I am five weeks into my internship and I think I have yet to explain to my fans in Readerland what I am actually doing. So lets fix that problem.
I am interning at a company called Humana. When I tell people I work for Humana, I usually get one of two reactions. The first reaction is a blank stare, and the second reaction is one in which the person pretends to know what Humana is, but really has a vague idea. Well let me tell you exactly what it is. Humana is a health insurance company. They sell a variety of products in the health insurance space with the primary driver being Medicare. Humana is the 6th largest health insurance provider with a market cap (the value the market puts on the company) at just over $10 billion. In other words....big. 23, ooo employees big.
I work for a group called the Strategic Consultancy. More specifically I work for the Performance & Productivity Team. The charge of the Strategic Consultancy is to support the front line associates (the workers handling claims in the call center) in a variety of ways (policy development, process engineering, etc). More specifically, the Performance & Productivity Team is expected to work as consultants within the organization to measure associate performance, productivity, impact of various initiatives, budgeting, and staffing. The team has 8 members including myself.
The project I have been assigned is to find a way to measure the productivity of associates in claims quality audits and then assign an appropriate level of production for each employee. The project is pretty interesting and gets me in front of a variety of directors, but I haven't had a lot of success since finding and securing the available data takes more time than I think is appropriate. It is hard to get employees to understand that my timeline is 10 weeks, not the normal infinity timeline they have. I have also been working on various smaller projects to pass the time and acquire new skills. Lets just say I am pretty close to being an Excel master. Once I learn how to write code behind the scenes in VBA, I will own that program. Yea, probably not, but I can at least dream.
I have actually been feeling a small amount of stress from the whole process. I evaluated where I was on my project, and basically, I haven't really started. I won't call the first five weeks a waste of time (I will call the first), but I haven't focused enough on measurable goals for my project. I still need a little more direction on some parts of the project. I guess it just means I am going to be putting in some long hours near the end.
So far, I like the company and most of the people I work with. If they gave me a job offer tomorrow, I would take it.
Song Recommendation - Wagon Wheel by Old Crow Medicine Show
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Hunt-Baumann Wedding
The Haywood's had a full house this past weekend, even though Mama and Katie are getting tans down in Myrtle Beach. Doug, Jodi, Jake, and Ted all crashed at the house for Adam and Bethy's wedding and while it was crowded it was a really enjoyable time. The rehearsal dinner went off without a hitch, and afterward a large group of us went to Sportstime for some drinks while Beth and Adam ran around doing last minute things. As we were leaving, I casually mentioned to everyone that the bar right next to Sportstime (which is basically the same place) was recently ranked the 6th best beer bar in the world by ratebeer.com. Now, I've never heard of ratebeer.com but at least those guys can say that Nick Haywood took to a bar next door one of the top-10 bars in the world. I also took Jake and Ted over to O'Sheas after we put the old married couple to bed. It should be known that apparently living just one year in Atlanta can give you an excellent accent. Jodi sounds like she was born and raised in Georgia, although Doug sounds like he was born and raised in Chesterton. A bit odd.
The next day the groomsmen and ushers met early to try on our tuxes (like we could do anything if they didn't fit) and then went to Wal-mart to buy chocolate brown socks to match our chocolate brown suits. The idea was to grab some lunch and head over to Churchill Downs for a couple of races. Since Adam requested something "light" and I didn't want to do the standard Panera meal (I mean, it's his wedding day...I'm going to try my best to make it memorable), I suggested we head over to Stevens & Stevens Deli. We ended up going to Ditto's instead, and Doug decided he wanted the opposite of "light" and got a plate-full of mashed potatoes. We also decided to skip Churchill because we would have been rushing everywhere, and instead spent some time in Ear X-tacy (from where Adam got me a gift certificate for being a groomsman). The sky decided to finally stop looking gross and actually be gross and it started pouring rain for a while. Then we all went and took naps. Short naps. For like 13 minutes. It wasn't the best nap I have ever had.
After the rain, the skies cleared and it was time for a wedding. The ceremony took place at Beth's Aunt's house in the knobs. It was humid and I have bug bites on my neck, but Rob from Campus House gave one of the best "messages" I have ever heard at wedding. He included quotes from Beth and Adam about each other, and made it sound like they actually loved one another. It was nice. The reception took place at The Forest Discovery Center and included a surprise entrance by the wedding party. Bethy and Adam are off to South Carolina/Florida for a week in sun.
The weekend prior to the wedding, the men in the wedding party (plus Josh minus Styf and Doug) went up to a vacation home on Lake Michigan. We ate at expensive restaurants, went to the driving range, got in the hot tub, listened to records and hung out on the beach. The house was pretty old and had a lot of random doors and hallways. I'm thinking Undergrand Railroad for French Canadians trying to get into America. There was also a creepy basement that probably housed a serial killer at some point. It was a lot of driving, but a good time.
The next day the groomsmen and ushers met early to try on our tuxes (like we could do anything if they didn't fit) and then went to Wal-mart to buy chocolate brown socks to match our chocolate brown suits. The idea was to grab some lunch and head over to Churchill Downs for a couple of races. Since Adam requested something "light" and I didn't want to do the standard Panera meal (I mean, it's his wedding day...I'm going to try my best to make it memorable), I suggested we head over to Stevens & Stevens Deli. We ended up going to Ditto's instead, and Doug decided he wanted the opposite of "light" and got a plate-full of mashed potatoes. We also decided to skip Churchill because we would have been rushing everywhere, and instead spent some time in Ear X-tacy (from where Adam got me a gift certificate for being a groomsman). The sky decided to finally stop looking gross and actually be gross and it started pouring rain for a while. Then we all went and took naps. Short naps. For like 13 minutes. It wasn't the best nap I have ever had.
