-05:00

(The Taj Mahal - Part 3)

So, here is the Taj Mahal ... everything is white marble with inlaid semi-precious stones as well as inlaid with black marble.

My guide asked if I was with anyone ... no ... my wife is back home ... "Oh. Then that's too bad," he says. "The Taj is for couples ... for lovers ... that's what the Taj is all about."

This first photo is of the entrance to the Taj as you get close to it. Before you can climb the steps to get inside, you have to put on little booties over your shoes. I did see people going barefoot; however, I can't imagine doing that because the marble gets awfully hot as it bakes in the Agra sun.

As I mentioned in the last post, the Taj Mahal is actually a complex of buildings. On either side of the Taj are red stone buildings. The one to the west is actually a mosque (here is a photo of the mosque taken from the 'back door' of the Taj.

This was actually the first building to be completed in the complex. The builders realized that so much time was being wasted with all the artisans having to leave to go to prayers each day ... so they built this mosque in order to keep the workers and artisans close by.

Approaching the Taj Mahal ..... It is by far the most amazing building I've ever seen. Inside the Taj are four coffins ... two are in the lower level (the basement) where the two lovers are buried. You can't go downstairs ... not allowed. The two coffins on the upper floor (the main level) are empty ... they are placed in the exact same locations as the actual tombs below. The central tomb is of Taj Mahal herself. No photos are allowed inside the building ... they're very strict about that! ... Inside is circular with the tombs right in the center of the area, surrounded by a carved marble screen ... so you can look through the screen to see the coffins - which are also made of the same white marble as the rest of the building.

My guide took this photo ... the sun was just not playing fair and the shadows were all over the place ... but here's proof that I was actually there!

The tomb of the Taj was originally built just for Shar Jahan's wife - Taj Mahal (yep! that's her name ... well, title really). And it was she who requested that a mausoleum be built by him. She died after giving birth to their 14th child. And when she died, Shar Jahan spent the next four years locked away in his room at the palace filled with grief. Some say that he went a little bit crazy.

The original inlaid stones were all precious stones ... diamond, sapphires, rubies, etc. But those were removed by the British and have been replaced with semi-precious stones instead ...

Shar Jahan is buried in the Taj as well ... although that was never part of the original design. So, his coffin is off to the side of the central circle inside. The focal point being the tomb of his wife, Taj Mahal.

Categories: Taj+Mahal

Agra and the Taj Majal

2006-12-03T14:43:00.000-05:00

(My Agra Adventure - Part 2)

I arrive in Agra, find my guide, and go to the Taj Mahal ... which is not just one building. It is actually an entire complex. The most important and most famous, of course, is the Taj Mahal Mausoleum itself.

This first shot is of the East Gate - where you enter the grounds, which is a large courtyard area.. There are three gates (East, West and South). The Southern Gate is the entrance to actual residences and artisan homes ... where those who are responsible for taking care of the grounds and buildings live. I was told that several families living there can trace their ancestry straight to the men who were the original builders and craftsmen for the Taj.

The next shot is of the entrance to the Taj.

Okay ... a little bit of architectural history here ... the red part is red sandstone ... and all the rest is marble (white marble and black marble).

In the courtyard, I was assailed by folks hawking all sorts of things ... the most prominent sales people are "professional" photographers ... where you pay them a fee, they'll take your photo ... and you can then pick up the photos on your way out. My guide told me NOT to do this ... his words: "You might get your photos, if you can find the guy once you get out of the Taj. And there's no guarantee of quality."

There are 11 small domes running across the top - symbolizing that it took 11 years to build the Taj.

You walk through the gate of the entrance ... being teased by the site of the Taj Mahal as you go through it ... anticipation building ...

And there you see it!

The Taj Mahal .... all I can say is that it was breathtaking! What an amazing site to behold.

(There will be plenty of other posts ... but right now I need to go to sleep ... I'll pick up my Agra adventures tomorrow ... so be sure to come back.)

Categories: Agra, Taj+Mahal

My Weekend Trip to Agra and Delhi (Part 1)

2006-12-03T14:38:00.000-05:00

I'm back (arrived back in Pune on Sunday around midnight ... which is, then, really Monday).

It was an exhausting trip ...

Started by getting up at 4am in order to get ready and go to the airport here in Pune to catch the flight to Delhi. I arrived in Delhi around 8:15 am (it's a two-hour flight). Met my driver, and was whisked off to Agra ...

A FIVE HOUR drive! Holy Smoke!

As tired as I was, I just couldn't sleep much in the car ... wanted to watch the landscape go by ... although I did manage a few very short naps along the way.

The drive was ... ummmm ... interesting to say the least ... especially since my driver spoke no English save for a few words. So I couldn't strike up any kind of conversation with him at all.

At one point, he pulls over what I think was a checkpoint ... turns to me and puts out is hand signaling me to stay in the car ... and he says, "minutes." I have no earthly clue what's going on ... he collects some sort of official looking paper and hops out of the car. ... I'm sitting there noticing that other cars are doing likewise.

But now I'm getting bombarded by all sorts of street sellers ... tapping on the windows ... buy this ... buy that ... take your picture with my monkey ... take picture with my snake ... he's very safe ... "very good picture." ........ All the time I'm hoping that my driver 1) returns and 2) returns soon.

After probably only about 10 minutes ... seemed like much more ... he's back in the car and we're speeding off to Agra once more.

Agra is not very large. It's only industry is the tourism from the Taj and the Fort. Everything there in Agra supports the tourist trade ... exploits might be a better word! And ... it ain't a pretty city at all. ... Very rundown, dirty, polluted ... well ... it's just not very pleasant.

But the Taj ... now THAT'S something special ...

Categories: Agra, Delhi, adventure

A Blog-Free Weekend (Going to the Taj Mahal)

2006-12-01T10:39:00.000-05:00

I just realized that this is my 100th post to "Running with Scissors" ... what better way to celebrate this little milestone (it's a milestone for me to be sure!) than to go on a little jaunt over to Agra.

I will be taking the weekend touring one of the wonders of the world - the Taj Mahal.

