I'm definitely not a planner. When I travel, I've always liked to wing it. Flying by the seat of my pants is arising as a definitive theme of this trip.
Let's break down the rough itinerary: fly into Lima with my friend Kathleen, travel with her for a week, travel by myself for three, fly home. You may notice I left out from where I'm flying home. I have a ticket out of La Paz, but only recently discovered that I need a Visa to get into Bolivia. I'm going to try to obtain one while in Peru, but I may end up having to figure out another way home.
I met up with Kathleen in Miami Sunday afternoon. We had a six hour layover there in which we finally decided to plan our week together. We decided that best option was to spend it in Cuzco. So, we looked for tickets from Lima to Cuzco for Monday after we arrived in Lima. No luck either online or at the airline agencies' ticketing booths. So, we waited until getting to Lima.
Upon arriving, we found out that there are no tickets because everyone is heading there for the holiday. We bought tickets for tomorrow, but were told that we could wait in standby as there would be a "mountain of people" who canceled last minute. After waiting for a few hours, a more straight talker informed us we had no chance and should just come back in the morning.
Making the best of the day, we grabbed a taxi, found a hotel in Lima, and have been exploring the city. Retrospectively, I couldn't be happier. Having only visited one other Latin American city (San Jose, CR) and having just spent a month in Hyderabad, I had low expectations for Lima, especially considering most travelers skip it. It's actually a very nice city, with little traffic or pollution for a city its size. Kathleen and I spent the day just meandering through Miraflores, one of the nicer districts of the city where our hotel is also located.
So, I'm safe and sound in Peru. I've had an awesome afternoon bumming around Lima. And I'm headed to Cuzco tomorrow. From there? Well, if you´re curious, you´ll have to stay tuned...
Monday, December 29, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Sign of the Times
I went to the mall yesterday to do some last minute shopping with my dad. There was no traffic on the way there; no fight for a parking space; no crowds to elbow your way through in the store; no lines at the checkout counter. It felt like any normal day at the mall... except it was Christmas Eve. Really shows you how hard this country is being hit by the problems in our economy.
Monday, December 22, 2008
The Good Ol' US of A
I made it back to Philly yesterday afternoon after another ~20 hour flight. Again, I somehow avoided any serious jet lag.
It's kinda strange to be back home, though. It's certainly nice to see my family. But, I miss Hyderabad. People drive so orderly here. There's no honking. I'm forced to use my knife because of "etiquette." I understand what people are saying to me. They don't understand me when I nod my head from side to side. It's all a bit boring.
It's kinda strange to be back home, though. It's certainly nice to see my family. But, I miss Hyderabad. People drive so orderly here. There's no honking. I'm forced to use my knife because of "etiquette." I understand what people are saying to me. They don't understand me when I nod my head from side to side. It's all a bit boring.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Final Thoughts
Well, my four week trip is just about over. I leave for the airport in about fifteen minutes.
It's been an amazing experience to come out here. Though Hyderabad wasn't the most pleasant place to stay, it was a very thought provoking city. I learned a lot about Indian economics, politics, and society staying here.
I also learned a ton by being in the Hyderabad office. There are a lot of challenges here that you don't necessarily realize being in the Seattle office. I think I was able to make a pretty good contribution here and certainly feel like I've taken some important things away that can help our Seattle team work better with people out here.
The best part of the trip was the people here. Everyone at Amazon was so warm and welcoming, reaching out to me and making sure I got the most out of my trip. Being on a business trip, one thing I didn't expect was to forge the relationships that I did. But, after spending four weeks laughing over cafeteria food, having thought provoking conversations over delicious kebabs, and dancing in completely empty discotechs, I feel like I'm walking away with new friends.
It's been an amazing experience to come out here. Though Hyderabad wasn't the most pleasant place to stay, it was a very thought provoking city. I learned a lot about Indian economics, politics, and society staying here.