After the rain, the skies cleared and it was time for a wedding. The ceremony took place at Beth's Aunt's house in the knobs. It was humid and I have bug bites on my neck, but Rob from Campus House gave one of the best "messages" I have ever heard at wedding. He included quotes from Beth and Adam about each other, and made it sound like they actually loved one another. It was nice. The reception took place at The Forest Discovery Center and included a surprise entrance by the wedding party. Bethy and Adam are off to South Carolina/Florida for a week in sun.
The weekend prior to the wedding, the men in the wedding party (plus Josh minus Styf and Doug) went up to a vacation home on Lake Michigan. We ate at expensive restaurants, went to the driving range, got in the hot tub, listened to records and hung out on the beach. The house was pretty old and had a lot of random doors and hallways. I'm thinking Undergrand Railroad for French Canadians trying to get into America. There was also a creepy basement that probably housed a serial killer at some point. It was a lot of driving, but a good time.
Don't forget the highly-anticipated Ryan Adams cd, Easy Tiger, is released on Tuesday. That's what that gift certificate is getting spent on.
Song Recommendation: Makes No Difference by My Morning Jacket
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Damien Rice and Gigi
Well, it's Summer. This of course means it is concert season. After eliminating Bonnaroo from the schedule because of their inability to attract quality bands this year, there is some slack to pick up to meet my stringent concert quotas. I am trying my best. In the preceding post, we talked about seeing the highly, talented Ryan Adams and since then I have seen the John Butler Trio (who I consider the best guitarist on the planet....don't believe me, find a version of Oceans on youtube.com), a solo show by My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James, and the surprisingly good Sarah Elizabeth Whitehead. Sara and I also went to see Damien Rice at The Palace. The Louisville Palace is easily my favorite venue. Not only is the decor unlike any other theatre, but the acoustics are unbelievable. To prove this point, Mr. Rice played Cannonball (my favorite song of his) with his guitar unplugged and his mic turned off. There was dead silence as 4000 people listened to an incredible version of the song. It was very impressive.
I was talking to Gigi (who you can probably guess has to be a grandma by her name) over Memorial Day weekend about my internship this summer at Humana. I was telling her how I worked for a group that supported the call center (there will be more on this in another post, but I am giving you the facts for the story) and she asked how workers at the call center knew all the answers. I explained that our call center has a program much like Google, that they search internally for answers, many questions are generally the same in nature, and that if someone searches for an answer enough times they know the answer. I could tell she was still perplexed, and the reason was that she thought call centers there were only a few call centers in the world. Meaning that call centers were staffed by highly intelligent people who answered questions on any subject. They might answer a question about Humana, then answer a call dealing with Peter Pan peanut better, and then tell someone the best way to program their VCR. My uncles and i definitely laughed at her, but it was all in good fun though. Gigi surprises me everytime we hang out.
I was talking to Gigi (who you can probably guess has to be a grandma by her name) over Memorial Day weekend about my internship this summer at Humana. I was telling her how I worked for a group that supported the call center (there will be more on this in another post, but I am giving you the facts for the story) and she asked how workers at the call center knew all the answers. I explained that our call center has a program much like Google, that they search internally for answers, many questions are generally the same in nature, and that if someone searches for an answer enough times they know the answer. I could tell she was still perplexed, and the reason was that she thought call centers there were only a few call centers in the world. Meaning that call centers were staffed by highly intelligent people who answered questions on any subject. They might answer a question about Humana, then answer a call dealing with Peter Pan peanut better, and then tell someone the best way to program their VCR. My uncles and i definitely laughed at her, but it was all in good fun though. Gigi surprises me everytime we hang out.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
WFPK Listener Appreciation Concert
Tonight was without question the most bizarre concert I have had the pleasure of attending. In fact, it was so bizarre it was entertaining. In fact, the last 35 minutes was the only bizarre part.
Every year the local, independent radio station (WFPK) has a listener appreciation event. It is two nights of great bands for $20 a night. This year the Friday night line-up was Martin Sexton, Tom Morello, Moe, Keller Williams, and Angelique Kidjo. The far-superior Saturday night line-up was Paula Cole, Charlie Louvin, Suzanne Vega, Vietnam, and Ryan Adams. I didn't go to the Friday show because I'm not really into the way hippies (or the weed they smoke) smell, but I heard it was a good time. In all honesty though, I would have liked to have seen Tom Morello (he is now under the name, The Nightwatchman) and Angelique Kidjo (Sarah Drake won't stop raving). The fact that Ryan Adams was going to be there Saturday meant that the other 4 acts could have been four marching bands and I would have still went. Unfortunately, the fact that Ryan Adams was going to be there caused the show to sell out before I was able to get tickets. Luckily, they released more the day of the show and I was able to go. In fact, I told Aaron at lunch on Friday that I would have paid $50 to see Ryan Adams by himself, and that came true as I did pay $50 for 2 tickets (fees of course) and the person I was supposed to go with backed out. So I went and saw Ryan Adams by myself.
Paula Cole was actually quite enjoyable. She sounds good live but is horribly awkward on stage. Oh yeah, her last song was a Dolly Parton cover where she beat-boxed at the end. Wasn't expecting that. Charlie Louvin is old-time country. He had his first country hit in 1955 and is 80. He is hilarious on stage. They also mentioned he was going to be playing Bonnaroo this year. Suzanne Vega was good too. The theme of her new cd is New York, so I got tired of hearing about the city, but other than that I have no complaints. Well, besides being at the concert by myself. Vietnam was up next. They look like homeless people but sound like music gold. Ok, not music gold, but they rocked hard and had hilarious lyrics ("it's hard to give head when your almost dead" was on of the cleaner lyrics). Aaron showed up in the middle of the Vietnam set so I didn't have to sit by myself. Also, all the old people left.