I'm leaving early in the morning - to catch a flight from Pune to Delhi. From there I'm going to drive ... okay - someone else will do the driving for me ... to Agra to spend the day at the Taj. I have been told by folks here to NOT buy anything while in Agra. The stuff is way overpriced because of the tourists. And I have been told that Agra is really beautiful this time of year ... much cooler than in Pune. (Maybe it will finally feel like December for me)

After a day exploring Agra (there are other things to see as well ... like the Agra Fort ...) I will return to Delhi. The Pune team has been very generous to allow me to use their corporate apartment on Saturday night.

Sunday will be a day of touring around Delhi ... and that's where I can pick up some souvenirs ... the capital city of India. I'm looking forward to seeing its sights as well. I will return to Pune around midnight on Sunday.

So, with all of my touring around ... I won't be blogging ... until Monday at the earliest. I'm not taking the laptop (which I am sure will make my firm's IT department happy). But in the meantime ... please catch up on all of the posts so far ... and enjoy these photos of the Taj Mahal. (I'll take some of my own, of course, and put them up at a later date).

Links for you to read up on Agra, the Taj Mahal and Delhi:

Categories: Taj+Mahal, Agra, Delhi, 100+posts

A Brief Bit of Excitement (not near me at all)

2006-12-01T04:17:00.000-05:00

Thursday night (11/30) I was in a conference call ... and at about 8:00pm local time I was getting flooded with emails ... all of them with subject lines like: "Are you okay?" "Where are you?" "What is going on?" "Please say you're safe" ... and so on. ... Had to stop the meeting so I could answer all these emails.

All of these emails were coming from my team mates back home because they heard of 'riots' and 'unrest' in Pune.

Let me start by saying that I AM FINE ... and that there were NO riots anywhere near me.

There was a bunch of civil unrest and protests among the Dalits throughout Maharashtra state (the state where Pune is in).

It all started with a desecration of a statue of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, who is revered by the Dalit population (we, back home, would be more familiar with the term "untouchables"). This happened on Wednesday; and it touched off a storm of protests which unfortunately turned a bit ugly in places. Most of the violence taking place closer to Mumbai and not really reaching Pune.

During the day on Thursday, all of the security gates to the hotel here and the office buildings next to me were closed. Security guards were only letting people in they either knew should be there or who could convince them they should be near or in the buildings. And the metroplex theater right here closed for the day. It was all just a precaution.

The biggest concern for everyone here was for the members of the Pune team ... making sure that everyone had a way to get safely home last night. ... Everyone did ... and they've come back to work today. ... Apparently everyone's travels home were uneventful.

The news today (Friday) is that although there may be very small pockets of protesters still around, they are far and few between. The authorities seem to have a good handle on controlling the situation.

And ... this is no longer "big news" here even more ... the top news stories today had to do with cricket and a Bollywood star that has been on trial.

Categories: news, Pune, Dalit, Babasaheb+Ambedkar

Awakened by the Generator Kicking On

2006-11-29T21:28:00.000-05:00

What's today? .... oh yeah! ... it's Thursday. That means power outages throughout.

Seriously, who needs an alarm clock ... when the generator and surge protectors all beep on and off?

Thursdays are the days in this part of Pune where the power is cycled off occasionally ... rolling outages.

Categories: power, power+outage

A Package Arrived from Home

2006-11-28T22:05:00.000-05:00

I knew that it was coming ... just not quite sure when it would get here ... yesterday (Tuesday) I finally got it ... a box from home. (Hooray!)

So now I have my PopTarts(r) ... I mean, after all, what's a guy like me doing in India without my PopTarts? ... they are one of several sweet snacks that are just too yummy ... a certain vice perhaps, but a delicious one nonetheless.

Other munchies arrived (sorry to say that the Halloween candy didn't make this trip very well ... the bag popped open and the candy mixed with the styrofoam peanuts). Now when I am watching late night Hindi TV, I will have several tastes of home.

And some cards from my family, too. They were very sweet! ... brought a smile to my evening. I miss them very much ... and it won't be long before seeing them.

Categories: family, snack_food

A Really Good Workshop (If I Do Say So Myself)

2006-11-28T12:45:00.000-05:00

A huge thank you to my friend and colleague from back home who sent over materials for this workshop.

Today I delivered an interesting workshop for the Pune Team - giving them a chance to experience ... what I called "ILT American Style."

I think that some real breakthroughs were made as well ... particularly around how to communicate and what to communicate between my firm and the Pune Team.

They've become more comfortable with me ... they've always been gracious and wonderfully accommodating ... but today I actually saw some of them apply what we've been discussing these last weeks - becoming more comfortable asking questions and pushing back a bit when they want to suggest an idea to make projects better.

Ahhh ... the sweet smell of success!

And I really have to hand it to them over here ... this is something that they're not typically used to doing. So it really was a big leap for many of them.

Categories: Pune_team, workshop, success

A Rooftop Birthday Bash

2006-11-28T12:40:00.000-05:00

Today was the birthday of one of the Pune team. We gathered together on the rooftop of the office building to celebrate. I have to say that it was pretty cool - as in awesome ... not as in temperature. And I was grateful that they invited me to be a part of the celebration.

There was cake and sandwiches and chips ... and we all hung around outside on our little terrace - five stories up - looking over the city itself ... just as the lights were starting to come on in the buildings off in the distance.

It was a nice break during the workday.

Categories: Pune+team, birthday

A Rough Day

2006-11-27T07:41:00.000-05:00

I knew that it was bound to happen - eventually ... and it seemed to hit me hard today for some reason. I thought that it might creep up on me last Thursday - thinking of home, hearth and family; but it was a work day here ... so I was able to keep a focus on the immediate things around me regarding work.

But today - maybe because it was a holiday here ... and as much as I tried to get some work done from the hotel room ... this was the day it hit ... and it hit hard.

It's been a long time away from family ... and November is a month filled with family events (birthdays, holidays, beginning of Advent, and the inevitable planning for Christmas) ... as much as I know that I will be home soon, today was when my heart just ached.

And it was very difficult to concentrate on anything work-related today ... my mind wandering to over 10 timezones away - missing what some may refer to as the mundane day-to-day ... but those day-to-day moments, no matter how ordinary or mundane or routine, are that which mean so much to this middle-aged guy.

