Day 15- Sunday, December 31
When we last spoke, I mentioned that I was coming down with a fever, and my expected remedy for this was to sleep it off. That was at around Noon on Wednesday. That afternoon at work, I put my stolen British Airways eye-covers on and was able to get some sleep. Since Mr.Fever invited his friend Mr. Chills along to the party, I had that to contend with on the bus ride home from work. Seeing that I had made zero progress in my recovery, and expecting things to get worse throughout the night I made the decision to go ahead to the "Hospital" to get checked out and given some medication. The thing about hospitals in India, is that all medical facilities are called hospitals, so what I was actually taken to was more like an immediate care center. This really didn't bother me since I was going to get drugs anywhere I went and this doctor was as good at that as any. Plus Bob had went there for a stomach infection the night before and attested to it's cleanliness and speed of care.
As with most Indian medical facilities, the doctor's office was located on the second level above the pharmacy. I walk in, take off my shoes when asked (you know, to keep things sterile) and am immediately seen by the doctor. He asks whats wrong (fever and headaches), looks in my throat, checks my vitals, tells me I have the flu caused by a virus, writes a precription for three medications, asks if I want a shot for immediate relief, gives me the shot (after I made sure he took it out of a sterile package....that he probably put it right back in after using), and took my money. This took all of about 10 minutes. I walked downstairs to the pharmacy, they gave me my meds, I paid, and the driver took me back home. Including my tip to the driver, this doctor's visit with a shot and medication cost me 6 dollars. (I later asked an Indian if they were Socialists or something and he explained that competition is what was driving costs down. This leads me to believe that America can also drive it's medical costs down by over-populating our country)
Well the shot did provide instant relief, and I was able to sleep throughout the night. The doctor told me to rest for the next few days, and I am not one to take orders lightly, so no work for me. The fever/chills came and went throughout the day,but the big story was how much 80's TV they show here. I cannot tell you how many times they played Meatloaf videos. I mean seriously....Meatloaf. So I watched Meatloaf videos, Premier League Football (soccer), Indian National Team Cricket, and VHI Cribs (which is on MTV in America). I couldn't wait for the roommates to come home.
They did come home and announced that Professor Raghu had arranged for a really nice dinner at the Westin Sheraton. I assumed this would be the only high-quality Indian meal I was going to get while in Bangalore, and because I had just had a nice bout with Mr. Chill, I figured I was good to go.
BIG MISTAKE
The bus ride took over an hour and my condition during that time deteriorated from stable to not good. By the time we got to the hotel I knew I had to ask someone to take me to the hospital. So thats what I did.
I said, "I want to go to the hospital."
They said, "We will call the hotel doctor."
I said, " Ok."
They said, "We called your doctor from last night and he said you would be alright, we are going to TAKE YOU OUTSIDE BY THE POOL WHERE IT IS WARMER AND GIVE YOU A BLANKET."
Susan and I said, "I want to go to the hospital to have blood work done."
They said, "If you go outside and your chills don't go away within 30 minutes, we will take you to the hospital. Take this medication"
I said, "Fine."
After getting sick in the pool house, I came back to my cabana chair and passed out. I was woken up when everyone was ready to leave, put back on the bus, and told a car would be there at 9 to take me to the hospital (Susan had been asking around about the best one, Manipal Hospital was named).
As I went home that night, I knew things were turning around for me.
Song Recommendation- Thunder Road by Bruce Springsteen
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Monday, December 25, 2006
The Camel Letdown
Day 9- Monday, December 26th
Q: In America, 99% of the population eats turkey on Christmas Day. In India, Does 99% of the population eat camel on Chistmas Day?
-Nick Haywood's Biggest Fan (as measured by length of voicemail left, 1:45...pretty impressive)
A: Biggest Fan, you're an idiot. Let us skip the glaring problems in the first statement (99% of America can't even eat turkey...babies, vegetarians, people without mouths) and get right to the question. Everyone knows that half the Indian population is vegetarians and is probably repulsed by the thought.
As for the camel, it never came to pass. I walked into the dining room ready to feast on one of the ugliest creatures on earth only to find rice, porridge, and chicken. Granted, the chicken is the best food I have eaten since I have been here, but it was anti-climatic none-the-less. We are supposed to have it January 2nd, but I'm not going to hold my breath. In fact, when we mention to locals that we will be eating camel they are as amazed as we are. Holding my breath is something I should be doing though. Everyone is starting to come down with various illnesses, most of which are gastro related. One guy even received a frequent shopper card at the hospital. I don't really know how that works but is a hilarious concept. Luckily, I have been drinking water straight from the sewage river (which is simply labeled as drain on maps), so I am probably safe. Actually, I do have a fever. Hopefully, I can sleep it off tonight.