Next up was Ryan Adams & The Cardinals. Apparently, Ryan recently had a skateboarding accident and was reduced to just a vocalist. No worries though, the band could handle it. Ryan and the band sounded unbelievable. Every bit as good as they do on the records but like I said at the beginning, it was just bizarre. Imagine if you will, the house lights being dimmed so the band can come out, but only being brought up enough for Ryan to be able to read lyrics off sheet music (I didn't recognize but one song.....meaning the rest were off the upcoming album and he doesn't know the words yet). Ryan was also wearing sunglasses, a hoodie with the hood up, and what appeared to be a 1920's leather aviator cap under the hood) and looked away from the crowd between songs. Then after playing Down In A Hole by Alice In Chains (30 minutes into their set), Ryan says "It was great to be part of the line-up. Thanks." Then he jumps off his chair and the entire band scatters off stage (Much like The Wonders do in That Thing You Do). I wasn't expecting a long set, 1 hour at the most. Like I said, they sounded great but it was bizarre. It was a really memorable, unique show. Adding to the intrigue is the fact that a busker was wearing the same white sunglasses before the show. Was it a fan? Was it a friend?Was it Ryan and he had to hide the way he looks so he could busk more? The picture at the top is what he looked like tonight (The pic wasn't taken by me). Bizarre.
Every year the local, independent radio station (WFPK) has a listener appreciation event. It is two nights of great bands for $20 a night. This year the Friday night line-up was Martin Sexton, Tom Morello, Moe, Keller Williams, and Angelique Kidjo. The far-superior Saturday night line-up was Paula Cole, Charlie Louvin, Suzanne Vega, Vietnam, and Ryan Adams. I didn't go to the Friday show because I'm not really into the way hippies (or the weed they smoke) smell, but I heard it was a good time. In all honesty though, I would have liked to have seen Tom Morello (he is now under the name, The Nightwatchman) and Angelique Kidjo (Sarah Drake won't stop raving). The fact that Ryan Adams was going to be there Saturday meant that the other 4 acts could have been four marching bands and I would have still went. Unfortunately, the fact that Ryan Adams was going to be there caused the show to sell out before I was able to get tickets. Luckily, they released more the day of the show and I was able to go. In fact, I told Aaron at lunch on Friday that I would have paid $50 to see Ryan Adams by himself, and that came true as I did pay $50 for 2 tickets (fees of course) and the person I was supposed to go with backed out. So I went and saw Ryan Adams by myself.
Paula Cole was actually quite enjoyable. She sounds good live but is horribly awkward on stage. Oh yeah, her last song was a Dolly Parton cover where she beat-boxed at the end. Wasn't expecting that. Charlie Louvin is old-time country. He had his first country hit in 1955 and is 80. He is hilarious on stage. They also mentioned he was going to be playing Bonnaroo this year. Suzanne Vega was good too. The theme of her new cd is New York, so I got tired of hearing about the city, but other than that I have no complaints. Well, besides being at the concert by myself. Vietnam was up next. They look like homeless people but sound like music gold. Ok, not music gold, but they rocked hard and had hilarious lyrics ("it's hard to give head when your almost dead" was on of the cleaner lyrics). Aaron showed up in the middle of the Vietnam set so I didn't have to sit by myself. Also, all the old people left.
Next up was Ryan Adams & The Cardinals. Apparently, Ryan recently had a skateboarding accident and was reduced to just a vocalist. No worries though, the band could handle it. Ryan and the band sounded unbelievable. Every bit as good as they do on the records but like I said at the beginning, it was just bizarre. Imagine if you will, the house lights being dimmed so the band can come out, but only being brought up enough for Ryan to be able to read lyrics off sheet music (I didn't recognize but one song.....meaning the rest were off the upcoming album and he doesn't know the words yet). Ryan was also wearing sunglasses, a hoodie with the hood up, and what appeared to be a 1920's leather aviator cap under the hood) and looked away from the crowd between songs. Then after playing Down In A Hole by Alice In Chains (30 minutes into their set), Ryan says "It was great to be part of the line-up. Thanks." Then he jumps off his chair and the entire band scatters off stage (Much like The Wonders do in That Thing You Do). I wasn't expecting a long set, 1 hour at the most. Like I said, they sounded great but it was bizarre. It was a really memorable, unique show. Adding to the intrigue is the fact that a busker was wearing the same white sunglasses before the show. Was it a fan? Was it a friend?Was it Ryan and he had to hide the way he looks so he could busk more? The picture at the top is what he looked like tonight (The pic wasn't taken by me). Bizarre.
Song Recommendation: Two by Ryan Adams & The Cardinals
Sunday, May 13, 2007
St. Lunatics
Andrew, Clint, Fox and I went to St. Louis on Wednesday to see the Cardinals play. I know what your thinking, and it is what everyone else has said when I told them we went to St. Louis (5 hour drive) to watch a baseball game. "Why?" That is a simple question to answer, "The tickets were free." So yea, Andrew's brother secured the company seats for us. They were in left field about 3 rows up and were padded. There was also an air conditioned bar/concession area and bathrooms that only our section was allowed to use. Sweet. The new Busch Stadium is pretty nice and all the seats seem to be close to the action. Being that the Cardinals are owned by the Busch family (of Anheuser-Busch fame) they really push beer at the games. There would literally be 3 beer vendors fighting over a section of 30 people. And to think, when we went to Wrigley earlier this year David had to wait 10 minutes to get his Old Style (why he wanted to drink Old Style is a different matter altogether....apparently Old is a marketing word for Gross). The game was enjoyable, the umpire blew a call at the plate that went in the Cardinals favor (they won 9-2 but that play changed the course of the game), and the only real complaint is that Cardinals fans go nuts every time Pujols hits a pop fly (the guy could hit a pop fly to the pitcher and they would think it was going out).