I also learned a ton by being in the Hyderabad office. There are a lot of challenges here that you don't necessarily realize being in the Seattle office. I think I was able to make a pretty good contribution here and certainly feel like I've taken some important things away that can help our Seattle team work better with people out here.
The best part of the trip was the people here. Everyone at Amazon was so warm and welcoming, reaching out to me and making sure I got the most out of my trip. Being on a business trip, one thing I didn't expect was to forge the relationships that I did. But, after spending four weeks laughing over cafeteria food, having thought provoking conversations over delicious kebabs, and dancing in completely empty discotechs, I feel like I'm walking away with new friends.
That Guy
I've been meaning to post about this guy for a while. There are posters plastered all over Hyderabad of Brother Anil Kumar, advertising his Jesus Christ Blessing Festivals. Though about two percent of the country is Christian, it's always a bit surprising to see anything Christian in India. But, the scale at which Anil Kumar is being promoted is bizarre.
So, who is this guy? Well, it turns out that he travels all over the world giving talks about his experience with his faith. It also turns out that he's the son in law of Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh. There are two reasons why this is significant.
For one, the elections for the state are coming up in early 2009. An article I read suggested that Anil Kumar is actually being used as a tool by Reddy to appeal to the Christian vote.
Additionally, there has been wide speculation that the funding for this promotional campaign has not been legitimate, pulling from state money in some way.
There's probably some truth to both of them. Regardless, this guy has sort of become the face of Hyderabad to me... for better or worse.
So, who is this guy? Well, it turns out that he travels all over the world giving talks about his experience with his faith. It also turns out that he's the son in law of Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh. There are two reasons why this is significant.
For one, the elections for the state are coming up in early 2009. An article I read suggested that Anil Kumar is actually being used as a tool by Reddy to appeal to the Christian vote.
Additionally, there has been wide speculation that the funding for this promotional campaign has not been legitimate, pulling from state money in some way.
There's probably some truth to both of them. Regardless, this guy has sort of become the face of Hyderabad to me... for better or worse.
 |
| From Q4 In Hyderabad |
Friday, December 19, 2008
Street Crossing 101
Here's a little demonstration of how to cross a street in Hyderabad. Lesson 1: Just go for it.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
One and Done
I've been trying to get in on a cricket match my entire time here. This morning, I finally got my chance. I had to wake up at 6:00am to head out with some people from work.
We played in this barren field that had pitches consisting of a few stones and a well worn path. When we arrived, fog covered the field giving it this otherworldly aura. Eventually, it lifted and we were able to play.
After a few warm-ups, I felt confident that I could compete in this game. After making some decent plays in the field, I eventually got called in for as the batsman.
I ran to the crease, excited to show off what I could do. I settled in, running over all of the tips I was given. The first pitch came in and, as it approached me, I could tell the pitcher took a little bit off of it to give me an easier time. With this perfect pitch coming right into my wheelhouse, I took a big cut. But, the ball was popped straight up and it was over. With my head down and a bunch of the players chuckling, I walked back out to my post in the field.
I guess cricket's not my game.
We played in this barren field that had pitches consisting of a few stones and a well worn path. When we arrived, fog covered the field giving it this otherworldly aura. Eventually, it lifted and we were able to play.
After a few warm-ups, I felt confident that I could compete in this game. After making some decent plays in the field, I eventually got called in for as the batsman.
I ran to the crease, excited to show off what I could do. I settled in, running over all of the tips I was given. The first pitch came in and, as it approached me, I could tell the pitcher took a little bit off of it to give me an easier time. With this perfect pitch coming right into my wheelhouse, I took a big cut. But, the ball was popped straight up and it was over. With my head down and a bunch of the players chuckling, I walked back out to my post in the field.
I guess cricket's not my game.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Rock the Vote
Delhi recently voted for its members of parliament. This sparked a conversation at lunch about elections in India. Apparently people approach elections much differently here. What struck me most is that just about everyone at my table said that they don't vote.