For instance ... my little man will be auditioning for a county-wide arts program next weekend. When he was nominated for the program ... coming home from school ... pulling out the nomination sheet and information packet ... and saying with gusto, "This was the best news ALL WEEK!" ... telling us all about the program and how much he wants to be a part of it. ...

And I'll be missing out on the day of the audition ... being there to wrap my arms around him ... in congratulations or in a comforting hug. ...

OK ... I knew this was part of the deal by going here. I'm not regretting this trip FOR A SECOND! ... And I'm grateful for the opportunity ... It's just difficult at times ... today being most difficult ... that's all.

So, what did I do?
One thing was to go to Youtube and listened to/watched one of my favorite songs (it may not be everyone's cup of tea ...) by Mercy Me - I Can Only Imagine ...

A University City

2006-11-27T04:02:00.000-05:00

If you look up Pune on Wikipedia, you'll read that this is called "The Oxford of the East" because of all the colleges and universities here. In fact, Pune is VERY famous for being a 'college town.' ... the most famous being Pune University, itself.

And I've been told by many in the Pune team (who've received their degrees from it) that Pune University has probably the most rigorous academic requirements pretty much anywhere in India.

Apparently, when you graduate from a university in India you must take an exam whose purpose is to certify your degree. And this exam is quite difficult, I am told. (There are a lot of colleges and educational institutions that are not accredited, so the need of this exam is universal here in India).

Well, if you graduate from Pune University you do not have to sit for this certification exam. Your degree is automatically certified just be making it and graduating ... and having Pune University on your resume is quite a feather in your cap.

Categories: Pune, Pune+University

Cultural Day: Dinner and Dancing (Whew!)

2006-11-27T01:38:00.000-05:00

(Part Seven)

Whew! The entertainment lasted until 10 pm or so ... four and a half hours of music, dance, comedy and sheer fun ... and then it was dinner ... YUP ... Dinner at 10pm ... I've posted before about how late everyone eats here.

It was a glorious buffet set up in the back of the lawn area, with servers from the banquet hall company manning the hot dishes.

The buffet table was essentially divided in half ... vegetarian only on the right side and non-veggie food on the left.

And, boy! was it delicious. I took my very oversized plate ... it was much more the size of a platter - at least 20" diameter ... and tried just about everything they had available on the non-veggie side.

Sitting at a table, everyone looked at me a bit quizzically and each asked if I am able to eat the spicy food. "I am doing just fine with the food, thank you, and I'm enjoying it quite a bit."

And spicy was an understatement ... whether it was the rice, chicken, or hot and cold salads my taste buds were brought to life with curry, chilis, pepper, coriander, and I'm sure a whole handful of spices I'm not familiar with ... and I relished each and every bite. YUMMMMMMMMM ... even went for a second round.

During dinner I had the opportunity to meet others from the Pune team who work with other clients besides my firm. So, we did "talk shop" a bit ... but I really wanted to learn as much as possible about Pune from their point of view as well as life in general here in India. And - as always - everyone was gracious ... willing to teach me about this area, its history and what it's like to live here.

After dinner the hall opened up to dancing ... the party was just getting started at 11:30pm ... but I was so tired, that I came back to the hotel ... arriving here slightly after midnight.

A night that was very special ...

Categories: cultural+day, food, Pune_team

Cultural Day: Fashion Show & Awards

2006-11-27T01:12:00.000-05:00

(Part Six)

The evening's fun ended with a fashion show ... again, I'm hoping that others took photos of this as I was not doing very well with the camera by this time ... The fashion show was a celebration of the ages as seen through Indian dress - traditional and modern.

Then it was the presentation of the awards for the Sports Day events ... handed out by the company officers from the Delhi office ... to those individuals and teams who came in first in ~~soccer~~ football, relay races, chess, carem, and lemon/spoon race.

Categories: cultural+day, fashion

Cultural Day: History of Dance

2006-11-27T00:53:00.000-05:00

(Part Five)

There was soooo much dancing too. [You must rent a Bollywood movie to really know what I'm talking about ... give Bride and Prejudice a try, since it's an adaptation of the novel Pride and Prejudice ... you'll see quite a few Bollywood song and dance numbers. It really is difficult to describe, since we don't have anything comparable to it in the US. Even our movie musicals (like Singing in the Rain or The Bandwagon) don't compare very well as a reference point. Get a Bollywood movie and you'll see what I mean. ]

Okay ... this is where my ineptitude in taking night time photos - and of dancers - just shows ... sorry about the blurriness ... I'm hoping that someone else has much better pictures of all the dance numbers so I can keep them as a fitting memento of the night's fun.

This group were decked out in T-shirts, wraps, and body paint ... they danced to a raucous song that had everyone hooting, cheering and clapping. They were such a hit, that the crowd chanted: "Once more! Once more! Once more!" ... so, after a few minutes to catch their breath, the troupe came back onstage to perform the number again.

The one thing I'm sorry that I didn't capture in photos was a "history of dance" from the movies. A troupe from the Pune team danced to numbers that were from the 60's, 70's, 80's ... and concluded with a HUGE Bollywood number - with at least 20 people onstage dancing to an incredibly fast and driving beat.

They even changed costumes inbetween the musical numbers - the costumes reflecting the era ... so, we had "mod" suits for the 60's, sequinned shirts and headbands for a disco number, jeans and t-shirts for an 80's number and such ... And the lights played an important role as well ... effects from a glitter ball, flashing colors of red, yellow, orange, and green ... a strobe ... I mean it was quite a production number!

And the talent was awesome. I've met and worked with several of these folks ... and their personalities at the office are nothing like what I saw on stage tonight. They are soooo serious at work, and quiet too. But when the drums and music started to blast through the speakers ... LOOK OUT! ...

Categories: cultural+day, music, dance, Bollywood

Cultural Day: Skits, Music and Dance

2006-11-27T00:40:00.000-05:00

(Part Four)

The evening's fun was filled with lots and lots (I mean LOTS) of entertainment of a wide variety!

All of the skits were performed in Hindi and/or Mahrati (the local language here), so I needed a lot of help from a translator, who filled me in on the basics of what I was watching. It didn't really matter to me, though, because so much of the night's fun for me was also watching the crowd's reactions.