Being that St. Louis is on the Mississippi River (no matter what Clint thinks), the situation correlates well to a recent conversation I had. So the conversation started like this, " You can't believe anything Nick says because he is a liar." Wow, thanks...thats nice of you, but probably a true statement if one takes the literal definition (www.dictionary.com) of "lie". The problem I have with that statement is that it implies that when I "lie" I am doing so with the intention to decieve in a malicious way, and I don't think that's the case. Many times I "lie" because I get bored, just want to see how people react, or am being sarcastic. An example would be someone asking if I know where Beth went on Friday night, and me saying "I think she went to Jake's and had a few drinks." Now, if the person is asking me about Beth, they obviously know Beth. If they know Beth, they obviously know that she doesn't go to bars, nor is she going to be having a few drinks. So, did I lie. Yes. Did harm anyone. No. The point I am making is that these "lies" are nothing more than fictional stories. I don't think anyone calls Mark Twain a writer for telling fictional stories (there is the Mississippi River connection). I don't really see the difference. Do I need to write my "lies" on a piece of paper before saying them, does that make it ok?
A shout out to Schwartz (kevinschwartzenberg.blogspot.com) for giving me a shout-out on his travel blog.
Song Recommendation - Imitosis by Andrew Bird
Being that St. Louis is on the Mississippi River (no matter what Clint thinks), the situation correlates well to a recent conversation I had. So the conversation started like this, " You can't believe anything Nick says because he is a liar." Wow, thanks...thats nice of you, but probably a true statement if one takes the literal definition (www.dictionary.com) of "lie". The problem I have with that statement is that it implies that when I "lie" I am doing so with the intention to decieve in a malicious way, and I don't think that's the case. Many times I "lie" because I get bored, just want to see how people react, or am being sarcastic. An example would be someone asking if I know where Beth went on Friday night, and me saying "I think she went to Jake's and had a few drinks." Now, if the person is asking me about Beth, they obviously know Beth. If they know Beth, they obviously know that she doesn't go to bars, nor is she going to be having a few drinks. So, did I lie. Yes. Did harm anyone. No. The point I am making is that these "lies" are nothing more than fictional stories. I don't think anyone calls Mark Twain a writer for telling fictional stories (there is the Mississippi River connection). I don't really see the difference. Do I need to write my "lies" on a piece of paper before saying them, does that make it ok?
A shout out to Schwartz (kevinschwartzenberg.blogspot.com) for giving me a shout-out on his travel blog.
Song Recommendation - Imitosis by Andrew Bird
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Derby Weekend 2007
So, Andrew took a history class his last semester to complete a general education requirement (I think normal people complete those in Year 2, not year 5) and he had to write an essay for the final. For this "essay" he was to create a fictional story about witches. Seriously. Asking an engineer to create a story about whiches in the Middle Ages is like asking them to please a woman. It's not going to go well, but the attempt is bound to be hilarious.
The first weekend of May is always Louisville time to shine, and this year was no different. We decided to skip the infield this year (I'm not going back until I can afford tickets) and instead hoped to do the party scene. Luckily, the Walton's and Henry both decided to have parties. Ryan is currently living in Louisville, and I felt like it was my duty to show him the ropes. We started the day with the intention of going to the Walton's, hoping over to Henry's, and then heading back to Walton's for the Derby. Well...things got a little crazy, I was winning money (they had a bookie at the party, and I am an excellent handicapper), Katie's deck was too nice and we (the Sara/hs and their significant others, Ryan, and I) didn't end up going out to Henry's until dark. We stayed long enough to witness two guys almost get into a fight over their fraternities before heading home (with an intermediate stop at Papa Johns). The highlights of the day were winning money (of course), listening to Sarah Drake beg me to take my suit jacket off ("That is way too many layers"), Henry begging us to drink his beer (we weren't much help), and just being with friends.
Speaking of friends. Sara, my sister, and I went out to Mike Linnig's (that place is CRAZY DELICIOUS) for lunch and then to Zesto's. What makes this story interesting is that Matt Wagner was at Zesto's. Matt is the lead singer of the band A Girl A Gun A Ghost(www.myspace.com/agirlagunaghost) and took a break from working on their first full-length album in Atlanta to drive up to New Albany to get the tour van worked on. They are about to start a North American tour, and everyone is hoping for a stop in Louisville. Regardless if you like the music or not, you gotta give him props for living the dream.
Prayers go out to Beth, Josh, and Adam while they are in Uganda.
The first weekend of May is always Louisville time to shine, and this year was no different. We decided to skip the infield this year (I'm not going back until I can afford tickets) and instead hoped to do the party scene. Luckily, the Walton's and Henry both decided to have parties. Ryan is currently living in Louisville, and I felt like it was my duty to show him the ropes. We started the day with the intention of going to the Walton's, hoping over to Henry's, and then heading back to Walton's for the Derby. Well...things got a little crazy, I was winning money (they had a bookie at the party, and I am an excellent handicapper), Katie's deck was too nice and we (the Sara/hs and their significant others, Ryan, and I) didn't end up going out to Henry's until dark. We stayed long enough to witness two guys almost get into a fight over their fraternities before heading home (with an intermediate stop at Papa Johns). The highlights of the day were winning money (of course), listening to Sarah Drake beg me to take my suit jacket off ("That is way too many layers"), Henry begging us to drink his beer (we weren't much help), and just being with friends.
Speaking of friends. Sara, my sister, and I went out to Mike Linnig's (that place is CRAZY DELICIOUS) for lunch and then to Zesto's. What makes this story interesting is that Matt Wagner was at Zesto's. Matt is the lead singer of the band A Girl A Gun A Ghost(www.myspace.com/agirlagunaghost) and took a break from working on their first full-length album in Atlanta to drive up to New Albany to get the tour van worked on. They are about to start a North American tour, and everyone is hoping for a stop in Louisville. Regardless if you like the music or not, you gotta give him props for living the dream.