Many of the educated youth in India are leaving their home states, which is a dramatic departure from how the country has historically operated. Getting back home is a hassle, a hassle that seems to be worth it to visit family, but not to vote. Especially, when you consider that voting means you'll have to wait at least two hours in a queue.
This seems the reverse of how it works in America. The educated tend to be in wealthier districts and thus have well funded voting stations. As a result, waiting times are dramatically lower. I know I spent about five minutes at the voting booth this year. But, those in poorer districts end up spending much more time waiting in queues. And they're exactly the ones who can't afford to take that time off. In India, where you have so many uneducated people with not much to do, waiting in line for a few hours seems irrelevant. It's the more privileged who can't afford to take time off of work to go wait in a line.
I asked them why they didn't vote absentee or change where they were registered. While both are possible, they're apparently very long and complicated processes. This seems to be mostly because the government doesn't track people well in India -- for example, there is no SSN -- so there are all of these extra hoops to ensure that if you change your voting information, you're not doing so fraudulently. I think it's also a reflection of the disorganization in their government.
But, people tended to lament the fact that they don't vote. It's just too difficult and not worth it. They just don't think it'll make a difference. A big part of this that there's a general perception that all politicians are corrupt here. They shared a bunch of stories. For example, there was this one education minister for the hometown of one co-worker. He bought all of this land and then encouraged these colleges to set up shop there. Once they did that and the value of the area sky rocketed, he sold the land and made a ton of money.
They also talked about this one good leader from Bihar. Bihar seems to be widely agreed upon as the worst state in India. This happens to be where most Indian politicians come from. Anyway, this lone non-corrupt leader had emerged from there. But, he was shot. Few other decent politicians have emerged.
In section 49.0-0 of the Indian constitution, there's a clause that gives citizens the right to not vote. There is a movement here that is advocating a policy change that counts these non votes as an objection to all candidates. If there are sufficient non votes, they want all candidates currently on the ballot to be removed and a new election be executed with a new set of choices. People seem to want this as it would provide an option to block corrupt leaders from getting elected. The problem is that no politicians want it so there's no way it'll get passed.
I think that America has got a lot of problems. Our electoral system is far from perfect in picking the best leader. But, I think we take for granted how well it actually works. Listening to my peers here in India talk about how they don't vote because they don't think it'll make a difference and it's not worth the hassle puts it into perspective. Especially this year.
Many of the educated youth in India are leaving their home states, which is a dramatic departure from how the country has historically operated. Getting back home is a hassle, a hassle that seems to be worth it to visit family, but not to vote. Especially, when you consider that voting means you'll have to wait at least two hours in a queue.
This seems the reverse of how it works in America. The educated tend to be in wealthier districts and thus have well funded voting stations. As a result, waiting times are dramatically lower. I know I spent about five minutes at the voting booth this year. But, those in poorer districts end up spending much more time waiting in queues. And they're exactly the ones who can't afford to take that time off. In India, where you have so many uneducated people with not much to do, waiting in line for a few hours seems irrelevant. It's the more privileged who can't afford to take time off of work to go wait in a line.
I asked them why they didn't vote absentee or change where they were registered. While both are possible, they're apparently very long and complicated processes. This seems to be mostly because the government doesn't track people well in India -- for example, there is no SSN -- so there are all of these extra hoops to ensure that if you change your voting information, you're not doing so fraudulently. I think it's also a reflection of the disorganization in their government.
But, people tended to lament the fact that they don't vote. It's just too difficult and not worth it. They just don't think it'll make a difference. A big part of this that there's a general perception that all politicians are corrupt here. They shared a bunch of stories. For example, there was this one education minister for the hometown of one co-worker. He bought all of this land and then encouraged these colleges to set up shop there. Once they did that and the value of the area sky rocketed, he sold the land and made a ton of money.
They also talked about this one good leader from Bihar. Bihar seems to be widely agreed upon as the worst state in India. This happens to be where most Indian politicians come from. Anyway, this lone non-corrupt leader had emerged from there. But, he was shot. Few other decent politicians have emerged.
