More at Parvati Temple

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

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

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

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

... 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

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 ...

"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

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

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 ...

... 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

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

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

More Photos from Sports Day

Looks like fun, huh? ... Well it was a lot of fun on Saturday!

Racing while holding a lemon on a spoon ... in your mouth

We won!! Whoo-hoo!!

Now it's the men's turn with the lemons and spoons.

A different race ... have to dash out to pick each one up ... return to put in the basket ... then go get the other one ... Lots of running back and forth.

Football (er ... soccer) stars in the making

A friendly lil' ol' tug of war. This year the rope held together (last year's actually broke sending both sides tumbling backwards)

No ... they're not injured ... just another race

The Sports Day Committee ... making all of this fun happen.

Categories: sports, pune_team

Beginning Week Three

Wow! My assignment is 1/3 over ... and I am beginning the third week.

The one thing that absolutely impresses me the most is the people here. The Pune team in particular are gracious, jovial, very generous with their time ... each of them are such great human beings. They all work so hard, yet they never let work get in the way of courtesy or having some fun as well. It really is a joy for me to go to their offices.

My other impressions are about the city itself and all this great food. It struck me on Saturday that much of Pune in terms of traffic patterns a the amount of cars is very like the city of New Brunswick back home ...  Of course there are many many more motorbikes, bicycles and pedestrians ... and that makes it even more fun and interesting here.

And the food is ... GREAT! I've gotten used to the spices for the most part ...

Categories: work, food, traffic, pune_team

Roaming in Pune - a map of the city

Here is a city map of Pune.

You can zoom in and out - using the bar on the left. And you can reposition the map to see its different parts ... Just click and drag it around ... If you click each of the markers you'll see the different places I've been so far ...

There will be more to come ... I'll update the map as my stay continues here. Enjoy for now. (Some RSS readers may not actually show the map ... you'll have to click the link to my blog itself)

Categories: Pune, map

My Sunday Meditation

Getting to mass is not quite so easy. Awhile ago, a friend sent me a link to a site that has online adoration ... Savior.org ... And I'm using this as a Sunday meditation ... with the Liturgy of the Hours for today. 

The song is by Andrew Thomas, "Make My Heart Your Home" ... from the Podsafe Music Network ...
Click the play button to hear it.

Categories: Sunday, Andrew_Thomas, PodsafeMusicNetwork

Today is Veteran's Day in the US

In 1918, on the 11th day of the 11th month at the 11th hour, all hostilities formally ceased - bringing an end to World War I. The world knows this as Armistice Day (and it was called "Victory Day" early on), and we in the US commemorate this as a holiday - Veteran's Day.

I mentioned in an earlier post that my father was in India in 1945. He served in the Merchant Marines during WWII ... he was part of what we've come to know as The Greatest Generation, who fought to stop the spread of Fascism, Nazism and the aggression of the axis powers at that time.

It's a bit difficult being away from home during this month ... both my mom and dad's birthdays occur in November.

And today is a day where I often ponder what it was my dad must have seen and experienced during the battles of WWII.

Most especially, today I pray for my brother-in-law, who is now serving in Iraq. May he come home safely (and soon) to his family.

Categories: Veterans_Day, Dad

Sports & Athletics Day

Today, 11/11 the Pune team had a Sports Day. Each year they have a sports day where they compete against each other. There are four verticals ... think of them as departments ... who compete against each other ... in sort of a tournament. At stake is pride and the awarding of several tropies and awards. There were several games and sports activities held throughout the day. There was badminton inside the clubhouse.

And there was football (that's soccer to us in the USA).

Other activities included table tennis, chess, relay races, tug-of-war, and carem (which is kind of like billiards ... but is played on a square, wooden table with discs. There are pockets in each corner. Four players sit around this table ... you play as partners ... You play by "flicking" a half-dollar sized disc with your fingers and try to knock your team's colored discs ... they are black and white ... in the pockets. The first team to sink all of their discs into the corner pockets wins.)

