Asia's Travels: India! (Finally!)

Hi Friends!

Our welcome to India ceremony...

I cannot believe that 11 days have already passed since my last blog, and for that I am sorry! We missed out on a few days in Hong Kong, so I'll try to fill you in on that later. For the past 8 days, I have been busy exploring Bangalore while simultaneously working on a consulting project for a local company here. It's difficult finding a travel/work balance because the last time I travelled, I had no obligations. This time, I needed to prepare an amazing presentation and report for Ripples Learning Services, in order to help them gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace. I am already seeing the benefits of hands-on consulting experience because I am learning a lot. We just finished our presentation this morning, and the company was really pleased! They want to stay in touch and work with us while we're at home, too.

I want to share SO many things about India with you, but for the sake of my time and yours, I am going to make this entry simple. I will post photos, captions, and some thoughts and observations about Bangalore, India. You can also check out photos of me on Facebook. My travel companions have tagged me in many photos.

I am getting ready to pack and check out for our trip to New Delhi tonight! Tomorrow I will be at the Taj Mahal! There will be lots of pics from there too, but you might not see them until I get home on Sunday. Enjoy the photos, and I'll see most of you soon!

Bangalore, India: Asia's Initial Observations
- Shake your head "yes." Shake your head "no." Now, imagine shaking your head yes and no at the same time, in a kind of side to side motion. This is how Indians say "yes." Confusing? YES!

- Driving here is crazy, the craziest I've ever seen! The lanes are completely ignored, and cars, motorcycles, and "rickshaws" weave in and out of traffic, tailgating, and repeatedly honking their horns as if to say "I'm here!" Our taxi driver honked over 130 times on our ride to our hotel! (Yes, Dad, I counted!) It's nearly impossible to cross the street without cursing and praying for your life at the same time. Drivers do NOT yield to pedestrians here, and I've almost run into cars or been run into several times. Somehow, it always works out. The sidewalks aren't much better. There are random potholes, so you must watch your footing and avoid walking around at night. It's an obstacle course!

Bull Temple, where we again got the red dot on our heads. The bull is carved out of 1 stone!

- There is trash everywhere here, adding to the underdeveloped appearance of Bangalore aka Bengaluru as known to the locals. Technically, it was renamed Bengaluru in 2006, but I've only heard some people call it by its proper name.

Fresh fruit and flowers are sold at a local street market.

- Cows, lots of cows, roam the streets of Bangalore. Someone told me that they all have owners. They just roam free during the day and return home at night.

- The smells in Bangalore aren't as intense as I imagined. I actually like the smell of Indian food, and I LOVE the taste of it even more! It's much easier for me to eat in India than it was for me in Hong Kong. I want to learn how to cook Indian food when I get home too.
Sugar can juice is a popular drink here. It's a bit too sweet for me.

- The nightlife here is fun and interesting. Everything closes at 11pm, and dancing is only legal in clubs, however. Can you imagine if someone told you it was illegal to dance in your favorite bar? Needless to say, I did a lot of dancing in my seat, hoping it was legal. We made it to a nightclub once, and danced under a huge tree, under the stars. So cool! Our hosts/new local friends took us there.

- Our first bar experience was at the 13th Floor, on MG Road, the happening street in Bangalore. We also made new friends there, and they took a few of us out to a Tandoori, all you can eat style dinner. The spiciness hasn't stopped me at all here...Thanks for the killer tastebuds, Dad!

- The daredevil in me decided to ride on the back of a motorcycle. Scary, but fun and worth the experience! Photos on Facebook.

- I ate 2 meals with my bare hands, Southern Indian style. The first time, it was for lunch, and we literally ate off a banana leaf! So cool! It's tricky eating rice with your bare hand, especially when I had to do it right-handed only. (As in other parts of Asia, the left hand is considered dirty here. Not fair!)

- The second time, it was at our final USD group dinner. All you can eat Southern Indian food + bib + no utensiles = a happy Indian mess.

- More on food...Indian coffee is very good, but sweet, and served in a tiny glass. People stand outside tiny cafes and enjoy conversation and a cup of brew. Indian breakfast is also quite tasty! Our hotel (guest house) serves us free breakfast daily, and there is always a new Indian dish to try. On our tour of South Bangalore, we got to sample breakfast from a very local cafe that is infamous for its homemade breakfast. There is a sauce man under the tree that will pour you more of the spicy green sauce if you walk up to him with your plate. (No pictures of the sauce man allowed, unfortunately.)

- Centrum Electronics Company visit. Gracious, last minute hosts. People here are very accomodating. I don't think they ever say no? I've only heard that word once here, even when people actually mean no. The povery level is apparent and sad. At the same time, everyone seems so happy here. This is a view outside a high tech company's office window. The pollution here makes it very difficult to breathe (and not develop a bad cough!)