In section 49.0-0 of the Indian constitution, there's a clause that gives citizens the right to not vote. There is a movement here that is advocating a policy change that counts these non votes as an objection to all candidates. If there are sufficient non votes, they want all candidates currently on the ballot to be removed and a new election be executed with a new set of choices. People seem to want this as it would provide an option to block corrupt leaders from getting elected. The problem is that no politicians want it so there's no way it'll get passed.
I think that America has got a lot of problems. Our electoral system is far from perfect in picking the best leader. But, I think we take for granted how well it actually works. Listening to my peers here in India talk about how they don't vote because they don't think it'll make a difference and it's not worth the hassle puts it into perspective. Especially this year.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Word to the Wise
This is a Dhaba.
On our way to Chennai from Pondicherry to catch our flight on Sunday, our taxi driver unexpectedly pulled off in the middle of the highway proclaiming, "I need tea." This was my first time to a Dhaba.
Here's what my travel guide has to say about them:
"Dhabas (snack bars; literally 'wayside eateries') are oases to millions of truck drivers, bus passengers and sundry travelers going anywhere by road. The original dhabas dot the North Indian landscape, but you'll find versions of them throughout the country. The rough-and-ready but lip-smacking food served in these happy-go-lucky shacks has become a genre on its own known as 'dhaba food.'"
As we drove down this idyllic highway, on our way back from a wonderful weekend in Pondicherry, and pulled over for our driver's tea, I think the delusion of a roadside oasis was a bit too much for this carefree traveler. I hopped out of the car, skipped up to the dhaba, and ordered a cup of chai and some snacks that looked and tasted much like hush puppies.
I think I'm feeling the effects today, sporting an upset stomach, no appetite, and a pained look on my face. All of my co-workers respond with some variation of, "Oh, I wouldn't touch that food myself."
 |
| From Q4 In Hyderabad |
On our way to Chennai from Pondicherry to catch our flight on Sunday, our taxi driver unexpectedly pulled off in the middle of the highway proclaiming, "I need tea." This was my first time to a Dhaba.
Here's what my travel guide has to say about them:
"Dhabas (snack bars; literally 'wayside eateries') are oases to millions of truck drivers, bus passengers and sundry travelers going anywhere by road. The original dhabas dot the North Indian landscape, but you'll find versions of them throughout the country. The rough-and-ready but lip-smacking food served in these happy-go-lucky shacks has become a genre on its own known as 'dhaba food.'"
As we drove down this idyllic highway, on our way back from a wonderful weekend in Pondicherry, and pulled over for our driver's tea, I think the delusion of a roadside oasis was a bit too much for this carefree traveler. I hopped out of the car, skipped up to the dhaba, and ordered a cup of chai and some snacks that looked and tasted much like hush puppies.
I think I'm feeling the effects today, sporting an upset stomach, no appetite, and a pained look on my face. All of my co-workers respond with some variation of, "Oh, I wouldn't touch that food myself."
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Goa a No Go
So, we didn't make it to Goa. Turns out that the only flights into and out of Goa are in the middle of the day, meaning I could be there for under 24 hours or miss a day of work. Neither was appealing. I think it was a good move not to go.
Under the recommendation of some people in the office, Lorne (a co-worker and friend) and I went to Pondicherry. Amazing.
Located on the Bay of Bengal, Pondicherry is this former French colony, now beach town that's one of the most unique places I've ever been. Most of the city is decidedly Indian, with busy streets, auto-rickshaws, trash, and everything else I've come to expect.
But, there is a 5x20 block area that has wide cobblestone boulevards, French architecture, and crepes. What makes it especially surreal, is that there is barely anyone on most of the streets, which is quite the contrast from the rest of India. Walking around, it really feels as though you're in this abandoned French town that a few Indians stumbled upon and thought, "hey, this would be a nice place to live."