I tried my hand at carem ... wasn't very good at it ... just couldn't get the hang of flicking the discs properly while judging the angles in order to shoot them into the pockets. My team mate was very very gracious ... since I only managed to sink one disc.

I was also roped into playing some badminton. My legs will be a bit sore tomorrow from the exercise. I was a bit more successful at badminton that I was at carem.

It was a truly fun day ... getting to relax and play with the Pune team ... they really are a great group of people; and I am so glad that I'm here getting to know them.

Categories: sports, athletics, badminton, football, carem

This Is the Hotel

In a previous post I showed pictures of the room in the hotel. Here is the view of the front of the hotel itself.
It's the Central Park Studios in Pune. As I mentioned in the other post, the hotel is quite wonderful ... especially the staff - who work very hard to make my stay here enjoyable and comfortable.

Categories: hotel, Centralparkhotel

When I Walk Out Each Day

This is the view I have from the hotel front entrance ... it's what I see each day as I go out. The tower is part of an old castle right in the heart of Pune.

I am told that there is a tunnel (which is not open) that connnects this castle structure to the Parvati castle and temple - which is situated on top of a hill on the outskirts of town. This structure is maintained by the Indian military, who have a base here.

Categories: hotel, Parvati_Temple, castle

Getting a fresh pair of eyes

This is a common site in the US ... telephone poles with wires going to and from homes and businesses. It's how we connect all sorts of gizmos and gadgets to each other and the rest of the world.

Funny thing, though ... I don't see any telephone poles in Pune. None. Nada. Zip.

I was having a conversation with someone from the Pune team here who tells me that all of the lines are buried underground. In fact, when he and others from India come over to the US they notice all of the poles and wires; and they think it's kinda odd.

And ya know ... I never really noticed until this conversation. Huh ... some things I just take for granted - like the presence of telephone poles. But once I was told how the lines here are buried, I looked around with a fresh pair of eyes.

Categories: cultural_differences, infrastructure

(cue music) "I'm in a Pune State of Mind"

Breakfast this morning was accompanied by Billy Joel music. The first song I heard coming through the speakers was New York State of Mind ... flashes of home and the Big Apple ran through my mind.

Billy Joel was in the news a few days back because of his international tour ... don't think he's coming to India. It was just in the cultural section of the newspaper one morning.

It was just so cool, though, to hear some of my favorite songs while having breakfast in Pune.

Categories: breakfast, Billy_Joel, music

Room with a View

From my hotel suite's window.
This is the view of the building where the Pune team is located. They're on the 3rd floor. I think that that spiral staircase is terrific.

Restaurants and eateries are on either side of this office entranceway. Pretty cool!

Categories: hotel view

So you can see what I mean

In an earlier post I mentioned how different the light switches are and such ... so you can see what I mean ... Here's a photo of the switches in my hotel room. Okay ... flip the switch down to turn on the lights ... only after you've placed your key card in the "magic slot."

Categories: light_switches, power

Dad would have been 82

Today would have been Dad's 82nd birthday. It is interesting that he was also in India in 1945 or thereabouts.

When I was preparing to come here to India, several of my family members would say ... "Your father was in India and he really like it." Well, I like India too.

Happy birthday, Dad

Categories: Dad, birthday

a Few Random Thoughts before I go to bed on Tuesday night

Sometimes it is the little things that amuse me the most ... and these little things tend to trip me up more often than not. Here's a list of the "little things" ... some random observations and experiences since I landed in Mumbai a week ago ...

• Light switches - you must flip them down to turn on the lights (opposite of US ... imagine me fumbling around in my hotel room flipping switches at random until I find the right one and the correct position needed to turn on the bathroom light ... interesting indeed!)