One thing is for sure. I'm not eating enough starches or carbs. Yesterday we went to visit various dealerships in the semi-local area. Because we weren't going to be around for the rice-based lunch they packed lunches for us. They contained:
1. Shredded white cheese sandwiches (To make a shredded white cheese sandwich you mix shredded white cheese with a little butter and pepper and throw it on bread. A staple of American cuisine)
2. Cold french fries
3. Potato chips
4. Fruit Cake
5. Bottled Water
As you can see, I'm not getting enough of starches and carbs. If only they would quit feeding us so much meat. We did take rickshaws to a steakhouse last night. Upon arrival we turned around and went to Dominos (where the workers wanted to shake our hands) and ate pepperoni pizza. it was normal. Well besides the cups they gave us were made from the thinnest plastic ever created. The cup was completely collapsible and i put it in my pocket when I was done.
As far as the dealership visits went, it was nice to get away from the plant. We actually drove south and the temperature was pretty warm. The distance we traveled wasn't that far, but Bangalore is located on a plateau and we were drove down toward sea level.
Justine went to China last May and re-assured us that Shanghai actually has an infrastructure and would have a great time. I was also planning on studying in Germany at GISMA (Purdue MBA satellite School) but after meeting the Europeans (German, Russian, German Canadian) that attend GISMA and are on this trip, it is very unlikely I will be going (I bet Mom is happy to hear that). After visiting dealerships with the German, I know understand why WWII took so long. Thats not meant to offend any veterans, but those guys are tenacious. He actually reminds me of the German that slowly stabs the American in Saving Private Ryan. That is what I am having to deal with.
The project is going well and will probably be finished by Friday. Friday night we are flying to Delhi to visit the Taj Mahal.
Song Recommendation- It'll All Work Out by Tom Petty
Q: In America, 99% of the population eats turkey on Christmas Day. In India, Does 99% of the population eat camel on Chistmas Day?
-Nick Haywood's Biggest Fan (as measured by length of voicemail left, 1:45...pretty impressive)
A: Biggest Fan, you're an idiot. Let us skip the glaring problems in the first statement (99% of America can't even eat turkey...babies, vegetarians, people without mouths) and get right to the question. Everyone knows that half the Indian population is vegetarians and is probably repulsed by the thought.
As for the camel, it never came to pass. I walked into the dining room ready to feast on one of the ugliest creatures on earth only to find rice, porridge, and chicken. Granted, the chicken is the best food I have eaten since I have been here, but it was anti-climatic none-the-less. We are supposed to have it January 2nd, but I'm not going to hold my breath. In fact, when we mention to locals that we will be eating camel they are as amazed as we are. Holding my breath is something I should be doing though. Everyone is starting to come down with various illnesses, most of which are gastro related. One guy even received a frequent shopper card at the hospital. I don't really know how that works but is a hilarious concept. Luckily, I have been drinking water straight from the sewage river (which is simply labeled as drain on maps), so I am probably safe. Actually, I do have a fever. Hopefully, I can sleep it off tonight.
One thing is for sure. I'm not eating enough starches or carbs. Yesterday we went to visit various dealerships in the semi-local area. Because we weren't going to be around for the rice-based lunch they packed lunches for us. They contained:
1. Shredded white cheese sandwiches (To make a shredded white cheese sandwich you mix shredded white cheese with a little butter and pepper and throw it on bread. A staple of American cuisine)
2. Cold french fries
3. Potato chips
4. Fruit Cake
5. Bottled Water
As you can see, I'm not getting enough of starches and carbs. If only they would quit feeding us so much meat. We did take rickshaws to a steakhouse last night. Upon arrival we turned around and went to Dominos (where the workers wanted to shake our hands) and ate pepperoni pizza. it was normal. Well besides the cups they gave us were made from the thinnest plastic ever created. The cup was completely collapsible and i put it in my pocket when I was done.
As far as the dealership visits went, it was nice to get away from the plant. We actually drove south and the temperature was pretty warm. The distance we traveled wasn't that far, but Bangalore is located on a plateau and we were drove down toward sea level.
Justine went to China last May and re-assured us that Shanghai actually has an infrastructure and would have a great time. I was also planning on studying in Germany at GISMA (Purdue MBA satellite School) but after meeting the Europeans (German, Russian, German Canadian) that attend GISMA and are on this trip, it is very unlikely I will be going (I bet Mom is happy to hear that). After visiting dealerships with the German, I know understand why WWII took so long. Thats not meant to offend any veterans, but those guys are tenacious. He actually reminds me of the German that slowly stabs the American in Saving Private Ryan. That is what I am having to deal with.
The project is going well and will probably be finished by Friday. Friday night we are flying to Delhi to visit the Taj Mahal.
Song Recommendation- It'll All Work Out by Tom Petty
A Merry Christmas To All
Day 8- Monday, December 25
I want to wish everyone a very joyous Christmas all the way from India. My Christmas started out the way all Christmas' should, and that's with a trip to church. TVS-M organized a driver (I am getting used to being driven everywhere, it is quite nice. Even if I am on the verge of death everytime I get into a car) to take us to a Protestant church in the area. There were a few things that was wrong with the chosen Protestant church:
1. It was Catholic.
2. It was Mass.
3. It was in Hindi.
4. I now know why they have daycares at churches.
5. There was a 3-year old being breast fed in the pew in front of us.
6. The stained glass biblical characters were white.
7. We were the only white people there.
Other than that it was a pretty cool experience. The sanctuary was larger than Northside's and didn't have back walls, so there was a nice breeze the entire time. Luckily, I was able to transcribe the sermon and have included in below.
