Salted Almonds

Last night I definitely ate my weight in butter chicken and naan. The restaurant here does not mess around and apparently I was hungry.

On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays the team starts work at 11:00 a.m. It was really weird to wake up on a work day and not have anything to do for hours. So, I decided that I should probably go to the gym before the butter naan made it's way to my thighs.

The gym was really nice. The treadmill was set to kilometers. It took me about five minutes before I realized that 5.0 was really more like 3.0 mph. Makes sense now that I think of it. I was basically moving at a slow crawl. The kilometer thing really threw me off. I was running at a 9.0! If I ran a 9.0 in the states I would probably fall off within the first two seconds. And then I got really excited at how fast I hit one mile—until I realized that one mile ≠ one kilometer. I gave up trying to figure it all out after a while.

After the gym I got ready for work and then went down to breakfast at 9:00 a.m. It felt really weird to be eating in a hotel restaurant when normally I would be at work. Today I went the American route and had pancakes. A little less excitement from my waiter. He was really pushing the parathas. Maybe tomorrow.

Vanesh picked me up at 10:30 a.m. to go to work. I'm officially back to being terrified by the drivers here. Vanesh was great and very nice, but his driving combined with everyone else on the road was horrifying. There's this scary little u-turn that we take at one point before entering DLF where my office is—99.9% of the time I'm convinced we are going to get hit by 20 cars and bikes. Of course we never do, because people in India are magicians on the road.

Very lame 11:00 a.m. traffic.

Oh! And I finally saw some pigs on my drive to work. Whew. Feels like India now.

Back at work I got to deal with some major issues our department was facing. Somehow all of our design projects from the past two weeks were deleted. This was a massive issue and something we've never had to deal with before. Dealing with this while my team is so far away has been a little stressful. Being in India with all of my teammates here has allowed me a little break from reality, which is probably good for this little workaholic.

For lunch I went to Abbey Road with Shweta, It was a million degrees outside, per usual, so I ordered something on the blander side—penne al vodka. Apparently penne al vodka in India is pretty much exactly the same as arrabiata, only hotter. I was already burning up and then I had this spicy food on top of that, so I was sweating my face off while talking to Shweta about work. I needed a cool towel or a giant pool to jump into.

Side note: I still find it weird that there is a woman in the restroom who cleans all day long. She's always in there doing something different. I can't imagine it's a very exciting job. It's probably one of the cleanest restrooms in the world.

I finally left work today at 8:00 p.m. Workaholic, right? Nope! Those are just the normal working hours for Tuesdays. I asked the staff when they eat dinner if they leave the office so late—10:00 p.m., they said. Freaking 10:00 p.m.! That's my bedtime in the states. And tonight, rebel that I am, I ate dinner at 10:30 p.m. Look at me go!

So, from work I went to Metropolis Mall with Nidhi to visit a department store called Lifestyle. Sigh. I love shopping. I spent ₹3,000 on clothing, which definitely seems bad until you realize that it's only $60. I'm saving so much money, so obviously I need to do more shopping.

Following shopping, we drove to Nidhi's place to pick up Vikram. After our reunion, Vikram drove us to Cafe Delhi Heights for our insanely late dinner. I ordered lobster au gratin with thai green curry. I love food. We reminisced over my last visit and talked about all the things we needed to do in the next few weeks. So much to do in 17 days. How am I going to pack everything in?

I finally reached home around 11:30 p.m. and arrived in my room to see this display in front of my TV.

Should I be worried about Ravi? I feel like people here at the Gurgaon Marriott are extremely nice, so maybe this is just the personal touch they like to add?

I wish I knew who Ravi was. I would like to thank him for my delicious salted almond snack.

I'm baaaaaaaack!

I'm here! I'm here! I made it! It's the same as I remembered—colorful, hot, crazy drivers, hot, ice cream stands on the side of the road, stray dogs and cows… I'm so excited!

The flight was uneventful. I got there 14 billion hours early, per usual. I was crammed onto one of those teeny tiny planes from DC to Newark. My flight from Newark to Delhi was quite nice—I mean, as nice as a 14-hour flight can be. There was an empty seat between me and another passenger, which meant I got to spread out, so that was awesome. I got up and walked around frequently because I felt like my ankles were getting swollen from lack of movement. A few years back, my sister and I were flying home from Hawaii and when I woke up, my legs were completely swollen. I looked like a hobbit and had to lay in bed for quite a long time with my legs propped up to get the swelling down. I really didn't want that to happen again, so i looked like a fool jogging around the plane every so often.