 

• Hotel rooms I've been in will only have power to the switches when the room key (a card) is inserted into a slot by the door. This one really got me in Mumbai after my near 23 hour journey and being oh-so-tired. After a few moments (seemed like forever) I figured out the need to inser the key card into the "magic slot." Insert it - lights go on. Then I removed the key card to place it carefully in its little jacket on the night stand ... and POOF! ... lights go out! Huh?!? ... Insert key card again; lights go on. Remove the key to place on the night stand and the lights go out a second time. OKAY ... I'm tired and somewhat slow on the uptake. Apparently you have to keep the key card in the slot. Otherwise you play a perpetual game of lights-on-lights-off. Doh!

 

• Electric power, in general, can be sketchy. I've managed through at least two temporary blackouts so far. I come to learn that each building (at least the ones I've been in here) has its own generator. And to conserve energy, the office building will often work with half its lights on at any given time. (I'm thankful for the High School typing class ... I can touch-type with relative ease in the dimly lit space). The big problem is when the air conditioning goes out in the middle of the day.

 

• I'm still not used to the currency ... trying to convert a rough estimate between rupees and dolloars is taxing for me. When you consider that one rupee is equivalent to $0.02 and that one dollar US is roughly equal to 42-44 rupees, dividing and multiplying is a bit difficult. Dinner cost 576 rupees ... you do the math ... (it's between $12 and $13 US).

 

• Interesting words are used - I should say unfamiliar words: lakh and bandh are two that pop up alot these last few days.

Categories: light_switches, power, rupee, interesting+words

Overhearing Conversations Can Be Fun

I was told the other day that most Indians speak at least three languages: English and Hindi are considered to be universal throughout the country (although this person tells me that only about 50-60% can speak Hindi) ... and the third is the "local language." Apparently there is a wide variety of local languages. Each of them different. They are not at all like a dialect, but are indeed completely different languages with their own grammer, vocabulary and syntax.

The fun part is apparently the ease with which Indians will slip between these languages ... sometimes even in a single sentence. So, I will often hear things like:

[incomprehensible .... ] helmet [more incomprehensible ... ]

The point, I was told, is that Indians can so easily and quickly move from one language to another that they just use words that come to their minds to best express what they want. So, a sentence could have a mixture of all three languages all wrapped together.

Now that is something quite amazing.

Categories: language

So, You Think Our Taxes Are Bad - Huh?!?

I can't say anything about property taxes. I honetly don't know if they have them here in India.

But sales tax in the US (in New Jersey - which is what I'm used to) is nothing compared to the taxes here in India. They have the VAT ... Value Added Tax ...

For a meal in the hotel here the VAT is 12.5% ... and that's just on food. Beverages are taxed at 20%.

So, a 150 rupee drink ... which is $3.33 (as of today - 11/6) is taxed at 20% ... adding an additional 30 rupees. The total for a Foster's Lager, then, is $4.00 ... Sheesh!

Categories: taxes, VAT

Now the REAL Work Begins

My first week was really devoted to introductions and getting the lay of the land. Now that I've started my second week here in Pune, the real work begins.

So, what is it I'm doing here?

In a nutshell I am charged by my firm to look at ways of improving the processes between us and the Pune team. I must find ways to increase efficiencies that will result in a real savings of nearly $150,000.

In addition to the process improvement work, I am coordinating a series of information sessions between my firm and the Pune team. There are 14 Line of Business Leads in my firm that are all going to make presentations during these next weeks. As you might imagine, this is turning into a scheduling juggling exercise.

And finally, I am responsible for conducting training and coaching sessions for the Pune team to onboard them to our process and to educate them on how to design/develop training specifically for an American audience of learners.

There may be a few more things added to the mix, but those are the basic reasons for my being in India at this time.

Whew!

Categories: work, Pune_team, process+improvement, scheduling, education

Sometimes You Never Visit Your Own Backyard

When I came into the Pune team's office this morning, someone asked me what I did over the weekend. I told them that I spent about half of Saturday visiting the Aga Khan Palace ... (see my posts here, here and here about my visit there) ... and I told him how beautiful it is.

"Oh," he says with a slight smile. "I've never been there myself."

He knows about it, of course ... just never went there.

Kind of like me back home ... I've never been to the Statue of Liberty.

Sometimes we just never visit what's right in our own backyard.