Prayers go out to Beth, Josh, and Adam while they are in Uganda.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
A School Year In Review
You know life is good when you are sitting on your porch listening to a live version of Brittney Spears' Toxic as played by Nickel Creek (I don't know if the hilarity comes from Nickel Creek playing a Brittney Spears song, or imagining Chris Thile in the Toxic video). If you wanna check it out, just go to http://www.myspace.com/nickelcreek. Hurry, I'll wait.
What a year it has been. Although undergrad is less than one year in my past, it seems to be a distant memory. I wonder if that is what all of life is like. Friends move away, new friends take their place, and all is left to memory. I assume it will be like this, only eventually friends will be replaced by children who you know will be your friend for at least 18 years. It isn't like it's not sad, because in a way it is, but it is just the way it is. As hard as you try, you can't stay meaningfully connected to everyone in your past.
So I will attempt to wrap these past 9 months in bullet format.
What a year it has been. Although undergrad is less than one year in my past, it seems to be a distant memory. I wonder if that is what all of life is like. Friends move away, new friends take their place, and all is left to memory. I assume it will be like this, only eventually friends will be replaced by children who you know will be your friend for at least 18 years. It isn't like it's not sad, because in a way it is, but it is just the way it is. As hard as you try, you can't stay meaningfully connected to everyone in your past.
So I will attempt to wrap these past 9 months in bullet format.
- The first four months (August to December) are nothing less than a blur of work and stress. I developed a constant shake in my hands that was scary at best.
- The fifth month was spent in India (which you can read about below), and that did not help the stress level one bit.
- The sixth and seventh months were a bit less stressful than the first four, with a little less work load and a lot more fun. The shaking went away. Hurray. I ended up going on trips to Colorado for a case competition (we made the finals, top 5 out of 43) and Oregon for Spring Break. I wasn't ever able to post about Oregon because 4 projects were due the first week back, but it can be agreed that it was pretty sweet.
- The eighth and nineth months were exponentially less stressful than the first 7th and I was able to see my friends again. I remember the shock when I called some friends up on a weeknight and asked if they wanted to hang out for awhile. I secured an internship at Humana in Louisville. It is about the best situation possible. The pay is good and they are paying for a furnished apartment in Louisville. Sweet. The weather turned beautiful. Doug, Scott, Snap, and Josh came for Grand Prix and madness ensued.
Who knows what this summer will hold. I hope to do some hiking, play some competitive ultimate, and send a lot of time on the water. (A girl is walking down the street crying and complaining into her phone....her final must have not went so well.....no comment).
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Nappy-Headed Ho's
I can't figure out what is more stupid, Imus calling the Rutgers Woman's Basketball Team "Nappy-Headed Hos" or Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson calling his comments racist.
Do Sharpton and Jackson have any idea how often the term "Ho" is used in this country every day? I would saying 90% of the time it isn't meant to be derogatory? It is just a word to describe a girl. Especially if you know the girl isn't a whore. Maybe its origins aren't the best but that doesn't mean that its use now indicates its former use. It's not people started calling and emailing friends saying, "Hey, Imus just said the girls on the Rutger's B-Ball team are hos, lets get to Jersey FAST!!"
Does "Nappy Headed" indicate that he was speaking about African-Americans?
Maybe Sharpton and Jackson are racist for assuming that "Nappy Headed" refers to only African-Americans?
Do the white girls on the Rutger's basketball team needed to be involved with this. Apparently, they aren't "Nappy-Headed" according to Sharpton, nor do we know if they are actually "hos". Maybe Sharpton and Jackson were offended because he knows the Rutger's girls are infact hos, and in that case, whats the issue? It is a true statement.
Never underestimate the amount of stupid people in the world.
Do Sharpton and Jackson have any idea how often the term "Ho" is used in this country every day? I would saying 90% of the time it isn't meant to be derogatory? It is just a word to describe a girl. Especially if you know the girl isn't a whore. Maybe its origins aren't the best but that doesn't mean that its use now indicates its former use. It's not people started calling and emailing friends saying, "Hey, Imus just said the girls on the Rutger's B-Ball team are hos, lets get to Jersey FAST!!"
Does "Nappy Headed" indicate that he was speaking about African-Americans?
Maybe Sharpton and Jackson are racist for assuming that "Nappy Headed" refers to only African-Americans?
Do the white girls on the Rutger's basketball team needed to be involved with this. Apparently, they aren't "Nappy-Headed" according to Sharpton, nor do we know if they are actually "hos". Maybe Sharpton and Jackson were offended because he knows the Rutger's girls are infact hos, and in that case, whats the issue? It is a true statement.
Never underestimate the amount of stupid people in the world.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Let It Be Known....I Am A MAN
Just like the title says, I think it should be known that I am very manly. You don't believe me, well let me tell you what I know.
I know I successfully captured the bat flying around in the downstairs apartment while the girls went to get the "boys" next door.
I know I successfully cleaned up a dead squirrel lying lifeless in our yard....and then threw it at Sarah (that didn't go over well).
I know I fixed the oven in apartment downstairs with no fear of the weird gas smell.
I know I shoveled the sidewalk when it snowed.
I knew you would be a believer.
In other news, I posted pictures from India on the link to the right. They are in a somewhat chronological order, although free of captions. Pictures from Oregon will be up just as soon as Lizzy sends me hers (I bet your wondering who Lizzy is, that is the topic of a future post to be titled, "Go West Young Men").
I know I successfully captured the bat flying around in the downstairs apartment while the girls went to get the "boys" next door.
I know I successfully cleaned up a dead squirrel lying lifeless in our yard....and then threw it at Sarah (that didn't go over well).