The Delhi airport has been updated since I last came and was so nice! Adi picked me up and the first thing he told me once we got in the cab was that I didn't have to wear my seat belt. My mother just got through jokingly telling me that I should listen to everything Adi tells me because he once talked me out of buying a pocket-sized sugar bear. I wonder if my Mom still thinks I should be listening to him.

My hotel is awesome! It's very fancy shmancy and definitely unlike my apartment from three years ago.  I doubt I'll find Bob or any of his relatives roaming about.

Down in the courtyard there was a party going on. Obviously for me. I was very exhausted, so I didn't go downstairs. I hope the partygoers were not too disappointed.

Once I got my bearings, I called home. FaceTime with my sister and niece was interesting. This was the view from my end.

It only got better when Alice decided to eat the phone. The close-up view of her tonsils was just what i needed to really make me feel at home. That, and my sister's hysterical laughter at the entire incident.

I managed to get a little sleep before waking up at 6 a.m. I looked outside and there were no pigs roaming about, so that was a little sad. However, the shower was pretty awesome—it completely made up for the lack of pigs. My poor little apartment shower from 2010 does not hold a candle to this monster. I was so deceived by it's awesomeness that I almost opened my mouth to swallow the water. Thankfully, I remembered at the last second how much of an issue that might be. I refuse to get sick from something as silly as swallowing shower water!

Breakfast was fantastic. Just the idea of having breakfast in India that didn't come from a packet (e.g., oatmeal) was terrific. I got confused trying to find the breakfast area and first ended up at the gym. The world is clearly trying to tell me something. After I located the cafe, the gentleman at the front led me to my seat and took my order. I don't think I was technically supposed to give him my order and he seemed very amused by me. I'm not entirely sure what I did that was so amusing, but i definitely did something. I ordered a cappuccino and aloo parathas, so maybe my pronunciation was funny. After he left me alone, my waiter came over and asked if I needed anything. At first I said no because I thought I ordered from the other dude, but my waiter looked so sad when I said that, so I changed my mind and ordered orange juice. He lit up like a Christmas tree. Very easy to please, I guess. The food was delicious and my waiter seemed happy that I had ordered an Indian breakfast. I told him that I had been to India before and that I loved it, which made him even more happy. I really liked this guy.

My cab ride to work was normal. Last night my driver went down a one-way road the wrong way and I didn't flinch. I guess I've become desensitized to the horrible traffic and driving around here. Going to work, i barely paid attention to the 10 cars/vans that almost ran into us. This cab driver was very friendly and asked quite a few questions. I replied in kind. Not sure if that was smart considering what happened last time, but whatever. Seems less likely I'll have issues in a hotel versus when I was all alone in my apartment. I don't even think someone could make me tomato soup here—unless they worked in the restaurant, that is. I should probably be careful with that waiter.

The office was exactly the same. The staff member who led me to my desk was practically running, so I literally sprinted past my team while trying to keep up. Finally I was able to put my stuff down and say hello. I met all the new staff and stood around awkwardly while I recounted my travel experiences and told them over and over how excited I was to be there. After that, I finally got to work, but not before I got some much-needed coffee from Costa with Aasthaa. Lunch was shish taouk from Brix. After that, I was pretty much just sitting at my desk, attempting to keep my eyes open.

I left promptly at 5 p.m. so I could get home and get some rest. Of course, workaholic that I am, I ended up on e-mail and on the phone with colleagues in the US. So now I will finally order some butter chicken from room service (room service! So totally opposite of my days in the apartment!) and then get some sleep. Blah jet lag.

What Happened to All the Colors? [Wednesday, July 21 2010]

Life after India is pretty darn boring. I got so used to the hustle and bustle of Gurgaon—Arlington is practically a let down. I immediately left the DC area to head down to North Carolina for a week of relaxation with my family. So that was like going from 90 to zero in one day. I went from streets full of blaring horns and cows and pigs and people and color to busy beaches where the only noise came from the waves crashing on the shore.

It wasn't easy coming back to work after all that.

Life just feels so bizarre now that I'm back. Don't get me wrong—I am loving the comforts of home—but it's really difficult to get back into the swing of things.