Categories: aga+khan+palace

A Quick Recap of my Sunday (11/5)

I never did make it to church on Sunday. When I woke up I wasn't feeling too well ... nothing major ... just some tummy grumblings. And then I was having difficulty finding a way to get to a church nearby. The one option was to ride in one of those auto-rickshaws ... I'll have to take a picture of one of them so you'll see what I'm talking about.

I'm not going to ride in one of those rickshaws by myself. They are basically an open carriage towed by a motorbike. Since they have no windows or doors I just don't feel very safe being in one by myself ... especially should we have to stop in traffic. I would be approached by women and children on the street either trying to sell me something or just to beg. ... Each time I've been in a car, they've approached and knocked on the window. It's hard enough when I know there's a locked door and closed window between us ... I can only imagine how difficult it might be in a rickshaw where there's no barrier of any kind.

Given the transportation issue of the moment and my not feeling well, I decided to stay indoors to work and to rest ... to get over whatever little bug I have.

Categories: Sunday, rickshaw, church

Back to Work for a Monday (Week 2)

And so begins week #2 for me. Now that I've gotten accustomed to things here ... time difference, workday schedules, food, accommodations, etc. ... I have a lot to accomplish - that is, after all why my firm sent me on this temporary assignment.

Last week was all about gathering information ... to understand things at a high level. Now I begin my "deeper dive"

And I'll be coordinating a series of meetings between the Pune team and members of my team back home. That'll mean some rather late nights for me, given the time difference ... but ... I've grown used to eating dinner at 9:30 - 10:00 pm.

Categories: week+2

My Plans for Sunday 11/5

Yesterday was a wonderful break from work ... taking in the sites of Aga Khan Palace.

Today I have to complete some work ... so it is nose-to-the-grindstone day for me today.

First, I'm going to try to find the closest church ... the challenge will be getting there.

Categories: Sunday, church, traffic

I'm Getting Used to the Currency Here

It is still not easy for me to do the math quickly in my head ... the exchange rate averages 42 - 45 Rupees per 1 US dollar. ... And, of course, the exchange rate changes each day and throughout the day ... You can play around with conversions at this site (which I found through a search the other day)

Here are some scans of some of the current Rupee notes ... 1,000 Rupees is roughly equal to $22 US; and the 100 Rupee is roughly equal to $2 and some change. Another interesting thing (as these scans suggest) is that the denominations are different sizes ... and - alas - the 1,000 Rupee note doesn't quite fit in my wallet ... it is a bit too big, so I have to fold those up.

Okay ... so now imagine that you're sitting at a restaurant and you see the prices on the menu like ... 375 ... this is where I get a little befuddled ... basically you need to divide this by 42 to get a good estimate of the conversion ... UGH!

I find it much easier to think of 100 Rupees being equivalent to $2.00 ... then I'll figure it this way:

375 Rupees is 3 -3/4 sets of 100 times $2.00 ... making it approximately 3.75 x $2 = $7.50 ...
Okay ... if you check this site, you'll get $8.36 ... so, I'm a little bit off in my estimate.

Categories: rupee, currency, conversion

Sorry 'bout That

Had dinner tonight at 10pm (I've quickly picked up the habit here of eating late) at the hotel. There was a soccer football game on the television. It was a big deal! When the game was over ... Sorry. ... I don't know who lost or won (or who played for that matter) ... the television program changed to ...

(Oh my goodnes!) a WWF (World Wrestling Federation) match. Of all things!

When I arrived to Pune, I noticed a Dominos Pizza. And there is a MacDonalds right here ... and I've been told there's a KofC (and that's not the Knights of Columbus) ... along with Pizza Hut ...

Okay ...

Of all the things we've had to export to India ... why oh why did it have to be the WWF??!!??!! (Okay - I understand that professional wrestling is a big-time deal in certain parts of the US ... I'm just not a fan ... In fact, I'm rather derisive of it ... what is the attraction, folks?)

