Days 7-10



Day 7

After leaving the wonderful hotel, we set off to go to Jaigarh Fort. I thought that this monument was beautiful, figuring that it reminded me of being atop of the Great Wall of China. The cannon at the top was the biggest cannon in the world, with a range of 20 miles. Very impressive. The sight was beautiful, and it was really nice to be able to relax and look at the country from such a high elevation. A bunch of monkeys were playing a couple feet below us as well, so seeing the different kind of species here was exciting as well.

We went to another monument known as Amber Fort when we were done with the Jaigarh. This was also a very beautiful place in India, known for its rich history in royal affairs. The fact that the kind would be greeted by falling rice and other ailments is quite a feat. The palace itself was very nice as well.

The real treat of the day came when we went to orphanage, better known as an NGO. I was expecting this place to be government funded, typical support groups, which I tend to judge quite a bit. This was a complete surprise. To be frank, I loved it. This is an organization that was started by a wonderful woman with a plan to help the 18,000,000 children of India, step by step. The foundation only takes in children that have absolutely no one to depend on, excluding those children who have parents. Being that those children who qualify consist of 20% of the street children, it is quite a difficult task to round up enough of them and make a significant difference, but they go ahead and keep on going.

The children were very nice, and very talented as well. A group of girls danced classical Indian dance for us, and they did it very well and it was quite captivating. Give it more time and they could potentially go somewhere with that. There was one girl in particular who started to dance with Tara, a friend of mine, and was doing a great job. They both were dancing very well, putting emotion into their moves and clearly having a good time. The girl must have started when she was very young, and it really makes you value the power music and other hobbies have on an individual. I myself play guitar, and have continued to play for many reasons, and it is a huge part of my life, so I can definitely relate. But I never played it to escape my life and find solace in an instrument because my life had nothing else; this I admire tremendously and can only imagine how much of an impact dance has had on this girl. We went shopping in their shop thereafter, and it was nice to give my money to people who I actually trusted and wanted to get funded, while at the same time getting actual good products as well.

The funnest tidbit about this place was it was privately funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation. This fact instantly confirmed my trust in the organization; any place funded privately and without government interference is much more direct and reliable, and certainly efficient. That these people were able to feed a child for a whole year at the cost of Chicken Maharaja Mac is astounding. This kind of efficiency can only be seen with private fundraising/charity. I hope they never get the government grant they signed up for and still have never received years after. The time it is taking for them to process this grant speaks for itself in terms of government efficiency. This would only impose regulations and unnecessary restrictions on them, hurting their mission, and inevitably the children.

After a day of fun there, we had some fair dinner and took off. It was a very pleasant experience, and certainly up there in the best moments I had in India. Being that this is the first time the class took the trip to the NGO, I certainly hope both Professors chose to implement this in the itinerary for next year. The bus ride back was nothing but a bumpy ride, so that was a bad time. At least there was sleep involved. Note for next year as well: get a bus with better suspension.

Day 8

This was an interesting day, to say the least. It started at the waking up point. I was woken up by a doorbell, and it was a friend of mine saying that my roommate John and I had less than a minute to get downstairs to catch the bus to go the company meeting. We had overslept by an hour and a half. I said that we would be able to, but this was as John was in the shower and as I had been up for less than a minute. Needless to say, after rushing for 10 minutes or so, we got left behind. Thankfully, both of us are not prone to anxiety so quickly, and we found a simple solution by calling a cab and having him drive us to the company. It was a fun experience, and the driver was…assertive to say the least. We got there 5 minutes after everyone else though, so that was a shock for us.

Wipro was the firm that we were visiting for the day. They had a very nice presentation; down-to-earth and answered every question very accurately. Hope to see their business increase in size and brand recognition; they seemed to be competing with IBM and other IT firms for strong brand loyalty, and they have yet to reach that in the U.S., but at the pace they are going, hopefully they can see some advancement on that part with their aggressive recruiting techniques.

We went to ICICI bank afterwards, being the final firm that we would be visiting for the trip. It was very educational, and explained a lot about how Indian banking works and all the nuances that go into the banking industry. It was predominantly focused on the finances of the system, and this appealed to me very much so. The presentation could have been a bit better, but their responses more than made up for it.

We got to meet with an astrologer afterwards,  one whom happened to be one the professor’s uncles. He spoke of his predictions of the future, the science behind astrology, self-predictions he had made about himself. He even managed to pull in Obama’s chances of re-election (which were thankfully remote). His answers were a little too vague for my taste, but the morals behind them were nice, just as most are. I believe that people shouldn’t follow this advice word for word, let alone even depend on it, but look at it and realize that they have control of their lives in the fullest. I am aware that these astrologers say that most problems can be fixed with a remedy. Another remedy is simply seeing another astrologer all together. Regardless of the decision made, it is the principle that should come out that sticks with me: any problem can be brought upon by oneself, and ended by oneself. The night died down quickly afterwards, for we were preparing for a final party at our professors house, whichw as sure to be quite an event.