Just to be able to be with such a group of people all having a great time - enjoying the night laughing, hooting (which is not like heckling in the US ... it's more a show of support) and applauding ... THAT was as much fun for me as watching all the acts on stage.

Categories: cultural+day, music, dance, humor

Cultural Day: After the Band

2006-11-27T00:25:00.000-05:00

(Part Three)

ISM's set is finished ... they're breaking down their setup ... and the master of ceremonies announces that there will be plenty of other entertainment and even a little game played throughout the evening.

At various points throughout the evening, he'd come out and ask a question (like the old TV Game Show, "Let's Make a Deal") if anyone in the audience had some sort of article of clothing or object ...

The requested items ranged from a yellow scarf/kerchief, red handbag, green cap, pink cap, a 1-Rupee note, a 1,000-Rupee note, a sock with only one hole in it ... and so forth. Anyone who had the article was to get on stage to show the audience, and then they could claim a prize (a wrapped present of some kind). I didn't have any of the objects called, so I didn't win a prize ... oh well.

The next act was a duo who rapped (this is the best description I can think of ... it was actually more of a cross between rap and R&B vocal flourishes with some chanting thrown in for good measure) ... in a sort of 'challenge' where each would do a quick vocal bit, then the other would match it ... going back and forth between the two as an entertaining 'one-ups-man-ship' performance. The crowd went wild with it!

Categories: cultural+day, music, games

Cultural Day: Opening Act (ISM)

2006-11-27T00:08:00.000-05:00

(Part Two)

After the soloist finished, the evening started off with a performance by ISM - The Incredible Sound Machine - a band made up of members from the Pune team. They played a couple of Hindi songs ... the crowd recognized them and even sang along with the chorus ... from famous movies.

The lead guitarist is someone that I've been working closely with during these last few weeks. Some of my co-workers at home may recognize him.

Not only did they play Hindi songs, there were also songs from Pearl Jam and Linkin Park. So there was something for us 'temporarily transplanted Americans' as well.

And here's that lead guitarist again ... playing the licks from Chop Suey!

Categories: cultural+day, music

Cultural Day: Sunday 11/26

2006-11-26T23:31:00.000-05:00

(Part one)

This is an annual event for the Pune team ... they've been doing this for the last few years, I'm told ... where they all come together to have some fun by enjoying music, skits, dancing, and a fashion show.

It is such a big event, in fact, that the company's chief officers flew in from the Dehli office just for this event. Even one of the founders of this company was there. (Those back home in my firm have met one of the founding brothers back in January '06.)

The event was held in an enclosed outdoor area ... sort of like a large outdoor garden that is part of a banquet hall or small convention center of sorts. It reminded me much of the kind of place where one would have a large wedding reception.

The stage was set up with sound equipment and all manner of lights. The lawn had tables and chairs all scattered ... with the rose colored table cloths it looked to me like a very large garden party.

The evening's entertainment began a little after 5:30 pm ... starting with a beautiful Hindi song (of course I don't know the lyrics, but I was captivated by the haunting melody as the singer soared to a very high soprano)

It is rather hard to tell from these photos ... sorry ... I'm not used to night time photography with the camera ... but her sari was an exquisite black peppered with sequins.

Categories: cultural+day, music

A Brand Name that Means What it Says

2006-11-26T20:30:00.000-05:00

This one is filed under the "say what you mean; mean what you say" category ... and I just can't resist this.

We're all familiar with the brand names of plumbing and bathroom fixings in the US ... Kohler, for example ... well ... the one brand name that I've come across is:

Here's a brand name that pretty clearly tells you what it's for ...

Categories: humor

It's a mini-UN

2006-11-25T11:51:00.000-05:00

I don't believe that I've posted about this ... sorry ... but, at the hotel here it's like a mini-United Nations. There are others from the US here (in fact, there's a person from Texas who is also working with the Pune team ... for a different firm and for a different reason).

There's a rather large UK contingent ... and BOY! can they get loud at dinner whenever a ~~soccer~~ football match is on the television (which is augmented considerably with several bottles of wine flowing at their table ... the loudness, that is). And tonight was the loudest and most boisterous of all ... tonight on ESPN was a match between Liverpool and Manchester City. I was told by one of the guys here that this is a bitter rivalry. (I noticed that the fans in the stands take to throwing all sorts of objects at the players on the field).

There are two gents from Croatia ... no, they do not watch ER and have not heard of Dr. Kovacs.

Germany is represented, as well as France (in the person of an older guy who has taken to sitting in a booth in the lounge with his laptop).

And a delegation from Japan is here as well.

Interesting note ... nearly all of these travellers are men.

I have only indulged in the small talk of "where are you from," "what are you doing here," "how long will you be staying," and "do you like it here?" Beyond that it has been mostly hellos and goodbyes as we pass each other in the hallway or entrance to the hotel.

Categories: hotel, diversity

Two More Weeks to Go

2006-11-24T11:33:00.000-05:00

Can it be? Yep ... I just checked the calendar and as of tomorrow (Saturday 11/25) there's just two more weeks left to my assignment here in Pune India.

Wow!

Tomorrow will be a short workday; and then I'll rest.

Sunday is "Cultural Day" and I've been invited ... don't quite know what will be in store ... but it sounds like fun. There will be live music - performed by a band led by a leader of the Pune team. I'll be sure to take pictures.

(I better get shopping soon!)

What I Am Thankful For ...

2006-11-22T21:00:00.000-05:00

It's official ... right now (in my neck of the woods) it is Thursday 11/23 ... just another workday here in India; but it is Thanksgiving in the US.

So what am I thankful for? (a short list, in no particular order)

for a job that pays the bills (mostly)
for this opportunity to travel to India, meet and work with the Pune team, to learn about and experience a new culture firsthand
for mom, dad, grandma and my sister ... who knew me as an obnoxious teenager and didn't kill me (as much as they may have wanted to at times) ... for their constant support, prayers and love right now.
for my (our) friends back home (and those whom I've befriended at work) who have helped us through tough times, invited us to spend vacations with them, celebrated with us and have invited us to celebrate with them all those milestones of First Holy Communions, birthdays, funerals and such ... who "check in" with my family at home while I'm 10-1/2 hours away ... and who are just there when that's all we need - just being there with us through this adventure of life

ESPECIALLY and MOST IMPORTANTLY ... for my family ... my safe harbor in this sometimes tempest-tossed world. My wife and her love sustains me and challenges me to become a better husband and man. My son is a reflection of the wonder and awesomeness of God's creation. It is a gift, a privilege ... and sometimes for me it is a personally daunting task ... to be entrusted with his care. He is fun to be around and to learn from ... to share quiet moments together and to join with him in a battle to the death in a game. Both he and my wife are the greatest blessing I could ever have wished for.