Here I am ... sitting in the comfortable lounge and feasting on my grilled lamb tandoori with black bean sauce (oh yeah! it was scrumptious!) ... and I look up to the TV thinking that the soccer football game is still going on ... Nope ... only to find good ol' professional wrestling ... ugh ... sorry 'bout that.

Categories: television

The TV Situation Here

Most of the channels are local/regional or national that broadcast in Hindi. The news is also in Hindi ... except for ESPN, which is in English. Lots of cricket coverage here ... don't really understand the game too well ... am learning though.

Then there are children channels ... familiar ones like the Disney Channel and Nickolodeon ... BUT ... they are all dubbed into Hindi. Just imagine watching SpongeBob or Jimmy Neutron in Hindi.

There are really only three English channels that I can watch with regularity ... at all, really ... the History Channel, Travel, and the Discovery Channel.

That's okay ... TV is mostly at night right before I go to sleep.

But I am having withdrawals from all my favorite shows back home ... Heroes, Doctor Who, The Ghost Whisperer ...

But this allows me more time to read and to capture all these deep, profound thoughts on this blog ...

Categories: television, Hindi

Driving in Pune - Nothing Like It

I was advised before coming that the traffic is like "organized chaos." And that is being kind to chaos.

First of all there is all the noise ... honking is constant. It is not considered rude (unlike in the US). In fact, I've seen on the back bumper of trucks and buses the words: "Honk Please." So everyone does! Honking is used more as a way to let other drivers and pedestrians know that you're coming up on one or another side or that you're behind and want to pass (they say 'overtake' here). ... which brings me to ...

Passing and lane switching ... the best way I can describe this is that even though there might be something painted on the road that resembles a lane marking ... it is utterly ignored by everyone. For all practical purposes there are no lanes because everyone is switching and passing ... even driving on the shoulder. The most dramatic moments so far have been when the driver decided to pass a truck on the right and moved completely over into the other side of traffice ... so now I'm seeing cars coming straight for us!

But everyone just goes with the flow ... no yelling or dirty looks ... and certainly no one offers any hand or finger gestures. It's like there some cosmic understanding here that people will eventually get out of your way and everyone will just avoid each other (although dangerously close seems to be the order of the day).

What makes traffic really interesting is all the different types of vehicles ... there are cars, buses, trucks ... then there are motorbikes (lots of them!) ... and auto-rickshaws (which are three-wheeled). Someone has suggested to me that I must ride in an auto-rickshaw at least once before I leave here. We'll just wait and see on that one.

Categories: Pune, traffic, chaos

Yevada Jail

In the museum at Aga Khan Palace, there are quite a few pictures and mentions of Yevada Jail ... where Gandhi was imprisoned in solitary. It was in Yevada where he started a prolonged hunger strike.

My driver offered to take me to see Yevada Jail ... so off we went!

Unfortunately, no photographs are allowed of the building (interior and exterior). It is still used as a jail ... so security is a big concern - understandably.

Because it is an active jail, I was not allowed to enter ... so I just stood outside the barbed wire fence. But there I was ... at the same location where Gandhi was imprisoned.

Categories: Yevada+Jail, Gandhi

Aga Khan Palace (Sacred Ground)

The first picture is of me in the chapel area (you have to remove your shoes to enter).

 The two pedestal-looking structures are the resting place for the ashes of Mahadevbhai Desai and Kasturba. Her ashes are in the urn to my left (the right one in this photo). Inscriptions are in Hindi and Arabic ... unfortunately I couldn't find someone to translate for me. And there is a uniformed guard at the entrance of this chapel. It is called the Kasturba Samadhi. Samadhi, in Hindi, means cenotaph, a structure commemorating the dead.

It was quite an amazing and deeply moving experience for me ... to stand inside the chapel in the garden on the grounds ... which was eerily quiet even though the hustle-and-bustle of Pune city is all around.

Finally - you come to the resting place of the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi. For me, this was a fitting ending to my visit to the palace.