(Hindi) protestant (hindi) America (hindi) television, movies, mobile phones, and automobiles (hindi) How did they deal with the gruesome death of the Healer of Children? (hindi) Amen.
That is all that Susan and I (remember we both went to Scenic Hills Church Camp) were able to pick out of the ceremony. This didn't have a lot of meaning for us, but we think they were saying something about American Protestants being materialistic toward Christmas. We can't be quite sure though.
It is off to work for me since only a few people in our group are religious and the majority of people wanted New Years Day off. The industrial engineers (they are nice people) decorated the dining room at one of the the residences with Baby Jesus' and other psuedo-Christmas paraphernalia in anticipation of the camel dinner tonight.
Song Recommendation- Cats and Dogs Sing Jingle Bells by Dr. Demento
I want to wish everyone a very joyous Christmas all the way from India. My Christmas started out the way all Christmas' should, and that's with a trip to church. TVS-M organized a driver (I am getting used to being driven everywhere, it is quite nice. Even if I am on the verge of death everytime I get into a car) to take us to a Protestant church in the area. There were a few things that was wrong with the chosen Protestant church:
1. It was Catholic.
2. It was Mass.
3. It was in Hindi.
4. I now know why they have daycares at churches.
5. There was a 3-year old being breast fed in the pew in front of us.
6. The stained glass biblical characters were white.
7. We were the only white people there.
Other than that it was a pretty cool experience. The sanctuary was larger than Northside's and didn't have back walls, so there was a nice breeze the entire time. Luckily, I was able to transcribe the sermon and have included in below.
(Hindi) protestant (hindi) America (hindi) television, movies, mobile phones, and automobiles (hindi) How did they deal with the gruesome death of the Healer of Children? (hindi) Amen.
That is all that Susan and I (remember we both went to Scenic Hills Church Camp) were able to pick out of the ceremony. This didn't have a lot of meaning for us, but we think they were saying something about American Protestants being materialistic toward Christmas. We can't be quite sure though.
It is off to work for me since only a few people in our group are religious and the majority of people wanted New Years Day off. The industrial engineers (they are nice people) decorated the dining room at one of the the residences with Baby Jesus' and other psuedo-Christmas paraphernalia in anticipation of the camel dinner tonight.
Song Recommendation- Cats and Dogs Sing Jingle Bells by Dr. Demento
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Luggage and Honking
Day 7- Sunday, December 24
Let it be known that the coffee shop I am currently in is spinning Dr. Dre's Forgot About Dre and Because I Got High by Afroman. I am telling you, India is the land of contridictions.
I guess the good news for the weekend is that I got my luggage. Friday night, Marvin (my roommate from El Salvador) came into the room after I was asleep with my hanging suitcase. He woke me up to tell me it was there. I was so excited I immediately went back to sleep. When I woke up Saturday morning the first thing I though was that, " My luggage had better actually be here. That had better not been a dream." Turns out it wasn't. To make it even better not 5 minutes after I woke up, my other suitcase arrived. That suitcase contained a large jar of Extra Crunchy Jif peanut butter (which is generally agreed upon by peanut butter eaters as the best). No more onion omelets for me. I had peanut butter and jelly for breakfast. Then I spread my American clothes on the floor and rolled around in them. My deodorant also arrived with the peanut butter. Thats right fans, I haven't been wearing deodorant since I arrived in India. Luckily, I didn't notice that I smelled until Friday. (A Micheal Jackson Christmas song just came on.)
Yesterday (Saturday) we took the 3 hour drive to Mysore. TVS-M arranged 3 cars for us to take. This was considerably less comfortable than the tour bus we are used to take but it was better than taking a train or something. It was a beautiful drive. Between Bangalore and Mysore are mountains, rice fields, trees, and other things that aren't related to the city. Well besides the wild farm animals. In Mysore, we went to a palace (we had to take off our shoes to even go in). The palace was very impressive from the outside, but the inside wasn't that neat. Luckily, it didn't take long to walk through it. We then rode elephants. Along with tip, this experience cost us $1.50 per person. As you can tell, things are VERY expensive here in The Orient. (Alien Ant Farm's Smooth Criminal.) The elephant ride was a lot like riding a giant pony.....a giant pony with a trunk. We ate a fantastic lunch at a local hotel (I recommend the tandori chicken, but not the french fries that Bret ordered). We were supposed to visit some other places but my car decided against it and came back early. This allowed us to sit in traffic in the city for 1.5 hours. It was most excellent. During this time Susan and I realized we went to the same church camp from birth through 7th grade. This produced many laughs about that time in our life. She even remembers the "I Love It When My Makes Meatloaf" t-shirts. Many of my fans (and mom) knows this is one of the stars of my summer collection (even after mom tried to throw it away).