On the very eastern end of the city, there's this promenade that runs along the water. All day, there are just people parading up and down. It's especially cool around dusk when what feels like half the city is just hanging out there. People of all different age groups take evening strolls, stopping at various street vendors to get snacks. We got a hotel that had a private balcony overlooking it. Amazing.
The city also has a huge emphasis on yoga. There's this Ashram, founded by Sri Aurobindo and this French woman referred to as "The Mother." People come from all over the world to study yoga at this place, resulting in a fairly large non-Indian population in town. The Ashram has people streaming into it by the dozens all day, coming to pray on the tomb of Sri and The Mother, meditate right next to the tomb, and then move on to buy stuff in the gift shop. I don't quite understand how you can find inner peace in such commotion, but I guess some do.
On Saturday, Lorne and I decided to rent scooters for the day. May be the best investment I've ever made. For about 3 USD, we got to fly around town, go out to a bunch of beaches, stop and grab coconuts on the side of the road, and just enjoy the tropical weather. It was so much fun. Being mobile like that really helps you see more of the area in a way that you can't on foot or in taxi. Oh, and driving in India is out of control.
I'm really glad I didn't go to Goa. While it would have been nice to relax in tropical paradise on a beautiful day and then party all night, I don't think it's quite my scene. And I would have missed out on the amazing city of Pondicherry.
Under the recommendation of some people in the office, Lorne (a co-worker and friend) and I went to Pondicherry. Amazing.
Located on the Bay of Bengal, Pondicherry is this former French colony, now beach town that's one of the most unique places I've ever been. Most of the city is decidedly Indian, with busy streets, auto-rickshaws, trash, and everything else I've come to expect.
But, there is a 5x20 block area that has wide cobblestone boulevards, French architecture, and crepes. What makes it especially surreal, is that there is barely anyone on most of the streets, which is quite the contrast from the rest of India. Walking around, it really feels as though you're in this abandoned French town that a few Indians stumbled upon and thought, "hey, this would be a nice place to live."
On the very eastern end of the city, there's this promenade that runs along the water. All day, there are just people parading up and down. It's especially cool around dusk when what feels like half the city is just hanging out there. People of all different age groups take evening strolls, stopping at various street vendors to get snacks. We got a hotel that had a private balcony overlooking it. Amazing.
The city also has a huge emphasis on yoga. There's this Ashram, founded by Sri Aurobindo and this French woman referred to as "The Mother." People come from all over the world to study yoga at this place, resulting in a fairly large non-Indian population in town. The Ashram has people streaming into it by the dozens all day, coming to pray on the tomb of Sri and The Mother, meditate right next to the tomb, and then move on to buy stuff in the gift shop. I don't quite understand how you can find inner peace in such commotion, but I guess some do.
On Saturday, Lorne and I decided to rent scooters for the day. May be the best investment I've ever made. For about 3 USD, we got to fly around town, go out to a bunch of beaches, stop and grab coconuts on the side of the road, and just enjoy the tropical weather. It was so much fun. Being mobile like that really helps you see more of the area in a way that you can't on foot or in taxi. Oh, and driving in India is out of control.
I'm really glad I didn't go to Goa. While it would have been nice to relax in tropical paradise on a beautiful day and then party all night, I don't think it's quite my scene. And I would have missed out on the amazing city of Pondicherry.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Pictures
I finally figured out how to get Picasa's desktop application on my work laptop so that I can upload pictures in bulk. All of my pictures are now online, though without any real explanation for what they are.
http://picasaweb.google.com/goldberm/Q4InHyderabad
http://picasaweb.google.com/goldberm/Q4InHyderabad
Trust
On Saturday morning, Brian and I got up and went out for breakfast. My travel guide recommended a spot around the corner that had delicious dosa, a South Indian specialty. About half way through our meal, a guy who had sat down at the table beside us leaned over and asked where we were from. This launched into a lengthy conversation where we covered our thoughts on India so far, what cities we were planning on visiting, his love life, the differences between India and American marriages, what he did for a living, and more topics I can't even remember now. It was really nice to sit down and talk with someone, especially having a conversation with more depth than just "welcome to India."