Categories: Thanksgiving, family

If It's Thursday, then It must Be Power-Outage Day

2006-11-22T20:58:00.000-05:00

It's a weekly ritual ... lights on/lights off ... and it's started again in the morning.

Likely to be this way throughout the day. I'm getting used to it.

Categories: power

What Part of Thanksgiving Are You?

2006-11-22T11:52:00.000-05:00

Of course my being away from home during Thanksgiving is a bit difficult to take. I know, I know ... I agreed to this timeframe for the assignment ... yet, still ... and everyone in the firm acknowledges this, so I know that this is not going unnoticed ... this is a sacrifice for me and my entire family. Because that is what Thanksgiving is all about for me - the blessings of having such a great and loving family!

I just couldn't resist this one ... which I found on some other blog that I read ... I just love the fact where my results say: "People miss you if you're gone - but they're not sure why."

Too funny! Made me laugh.

So, the part of Thanksgiving that's me (or is that 'that's I?') ... I'm the stuffing.

You Are The Stuffing

You're complicated and complex, yet all your pieces fit together. People miss you if you're gone - but they're not sure why.

What Part of Thanksgiving Are You?

Categories: Thanksgiving, humor

A Universal Dislike of the Tax Man

2006-11-21T23:55:00.000-05:00

While having breakfast this morning (Wed), one of the managers of the hotel ... she is also a partner in the corporation that owns the hotel ... came by my table to ask how I was enjoying my stay. I was complimentary of everything I've encountered so far.

"That is good to hear, sir," she replied. "Today is a difficulty day."

"Oh?" I ask. "What is wrong?"

"Today the sales tax authorities are here. Of course, they're here to line their own pockets."

Hmmmmm .... a near universal dislike of the tax man.

Categories: hotel, taxes

Elegant to the Max

2006-11-21T12:32:00.000-05:00

All I needed was a teaspoon ... let me set the stage ...

The lounge here at the hotel (I'll have to take a photo of it to share) is such that there are usually three to four waiters serving a total of about six to eight tables. So, they have this room pretty well covered. All I need do is look in their general direction and I have a couple of the waiters (they're all men, by the way ... don't really know why) approach me at my table. I've mentioned before how their service is nothing short of fantastic.

So ... I wanted a teaspoon.

The waiter goes over to his stash, picks up a tray (the kind you'd normally bring a set of dishes on), places a doily on the tray and then sets the teaspoon in the center of the doily on the tray. He glides over to my table to "present" me with the teaspoon.

The kinds of places I would go to back home usually have their spoons and other plastic cutlery out in the center of the floor - each individually wrapped in cellophane - for me to take.

But ... no ... I get mine here presented to me on a doily. Too cool.

And to a person, every time I say 'thank you' ... they'll respond, "My pleasure, sir." It doesn't matter what it is. They bring over my toast in the morning ... 'thank you' ... "My pleasure, sir." ...

'May I have another cup of coffee, please?" ... "My pleasure, sir."

I'm getting spoiled.

Categories: restaurant, service

It's Hot in Pune

2006-11-20T04:43:00.000-05:00

Today's high will get up to 88 (Farenheit) ... with sun and some clouds. And this is very typical here in Pune. I knew that this was to be expected to some degree ... after all, I'm closer to the equator here than in my hometown (which by the way is looking at high of 47 today).

And they call this their "winter weather."

The thing about the heat here, though, is that you can get dehydrated very quickly ... especially in the afternoon sun. Because Pune is situated on a mountain plateau, there isn't much in the way of humidity.

So when you perspire (and I've been doing a lot of that! ... thanks for sharing ... I know ... ), it just jumps right off your body fairly quickly. So, your body does cool down; however, you lose so much water that you can dehydrate before you even know it.

I've gotten used to carrying a bottle of water around wherever I go ... otherwise there'd be lots of trouble for me.

This means, too, that you have to be very careful about alcohol consumption here ... beer/wine will speed up the dehydration process.

This past Saturday I almost slipped into some nasty heat-related problems. With all of the walking around in the sun ... by the time I finished lunch I was in the midst of a horrible headache ... I mean the kind that makes you want to crawl under the covers, close all of the curtains and just zone out in quiet darkness. Lesson learned ... need to watch my fluids and pace myself a bit better.

Categories: heat, temperature, Pune

My Reading List

2006-11-20T04:28:00.000-05:00

Besides diving into blogs and other news/opinion sites (I use Google Reader for my web-based RSS aggregator) ... there's also an English newspaper - The India Times - that is delivered to my door each day, weekends included.

On top of those, I did bring four books ... three of which are in my done column.

Okay ... I love Star Wars - the epic saga, a geek's paradise, and especially in the original trilogy (#'s 4, 5, & 6) I thought the characters' stories and development were just too cool. I mean, who wouldn't hold back a small tear at the end of Episode 5 when Han is being lowered into the carbonite freezing chamber and the shot cuts to Chewie as he cries out in a desperate wail ... okay ... might not be your particular cup of tea ... but I like it.

So, why bring up Star Wars in a post about my reading list ... simple.

Before leaving for India, I mused to my wife that it would be neat to learn how the rest of the story goes ... you know ... into episodes 7, 8, and 9. And within a few days of departure, my wife found the three authorized novels that indeed tell the story. (We love yard sales in my family)

And those are the three books that I've finished so far. (The New Republic is threatened anew by the remnants of the Empire, but in true heroic fashion Luke, Han, Leia - whose now married to Han and is expecting twin children - Chewie, Calrissian, and all your favorite characters save the galaxy from the new threats.)

My next one is a novel about WWI, written by Jeff Shaara - To the Last Man.