Today (Sunday) 4 of us went shopping in a market. It was very nice in the beginning but once it got crowded, it turned into a less than enjoyable experience. To this Susan said, "Christmas F-ing Eve!" This sums it up pretty well. Being away from home for Christmas isn't very fun. I recommend not trying it. Tomorrow night, the cook (who is spectacular) at one of the residences (the group lives in 2 different places) is making a special dish for Christmas. Camel.
As I have mentioned in previous posts, the Indians are very good at honking their horns. Vehicles will have the words "Please Honk" painted on them so that when you approach you are to honk to let them know you are there. This may indicate that the drivers are blind (which answers a lot of questions) or that they want to lose their hearing. This honking is my biggest pet peeve about this country. Well that, and the beggars I have to fight off to walk to my hotel/apartment/hostel/bed&breakfast.
Have a wonderful Christmas. I look forward to talking to everyone very soon.
Song Recommendation- Lay Low by My Morning Jacket
Let it be known that the coffee shop I am currently in is spinning Dr. Dre's Forgot About Dre and Because I Got High by Afroman. I am telling you, India is the land of contridictions.
I guess the good news for the weekend is that I got my luggage. Friday night, Marvin (my roommate from El Salvador) came into the room after I was asleep with my hanging suitcase. He woke me up to tell me it was there. I was so excited I immediately went back to sleep. When I woke up Saturday morning the first thing I though was that, " My luggage had better actually be here. That had better not been a dream." Turns out it wasn't. To make it even better not 5 minutes after I woke up, my other suitcase arrived. That suitcase contained a large jar of Extra Crunchy Jif peanut butter (which is generally agreed upon by peanut butter eaters as the best). No more onion omelets for me. I had peanut butter and jelly for breakfast. Then I spread my American clothes on the floor and rolled around in them. My deodorant also arrived with the peanut butter. Thats right fans, I haven't been wearing deodorant since I arrived in India. Luckily, I didn't notice that I smelled until Friday. (A Micheal Jackson Christmas song just came on.)
Yesterday (Saturday) we took the 3 hour drive to Mysore. TVS-M arranged 3 cars for us to take. This was considerably less comfortable than the tour bus we are used to take but it was better than taking a train or something. It was a beautiful drive. Between Bangalore and Mysore are mountains, rice fields, trees, and other things that aren't related to the city. Well besides the wild farm animals. In Mysore, we went to a palace (we had to take off our shoes to even go in). The palace was very impressive from the outside, but the inside wasn't that neat. Luckily, it didn't take long to walk through it. We then rode elephants. Along with tip, this experience cost us $1.50 per person. As you can tell, things are VERY expensive here in The Orient. (Alien Ant Farm's Smooth Criminal.) The elephant ride was a lot like riding a giant pony.....a giant pony with a trunk. We ate a fantastic lunch at a local hotel (I recommend the tandori chicken, but not the french fries that Bret ordered). We were supposed to visit some other places but my car decided against it and came back early. This allowed us to sit in traffic in the city for 1.5 hours. It was most excellent. During this time Susan and I realized we went to the same church camp from birth through 7th grade. This produced many laughs about that time in our life. She even remembers the "I Love It When My Makes Meatloaf" t-shirts. Many of my fans (and mom) knows this is one of the stars of my summer collection (even after mom tried to throw it away).
Today (Sunday) 4 of us went shopping in a market. It was very nice in the beginning but once it got crowded, it turned into a less than enjoyable experience. To this Susan said, "Christmas F-ing Eve!" This sums it up pretty well. Being away from home for Christmas isn't very fun. I recommend not trying it. Tomorrow night, the cook (who is spectacular) at one of the residences (the group lives in 2 different places) is making a special dish for Christmas. Camel.
As I have mentioned in previous posts, the Indians are very good at honking their horns. Vehicles will have the words "Please Honk" painted on them so that when you approach you are to honk to let them know you are there. This may indicate that the drivers are blind (which answers a lot of questions) or that they want to lose their hearing. This honking is my biggest pet peeve about this country. Well that, and the beggars I have to fight off to walk to my hotel/apartment/hostel/bed&breakfast.
Have a wonderful Christmas. I look forward to talking to everyone very soon.
Song Recommendation- Lay Low by My Morning Jacket
Friday, December 22, 2006
Food Etc
Day 5- Friday, December 22
A lot of my fans back in America have been asking what the food is like here in Orient. More specifically, my fans have wondered if I was starving and emaciated because my peanut butter, trail mix, and Clif bars were all in my luggage (which we have yet to receive). The typical breakfast is an omelet, toast with jam, and black tea. The omelets are paper thin and cover the entire plate. As most everyone knows I HATE onions with every part of my body. This is why I cringe every morning when I eat my paper thin omelet that contains millions of diced onion bits, but since those 2 eggs are the only protein I get some days I just eat them and smile. Lunch is always a variation on a theme because we eat it at the plant everyday. First, you get a bunch of white rice. Second, put a porridge mixed with vegetables type sauce on top the rice. Third, grab some tortillas. Forth, mix it all together and eat. They also provide us with American-style potato chips and sandwiches (currently cheese sandwiches, previously they were tomato w/ cucumber). Because meat isn’t allowed on TVS-M property, lunch is always vegetarian. I have no real clue what I am eating, but it usually tastes reasonable. Dinner is very similar to lunch except it is made at our residence and contains meat. Again, I don’t really know what I eat except that it is rice with sauce, and as long as I don’t gage I am going to finish it. Hunger is a powerful thing, and last night I ate a beet root and onion dish. The ingredients in that would be 1)beet root and 2)onions.