I know I fixed the oven in apartment downstairs with no fear of the weird gas smell.
I know I shoveled the sidewalk when it snowed.
I knew you would be a believer.
In other news, I posted pictures from India on the link to the right. They are in a somewhat chronological order, although free of captions. Pictures from Oregon will be up just as soon as Lizzy sends me hers (I bet your wondering who Lizzy is, that is the topic of a future post to be titled, "Go West Young Men").
Friday, February 16, 2007
Concert Fans
Recently (last night), I went to the Alexi Murdoch (http://www.myspace.com/aleximurdoch) concert at Headliner's Music Hall with Sarah and Aaron. Not many people know about Alexi since he is from Ireland, but WFPK has made Louisville one of his largest markets by pushing his stuff heavily (which in turn made Sarah push his stuff onto me......although she was supposed to burn me the cd 3 months ago). The show was good except for this one fan up front who thought he was at a football game, and wanted to let Alexi know that Alexi was #1 the entire concert. He wasn't giving him the finger, but actually raising that index finger proudly for everyone (he was in the front row, so everyone was watching him) to see. Then sometimes, he would pretend he was a composer and face the croud to direct us through our enjoyment of the show.
Who are these people? I consider myself of superfan of music. In fact, the greatest tragedy of my life is that I am unable to sing or play a lick on the guitar (which means I instead have to pursue graduate degrees to make myself useful to society and also implies that I haven't had much tragedy in my life). I seen almost 100 bands live over the past 2 years, and fail to understand why people react the way they do at concerts. Do you think Jim James cares that you wish his new puppy well by yelling it from the crowd between songs? No, he probably wonders how you knew he had a new puppy, how you knew it was sick, and why you are so creepy. Another example is the Ray Lamontagne show at the Brown in November. It is a commonly known fact among Ray's fans that he has bad stagefrieght and doesn't particularily enjoy performing live. Do you think he feels any more comfortable when you catcall during the show about wanting him to talk more between songs? No, it probably makes him want to get off that stage faster. Does it really matter if he tell you how much he enjoys Louisville between songs? You are there for the music anyway.
Enough ranting. Time to enjoy the birthday weekend.
Song Recommendation - Wish You Well by Bernard Fanning
Who are these people? I consider myself of superfan of music. In fact, the greatest tragedy of my life is that I am unable to sing or play a lick on the guitar (which means I instead have to pursue graduate degrees to make myself useful to society and also implies that I haven't had much tragedy in my life). I seen almost 100 bands live over the past 2 years, and fail to understand why people react the way they do at concerts. Do you think Jim James cares that you wish his new puppy well by yelling it from the crowd between songs? No, he probably wonders how you knew he had a new puppy, how you knew it was sick, and why you are so creepy. Another example is the Ray Lamontagne show at the Brown in November. It is a commonly known fact among Ray's fans that he has bad stagefrieght and doesn't particularily enjoy performing live. Do you think he feels any more comfortable when you catcall during the show about wanting him to talk more between songs? No, it probably makes him want to get off that stage faster. Does it really matter if he tell you how much he enjoys Louisville between songs? You are there for the music anyway.
Enough ranting. Time to enjoy the birthday weekend.
Song Recommendation - Wish You Well by Bernard Fanning
Monday, January 08, 2007
That Just About Wraps It Up
Day 19- Thursday, January 4
Well fans, the adventure to The Orient is just about over. In less than 3 hours, the bus will be here to take us to the airport.
On Wednesday, we presented our projects to the mentors and a few vice-presidents. Bob and I did a good job, and received some good questions that I think we handled fairly well. Our project is a hot-button issue at the company, so it was good to go back and forth with the vice-presidents about our findings.
We didn’t have work on Thursday, so I tried to finish up some shopping. It was a dismal failure. If you know my mom you know that woman likes teapots and quilts. I didn’t think my chances were that good at finding an American quilt for my mom, nor getting said quilt back to the US, so I have been focusing on a teapot. The past three weeks I have been diligently searching, but could not find one non-imported teapot. I guess you could say that I am a failure. That wouldn’t too far off. I did get some good stuff (I think) for my sister and myself. I know, I know….selfish.
Thursday night we had a big send-off dinner. The dinner was at the Leela Hotel (cheapest room- $350/night) and it was pretty amazing. I am still amazed to find these pockets of excess wealth surrounded by below-poverty living conditions. The guest of honor at the dinner was the CEO of TVS. We had a lengthy discussion at how the program could be improved, and then a really nice meal. We also found out that the program was entirely funded by a $50,000 donation to Purdue that the CEO made. Apparently, he wanted the gift to be able to show quantifiable results and a learning experience from those who benefited from it. He is also a Purdue graduate. After the meal, TVS lavished us with gifts.
I had a very interesting conversation with my mentor, Karthik about his country. He said that since India had been conquered so many times in its history, the people have learned to accept things the way are. This is what leads people to see someone lying in the ditch in front of a brand new building and not think twice. Sure, it may be sad, but that’s the way it is. There are so many causes to fight for, that if people were hostile about things the country would tear itself apart.
This leads me to another point, and that is that the Indian people are some of the most peaceful people I have ever encountered. I have never once feared for my safety. The Indian people just take things the way they are, and keep on going. No use in fighting about it. I think many cultures could learn from that.
There are stills things about this country that I will never be able to get used to. The continuous honking of horns makes me want to be deaf every time I go into the street. I still have a hard time seeing men walking hand in hand or with their arms around another guy when walking down the street. This doesn’t indicate they are gay, but it isn’t socially acceptable to have a girlfriend. Most men marry at 28 or 29, so they are just really close with their male friends.