Categories: reading, Star_Wars

At the Half-Way Mark

2006-11-19T01:20:00.000-05:00

In a somewhat biblical (albeit unintentional) arrangement, my assignment in India - including travel time - is 40 days.

As of today ... it is officially half over. I've reached the 20-day mark. Wow!

Categories: trip, calendar, half-way

Shopping on a Saturday

2006-11-19T01:07:00.000-05:00

After all of the excursions to the three great sites today (Saturday) ... Parvati Temple, Kelkar Museum, Snake Park and Zoo ... and right before lunch, I went to a grocery store.

I just ran out of toothpaste and ... well ... that's something that I really can't do without.

Besides picking up the essentials, I also purchased some snacks ... more the traditional Indian snack foods rather than those I'd usually eat at home (potato chips, popcorn and such) ... hey! ... while in Pune - do as the Pune folks do ... (I don't know if it should be Puneites or Puneians - hmmm).

So, the Planters nuts are my one nod to a snack I'd have in the US ... all of the others are more in the line of Indian snackfoods - some spicy, others not ...

Grand total for all the stuff (some not shown here): 1010.00 Rupees, which at today's rate is about $22. Wouldn't you know that the Planters Cashews are the most expensive at 499 Rupees ($11 US) ... oh well.

The gift and souvenir shopping will be another day ... but now when the munchies strike in the night (that sounds like an interesting song title: When the Munchies Strike at Night), now I have something to quell the grumbling.

By the way, the toothpaste cost 45 Rupees ... that's roughly $1.

Categories: shopping, grocery, snack_food

Update: Where I've Been So Far

2006-11-19T00:34:00.000-05:00

So, I've updated this interactive map to show you where I've traveled so far in Pune.

You can click/drag the map image ... and be sure to click on those little markers. They'll describe the places I've been.

Categories: Pune, map

The Raja Kelkar Museum - Part of Saturday's Excursions

2006-11-19T00:19:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of the museum ... as they are not allowed. Don't want to get into trouble.

We visited this museum - in the heart of Old Town Pune - as our second stop ... before the Snake Park and Zoo. It is a three story building filled with exhibits of all kinds.

The museum is the collection of Mr Kelkar - an historian and cultural guru of sorts - that was turned over to the city of Pune and government of India as a way to celebrate and preserve the culture and heritage of this amazing place.

There are artifacts ranging from several centuries ... the most impressive are the doors and facades ... okay ... just imagine the amount of effort to remove an entire building's facade and then reassemble it inside a museum ... and there are many such exhibits in the museum.

By far the most exquisite displays were the carved, ivory doors ... oh my goodness! ... there was one door - standing about 8 feet tall - that had inlaid ivory carvings of lotus flowers and leaves. Each one was no bigger than a quarter ... So, there were numerous carvings going the full length and width of the door.

I did purchase a souvenir book from the museum that contains a description of the museum and many photos of the exhibits on display. So, even without my being able to take photos I can still remember this experience ... and show my family and friends what I did see.

Categories: museum, Raja_Kelkar_Museum

Right Before Lunch: Rajiv Ghandi Zoo

2006-11-18T13:31:00.000-05:00

"Leopards and tigers and bears ... oh my." The zoo is next to the Snake Park ... it's in the same complex, really ... they are just two halves of the same park ... on the left are the snakes and on the right is the zoo.

All of the animals are indigenous to India ... macaques, deer, sloth bear ... and a white bengal tiger - who was being rather uncooperative .... Didn't he get the memo that I was coming? At least he could have come a bit closer (I had to use maximum zoom on the camers) and turn his head?

Categories: zoo, tiger

Covering All the Bases

2006-11-18T13:21:00.000-05:00

File this one under "cover all your bases ... so as to be absolutely, explicitly clear to anyone who visits." I just couldn't resist snapping this photo of a sign in the snake park. The park administration can't say they didn't warn you.

I think they meant "heckle" rather than 'hackle,' which are feathers on the back of a birds neck. One could "raise my hackles," but I don't think that's what they meant here ... could be wrong ... but just guessing that "heckle" is among the prohibited behaviors.

But they're missing ... do not pet or feed the animals. I guess if you happen to fall into one of the pits, you become fair game (pun fully intended).

Categories: snake_park, humor

Stop Three on Saturday - Zoo and Snake Park

2006-11-18T13:08:00.000-05:00

The Katraj Snake Park was our next stop on Saturday. Quite a few pits of all kinds of snakes that are found throughout India. Some are venomous ... others not. As well as snakes, there are reptiles of all species, shapes and sizes.

This is just a single python basking under a heat lamp.

All of the animals are indigenous to the Indian sub-continent. Thankfully, this is the only true wildlife in Pune (except for the drivers, of course)

Categories: snake_park, snake, reptiles

Going to Our Next Stop ...

2006-11-18T12:56:00.000-05:00

I've posted before about the traffic in Pune ... well ... here are some shots of that "organized chaos" as we were making our way to the second stop of the day - the Raja Kelkar Museum.

Pune is in the Guiness Book of World Records has having the most two-wheeler accidents in the world ....... ummmmm ........ yeah ........ Pune has the most two-wheelers, period!

The exhaust from all those cars, buses, mortobikes ... along with the dust from construction and the side of the roads ... is not the most pleasant of things (obviously). So many here will wear a mask or scarf over their nose and mouth. And people will just hop in and out of vehicles right in the middle of the street.

Pedestrians are another matter entirely ... there is no such thing as crossing a street at the corner. You cross the street at any place you darned well please ... traffic weaving around you as you go to the other side.

I have been amazed each and every time at the traffic here.

Categories: traffic, Pune, motorbike

More at Parvati Temple

2006-11-18T12:40:00.000-05:00

Looking up from the main temple area you can see the "thinking place" (which I got to go to ... that's where the photo of the city of Pune was taken). I'm told that this would be a place where the Peshwa ruler would come to think and to survey his territory. Facing east, we could see the sun rising over the city.

I managed to catch a snap of my friend and tour guide for the day ... he's from the Pune Team. The buildings behind him ... the one on the right is another temple area; and the one on the left is the palace court, which is now a muesum.