Day 9

The day started with a bike tour through Old Delhi. It was quite fun, simply put. We got to see the real streets of the city in the morning. It was a realistic tour, and it was fun to be on the bikes and be a little adventurous concerning the oncoming traffic/pedestrians. I even managed to crash into one as I waved to my friends’ camera to be in the video. It was all a really fun experience overall, and the breakfast we had there was great too (granted it was just a big piece of Indian bread, but it was very good!) Afterwards, we met up with our e-buddies and visited Humayun’s Tomb, a very nice monument indeed. It was a stroll for the most part, nothing too crazy and therefore relaxing.

We went to the Lotus Temple afterwards, and this was really nice. From the outside, it looked very pretty and different; the architecture was very unique and created an interesting atmosphere. The inside was a quiet place for prayer and meditation, although they could have done better in the aesthetic department with the interior. We then said goodbye to our e-buddies, so I gave mine to Anand, as well as the gift I had bearing for him (three different shirts).

The party was tonight, and everyone was quite excited. It was definitely a good time when we got there, and everyone managed to get at least a little inebriated before the cultural dance event. The event was nice and different, so it made for a nice break from the crazy dancing/drinking we were all participating in not so long ago. Some people got quite into the moment and this all made for an interesting and eventful evening. After about 6 hours or so, I was getting a bit drowsy and decided it was time for me to go. I ended up taking the bus with about 7 other people and went back to the hotel, while a fair amount of people decided to stay back and play some games with the professor’s family. The night ended immediately as I hit the bed, and I was grateful to be able to go to sleep after a long day.

Day 10

This was a quick day dedicated to shopping, so this post won’t be very long. I went with a group of friends to go shopping around the area, and I was able to leave the market quite pleased with my bartering skills. I had no money the whole trip due to the fact that I got traveler’s check instead of actual cash, so I had to always be borrowing money from people and writing it down on a piece of paper so I wouldn’t forget. Thankfully, I was able to pay everyone back and still have quite a bit leftover for myself

I managed to barter with almost everyone, and ended up purchasing a bunch of things from pocket knives to scarves to books. It was a really fun experience, and I love the bartering process here in India. Some people get tired of it, but I find it to be very fun and quite satisfying, especially when you get the price you want. The quality of the product is hopefully at the best it can be, and if not, at least you got it cheap.

The most memorable experience I had was bartering for a pocket knife from a random vendor. He was originally selling it to me for 600 rupees, and obviously there was no way I would take that, so I walked away after offering only 100 rupees for it, no more no less. He did not take it so I walked away, forgetting about his offer and shopping around for other stuff. To my great surprise, he managed to follow me and find me quite a distance away from our original point, and he settled on 100 and left. It was the principle of the matter that shocked me; these people are desperate for any cash they can get, and I was very far away from his shop, so it must have been quite a walk. Their means of obtaining the products are also questionable, for them to make a profit with such low payments means they must get their stuff for a ridiculously cheap price.

Anyhow, I went back to the hotel with a bunch of goodies in hand and am now here typing up this blog. This is the last post I’ll be having, and I can definitely say that my trip in India was well worth it and memorable. This is an experience I won’t ever forget, and this trip will breed many stories and memories for years to come. I’m glad I decided to go through with this, and I’ll certainly recommend it to anyone who is thinking about it. Hope you enjoyed reading the blog, if it gave you any interest in India or a will to go there, I suggest you do it once in your life. I doubt you’ll regret it. Cheers!

India Days 4-6

Day 4

DSCL was another business on our hit-list for this trip, so that was our first visit of the day. They spoke of a strong focus on the rural population of India, and how they planned on using the abundant population to help them with things such as the Hariyali Kissan Bazaar to attract farmers. This is an interesting idea and I hope it takes off for them, for they seem quite well-versed in the agricultural sector. Being that they actively trade commodities in their portfolio as well can create a strong advantage in knowledge of the field they’re immersing in.

We were then taken to Chandni Chowk, a famous city where crowds are the norm and bartering is the name of the game. It had been hyped up to be very congested, where people would be packed like sardines. It wasn’t that packed, but it definitely was the most crowded area we attended and was noteworthy for its…interesting inhabitants. I ended up taking the self-guided tour with a group of students and we went around exploring the place, bartering at every place we could to get stuff at half price or more. I ended up having McDonalds for lunch since my stomach wasn’t exactly feeling adventurous today, but the food did me justice.