One thing that I haven’t talked about yet that drives me CRAZY is how Indians say yes. In America, we nod our head up and down to indicate we agree with something. An Indian will shake there head from left to right. Not back and forth like they are indicating no, but left to right like they are tilting their head to the right and then quickly to the left. It is really distracting to talk to someone and have their head flopping all over the place. Sometimes my brain stops functioning watching their head. This usually occurs in the middle of a sentence.
Who I consider coming back to India? Yes. Would I consider coming back to India during Christmas Break? No. Would I consider coming back to Bangalore? I would have to think long and hard about it. Would I eat camel? Of course.
Thanks for listening. I hope you enjoyed it.
Song Recommendation- La Cienega Just Smiled by Ryan Adams
Well fans, the adventure to The Orient is just about over. In less than 3 hours, the bus will be here to take us to the airport.
On Wednesday, we presented our projects to the mentors and a few vice-presidents. Bob and I did a good job, and received some good questions that I think we handled fairly well. Our project is a hot-button issue at the company, so it was good to go back and forth with the vice-presidents about our findings.
We didn’t have work on Thursday, so I tried to finish up some shopping. It was a dismal failure. If you know my mom you know that woman likes teapots and quilts. I didn’t think my chances were that good at finding an American quilt for my mom, nor getting said quilt back to the US, so I have been focusing on a teapot. The past three weeks I have been diligently searching, but could not find one non-imported teapot. I guess you could say that I am a failure. That wouldn’t too far off. I did get some good stuff (I think) for my sister and myself. I know, I know….selfish.
Thursday night we had a big send-off dinner. The dinner was at the Leela Hotel (cheapest room- $350/night) and it was pretty amazing. I am still amazed to find these pockets of excess wealth surrounded by below-poverty living conditions. The guest of honor at the dinner was the CEO of TVS. We had a lengthy discussion at how the program could be improved, and then a really nice meal. We also found out that the program was entirely funded by a $50,000 donation to Purdue that the CEO made. Apparently, he wanted the gift to be able to show quantifiable results and a learning experience from those who benefited from it. He is also a Purdue graduate. After the meal, TVS lavished us with gifts.
I had a very interesting conversation with my mentor, Karthik about his country. He said that since India had been conquered so many times in its history, the people have learned to accept things the way are. This is what leads people to see someone lying in the ditch in front of a brand new building and not think twice. Sure, it may be sad, but that’s the way it is. There are so many causes to fight for, that if people were hostile about things the country would tear itself apart.
This leads me to another point, and that is that the Indian people are some of the most peaceful people I have ever encountered. I have never once feared for my safety. The Indian people just take things the way they are, and keep on going. No use in fighting about it. I think many cultures could learn from that.
There are stills things about this country that I will never be able to get used to. The continuous honking of horns makes me want to be deaf every time I go into the street. I still have a hard time seeing men walking hand in hand or with their arms around another guy when walking down the street. This doesn’t indicate they are gay, but it isn’t socially acceptable to have a girlfriend. Most men marry at 28 or 29, so they are just really close with their male friends.
One thing that I haven’t talked about yet that drives me CRAZY is how Indians say yes. In America, we nod our head up and down to indicate we agree with something. An Indian will shake there head from left to right. Not back and forth like they are indicating no, but left to right like they are tilting their head to the right and then quickly to the left. It is really distracting to talk to someone and have their head flopping all over the place. Sometimes my brain stops functioning watching their head. This usually occurs in the middle of a sentence.
Who I consider coming back to India? Yes. Would I consider coming back to India during Christmas Break? No. Would I consider coming back to Bangalore? I would have to think long and hard about it. Would I eat camel? Of course.
Thanks for listening. I hope you enjoyed it.
Song Recommendation- La Cienega Just Smiled by Ryan Adams
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
The Sickness Strikes Back
Day 17- Tuesday, January 2nd
Things did turn around for me. They turned down a road where death seemed like the best option. I feel asleep Thursday night quite easily, but woke probably 5 to 6 times throughout the night to vomit and have what the Indian medical community calls loose motions (hey, I never said disease was pretty). I also started to pass blood, which was obviously quite scary. That night dragged on forever, and the morning couldn't come soon enough. Eventually though it was 9 o'clock and my car had arrived to take me to the Manipal Hospital. The residence was also nice enough to send an Indian with us to translate, unfortunately he didn't speak English.
We walked into the hospital and filled out a one sheet registration form. Name, Address, Age, and Religion. Whenever I gave my form to the lady she spelled my name wrong, so I known as Mr. Nichoas all weekend. Say that outloud, now imagine and Indian saying it. Apparently no one is allegeric to medication in India because they didn't bother to ask, and I am. We were directed to a waiting room on the second floor where I saw a Dr. Shetty. Dr. Shetty is a white-haired man of about 70, and everytime I saw him he was wearing a 3-piece suit. He asked about symptoms, gave me the standard once-over (I had a temp of 100 at the time, and felt like I was normal in that way. This makes me think that my temp on Thursday was at least 103 or 104). He thought I had colitis (inflammation of the intestines), but wanted to admit me to the hospital to put me on an IV and to run some tests.
To get admitted to the hospital we had to do this really cool maze. It's even cooler if you try it when you are dehydrated and nauseous. First we had to walk downstairs and fill out paperwork, then we had to walk back upstairs and have the doctor (who was already with other patients) sign a form, then we had to walk back downstairs to fill out admissions paperwork, then we had to walk back upstairs and wait. After awhile, a hospital employee came and got us and walked us to my room. I had to share the room with another person who liked to make noises, but as I stared at the ceiling (wondering how a hospital would allow mold to take over the light fixture) while the lady put the IV in my arm I felt like maybe I would get better. Then about 4 people from TVS showed up, and when added to the contingent that took me to the hospital the room was clearly too crowded. This was not a stress free environment.