The projects are going well. We meet with our mentor in the morning, then have the rest of the day to work on the project however we see fit. This usually works well for me because we can just screw around all day, producing only enough to show our project manager we worked the previous day. Do I feel bad about this? No, since the scope of the project could be completed in one week. Bob can be difficult to work with since he is an old man and is temperamental like a teenage girl. I think it’s pretty funny.
I can’t believe it is already Friday. Tomorrow, TVS-M is organizing a trip to Mysore to see a palace and go to a national park……or something. I just go with the flow. We are trying to organize a trip to see the Taj Mahal next weekend. I want to get out of Bangalore and see if the rest of the countries infrastructure is like Bangalore. I hear that because of all the money being poured into the city because of the IT companies, the city is growing faster than it can deal with. This is why the roads are so bad, there are no sidewalks, and everything is covered with dirt. It doesn’t really explain the cows though. I saw a basset hound on a roof today. Why someone keeps their pet dog (it was wearing a walking collar) on a roof, I don’t really know.
I finally finished reading Running With Scissors. I couldn’t finish that book fast enough. You would really enjoy that book if you enjoy reading graphic homosexual sex scenes that are pedophilic in nature. That is the last time I get a book because Katie says, “They just made it into a movie, its supposed to be funny.” I do not see how that book could be made into anything close to a movie.
I am planning on going to a church on Monday, so that should be an interesting experience. My choices of churches were protestant or catholic.
Song Recommendation: Bright Sunny South by Alison Krauss and Union Station
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
TVS Motors
Day 3- Wednesday, December 20
I guess the first issue that needs to be discussed is that we have yet to receive our luggage. Apparently, the problem at Heathrow was much worse than any of us expected. Apparently 15,000 bags didn’t get to their owners that day. I’m not expecting our baggage anytime soon. Luckily the wife of a TVS-M employee works for British Airlines and because of that we were given 60 dollar stipends for every 2 days without clothes. The problem with getting the stipend is that we had to go to the customer service desk at the Bangalore airport. The issue was exacerbated by the fact that the customer service desk is located past security. How do you get past security in India? You offer to buy the thirsty security worker a drink. DUH. That’s right folks, our faculty advisor got past security buy buying the security guard a coke. Top notch security at the airport. With British Airways stipend and TVS-M per diem in hand I am heading to the mall to buy some clothes tonight. I went Monday night to buy a polo shirt and some different underwear since I had been wearing my Show Your Wits t-shirt, Patagonia hoodie and the same pair of underwear since Saturday.
We started work yesterday and like the rest of the country TVS-M is a contradiction. It is a leading motorcycle, scooter, moped manufacturer yet the computers we use are from 1998. The internet is as slow as dial-up. The company produces an incredible amount of motorcycles in facilities that look like they haven’t been updated since 1976. Indian students work so hard in America but the management of the company seems to just go alone at a slow pace. I feel like the project could be finished in 3 days if we worked hard. Instead we take tea twice-a-day and 45 minutes for lunch. Don’t confuse this with complaining because the less work I have to do, the better. The project that Bob and I are working on is really interesting because it is business planning from the top. We get the best overview of the company and are privy to incredible amounts of confidential information. In fact, our mentor keeps getting chewed out for giving us information. I have already set up a meeting with Honda when I get back to the US. PSYCH.
Indians are some of the tiniest people I have ever seen. It is incredible. Full grown adults look like kids. Its interesting because I think the tiniest set of people are one caste of people. Yes, the caste system is in full force in Indian, and what is so intriguing is that it is religion based. Different castes worship different gods, but I digress. I feel like these little people might be mistaken for kids by hippies (like the idiots fasting at Purdue) in America set on ending sweat shops (fat chance). Think about it, what if these “kids” are actually little adults.
The packs of dogs that roam the streets of Bangalore (don’t forget tech center of India) are the most docile animals. Not only do these dogs not bark, they do not fight with other dogs, they avoid humans, and just hang out and watch the world go buy. The cows (remember, most progressive city in India) are the same way. They just stand around. I don’t think they belong to anybody either. They aren’t milking cows and Indians don’t eat beef, so I don’t really understand what the city cows are for.
I have gotten pretty good at walking along the road (remember, no sidewalks) as rickshaws and cars go screaming past (remember, no lane lines). I don’t even think about it anymore. Talk about assimilation.