We then went to the Red Fort to attend a sound and light show, designated to describe the history of India and its correlation to the Red Fort. To be brutally honest, the show was quite dull. While the story was very interesting without a doubt, its presentation and delivery was quite monotonous, and the “light” show was not anywhere near to what I had in mind. Needless to say, I fell asleep as the buildings kept lighting up in seemingly random fashion. Not one of the better moments. Shortly after, we went back to the hotel and prepared for our trip to the almighty Taj Mahal. I was very excited to finally see this wonder of the world, and I slept in preparation for the 4 hour bus ride ahead of me.

Day 5

Well, what can I say? It’s the Taj. Sure, the 4 hour bus ride was a little exhausting, but that’s what sleep is for, right? Anyway, arriving at the Taj was something out of this world. Actually seeing it in person was something else. You always imagine it, especially when you watch Aladdin and your mind trails off in its imagination (or at least it does for me). After picturing it all my life, being there was pretty incredible. It was a beautiful place filled with history and folklore, and the landscape was just great. The pictures taken there will be very memorable, and the group photo will be something I keep near and dear to me as it is my first visit to the great Taj Mahal.

The camel cart’s were fun to ride in as well, granted that they were quite slow, but speed is not the point of this I suppose. The street merchants were fun as always, given that they have one of the most persistent attitudes I’ve ever seen. We even managed to find a boy that spoke about 10 different languages! Granted he spoke some of them very in cohesively, but he at least understood and poke 5 very well. That’s still a solid number. It’s a shame the child can’t go to the U.S. and make a living somehow, he would be a great entrepreneur and companies would b e hunting for him all over with his multi-linguistic talents.

After lunch at McDonalds (my second of the day, I believe…), we headed to Bharatpur. We stayed at a place called the Birder’s Inn, and it was a very traditional looking place that felt very warm and embracing. We had some time to get ready, then we went and sat around a bonfire, just talking about a multitude of stuff and then debriefing on the day’s adventures. Dinner was served, good as always, and then we went off to sleep for the next day. The rooms could have been cleaner, for where the hotel had strength in greeting it lacked in room maintenance. They should really get the showers checked out, let alone the bed sheets cleaned.

Day 6

After a very light breakfast, we went on a bike tour of the Bird Sanctuary. To be honest, I never really cared for the birds themselves, I cared for the bikes. Granted it was quite chilly, being on a bike was really fun, and getting to go around and enjoy the scenery while riding was really enjoyable. I even learned a new game called “Bumper Bikes”, which is pretty self explanatory. It’s quite fun, although tread with caution: it’s not for everyone.

We headed straight for Jaipur afterwards, otherwise known as the Pink City. The Janta Mantar was a really cool place that had a bunch of old instruments that could tell your height, your zodiac, and all the specific increments that went into the mathematics behind the instruments. It really showcased the intelligence of a society so far back in time; it shows how we took so much influence from an ancient world that is so foreign to our way of living. The next place we visited was the palace of Jal Mahal. This was a really cool place, and the fact that we were so high up was incredible. It was really cool to admire the architecture that the Indians implemented in the design of the palace. It’s soaring height made you feel airborne, and looking down was a sight for sore eyes.

We arrived at a beautiful hotel, and unfortunately the name slips my memory, but it was amazing. Talk about entrancing the customer by the way the place looks. This was a completely modernized take on the Indian culture, in the form of a resort at its finest. I could go on and on about the professional look of the place, so I’ll stop there, just know it was beautiful. Anyway, we had a pleasant dinner Indian style, followed by a walk around the fair. We enjoyed a fun activity before hand where we all got to relax and get to know each other a little better, so that social activity was really cool and further developed the new relationships people were making on the trip. The fact that the professors here actively participate in it as well and immerse in the activities of the students is really admirable, and I really appreciate them both for being the way they are with us throughout the trip. It wouldn’t be the same, that’s for sure.

 

India Days 1-3

Day 1

It’s crazy to know where to begin with all this. Going to India? Didn’t ever really seem like that would be a practical location for a vacation anytime soon. Going to India with a bunch of business students? Even less likely. Never know where life takes you though. Turns out that’s exactly what ended up happening on January 9^th, 2011. Heading to Newark, I almost missed the airport completely by heading towards JFK. Thankfully that got taken care of before I potential disaster occurred. From there it was just a nearly 15 hour flight to the East. It was surreal having arrived, and little did I know it would be even crazier the next day.

We ended up going to the India Gate, American Center and Parliamentary Museum. It was pretty cold out there, so that  was a bit of a damper, but it was India, so it really wasn’t that big a deal. The military was at the Gate practicing for their upcoming parade on the 26^th, so that was a real treat to see. Their uniforms were awesome, much more unique and ancient than the U.S. military’s. We then proceeded to the American Center where we met with diplomats that told us of their careers. Gotta be honest, it wasn’t the most interesting thing, but that’s what it is when you deal with government officials. Never really that interesting or productive.