Where's Bob when I need him? He was always good for a laugh.

Fin [Sunday, July 4 2010]

June 30, 2010

Well this day has been bittersweet.

I went to work, as usual. But today, I actually paid attention to my surroundings. Young cab driver who calls me ma'am was taking me today. He's fun. When he drops me off, he runs like lightening to my side of the car to open the door and tell me to have a good day.

Work was just sad. I had lots to get through as usual: e-mails to answer, problems to solve, cabs to pay for, blah blah blah. Priyanka went with me to get coffee so I could have my very last Costa fix. I worked through lunch, but did take a minute to go have lunch with the girls and Vivek. Around 3:30 I had to pay for my cab rides for the month. Seriously, Manjeet makes out like a bandit when it comes to couriering around people for CEB.

Finally, I wrote my goodbye e-mail and packed up my computer. I started with the few people I knew wouldn't make me cry: Rahul and Ritesh. Then I moved over to Pooja, Nidhi J, and Anita. I could feel my eyes starting to prick up and knew it was going to be bad news bears. I tried to rush through it, hoping that if I did I could finish without crying, but that didn't help at all. I mean, the second I looked at Pooja and little Anita, I knew I was done for. Then I quickly said "goodbye" and rushed over to Priyanka and Supriya. By the time I got to Adi and Vivek, I could barely speak, let alone look at them. And I still had FOUR more people to say goodbye to! Nitra could tell that I was already losing it and as I hugged her and then ran over to hug Sim, I grabbed a tissue and blamed Supriya for giving me her cold in the past five minutes. Then I hugged Shweta and continued making jokes. I believe my last words were, "You better call me all the time And you should call and e-mail your design partners, too. But most importantly call me!" And then I practically ran away. Even just waving goodbye to Susmita at reception was difficult. I choked out a "Hope to see you soon" and just followed my driver out the door.

Then I cried the whole way home. Halfway through, I realized that in all the hubbub I forgot to hug Savs! So then I cried harder and vowed to e-mail her the second I got to the apartment.

The apartment was blissfully empty. I finished packing and plugged in my computer to send my all-important e-mail to Savs. Apparently I was being cut off from India for good, bescause no wi-fi access. Totally sucked. I tried for like 20 minutes before Ranjeet and the houseboy showed up and then he tried to fix it. Finally I moved into the living room while the houseboy cleaned and just worked from the couch  I think this threw the houseboy off a little.

Nidhi and Vikram came by to say farewell. Luckily I was all cried out, so those two got happy "I'm-going-to-miss-you-so-much" Tara.

My cab driver got to the apartment insanely early and Ranjeet helped me to the car. I heart Ranjeet. I made sure he knew I left him 200 on the dresser. Hopefully he shares a little with the house boy, but seriously Ranjeet deserves it. The man is insanely nice and helpful.

The cab driver had to stop and get gas on the way to the airport. He kept the car running, got out of the car, started pumping gas, and then proceeded to talk on his cell phone and light up a cigarette. I looked around to see if anyone else was as alarmed as I to see this happening, and realized that everyone was doing something similar. I would be just like me to die on the way to the airport after a great trip.

Airport check-in has been interesting. I had to show my ticket and passport just to get into the airport. Then it took me about 10 minutes to find Continental, 20 minutes to get someone who made sense to check me in—they had to ask a million questions about what I was doing here—and 20 more minutes to pay my heavy bag fee and get a receipt. Then came customs, then security. Why no one in the security area of an international airport could speak English is beyond me. There are like 26 lettered meta detector gates and the woman just kept pointing towards "A." No one seemed to know where I should be going in that general direction so I just picked a lane and crossed my fingers. Luckily I made it through.

Unlike American airports, this place had like a handful of cafes to grab food and drink from. All I wanted was a diet coke, but I couldn't bring myself to use my card for 30 rupees, so I wandered over to Subway. Gross. I basically just ate the bread.

The flight was uneventful. I had an Indian man traveling on business sitting in the middle seat next to me. I don't know if it was because he had a big guy sitting on the other side of him, but he continuously encroached on my personal space and elbowed me quite a few times during the flight. At least he didn't ask about tomato soup. I know the warning signs now.

My first "American" meal experience in a month was on flight CO85: chicken and potatoes. It was the best airline food I think I have ever had. Just having a meal that didn't have Indian spices made my day. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love Indian food, but sometimes you just want something else. And man did I need something else!