Categories: aga+khan+palace, Gandhi, Kasturba, Kasturba+Samadhi, Pune+history

Aga Khan (the Museum)

(Statues of Mahatma Gandhi and Kasturba, his wife)

You can wander the rooms on the first floor ... where there are displays recounting the work of Mahatma Gandhi.

All along the walls are photos and descriptions that tell the story of Gandhiji's work in Pune and India.

There are also artifacts ... clothing, personal effects, necklaces of both Gandhi and his wife, Kasturba. There is also the table that was used for conferences and gatherings.

Both Ghandi's secretary (and dear friend), Mahadevbhai Desai, and his wife Kasturba died while imprisoned here ... thereby making this a sacred place.

The room where Kasturba passed away has been kept as it was in 1942. You're not allowed to enter the room, but can see it through the glass walls.

Categories: aga+khan+palace, Gandhi, Kasturba, Pune+history

Aga Khan Palace

Got to go to Aga Khan Palace - which for me is like seeing Mount Vernon, Arlington Cemetery and Independence Hall ... all rolled into one. Built in the 19th century, it was indeed a private palace residence. It was donated to India in 1969, and it is now a national monument.

These are photos from different angles on the grounds ... The museum portion of the palace is only on the first floor. Visitors are not allowed on any other floors. The museum is devoted to Gandhi ... he, his wife Kasturba, and his secretary Mahadevbhai Desai were imprisoned here for almost two years.

Categories: aga+khan+palace

The end of week 1 (thereabouts)

Approaching the end of the first week for me here in Pune. Wow!

Much of the time was spent getting used to the time difference, the food, layout of the area I'm in, and getting to know the Pune Team. And today being Saturday I plan on taking it easy and maybe taking in a site here in Pune.

I'm thinking of taking in the Aga Khan Palace here in Pune. This palace was built in 1892. Mahatma Gandhi was imprisoned here; and there is a museum tribute to him.

It looks like there are tons of places to visit here in Pune.

But today I think I'm just going to take in just one site.

Categories: Pune, tourism, aga+khan+palace, Mahatma_Gandhi

"So ... What Are You Eating There?"

Several folks have asked via email or instant message ... Here's the scoop. The food is delicious and I'm enjoying it very much. Yes, I have to be careful about things being too spicy. Either my lunch buddies or the waiter will let me know which of the dishes are very spicy. So I get a fair warning.

Breakfasts here are quite interesting. There is a continental style available (eggs, toast, croissants, muffins, cold cereals, and the like). But then there's the buffet ... which has interesting and tasy morsels - none of which I'd consider to be 'breakfast foods.'

Today I had as part of my breakfast, sliced vegetables sauteed in garlic (more of the kind of vegetable side-dish I'd eat during a dinner) along with a lentil/vegetable sauce used for dipping what I believe was a cous-cous dumpling. I felt so exotic.

Categories: food, breakfast, spicy

My Hotel

Okay... the first pictures from Pune; and they are of my hotel suite. Think of it as one long corridor where each room and section just follows one after the other down a hallway. And you'll have an idea of the room I'm in. In short, it is long and narrow.

The first thing you see when entering is the business part of the suite. It comes complete with 24-hour/free highspeed access.



Then you come to the hallway which basically separates the business section from the living section.
To the right of the hallway is the bathroom - which is actually quite nice.


At the end of the hallway is the living section - which is really just a bed and television.

The view through my windows are of the building where I'm working ... so I keep the drapes closed pretty much all of the time when I'm in the room.

The staff here are all wonderful and they really go out of their way to see that I'm taken care of.

For the Social Studies Class Back at Home (#2)

Updated from last post ...

These are for the children back home ... all of these questions come directly from my experiences in India these past 24-hours.

1. Which side of the road do they drive in India?
(once you have the correct answer ... then consider where the driver's seat is ... )

They drive on the left side of the road in India. I suppose that this is a legacy from the British. So that means that the driver seat is on the right-hand side ... opposite of ours in the US. And since most cars are stick-shifts, your shifting hand is your left.