Song Recommendation: September When It Comes by Rosanne Cash
I guess the first issue that needs to be discussed is that we have yet to receive our luggage. Apparently, the problem at Heathrow was much worse than any of us expected. Apparently 15,000 bags didn’t get to their owners that day. I’m not expecting our baggage anytime soon. Luckily the wife of a TVS-M employee works for British Airlines and because of that we were given 60 dollar stipends for every 2 days without clothes. The problem with getting the stipend is that we had to go to the customer service desk at the Bangalore airport. The issue was exacerbated by the fact that the customer service desk is located past security. How do you get past security in India? You offer to buy the thirsty security worker a drink. DUH. That’s right folks, our faculty advisor got past security buy buying the security guard a coke. Top notch security at the airport. With British Airways stipend and TVS-M per diem in hand I am heading to the mall to buy some clothes tonight. I went Monday night to buy a polo shirt and some different underwear since I had been wearing my Show Your Wits t-shirt, Patagonia hoodie and the same pair of underwear since Saturday.
We started work yesterday and like the rest of the country TVS-M is a contradiction. It is a leading motorcycle, scooter, moped manufacturer yet the computers we use are from 1998. The internet is as slow as dial-up. The company produces an incredible amount of motorcycles in facilities that look like they haven’t been updated since 1976. Indian students work so hard in America but the management of the company seems to just go alone at a slow pace. I feel like the project could be finished in 3 days if we worked hard. Instead we take tea twice-a-day and 45 minutes for lunch. Don’t confuse this with complaining because the less work I have to do, the better. The project that Bob and I are working on is really interesting because it is business planning from the top. We get the best overview of the company and are privy to incredible amounts of confidential information. In fact, our mentor keeps getting chewed out for giving us information. I have already set up a meeting with Honda when I get back to the US. PSYCH.
Indians are some of the tiniest people I have ever seen. It is incredible. Full grown adults look like kids. Its interesting because I think the tiniest set of people are one caste of people. Yes, the caste system is in full force in Indian, and what is so intriguing is that it is religion based. Different castes worship different gods, but I digress. I feel like these little people might be mistaken for kids by hippies (like the idiots fasting at Purdue) in America set on ending sweat shops (fat chance). Think about it, what if these “kids” are actually little adults.
The packs of dogs that roam the streets of Bangalore (don’t forget tech center of India) are the most docile animals. Not only do these dogs not bark, they do not fight with other dogs, they avoid humans, and just hang out and watch the world go buy. The cows (remember, most progressive city in India) are the same way. They just stand around. I don’t think they belong to anybody either. They aren’t milking cows and Indians don’t eat beef, so I don’t really understand what the city cows are for.
I have gotten pretty good at walking along the road (remember, no sidewalks) as rickshaws and cars go screaming past (remember, no lane lines). I don’t even think about it anymore. Talk about assimilation.
Song Recommendation: September When It Comes by Rosanne Cash
The Arrival
Day 1- Monday, December 18
We flew British Airways from Chicago to London to Bangalore. The trip was pretty standard except for a waiting in line (the Q) for 3 hours to get past security in London. After having already passed through security in Chicago and not left a secured section of the airport, I thought this was pretty lame. Apparently, the reason for the wait is that they only had one X-Ray machine running. I think the International Terminal at Heathrow is the busiest terminal in the world, so there efforts were a little sub-par in that respect. About 45 minutes before our flight landed I looked over at Bret and we both realized watch was actually about to happen. We were about to step into a completely different world.
We arrived in Bangalore a little groggy but ready to take over the country but British Airways had other ideas. Because of conveyor problems at the baggage check-in area, they loaded our plane with NO luggage. None, zero, zip. Since BA only makes one flight a day into Bangalore we were told it wouldn’t arrive until Tuesday morning at the earliest. This wouldn’t have been that big of a deal except the second half of the day was to be spent at the plant meeting our project coordinator and talking with executives. I hope they like Patagonia hoodies because that is what I was wearing. Very professional. Bob, Chris, Marvin, Pete and I went shopping tonight to find somewhat more reasonable clothes for Tuesday and to eat tiny pizzas at Pizza Hut (that’s allowed because we are still in jet lag stage)
My first impression of India is that the drivers are crazy. There are no lane lines so it is do as you please. Also, there are very little sidewalks. This means that you walk on the street with no lane protection from cars. This can be a little intimidating at times. The vehicle of choice in Bangalore is the 3-wheeled, motorized rickshaw. Combine that popularity with the aversion to traffic regulations and you get chaos.
As far as Bangalore being the tech capital of the country and the country with the most foreign nationals, that has yet to be seen. In fact, people stair at the skin and hair while children run close to our bus to catch a glimpse of non-Indians. We all realized what we were getting into when the bus carrying us to our accommodations. Our accommodations are hard to explain, the closest thing I can compare it to is a hostel. That is, if the hostel staff would do anything you asked.
It is apparent to me that the typical Indian doesn’t have a job. The men stand with their hands behind their backs in their untucked, button-down, colored shirts and watch the world go by. The women use homemade brooms to sweep dirt around in front of their complexes (for which there is much) for no apparent reason. Actually, that isn’t true. Everyone that has a job is probably at work, so they don’t have time to stand around.