So, this was a fortress and a royal residence ... as well as is a temple still visited by many folks each day. I wasn't allowed to take photos inside the museum (but I did pick up a booklet that contains many pictures of the items there). The museum is filled with tons of items ... from everyday utensils, to the adornments placed on elephants and horses, to musical instruments, to jewelry, and so forth.

In the middle of the room - which served as the main court of the Peshwa ruler - were actually litters used to carry the king and queen. Okay ... imagine being one of the poor guys having to carry the litter up and down that danged mountain. Talk about being in great shape.

This photo is of the gardens which are right outside the museum. ... Lush and filled with flowers of different colors ... hard to believe that it is the middle of November!

Categories: Parvati_Temple

Saturday Sightseeing: Parvati Temple

2006-11-18T12:00:00.000-05:00

Today, a friend from the Pune team took me around the city ... It was a jam-packed day, which started at 7am. The first stop was the Parvati Temple. Here's a view of it as you approach it from the road ... Yes! It is very high up!. It is actuall 2100 feet above sea level .

There are 105 steps to climb in order to get to the top. Each step is about 6 feet deep and about 10-12 feet wide ... and the problem is that the steps are not level ... they are all at the same incline as the mountain you're walking ... I'm guessing that the steps are themselves at a 10 to 15-degree slope. There were quite a few people walking up and down ... some of the more athletic (and you really have to be in good shape for this!) were running. I've been told that folks will sometimes go up and down three times as part of their morning exercise routine. I had to stop in mid-climb once to catch my breath.

Once arriving at the top ... and catching my breath yet again ... I got to explore the temple grounds and buildings. There are actually several temples on the grounds. This one is the main temple area ... the temple is dedicated to Parvati, who is the goddess of love, wife of Lord Shiva and the mother of Lord Ganesh. So there are also shrines to Ganesh and many symbols of Shiva all around. And, of course, when entering a temple area ... the shoes must come off.

When it is open, you can pay 2 rupees to gain access to the wall surrounding the temple area. Not only is this a temple ... it was at one time a fortress. So, I was imagining myself being a sentry on the walls looking down the mountain. The one thing is that there are not guard rails (no pun intended) to prevent you from tumbling over the edge ... so ... gotta be careful. 2100 feet is a long way down. This picture is of the main temple area looking down from the wall.

From the fortress wall you can look down to see the city of Pune, which sprawls all along ... as you can see. The morning fog hadn't quite burned off just yet ... but you could still see plenty in the distance.

Walking around the temple, we came across another temple area ... this one dedicated to Lord Ganesh. I could only take photos as I was approaching ... were not allowed to once inside the temple proper. As we were approaching, we heard the chants of morning prayers.

Categories: Parvati_Temple

Happy Birthday, Mom

2006-11-17T11:42:00.000-05:00

Today, November 17th is Mom's birthday ... the Feast of St. Elizabeth of Hungary! How appropriate.

I'm sorry that I'm not able to be there ... but I'm there in spirit.

Hope your day was a good one ... filled with joy and love.

Categories: birthday, Mom

A Long Friday

2006-11-17T11:41:00.000-05:00

I awoke at 4:20 am ... don't ask me why ... I just did. Ugh! Couldn't get back to sleep as much as I tried; but to no avail. So, I made a cup of coffee in the room ... they have those little packets that make one cup at a time ... and read my email and newsreader (I use Google Reader ... which has become my RSS reader of choice) ... trying to keep up with the news here and back home.

Bleery-eyed I planned out my day ... had breakfast, which is always a treat here at the hotel. This morning's delights included chicken sausages, fried potato fritters (stuffed with spices), roasted potatoes with ample sprinklings of rosemary, scrambled eggs and toast. Then it was off to the office (I'm there usually be 10am local time here ... )

This was one of those sh*t hit the fan kind of days. But we all got through it with grace and style, I must say. A lot of digging into what went wrong ... and some action plans to work on getting solutions were the focus of today's work.

It is now 10pm local time ... and I've just finished having dinner. Tonight I just wanted something really substantial and un-exotic. So I opted for the pepper steak with veggies and mashed potatos. Yum ...

So, the day has come to an end ...

Tomorrow will be a full day of sight seeing for me here in Pune. I'll give a recap in another post ... with pictures and all.

Categories: workday

A Lakh Is a Lot

2006-11-16T10:41:00.000-05:00

... and a crore is more!

Two words that I've encountered with a great deal of frequency - from headlines to TV news shows to everyday conversations.

"15 lakh estimated in air passengers this year" was a headline in today's newspaper.

A lakh is part of a numbering system ... it is 100,000.

So, 15 lakh is 15*100,000 ... or 1.5 million ... but it would be written numerically as 15,00,000 instead of 1,500,000.
And 30 lakh is 3 million ... which would more commonly be written out as 30,00,000 instead of 3,000,000.
It's the same amount of zeros ... just organized differently. How's that for "new math?"

A crore is one hundred lakhs ... which is ten million.

My head hurts.

Categories: numbering+system, lakh, crore

On Again - Off Again

2006-11-16T05:14:00.000-05:00

Today was another day filled with power blips ... actually, it started last night. Tough part last night was that it played havoc with the hotel's servers ... I wasn't able to connect to the Internet. No email or blog posts. Oh well.

And throughout today (Thursday) the power is - how shall I say this? - in perpetual hiccups.

So, this is not the best analogy ... but I've been having pictures of Mr. Miyagi (you know ... that old guy from The Karate Kid ... played by Pat Morita ... who was also Arnold in Happy Days ... ) saying: "Lights on. Lights off."

The tough part is that the air conditioning goes out; and today is among the warmest since I've been here.

Categories: power

Food ... Glorious Food ...

2006-11-15T09:40:00.000-05:00

"Food, glorious food!
Eat right through the menu.
Just loosen your belt
Two inches and then you
Work up a new appetite.
In this interlude --
The food,
Once again, food
Fabulous food,
Glorious food." (Lyrics by Lionel Bart from Oliver!)

Right before I left for India, a manager at my firm said: "We've sent many associates to India and have always brought them back home safely ... ten pounds lighter, perhaps ..."

Not me! I'm having none of it. Bring on the food and let's add to my ever-growing, middle-aged belly's width.