What all my visitors did do was get my transfered to a private room (Executive Luxury level at that....which is fitting because most people think of me as an executive anyway). You see the world in a much different way when you are being rolled through it on a stretcher...you also learn to hate hospital employees when they knock you into every door possible. The private room was nice and equipped with TV and safe. I was given lots of saline for the dehydration and other drugs for the infection. After a while two Indian males helped me get into my scrubs (they probably had to draw straws to see who got to see the white man naked) and then rolled down to have an ultrasound. They put that jelly on my stomach and did the whole bit. I kept trying to look up at the screen to watch some shots of stomach while it was working, but alas I failed.
The rest of the stay was pretty boring. The doctors found out that I had a bacterial infection. Since I don't drink water here or even use it to brush my teeth AND I didn't eat anything that someone else didn't eat I don't really know where I got this bacteria. Once they got me on the right medicine my condition quickly improved. Unfortunately the doctor doesn't come in on Sundays and I had to stay until Monday evening. I watched a lot of Pop-Up Video and English Premier League Soccer, Cricket, CNN about Saddam and New Years,The Bourne Identity, and The Parent Trap (w/ Lindsay Lohan). I tried to watch a Bollywood movie, but that stuff is just too weird. I ended up spending my New Years at the hospital, which wasn't all bad because I could see a concert off in the distance and hear them playing covers of disco songs. At midnight, everyone set off fireworks and my 8th floor room provided a great viewing window for watching. The nurses were also pretty nice, although the dietician and I didn't get along. How and I supposed to tell her what I want to eat, if I can't name one Indian dish.
Because of this adventure I never made it to the Taj Mahal. Everyone that went said it was awesome and that they had a great time, but these things happen in life. I know I had an Indian experience that was uniquely my own. In less than 3 days I will be on a plane back to America. We also decided we would be going to Steak N Stake on the way home.
Song Recommendation- Three More Days by Ray Lamontagne
Things did turn around for me. They turned down a road where death seemed like the best option. I feel asleep Thursday night quite easily, but woke probably 5 to 6 times throughout the night to vomit and have what the Indian medical community calls loose motions (hey, I never said disease was pretty). I also started to pass blood, which was obviously quite scary. That night dragged on forever, and the morning couldn't come soon enough. Eventually though it was 9 o'clock and my car had arrived to take me to the Manipal Hospital. The residence was also nice enough to send an Indian with us to translate, unfortunately he didn't speak English.
We walked into the hospital and filled out a one sheet registration form. Name, Address, Age, and Religion. Whenever I gave my form to the lady she spelled my name wrong, so I known as Mr. Nichoas all weekend. Say that outloud, now imagine and Indian saying it. Apparently no one is allegeric to medication in India because they didn't bother to ask, and I am. We were directed to a waiting room on the second floor where I saw a Dr. Shetty. Dr. Shetty is a white-haired man of about 70, and everytime I saw him he was wearing a 3-piece suit. He asked about symptoms, gave me the standard once-over (I had a temp of 100 at the time, and felt like I was normal in that way. This makes me think that my temp on Thursday was at least 103 or 104). He thought I had colitis (inflammation of the intestines), but wanted to admit me to the hospital to put me on an IV and to run some tests.
To get admitted to the hospital we had to do this really cool maze. It's even cooler if you try it when you are dehydrated and nauseous. First we had to walk downstairs and fill out paperwork, then we had to walk back upstairs and have the doctor (who was already with other patients) sign a form, then we had to walk back downstairs to fill out admissions paperwork, then we had to walk back upstairs and wait. After awhile, a hospital employee came and got us and walked us to my room. I had to share the room with another person who liked to make noises, but as I stared at the ceiling (wondering how a hospital would allow mold to take over the light fixture) while the lady put the IV in my arm I felt like maybe I would get better. Then about 4 people from TVS showed up, and when added to the contingent that took me to the hospital the room was clearly too crowded. This was not a stress free environment.
What all my visitors did do was get my transfered to a private room (Executive Luxury level at that....which is fitting because most people think of me as an executive anyway). You see the world in a much different way when you are being rolled through it on a stretcher...you also learn to hate hospital employees when they knock you into every door possible. The private room was nice and equipped with TV and safe. I was given lots of saline for the dehydration and other drugs for the infection. After a while two Indian males helped me get into my scrubs (they probably had to draw straws to see who got to see the white man naked) and then rolled down to have an ultrasound. They put that jelly on my stomach and did the whole bit. I kept trying to look up at the screen to watch some shots of stomach while it was working, but alas I failed.
The rest of the stay was pretty boring. The doctors found out that I had a bacterial infection. Since I don't drink water here or even use it to brush my teeth AND I didn't eat anything that someone else didn't eat I don't really know where I got this bacteria. Once they got me on the right medicine my condition quickly improved. Unfortunately the doctor doesn't come in on Sundays and I had to stay until Monday evening. I watched a lot of Pop-Up Video and English Premier League Soccer, Cricket, CNN about Saddam and New Years,The Bourne Identity, and The Parent Trap (w/ Lindsay Lohan). I tried to watch a Bollywood movie, but that stuff is just too weird. I ended up spending my New Years at the hospital, which wasn't all bad because I could see a concert off in the distance and hear them playing covers of disco songs. At midnight, everyone set off fireworks and my 8th floor room provided a great viewing window for watching. The nurses were also pretty nice, although the dietician and I didn't get along. How and I supposed to tell her what I want to eat, if I can't name one Indian dish.
Because of this adventure I never made it to the Taj Mahal. Everyone that went said it was awesome and that they had a great time, but these things happen in life. I know I had an Indian experience that was uniquely my own. In less than 3 days I will be on a plane back to America. We also decided we would be going to Steak N Stake on the way home.
Song Recommendation- Three More Days by Ray Lamontagne
Sunday, December 31, 2006
The Sickness
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
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
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
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