At a temple, we experienced our first no-shoes, peaceful spiritual experience. It was nice, and it really brought out the culture that is India. It’s crazy to know that Indians tolerate so many different matters of worship and manage to respect every single one. It really makes you take a step back and think how America functions and how there are quite a number of similarities (religious tolerance) and differences (some don’t get along so well).  Best moment of the day would have to be the picture I got with the man with sunglasses, as well as the orange turban and the blue robe. He looked like he belonged in California. I’m glad I got the picture, I’m sure that will serve to be a wonderful memory in years to come. We then went to the Parliamentary Museum, which was also quite dry and uninspiring. At least we got some sense of India’s history, albeit told by a very unenthusiastic woman.

After having a McChicken with an overdose of mayonnaise, we headed to the streets of New Delhi. Some people were quite adventurous with their water balls, but I opted due to the fear of severe stomach consequences.  We then had dinner in nice appetizer fashion, followed by the main course. We were all quite tired by now, and the day ended shortly after the dinner.

Day 2

A long day was ahead of us. Our first stop was the Shiv-Murti complex, a really nice place with huge statues dedicated to the Hindu gods. They were very well done, and it was quite intimidating to see them all towering above the people representing the deities. It almost seemed like that’s how they would be in reality. What was very interesting was seeing a few of the locals stop their motorcycles and put their hand to their chest as they went by. The dedication to the religion here is enormous, and to have people stop for 20 seconds just to pray to a statue that they’ve probably seen many times before marks a great impression on India’s culture.

Pricewaterhouse Coopers was our next stop. I have visited the NYC office before, and while it was nice, this one blew it out of the water. The India was not only superior in aesthetics, but they seemed to have quite a grasp on the political situation in India and they gave an interesting lecture on their involvement of risk management and infrastructure development in India. It’s interesting to see the PWC was actively involved in that stuff; normally you don’t think of an accounting firm partaking in such activities. Very interesting visit indeed.

Dunnhumby followed, and this was an interesting firm. This consulting firm gave way to the “customer first” mentality, believing that long-term relationships are key to maintaining a solid company reputation as well as retaining strong revenues and earnings. While there spirit was quite admirable and very unique, I disagree with their stance on absolutely no short term engagements. This leaves them quit vulnerable for when their client decides they have used Dunnhumby’s services to the maximum. Regardless, their presentation was interesting and a good experience.

To cap off the day, we attended the extravagant Kingdom of Dreams, an Indian musical show with a very detailed tourist-like shopping area nearby. It was very nice, and the aesthetics of the place were phenomenal. It is interesting to think about how much money it must have taken to finance the project, and how much revenues they must be making. I forgot the exact number, but I remember Professor Kahia mentioning that they had few attendances so far, granted it is not even a year old. Hopefully they see some more customers, otherwise they will have quite the financial issues. Concerning the show itself, it was very talented; unfortunately I was half dead by this point, so I feel asleep quickly to both the first and second parts. I give my regards to the cast though, they were quite talented indeed.

Day 3

The Akshardham Temple Complex was stop #1 today. It was absolutely stunning. It was crazy to believe that it had only been finished in 2007. Going through the place made me realize that Indians put so many details into the products of their culture; life is so unique here it is evident in everything from the architecture to the interactions between the people. It is such a pleasure that I got to attend this Temple, for its superior size was an inspiration and testament to the strong will of the Indian people.

The CEO of HCL was our next businessman to meet. He was quite the individual, and I enjoyed his presentation a lot. His “employee first” mentality differed significantly from Dunnhumby’s “customer-fist” mentality. I tend to agree with him a little bit more, given that when the employee is pleased, the firm as a whole will be significantly more efficient, this producing better output, giving the customer the satisfaction they are to be guaranteed (of course providing higher returns for the firm as well). His down-to-earth attitude was inspiring as well; a CEO has the right to be a little pompous, and this man was anything but. It’s nice to see some of that attitude in a top executive, and I really appreciated the time he took to speak to us.

*Side note- the cookies here in India are amazing. I need to find out where all these firms are getting them and bring pounds of them back to the States!

Anyway, Professor Gupta kindly offered to have us at his house for the celebration of Lori, the first day of spring. It was amazing, to say the least. To be able to relax with new friends and our professors, have drinks and dance all night, socialize with Indian family members, it was all surreal. It felt so genuine and pristine. Being able to dance with the Indians was the coolest part for me. Going around the fire doing their traditional dance was very fun, and granted I probably looked like a fool doing so, it was nice to immerse myself in a culture that is so unique and interesting, to say the least. The fact that alcohol was so nonchalantly passed around was very nice too, for I’m not one to get absolutely trashed, and the adult setting there was a nice contrast from the typical bar scene downtown in Binghamton. Overall, a wonderful night for sure, and definitely one of the more memorable ones from the trip. The Facebook pictures/videos should definitely not be seen by employers, that’s for sure…