It is going to be one great learning experience for everyone involved.
Song Recommendation- Empty by Ray Lamontagne
We flew British Airways from Chicago to London to Bangalore. The trip was pretty standard except for a waiting in line (the Q) for 3 hours to get past security in London. After having already passed through security in Chicago and not left a secured section of the airport, I thought this was pretty lame. Apparently, the reason for the wait is that they only had one X-Ray machine running. I think the International Terminal at Heathrow is the busiest terminal in the world, so there efforts were a little sub-par in that respect. About 45 minutes before our flight landed I looked over at Bret and we both realized watch was actually about to happen. We were about to step into a completely different world.
We arrived in Bangalore a little groggy but ready to take over the country but British Airways had other ideas. Because of conveyor problems at the baggage check-in area, they loaded our plane with NO luggage. None, zero, zip. Since BA only makes one flight a day into Bangalore we were told it wouldn’t arrive until Tuesday morning at the earliest. This wouldn’t have been that big of a deal except the second half of the day was to be spent at the plant meeting our project coordinator and talking with executives. I hope they like Patagonia hoodies because that is what I was wearing. Very professional. Bob, Chris, Marvin, Pete and I went shopping tonight to find somewhat more reasonable clothes for Tuesday and to eat tiny pizzas at Pizza Hut (that’s allowed because we are still in jet lag stage)
My first impression of India is that the drivers are crazy. There are no lane lines so it is do as you please. Also, there are very little sidewalks. This means that you walk on the street with no lane protection from cars. This can be a little intimidating at times. The vehicle of choice in Bangalore is the 3-wheeled, motorized rickshaw. Combine that popularity with the aversion to traffic regulations and you get chaos.
As far as Bangalore being the tech capital of the country and the country with the most foreign nationals, that has yet to be seen. In fact, people stair at the skin and hair while children run close to our bus to catch a glimpse of non-Indians. We all realized what we were getting into when the bus carrying us to our accommodations. Our accommodations are hard to explain, the closest thing I can compare it to is a hostel. That is, if the hostel staff would do anything you asked.
It is apparent to me that the typical Indian doesn’t have a job. The men stand with their hands behind their backs in their untucked, button-down, colored shirts and watch the world go by. The women use homemade brooms to sweep dirt around in front of their complexes (for which there is much) for no apparent reason. Actually, that isn’t true. Everyone that has a job is probably at work, so they don’t have time to stand around.
It is going to be one great learning experience for everyone involved.
Song Recommendation- Empty by Ray Lamontagne
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
My Project
I forget that some people don't even know that I am going to India. If you are part of that group, the reason I am going is to participate in a manufacturing internship at TVS Motors. TVS Motors is a maker of motorcycles and scooters. In the past they have won the Deming Prize, so you know they have their act together with quality control. Today, three days before I am scheduled to leave the country, I finally received information about the project Helicopter Bob(Perchard) and I will be working on. I would explain the project, but honestly I don't think I would do a very good job since it is all pretty abstract right now. Here is what the email said though:
The title of the project given to you was "Setting Up An Effective Business Intelligence Warehouse System for Management Information Reports".
Introduction:
The project sponsor is the Business Planning function, which has itsObjectives as Business Strategy development, Implementation and Businessexcellence. It is a small team consisting of the following members
Mr.Ananda Krishnan (GM-Business Planning)
Mr. Vagheeswara Subramaniam- Vaghi ( Sr. Manager - NPI)
Mr. Karthik Ganesan ( Manager, Strategy and CompetitveIntelligence, Order Obtainment group)
Mr. Manu Saxena (Sr. Manager, Order Fulfillment group)
Mr. Rajkumar (Manager, ASEAN Business)
Mr. Kumaresan ( Econometrics)
Ms.Naomi ( Econometrics)
I will be working closely with you guys in conjunction with our department.My brief background: B.S in Mechanical engineering, M.S from Texas A&MUniversity (College Station), M.B.A from Indian School of business,Hyderabad.
Need for the Project:
As mentioned, Strategy implementation is a Key role of this function andthis is where our need area exists. We have a Medium range strategy, whichrolls out as an annual policy deployment cycle every fiscal year. TVS-MFollows a TQM methodology for Policy deployment and a perfomancemeasurement system called Managing Points / Checking points.
The metrics are evolved over a 6 month period, which is initiated by a Competitive War game (That was concluded recently). The Top Down requirements are rolled out, and the function wise resource contraints and requirements are represented and after a catch ball process, the final metrics are decided and deployed.
These metrics are deployed into the MP/CP system described earlier and the progress on PMS system ideally should be indicative of the company performance. This is the first area that needs some analysis.
The financial performance of the company is tightly linked to the disparate performance tracking across the company. Today this linkage is very weak and it needs some work. This is the second area of analysis.
Today, the management reports are not automated and are completely delinked. This causes problems for management reviews. This is the third area of analysis.
Deliverables:
1. A complete anaysis of the entire policy deployment and tracking system with areas of improvement.
2. A complete mapping of company level goals down to function and sub-function level metrics, with exception alerts and clarity in the variances.