2. Mumbai used to be more commonly called a different name? What was it?
(While in Mumbai, I always heard of it referred to as Mumbai. But outside of Mumbai, I have heard others use its former name)

It used to be called Bombay. It is a very large city right on the west coast of India. And it is more humid that you can imagine! By the time I was done walking through the airport (no air conditioning) I had sweat through all of my clothes .... shirt and jeans.
Where I am now, in Pune, is much drier. I'm much more comfortable.

3. I had lunch at a Chinese restaurant in Pune. All three of us ordered something different from the menu. When the food was being served ... how do you think it was served to us?
(remember that in the USA, everyone gets his or her own plate placed in front of them ... things are different in India)

We were each given a plate, and then all the food we ordered was placed in the center of the table. The wait staff then gave us portions from each dish that was ordered. It is customary to share food in this way ...

Categories: social+studies, trivia

These Road Signs Are Cool

I never managed to take photos of these ... perhaps I can on another day ... The traffic signs from Mumbai to Pune were rather neat. For example:

"Maintain Lane Discipline"

"Keep Left Unless Overtaking"

 

Categories: traffic, road+signs

For the Social Studies Class Back at Home

These are for the children back home ... all of these questions come directly from my experiences in India these past 24-hours.

Which side of the road do they drive in India?
(once you have the correct answer ... then consider where the driver's seat is ... )

Mumbai used to be more commonly called a different name? What was it?
(While in Mumbai, I always heard of it referred to as Mumbai. But outside of Mumbai, I have heard others use its former name)

I had lunch at a Chinese restaurant in Pune. All three of us ordered something different from the menu. When the food was being served ... how do you think it was served to us?
(remember that in the USA, everyone gets his or her own plate placed in front of them ... things are different in India)

 

Categories: social+studies, trivia

11/1 - (Later that day) Arrived in Pune

My home for the next six weeks.

Be sure to learn a little bit about this city at Wikipedia's site. There's some really great information about Pune.

The drive from Mumbai to Pune (started out at 8am) was a little more than 3.5 hours, which allowed me a little opportunity to nap. Good thing, too, since I didn't get to sleep at all the night before. As much as I wanted to sleep, I found it difficult for two reasons ... 1) many of the roads are quite bumpy ... really really bumpy ... and 2) I wanted to see the city and countryside. After all, I'm not going to have this chance again.

So, I arrived in Pune - a very weary traveller.

The hotel I'm staying at is designed for short-term business stays ... so it suits me just fine.

The Pune team with whom I will be working couldn't be friendlier. They made such a big deal about my coming ... All of them are helpful; and it was fun today to finally meet them in person - several of them I've only spoken with on the telphone. Now I have faces to go with the voices.

5:00 pm local time here (that 6:30 am to my Eastern US family and friends) ... so I'm going to do some unpacking and then call home -- to begin the ritual of daily phone calls to home.

Categories: Pune

11/1 - Arrived in Mumbai

1:35 am local time (that's 3:00pm in Eastern US)

The plane was delayed a bit getting out of Frankfurt, but other than that ... it was a pretty uneventful trip. Long, though!

Getting through customs was not a problem ... just a long line there, too.

Got to the Lotus Suites hotel and called home to tell them I arrived safe and sound. They were waiting for my call before going out trick-or-treating. By the time I was settled into the hotel room, it was 4:00 in the morning ... and I had to be out by 8am to drive to Pune.

No sleep for me tonight!

 

Categories: Mumbai, Pune, Lotus+Suites, hotel

10/31 - Halloween in Frankfurt

12:11 pm local time ... (I think that this is 6 hours ahead of Eastern US).

Okay - this is the shortest Halloween I've ever had (It may qualify as the shortest day I've spent ever ... with the travelling I have left). Landed in Frankfurt, had some time to freshen up, then it was back to the gate to take off for Mumbai. No candy - no "trick or treat" ... oh well. I did reach out and called home just to let them know I was okay.

So far so good. On to Mumbai and Pune

 

Categories: Frankfurt, trip, Halloween