I slept for about eight hours—basically a full India time zone night (12/1 a.m.–9 a.m.). I've been awake since about 1 a.m. US time, so I'm hoping that doesn't cause me any major jetlag issues.

July 1, 2010

I arrived at Newark around 4:15 a.m. I had to go through customs to find my luggage and then re-check it. Fun. Then I took the train to my concourse and walked through security to find a Starbucks. Angels were singing and shining light down on that little Starbucks kiosk. Hello my old friend. How I've missed you.

Finally, I got to board the plane at 8:30 a.m. We sat on the tarmac for 45 minutes—not that I really knew what was happening. I was basically out like a light the second I got on that plane. At 10:30 a.m. I arrived in DC. I went through customs and made my way down to the baggage carousel. I think the baggage carousel eeked out like eight bags before stopping. And because this is my life we're talking about, none of my bags were there. I then spoke to an idiotic carousel guard who pointed me down to a pile of luggage at the end of the hall. Thankfully, my two bags were there.

I walked out to the taxi stand and got the first one that accepted credit cards. My driver was a little Indian man and we discussed the differences between India and the US for our entire 10 minute drive back to my apartment.

Now time to unpack, do laundry, and re-pack for my trip to Poquoson tomorrow. I hope Mandi doesn't need her suitcase back.

Sing for Your Supper [Tuesday, June 29 2010]

LAST FULL DAY! EEK!

Now that I'm down to my last day, I'm realizing how much work I stil need to accomplish. This is definitely bleeding into the next few weeks. What was I thinking?

This morning everyone walked in and were like "Oh Tara, it's your last day!" and I had to keep repeating over and over that I'm not leaving today. I'm still coming to work tomorrow. I finally started teasing them—"Stop trying to kick me out!"

Random sidebar: I'm fairly certain that someone spends their entire day in the men's restroom at work—sole purpose is to hock loogies. Seriously, it's disgusting. The team must be desensitized to it, because I seem to be the only person offended by the noise.

Today the team threw me a goodbye lunch. We ordered from an Indian restaurant that I can't remember the name of. I made people explain to me what everything on the menu was. I mean, my Indian vocabulary really hasn't expanded that much during my time here. I got down "murgh" which means chicken, so I at least know to look for that. Oh, and "paneer" which is like cottage cheese, so I stay FAR away from that. Blech. Anyway, we ended up with mountains of food. Tuesday is an all-veg day for Hindus, so there were only six people eating non-veg food. There were lots of playful "we're-not-sharing-the-dal-with-you-meat-eaters" fights across the table, which was rather amusing.

After we had cake from Sweet Obsession, which is this amazing bakery in Gurgaon. The team was so cute, too. One of the cakes said "We Will Miss U" which almost made me break down, but I managed to hold it together. Then everyone gave me some kind of BS "tradition" about people who are leaving and get a cake have to sing while they are cutting it. please. I was here on day one when Jo left and she did not have to sing. So there. The pressure was too much, however, so I eeked out a little "Old McDonald"—which people didn't believe was a real song—and started cutting the cake. After a few minutes, my impatience must have been rubbing off on the team, because we all just grabbed forks and started digging in. Plates be damned. Once we demolished the blueberry cakes  we set our sites on the rum cake. It was pretty hilarious to be a part of. At one point I think Adi almost stabbed me with his fork, we were so obsessed with getting more cake.

Now I'm home and trying my best to pack, but I'm so lazy. I can't say I'm excited about the flight—I mean, who enjoys 15 hours on a plane? I am excited to finally see my friends and family again. And do laundry. I never did figure out how to work the stupid washer in my apartment.

Let the Goodbyes Begin [Monday, June 28 2010]

Last Monday in India. Kind of feels surreal. As surreal as it felt the day before I flew to India. I'm just so used to it now. I mean, I'm still not used to the cows and practically scream every time a child knocks on my window, begging for money in traffic. But, you know, I have a routine now.

I got to work around 9:00 a.m. and tried to pack as much work into the day as I could. So little time to get everything done. I can't believe how fast my last day has snuck up on me! I didn't have lunch today, but sat in the cafeteria with the girls from our team. Priyanka went on and on about how much she eats. Um, cup of rice for lunch today does not equal "lots of food." I think she would go into shock in the US. Well, to be fair, portion sizes here are like a thousand times bigger than the US I think. It's just that everyone shares food. So I don't think they really expect you to eat everything you order by yourself.

