Day 11

Day 11

On the very last day, I hung out with a friend from Binghamton University who was born in Delhi and whose family currently resides there. He picked me and after braving 45 minutes of Delhi traffic, we made it alive and in one piece at his family’s house. I have to say, driving in a car in Delhi was probably one of the most horrifying experiences of my life. As I said in one of my earlier posts, they really just drive wherever and however they want. I honestly thought I was going to die…or throw up everywhere, one or the other. On a brighter note, his family (meaning his mom, grandma, and two cousins) was very excited to meet me and like Dr. Gupta’s family AND our E-buddies, welcomed me with open arms. His mom kept hugging me and telling me how much she loved me. She also cooked me traditional Indian food and when she asked me if I knew what I was eating, I happily said yes and started to rattle off a few Hindi words. In addition to this, she showered me with gifts, something I was very surprised by. After that, we went to his dad’s place of work, where I then met his dad and grandfather. To no surprise, they acted just as his other family members did. I apparently have to come back to India and stay with them for 30 days.

After that I went back to the hotel where we had our farewell dinner and then hopped on the bus to go back to America. The trip through the airport went well as did the flight minus that half hour of turbulence we experienced when we crossed over the Himalayas. Once I got back to home (around 7:45 AM), I felt great. I’d never been happier to see my house. I thought I might have beaten jetlag, but once 10 AM rolled around, I fell dead asleep and didn’t wake up until 6 PM. The next day was even worse. I fell asleep at 4 PM and woke up at 1 AM. I finally got back into a normal sleeping schedule (thankfully before classes started).

Overall, I really did enjoy the trip. Though the living conditions made me appreciate my own home and the little things that  I pass over on a day-to-day basis (like a hot shower that doesn’t turn off halfway through), it’s hard not to appreciate Indian culture. It’s so different than anything I’ve ever experienced, so different that I think it scared me a little at first. And even though certain parts of India aren’t as developed as others, it really is a beautiful country. I feel as if I have a connection with it and know that I will continue to follow its progress into the future. I have high hopes for India and strongly support the statement that it is going to emerge as a global leader. And who knows? Maybe it’ll emerge faster than we think.

Days 9 & 10

Day 9

Our last weekend in India was definitely the best. That Saturday we took a rather delayed and lengthy bus ride to see the Taj Mahal. Though a four hour bus ride turned into a seven hour bus ride, once we got there it was all worth it. As we made our way towards it, the only thing I could think was “wow.” My mind just went blank. I’ve seen pictures of it, but to be able to see it in real life was just remarkable. I understand why it’s one of the Man-Made Wonders of the World. You don’t need to see it in person to appreciate its beauty, but it’s definitely a thousand times better to see it right in front of you.

Our tour guide was very animated and excited to share his knowledge with us. After putting on our very fashionable ‘booties,’ we got to enter the Taj Mahal, which was as beautiful on the inside as it was on the outside. What makes this piece of architecture even more special is that it was built out of love for Emperor Shah Jahan’s third-wife, Gauhara Begum, who died giving birth to their fourteenth child. Though we were unable to go into the Tomb, they had an exact replica that we were able to see when we walked in. We were  also able to see how its walls light up when light touches it. It’s too bad we weren’t able to see it at night. I can only imagine how much more beautiful it looks when the moon hits it.

Our way back to the bus once our visit officially ended was the most chaotic thing I think I’ve ever witnessed. Children swarmed us with their products, trying to get us to buy them by following us (literally all the way back to our bus) and continuing to drop the price. They didn’t take no for an answer and badgered us even after we were seated on the bus. This was accomplished through banging on the windows and doors of the bus. Though I can’t say it was the most annoying thing I’ve ever had to go through, it was definitely up there on the chart.

Day 10

The next day was a little less chaotic, with a relaxing trip to the Akshardham Temple. Like the Taj Mahal, the architecture was amazing. Even more amazing is the fact that the entire complex was built in 5 years by 7,000 artisans. The first stop we made was to the Hall of Values, which featured lifelike robotics that depicted scenes from Swaminarayan’s life and portrayed his message of peace, humanity, and nonviolence. Afterwards, we went to the Theatre where we watched a film about the 7 year pilgrimage that Swaminarayan made during his teenage years. Lastly, we went on a boat ride that took us on a journey through India’s history (about 10,000 years of it). I thought all of it was very well done and it definitely kept my attention. 

The entire time we were there, I thought about Swaminarayan’s message of peace and nonviolence. They are things that I believe all of us want to see in the world, but realistically we know we will never have. It was nice to see how one person can make such a difference in so many people’s lives. It’s just a shame that these beliefs can’t be shared amongst the world. If we all believed in Swaminarayan’s message, the world would definitely be much better off than it is right now.