And I have taken the dive into Indian cuisine. Yes, it is spicy ... some spicier than others ... but oh so good.

Two dishes I've had and very much enjoyed:

Coriander Chutney - this has been the spiciest so far. I had it on Saturday ... in fact, the woman who was serving wore a knowing smile when she asked if I wanted to try it. "Yes, I would," was my reply. Her eyes followed me as I took my first taste ... and ... KAPLOW! I think she enjoyed my sudden expression of surprise. Yet, after the initial shock wore off, I managed to relish it all. It was served with steamed rice cakes that were used to mop up the chutney.

Biryani - this is a very traditional dish. There are as many variations on the recipe as there are those who prepare it. I opted for the chicken biryani. This variation included rice, pieces of chicken meat, sliced veggies and spices ... all served together in a clay pot (a small crock, really). On the side included a yogurt sauce that had cucumbers and red chilis ... so there was a cool and hot action going on.

Categories: cuisine, spicy, chutney, biryani

Just Too Weird

2006-11-14T12:07:00.000-05:00

Having dinner tonight was a mix of elegance with the weird ... in one of those 'dog-tilt-your-head-to-one-side' kind of ways.

I chose the grilled lamb chops with mint and chili sauce. YUM. And they were grilled right there in front of me ... an interesting little treat. The food and service were the elegant part.

The weird part is that in the lounge there are two televisions mounted on the walls ... they are each angled so that you can see what's on them from nearly every seat in the lounge. On one TV was a cricket match (I still don't understand the game even after watching lots of it on TV) and on the other was an episode from Animal Planet about hippos.

Cricket ... hippos ...

I fail to see the connection ... but it was quite amusing to say the least.

Good food, great service and interesting TV choices. Just too weird.

Categories: television

A Quick Conversion Quiz

2006-11-14T10:39:00.000-05:00

One US Dollar is (as of my writing this) is equal to 44.9 Indian Rupees.

I have to keep reminding myself of this conversion rate ... $1 is roughly equal to 44-45 Rupees ... and I'm still not used to doing the calculations in my head. Thank heavens for this website!

So, now I'm getting ready to settle my hotel bill for these last two weeks ... the rules for my trip are that I'm responsible for meals, drinks, and hotel services like laundry and such. The company pays for my room. ...

Here we go ... I'm handed several pieces of paper ... the bill is 11,372.00

My first reaction was a HUGE KNOT in my stomach ... because I just jump to thinking this as dollars ... For a moment there I thought I was going to have to take out a second mortgage ... but then it has to be converted. Oh, but wait ... this is in rupees ... whew!

But how much is this really? Roughly $250.00 .. Okay, that's better.

Categories: rupee, conversion, hotel+bill

These Very Very Late Days ...

2006-11-14T08:40:00.000-05:00

... can sure take their toll. Okay ... a bit of perspective ...

I'm a morning person (just ask how annoying that is to my night-owl wife), which means that because I'm up and ready to go so early in the day ... I get really pooped out come 9:30 or 10:00 at night. I'm often found in quiet meditation on the living room couch at that time ... okay! ... I'm asleep.

And whoa boy! what a difference here in Pune! It is typical that I'm finishing work and getting my dinner at 9pm here. The deal here is the the Pune team do work late to be able to accommodate meetings with the teams back home. Let's say that the home team schedules a meeting for 9am EST ... this translates to a start time of 7:30pm local time in Pune. In a one hour meeting ... the Pune team is wrapping up work around 8:30 - 9:00 ... at night. Ugh

So, it's dinner anywhere from 8:30-10:00pm for me much of the time I've been here ... Of course, I don't want to go to sleep so soon after eating a full meal ... so I try ever so desperately to stay awake ... at least to stay vertical (I do tend to nod off while sitting in the chair in my room) ... because were I to lie down, I'm sure to wake up in the middle of the night with some heartburn ...

And you'd think that if I go to bed so much later, then my body would adjust and wake up at a reasonable hour in the morning, huh? NOPE! I still wake up at the time I'd usually do were I back in the USA ... These are very long days for me.

Categories: long+days, workday, time+difference

Rest in Peace, Bella

2006-11-13T22:27:00.000-05:00

I've not posted about this, because other things either took precedence and ... well ... because I knew how hard this would be.

Upon my arriving in Pune, I received a call from home that our cat Bella had died. It was unexpected ... and it did sadden us all quite a lot.

She was a people cat, to be sure ... as you can see she'd just lay out and nap right on my lap. It became a nightly ritual of her cuddling up and dozing off on my lap ... until the puppy arrived - then she chose to stay upstairs in the bedrooms.

We got Bella from a shelter ... and I remember the day of her arrival: I came home from work, entered the front door only to find my little dude crouched on all fours peering underneath our loveseat ... "I'm looking for Bella."
"Uhhh ... what are you talking about?" I asked, a bit wary.
"We got her today."
And with one look at her, I was smitten with our little kitten.

Bella lived with us for several years; her death was unexpected. We believe that she was only five years old -- or thereabouts. But things just happened; and even with our vet's best of efforts, Bella died.

So just imagine my first night in Pune ... still a bit jet-lagged ... and mildly apprehensive and unsure of the adventures awaiting me ... when in the wee hours of the morning the phone rings Only to hear the sad news of Bella's passing. I could only reach out with my voice to comfort my family; and that was probably the most difficult part of all ... not being able to hug my family to reassure them. But that was just not in the cards.

Here are some photos of Bella ...

Categories: home+life, Bella, cat

My Northeast American Accent

2006-11-13T19:27:00.000-05:00

I really don't get much into these quickie web surveys ... "What type of snack food are you?" kinds of things ... (Okay, I just made that up ... but I'm sure if you google around you'll find a quiz just like that).

But this one was a little different ... I found this on another blog I read regularly and thought to try it out ... just to see.

Lo and behold, they nailed it. My American accent is from the Northeast. Uh-huh.

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Northeast Judging by how you talk you are probably from north Jersey, New York City, Connecticut or Rhode Island. Chances are, if you are from New York City (and not those other places) people would probably be able to tell if they actually heard you speak.
Philadelphia
The Inland North
The Midland
The South
Boston
The West
North Central
What American accent do you have? Take More Quizzes

Categories: just+for+fun