This evening, Manjeet was training a new driver. Sometimes new driver was as slow as Joe, from last week., Sometimes new driver was going 90. So, not really a consistent ride. Manjeet seemed to be ok with this.

Arjun picked me up around 8:30 so we could have dinner at the China Club. We chatted along the way, but the real fun began when we got to the restaurant and I began to poke fun at him just to hear him giggle. Of course, when he said "now you're just making fun of me" and I replied "I just like to hear you giggle," his response was to giggle. So it's win–win for me. We talked about weddings, since I had the experience of actually going to one last night. He was telling me how his "cousin-brother" (after 20 minutes, I figured out that this meant first cousin) was getting married in october and the dowry his new wife would be bringing with her was a brand new Mercedes of something fancy like that. DOWRY. Then of course I had to be a smart ass and ask him if it was normal to gift expensive cars or if some people just bring goats with them. He said no, so I asked about elephants or camels or monkeys or squirrels…? Giggle, giggle, giggle. "Why would they gift goats?" Um, because that's awesome. Duh. At least every five minutes thereafter I somehow brought goats back into the conversation. He's like, "why are you so fixated on goats?" Because saying "goat" makes you giggle, which in turn makes me laugh, and we all have fun. Great idea.

We left and headed back to the apartment. I finally had to face the fact that I wouldn't see him again and we both got sad and then swore not to say goodbye. You see, Arjun's going to be visiting the states sometime this year or next, so we'll just keep having goat conversations via facebook until then. It still wasn't easy to leave. Goodbye or no. I miss my friend already.

Oh, and when we were leaving the restaurant tonight, the manager said "see you soon." So, I need to let Ericka know that I'm expected back in India sometime in the next six months. I don't want to disappoint the good people at China Club.

Where's the Horse? [Sunday, June 27 2010]

Today I went to a Hindu wedding! Talk about one of the most awesome things I could get the chance to do in India.

I started the day by just sleeping in and packing. Oh, and I finally ordered from Pizza Hut. By far, this is the best pizza I've had of the "American" pizza joints in India. It was delish. Packing went shockingly well. I managed to get all my gifts and purchases in the suitcases. I'm debating whether I want to brak out my third suitcase for some of the breakables, but we'll see. It seriously looked like I took an Indian store and shook it into my suitcase. Seriously, it's like India threw up in my bag.

Nidhi's brother, Nitish, picked me up around 6 p.m. Apparently we were very off-schedule because we were supposed to leave at 6:15 to pick up the groom. Yes, somehow I had ended up in the groom's car. Nidhi and Vikram's chevy was being decked out in flowers for the ride from the groom's house to the venue. At Nidhi's, her mother-in-law wrapped me up in a sari—well, a partial sari. I refused to let my midriff show. Soon after, we rished to the groom's. Once there, I met a whole bunch of random people, including the groom himself. There was this whole ceremony of getting him to the car where the family was essentially howling to call to the gods. I spent the entire car ride trying to calm down his nerves and explain to him that it's the imperfections that make the day memorable. This really rung true when we got to the venue and couldn't find the barat or the horse. As we went to make a u-turn I told him, "well, there's your big story. You'll tell everyone for years to come that you couldn't even find the horse on your wedding day!"

We got to the barat at last and it was just so interesting to step back and watch the festivities. Well, I had anticipated just stepping back and watching, but apparently you don't have that option here. Participation is required. The barat consists of the groom riding a decorated horse down the street towards the venue. As he's trotting along, all the family and friends walk with him and a band plays, leading the way. At various points throughout, friends and family break into mini dance parties. It was great fun to watch. The traditions are amazingly beautiful.

Once we made it to the venue, the bride's family was there to welcome the groom wand his family. One-by-one people exchanged roses and took pictures: father and father, mother and mother, sister and groom, best friend and best friend, etc. Eventually, Vikram's mother and I were absolutely dying from the heat, so we ran inside to cool off. And that's when I saw the hall. Wow. Indian weddings are so decked out! Nidhi made it in and then dragged me into a little room where the bride was patiently waiting for her opportunity to come out and meet her groom. Eventually she emerged and was presented to the groom, who adorably helped her onto the stage.