Later that day, we finally got to go on the infamous elephant and camel rides. The elephant ride was a lot of fun, but scary because of the fact that I thought our basket was going to fall off. Though their size makes them very intimidating, elephants are very gentle and humble creatures. I was a little alarmed when it moved its trunk over to me to get food, but I eventually warmed up and fed it some peanuts and bananas. Camels, on the other hand, are dirty, nasty animals, but it was fun nonetheless. Part of me did feel really bad for the animals though (which is kind of contradictory, since I eat meat). For instance, I felt bad that the camels and elephants had to keep getting up and down, just to give a ride for a few minutes, and even worse that there were so many stray dogs wandering around, neglected and lonely. 

At the end of the night, we got to do some shopping. I’m not the type of person who is able to bargain with someone. They give me a price and I pay for it. Of course, I’m just screwing myself over because nothing there is as expensive as they make it out to be. The exchange rate is so good though that it’s hard to complain about pricing. All in all, it was a good shopping experience.

Days 5-8

On Tuesday, we visited Infosys, a major business in India that provides Consulting, Outsourcing, and IT services. The building was incredible, with an outdoor swimming pool and an amazing gym, which shows that the company really wishes to take care of its employees. The presentation was informative and focused not only on what the company does, but on the types of employees that they wish to attract. It appears that Infosys attracts only the best, with an acceptance percentage lower than that of Harvard University, which attributes to their wonderful success and prosperity. Wednesday we visited DSCL, which has an Agri Business and an Energy Intensive Business. Their Agri business comprises both inputs, such as urea, seeds, and pesticides, and outputs, the main one being sugar. Their Energy Intensive business focuses mainly on chemical production and the using of waste to create cement. Our trip to PwC on Thursday consisted of a series of presentations about Internship opportunities, Auditing in the automobile industry, and a general presentation about what the company does. I was intrigued to learn more, considering PwC is a company that I would like to intern/work for. It made me question whether or not I would be able to go abroad for more than two weeks. I still haven’t discovered the answer to that just yet. Our last visit on Friday was to HCL, which is a competitor of Infosys and also the company assigned for my group’s case assignment. I felt that their presentation was a little over the top and repetitive, since it was strictly about their “Employee First” philosophy. It intrigued me, however, to see how far this company goes to make its employees happy. I don’t know about anyone else, but the programs that they put into play are lacking at the two jobs I’ve held over the years. In general, the four companies shared a common theme: India is a great place to start a business. In fact, we were discussing in my IBUS 311 class today why India is an emerging market. Its demographics are phenomenal considering that half of their population is under 25 (compared with another huge market, China, who’s “One Child Policy” will give them a rather old population in a few years). Some even argue that Indian workers are as skilled if not more skilled than some US workers. It’s no wonder that India will eventually become a market leader and a country to look out for.

There were a few things we did after our business visits, the first one being a trip to the Golf Club with Dean Dhillon and his family. Like our E-buddies, they were very excited to meet and converse with us. I particularly enjoyed talking to the Dean’s father, who told us about his times fighting in the World War. The next night, a reception was held with Dr. Gupta’s family in honor of Lohri. We danced around the Bonfire, which was nice because we got to see Dr. Gupta be someone other than our Professor. His enthusiasm for India and its culture really made the trip that much more enjoyable.

Following our trip to PwC, we went to see a light show about India’s history. To get there, we took the Metro, which was very entertaining for me and Emily. Since the train was practically empty when we got on, we didn’t believe Dr. Gupta when he said it was going to get crowded really quickly. Well, it did and it was NOT FUN being sandwiched between 5 people. I have to admit though, the Metro was very clean and an efficient means of transportation. It was a thousand times better than riding the subway in New York City. However, in all fairness, if the NYC subway was brand new, I’m sure it would be fun to ride as well. The light show was very difficult to follow. I was freezing and found it hard to follow since there were no people acting it out.  It was an experience, though, since it’s something I’ve never seen.

After the HCL visit, some people went to learn the history of Sarees. I didn’t go, but heard that it was a lot of fun. After that, we went to another reception with Dr. Gupta’s family. The food was really good and I was very amused at the amount of pizza they ordered (which I appreciated, trust me). We also had a presentation about diamonds, which I loved (probably because I’m a girl). I wish I had enough money to buy something…that would have been nice.

Days 3 & 4

Day 3

Though our third day in India was occupied by an eight hour bus ride, it was definitely one of the best for two reasons, one being the incredible three hour bike ride we took of Old Delhi. For the most part, the ride was exhilarating and incredibly funny. I enjoyed the fact that almost every local we passed said hello, but did not like the fact that I felt in danger of being hit by a moving vehicle for about 90% of the ride. It was very interesting to see the incredible difference between Old and New Delhi. At one point during the ride, we stopped and climbed to the top of a building, where we were able to look out into the city. It was shocking for me to look out and see the living conditions: garbage everywhere, people sleeping in stairwells, the CRAZY amount of traffic in the spice market…what makes it beautiful, however, is the fact that despite these hectic conditions, the people make it work simply by adapting to their environment. To be honest, I don’t think I would make it if I had to live like most of them do.

