I returned from my road trip to Mussorie this weekend to hear the sad news that an Indian friend of mine had passed away from a brain tumor. He was the project manager for our client and I worked beside him every day. I’m just shocked and heartbroken! I want very much to attend his…
I’m writing this not because I seek pity or help, but just out of sheer honesty, in hopes that it may offer encouragement to anyone else feeling the same, regardless of the place or circumstances. I know this too will pass, as all periods of sadness do, but lately I just miss home, my friends…
Weddings here in India are huge! The festivities can go on for months, with an engagement ceremony, ring ceremony, henna ceremony, and other celebrations, even before the big day. The actual wedding can go on for days or a week, and it is a major event for all extended family.
It’s amazing how these people can take an empty dusty lot and over days turn it into a beautiful wedding venue. I’ve been watching such activities from the balcony of my apartment for the last couple of weeks. Decorations and other supplies for the event arrive on motorcycle, trucks, bicycles, donkeys, and of course even carried in on the heads of women in their traditional Indian manner. I hope some day I get to attend one of these spectacular events before I return to America for good.
Amsterdam is an interesting mix of history, culture, and over indulgence. It is clean, safe and modern. I didn’t really know what to expect, but after spending only a weekend there, I can tell you without doubt that I could live there. The first thing I noticed, besides the tall connected brick buildings,…
I decided to take my project team on on a weekend excursion so that we could have some fun and get to know each other better. My brother was going to be in town and he owns our company, so it seemed like perfect timing for a team getaway. After extensive research we decided on…
Lunch time here can be quite an ordeal. Over 4000 people work in our clients building and most all of them take lunch between 1:00 and 3:00. So needless to say it’s very crowded. Luckily we have a lot of options. Probably at least 50% percent of the workers bring their own lunches and…
I received a call late on Friday night from an Indian friend inviting me to join him and some friends for a weekend camping trip in an area called Reishikesh, in the Himalayas. Physically I knew I should decline because I was still getting over a bad cold, but emotionally I needed it. My…
I had the best Super Bowl party ever, well aside from the Seattle Seahawks being in it! I asked our hotel if we could stream it in the executive lounge on a tape delay for my project team and they eagerly agreed. The live game would have been 6:00 AM our time so we…
Recently I had the pleasure of being an honored guest in an Indian home. One of our Indian colleagues asked us to join him, his wife and their one year old son for brunch. I did some quick research on customs and culture but you never really know the credibility of the stuff you read…
Aside from the pollution in Delhi, the next hardest thing for me to adjust to has been the traffic, and I’m quite certain there is a correlation between the two. With over 8 million vehicles a day on the road, the result is like Mr. Toads Wild Ride, a game of Frogger and the worst possible gridlock, all combined into one horrible nightmare. There are very few cross walks, so people just cross traffic whenever, and wherever they feel like. If you hesitate you’re screwed. You just have to do it with confidence, trusting that the traffic will go around you. It’s a new kind of adrenaline rush!
The next most notable thing aside from pedestrians crossing everywhere is that there appears to be no enforcement of any traffic laws. A three lane highway becomes five lanes of traffic with everyone squeezing in shoulder to shoulder and honking boldly and often. The honking basically alerts other drivers that the one honking is proceeding so they had better get out-of-the-way. It is non stop and very annoying. Most roads are one way roads, and it’s all too common to see people pull U turns and go the wrong way down a one way street just because they are fed up with traffic. I can assure you that when you see headlights coming straight at you at night on what is supposed to be a one way road, it will make even the most courageous tourist’s butt pucker!