Once on stage, they were given garlands which they had to exchange. The custom is that the groom's friends lift him to that the bride must jump to reach the groom and put the garland over his neck (and vice versa). It was hilarious to watch all the taller friends, like Nitish, grabbing the groom by his waist to lift him up.

Finally it was picture time. The poor bride and groom spent hours sitting in highly decorated chairs, having people constantly come up to them for pictures.

I got my fair share of stares this evening, but everyone I met was so friendly and Nidhi made sure I was never left alone, as she promised. Nitish was mostly tasked with the duty of watching me, but I spent a good amount of time with her in-laws as well. Nitish and I got dinner and the poor thing was actually self conscious about speaking English correctly around me. I've found that this is the reason a lot of my Indian coworkers shy away from using the phone. If only they knew that we don't care how good or bad they are—the fact that they try is what matters. And how else will you learn and improve if you don't try? Anyway, despite his concern, we still had a fun time chatting. I think I got the majority of my stares while hanging out with Nitish. He's a very handsome young man (I enjoyed calling him a kid, for that's what his 21 years equal in my mind), so all the girls were probably not so happy that I was monopolizing him.

Around 11:30 p.m., I left with Nitish and Vikram's in-laws. Nidhi and Vikram were staying for the remaining ceremonies, which would begin after midnight. After a night of dancing, drinking, and eating, those two probably won't make it home until 6:00 a.m. Those crazy Indians.

More Than Cows and Monkeys [Saturday, June 26 2010]

Final Saturday in India and it kind of rocked!

Nitar picked me up at 12:30 to head to Delhi for a day of shopping, relaxation, and fun. We started by sweating our way to Khan Market (just back from the US, Nitra had discovered that her car air conditioner know longer worked)/ We made it to the market and got a money spot near Big Chill. While waiting for a table, we made our way down to a shoe store I wanted to check out. I love the sandals in this country. Super cute stone and jewel sandals for $15.

After, we had a delicious lunch at Big Chill. I tried to convince myself to orders something different, but in the end I stuck with what I had the weekend before because it was so freaking delicious. When the meal was complete, we got desert—ice cream is more than necessary on a day like today.

Nitra, happy to be out of the heat and ready for some good food.

We headed back into the sun and drove over to Dilli Haat, where I was determined to buy even more sandals. Um, wow. If I couldn't have Nidhi with me, Nitra sure was the right person to have along. Her bargaining skills were amazing. Seriously, the girl deserves an Oscar. Before we passed out from sun stroke, I managed to get three more pairs of sandals (get excited Mandi, one of these is for you) and four scarfs. I've never had so much scarves/stoles in my life. I'm kind of excited.

Next stop, Hibiscus Spa in Vasant Kunj.

If's official, India has the most amazing spas in the universe. Granted, I'm only basing this off of my one experience, but it's the best I've ever had. For less than the price of a haircut, I received: manicure, pedicure, head/neck/shoulder massage, full-body Swedish message, and facial. I had barely started the pedicure and I was ready to die and go to heaven. I believe Nitra even had a picture of me at the end of the evening withe a face mask on, cold compresses on my eyes, someone messaging my shoulders, and someone else painting my finger nails. For approximately $40, you essentially are treated like royalty. Friends, if you ever come to India, seriously consider taking a spa day!

Before Hibiscus Spa, dying of heat exhaustion in Nitra's car.

After Hibiscus Spa. Please note the extreme difference.

We closed down the spa and headed to The Promenade to grab some food and see a late movie. Nitra assured me that this was an experience I must have. We bought tickets for Toy Story 3—you actually pick your seats and they are all assigned. At 11:00 p.m. we headed into the theater and found out seats—super plush, reclining movie seats. I have never felt so comfortable at the movies. About halfway through the movie, the lights came on and there was an intermission. A freaking intermission at the movie theater! Genius! Nitra and I got up to grab some coffee. But have no fear, if you don't want to actually get up at intermission, there are servers on hand to take your order. I can't even imagine this happening in the US. It was amazing.

A wonderful day with a fabulous friend. I couldn't ask for a better way to end my stay here.

Glow Sticks [Friday, June 25 2010]

I really need to start writing things down as they happen throughout the day. I seriously can't remember this morning. Chances are nothing happened that was funny, so good news there.