3. A survey of best practises in BIW IT systems which would be applicable to TVS-M.
Please get in touch with me if you have further questions. This Objectives and Deliverables can be worked with in order to ensure significant output in the short time that you are here.
Best Regards,Karthik Ganesan
Karthik also requested that I do some research about the company on their website. Since I am going to be going 100 mph until I get on that airplane, that probably isn't going to happen. Here's to winging it though.
Song Recommendation- Make This Go On Forever by Snow Patrol
The title of the project given to you was "Setting Up An Effective Business Intelligence Warehouse System for Management Information Reports".
Introduction:
The project sponsor is the Business Planning function, which has itsObjectives as Business Strategy development, Implementation and Businessexcellence. It is a small team consisting of the following members
Mr.Ananda Krishnan (GM-Business Planning)
Mr. Vagheeswara Subramaniam- Vaghi ( Sr. Manager - NPI)
Mr. Karthik Ganesan ( Manager, Strategy and CompetitveIntelligence, Order Obtainment group)
Mr. Manu Saxena (Sr. Manager, Order Fulfillment group)
Mr. Rajkumar (Manager, ASEAN Business)
Mr. Kumaresan ( Econometrics)
Ms.Naomi ( Econometrics)
I will be working closely with you guys in conjunction with our department.My brief background: B.S in Mechanical engineering, M.S from Texas A&MUniversity (College Station), M.B.A from Indian School of business,Hyderabad.
Need for the Project:
As mentioned, Strategy implementation is a Key role of this function andthis is where our need area exists. We have a Medium range strategy, whichrolls out as an annual policy deployment cycle every fiscal year. TVS-MFollows a TQM methodology for Policy deployment and a perfomancemeasurement system called Managing Points / Checking points.
The metrics are evolved over a 6 month period, which is initiated by a Competitive War game (That was concluded recently). The Top Down requirements are rolled out, and the function wise resource contraints and requirements are represented and after a catch ball process, the final metrics are decided and deployed.
These metrics are deployed into the MP/CP system described earlier and the progress on PMS system ideally should be indicative of the company performance. This is the first area that needs some analysis.
The financial performance of the company is tightly linked to the disparate performance tracking across the company. Today this linkage is very weak and it needs some work. This is the second area of analysis.
Today, the management reports are not automated and are completely delinked. This causes problems for management reviews. This is the third area of analysis.
Deliverables:
1. A complete anaysis of the entire policy deployment and tracking system with areas of improvement.
2. A complete mapping of company level goals down to function and sub-function level metrics, with exception alerts and clarity in the variances.
3. A survey of best practises in BIW IT systems which would be applicable to TVS-M.
Please get in touch with me if you have further questions. This Objectives and Deliverables can be worked with in order to ensure significant output in the short time that you are here.
Best Regards,Karthik Ganesan
Karthik also requested that I do some research about the company on their website. Since I am going to be going 100 mph until I get on that airplane, that probably isn't going to happen. Here's to winging it though.
Song Recommendation- Make This Go On Forever by Snow Patrol
Monday, December 11, 2006
Blogging For India
I created this blog so that while I am in India I can easily communicate my experiences with all my fans at home in the United States. I plan on updating as often as possible, which is dependent upon how hard management works in India. Lets hope it isn't very hard.
Some thoughts about prepping for the trip. I had to get 4 shots, as well as 3 prescriptions. This was just the basic coverage. The shots were for the Flu, Tetanus, Hep A, and Typhoid. The doctor recommended that I should get a Hep B shot if I was planning on having sexual contact with any of the locals. I informed the doctor that that was not going to be an issue. The pills he issued were for Traveler's Diaherra, sleeping, and Malaria. The interesting thing about the Malaria pills is that is it the same thing they prescribe for acne. Either doctor's don't understand what Malaria actually is, or I have been significantly underestimating acne.
I signed up on the website gotvoice.com. What's cool about the site is that when someone leaves me a voicemail, it sends me an email with the voicemail embedded within it. I just get the email, click on the play button and I am listening to the voicemail. Pretty snazzy if you ask me.
Music Recommendation- The Hardest Part by Ryan Adams
Some thoughts about prepping for the trip. I had to get 4 shots, as well as 3 prescriptions. This was just the basic coverage. The shots were for the Flu, Tetanus, Hep A, and Typhoid. The doctor recommended that I should get a Hep B shot if I was planning on having sexual contact with any of the locals. I informed the doctor that that was not going to be an issue. The pills he issued were for Traveler's Diaherra, sleeping, and Malaria. The interesting thing about the Malaria pills is that is it the same thing they prescribe for acne. Either doctor's don't understand what Malaria actually is, or I have been significantly underestimating acne.
I signed up on the website gotvoice.com. What's cool about the site is that when someone leaves me a voicemail, it sends me an email with the voicemail embedded within it. I just get the email, click on the play button and I am listening to the voicemail. Pretty snazzy if you ask me.
Music Recommendation- The Hardest Part by Ryan Adams
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