Day 4

The second reason was our trip to Lovely Professional University. Though some of the LPU students seemed a little more enthusiastic than others, the ones that WERE excited really could not contain themselves (like Chloe’s E-buddy, Ankush). It was a little irritating, however, being told that I had to ‘try this’ or ‘do this.’ While I appreciated their desire to share their culture with me, it was slightly overwhelming. A perfect example was when Kristin & I were trying to sleep and were woken up to banging on our doors twice in one night. I really enjoyed learning some Indian dance moves around the bonfire with everyone. It would have been nice to show them how Americans dance, but it also would have been highly inappropriate (I’m referring to my dance moves, of course). Showering with a bucket was also very entertaining and, surprisingly, it didn’t bother me at all. I also had a very nice conversation with Swati over dinner about her values and how her life in India differs dramatically from mine. She shared with me that it really bothers her that girls have a 6 pm curfew on campus, while the boys do not. I’ve had challenging situations in my life, but the fact of the matter is that I’ve always had a choice, which is something she doesn’t have. She also asked me a lot of questions about my own values and the things that I do back in the US. While we’ve all had our moments at some point in time, I was not about to share those with her. She seemed to have a very strict way of living, whereas mine is a little more relaxed and spontaneous. The only downer of our visit was that I didn’t get to spend any time with my E-buddy, for she was facing a difficult personal crisis. The other E-buddies, however, welcomed me with open arms and for that, I truly appreciate them.

The spirituality of India was very evident throughout our trip, but more so during our visit to the Devi Talab Temple with our E-buddies. While I’ve been to some very extravagant churches for prayer, the temples of India blow them away (in my opinion, of course). Their beauty radiates from every corner. I particularly enjoyed the fact that I received a coconut from a holy man. I was rather amused, as were my family members, but I kept my coconut in good condition and took it home with me. For those of you who are wondering– No, I haven’t found my husband yet.

Just a quick side note: the visits to Lovely Sweets and Lovely Autos were also very informative, though I have to admit I enjoyed Lovely Sweets a little bit more (for obvious reasons)

Days 1 & 2

Day 1

Being that it was my first time out of the country, India was a big culture shock for me. When the plane landed, I was very excited and intrigued to be in such an unfamiliar place. After the first day, however, I was very overwhelmed by the things I saw and my excitement dulled down dramatically. I didn’t like having young children following me and begging me for food/money. Even more, I didn’t like that I couldn’t do anything to help. I also became extremely overwhelmed walking down the Bazaar for the first time. It was SO annoying having things shoved in my face and then being pestered for what seemed like miles when I refused to buy anything. My initial response to the environment was also not very pleasant. Being that India is a developing country with 1.2 billion people, I can’t say that I was shocked to see what a mess certain places seemed to be. I felt like every time I turned around, someone was peeing on a wall right next to me. No disrespect, but I felt like there was a layer of dirt everywhere and even a long shower couldn’t make me feel clean. Delhi traffic was INTENSE, too. If Professor Gupta hadn’t been there, I’m sure someone would have been hit by a car…or a bus. I don’t really know why they have lanes, nobody seems to stay in them! Additionally, though some cars didn’t have them, side-view mirrors are completely useless, which is why the ones that DID have them folded them in. I also found it interesting how widely used a car horn is in India. It was really annoying being honked at while I was walking somewhere…I mean, I see you, I’m moving out of your way, so CHILL OUT. I only found out later on that they actually HAVE to blow their horn when they’re passing someone so as to alert other drivers that they are, in fact, passing them. Interesting…very, very interesting.

Lunch that day was my first time eating Indian food. I was looking forward to it and can’t say I was disappointed. In general, the food was very good. It just wasn’t really my taste, since a majority of the food I eat at home is pasta and some form of meat, so it was a complete change in diet for me. Buttermilk was also an interesting thing to try. For some reason, I thought it was going to be somewhat like a milkshake and it was actually the complete opposite. The welcoming dinner by the hotel was really cool even though I missed most of it because of my inability to keep my eyes open.

Day 2

Day 2 was phenomenally better than the Day 1. It was our first exposure to some of India’s marvelous architecture.  The Indian Gate and the story it tells are both magnificent. I also very much enjoyed the parade and the dancing that ensued thereafter. I’m glad that Melissa took the opportunity to experience an amazing part of Indian culture, as I’m pretty sure it was entertaining for almost everyone. The Lotus Temple was another piece of architecture we saw that day that was absolutely mesmerizing. It captured me as soon as I laid eyes on it. The atmosphere surrounding the temple was one of tranquility and made me feel at peace with myself. So much work must have been put into making it and for that, one can truly appreciate. 

The Auto Expo was SOOO much fun for me also because I love cars and could sit and look at them all day. It was interesting to see how Chevrolet is present in both the US and India, yet with different models. I was in all my glory when I found the yellow Camaro. I don’t think anyone will disagree: that car is BEAUTIFUL. It was also pretty cool to see the Nano and I was amazed that ANY car could be sold for only $2000. It was just baffling to me, more so then the fact that the steering wheel is on the right, not the left. It was very evident that the automobile industry plays a huge role in the growth of the Indian economy.