Today we were going on a team lunch to Barbecue Nation, which I was super excited about. We literally just decided this yesterday, so I'm pretty shocked we were able to get our acts together. of course, someone made the mistake of leaving it up to Adi to make the reservations and he apparently thought Nitra was doing it, so we had to switch lunch from 1 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. When it was time to go, no one stood up or moved or anything. I've never seen people less interested in getting up and going. I am way too impatient for this crowd. Finally, Shweta and Nitra and I walked to reception. Then Nitra walked back to find everyone and then Adi and Sim and Priyanka came rushing out and were all of a sudden in a hurry and before I knew it I had abandoned Nitra and was stuffed into the front seat of Adi's car.

Front seat. Not cool. First off, Adi never knows where he is going. So Sim is shouting directions from the back seat and he's trying to figure out which way is left and I'm screaming because it looks like we're about to ram into a van driving next to us. Adi's like "I love my car, I won't let it get a scratch." Well, awesome, but I don't think mister an driver gives a crap about your car, so watch out!

The lunch was tons of fun. Everyone was talkative or at least I just imagined they were. I was amused by the house/techno music playing ridiculously loud throughout the restaurant  I think everything I do is just so outside the norm for these guys that they just watch and giggle. I was in my seat dancing along to the beat and kept catching people laughing. Clearly, that did not stop me and I usually returned the stare with a funny face and some joke about how I wondered if they were going to hand out glow sticks anytime soon.

No matter how many takes we did, it was impossible to get it right. Adi is putting bunny ears on Nidhi, who's turning around to see what's happening. Shweta is clearly amused by the Adi/Nidhi scenario, and Vivek apparently fell asleep after a heavy lunch and too many takes.

Arjun ditched me for dinner, so I'm on my own for the evening. I might even start packing. I'm spending the day with Nitra tomorrow and have a wedding on Sunday. There's just so little time left!

Oh Joe [Thursday, June 24 2010]

My time in India is winding down. It's so bizarre to think about how different things will be when I get home. The freedom of being able to drive places myself and walk around Arlington and DC is going to be really nice. I think probably the hardest part of being here—the biggest adjustment—is to be entirely dependent on a driver to get you everywhere. And the inability to just be able to call sometime to drive you somewhere when the mood strikes you. It's tough getting used to.

This morning Manjeet picked me up at 8:30 a.m. and we headed into work. I got to the office before most everyone else. The lights were out and—unlike the ones in the US office—they didn't automatically come on. I couldn't find a light switch anywhere, so I just sat in the dark with just the light of my laptop. I think I scared the janitor when he came by to switch on the lights.

Another bit of randomness—there are bathroom attendants (or at least someone constantly cleaning the bathroom) at the offices here. Now, I don't care what country I am in, I am not a huge fan of bathroom attendants. I always feel like saying "thank you for the paper towel that I could have grabbed myself." And then they expect a tip? I mean, what? Granted, the attendants here are more or less just making sure that everything is clean and in working order, but it's still so weird. Oh—and I walked in at one point today and the woman was sitting on the bathroom floor, barefoot, and picking her toenails. Gross.

Today was a busy day, so I don't have too many juicy tidbits to add to this blog. However, despite the busy-ness I still managed to sneak attack some designers and take photos. Three victims today: Nitra, Anita, and Pooja.

After a very long leadership team meeting, my driver picked me up. This was a completely new guy, so I was a little apprehensive at first, but I was so wrong to worry. I would like you to meet the slowest and most cautious driver in all of India. He speaks no English, has greasy hair, and wears a cream-colored jumpsuit. We'll call him Joe. Joe drove so slowly that I thought he car was actually in neutral at first. And remember what I said about speed bumps/humps yesterday? Well, Joe slowed down and very cautiously drove over every singly one along the way. At one point I was concerned we might actually roll backwards. Of course, like all good Indians, he did his fair share of honking. He would cautiously drive around, flipping on his blinker at random and arbitrarily honking his horn at bicycles that were passing him on the street. Oh Joe.

Speaking of bicycles, I don't know why, but they amuse me to no end here. I mean, there's nothing really different about the way one person rides a bike versus another, but tonight I kept singing the evil witch (from the Wizard of Oz) theme song in my head whenever someone biked by. I don't typically do that in the states, so I'm not sure why it's so natural for that to pop into my head here, but it does almost every time. Last night a guard was biking by in my complex and it was like he was so into it, but he was in his weird 1970s style guard uniform…I don't know. It made me giggle.

Commuting in the US is going to be so boring after this.