As we were finishing up breakfast, this guy mentioned that there was a travel agency next door that could help us get to Agra, a reference to the fact we were considering visiting the Taj Mahal. We decided to take his advice and go check it out. He followed us in, helping us initiate the conversation with the agent. After we heard the price and the time it would take to get there, Brian and I decided to opt out of Agra and just spend time exploring the city of Delhi. We told the travel agent that we'd think about it and come back if we wanted to go.
Outside, our new friend mentioned that he wanted to take us by his store (he had told us at breakfast that he sold carpets, scarves, and other fabrics to people in the US), which was a few metro stops away. Eager to get on our way and a little annoyed now, Brian and I politely declined. He asked us where we were going and, as it turned out, he was headed in the same direction. At this point, Brian and I were starting to get the point and asked him to just leave us alone.
In Delhi, it seemed like everyone was trying to take advantage of us. In Hyderabad, you've got auto-rickshaw drivers and merchants trying to jack up prices. But, in Delhi, everyone seemed to be steering us towards some shop so that they could make a commission off us.
On Saturday night, we asked our auto-rickshaw driver to take us to this restaurant "Spirit." He must have stopped in front of about a dozen restaurants on the way, telling us how nice they were and that we should go there instead of the one we had picked. We ended up liking ours just fine.
One auto-rickshaw driver who we asked to take us to India Gate, told us we couldn't go there because there was a big parade and it was closed. We took the auto-rickshaw behind him. Turned out there was no parade.
We asked another drive to take us to the National Museum. Despite his warnings that it was closed because the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, was using it for special meetings, Brian and I asked that he take us there anyway so we could see the building. I guess there was some confusion as it was actually a different Singh who was giving a speech about art there.
There were also plenty of people on the street who approached us, trying to steer us towards this shop or that.
Most of these were pretty overt. I can take that. I had a lot of fun with it, giving them various comical (at least to me) responses.
But, some of them were much more subtle. For example, one rickshaw driver picked us up at Gandhi Smriti, a beautiful memorial to Gandhi at the location of his assassination, and took us to the Lotus Temple, a marvelous Bahai temple. On the way, we got into some conversations, much more interesting than those that we usually have with our drivers. He pointed out things around town and provided us background for a bunch of the monuments or areas of town. When we got to the temple, he offered to wait so he could drive us back. Having just forged this relationship, we took him up on it.
When we got out of the temple, we were a little pressed for time as we had to grab dinner before catching our flight back to Hyderabad. Our driver told us that he wanted to take us to a few monuments on the way back, but we politely declined. He took us anyway. In particular, he took us to this crafts shop and insisted we just look around for a minute.
I find forging relationships with people, however small or insignificant, to be a very rewarding experience. But, there's an element of trust that goes along with that process. You have to trust that the feelings that person is conveying are real. When that trust breaks down, it's very easy to detach from others and remain very guarded. The way people, especially the guy from breakfast and the driver who took us to the temple, constantly tried to take advantage of us left me feeling that way. I found it to be a very embittering experience.
As we were finishing up breakfast, this guy mentioned that there was a travel agency next door that could help us get to Agra, a reference to the fact we were considering visiting the Taj Mahal. We decided to take his advice and go check it out. He followed us in, helping us initiate the conversation with the agent. After we heard the price and the time it would take to get there, Brian and I decided to opt out of Agra and just spend time exploring the city of Delhi. We told the travel agent that we'd think about it and come back if we wanted to go.
Outside, our new friend mentioned that he wanted to take us by his store (he had told us at breakfast that he sold carpets, scarves, and other fabrics to people in the US), which was a few metro stops away. Eager to get on our way and a little annoyed now, Brian and I politely declined. He asked us where we were going and, as it turned out, he was headed in the same direction. At this point, Brian and I were starting to get the point and asked him to just leave us alone.
In Delhi, it seemed like everyone was trying to take advantage of us. In Hyderabad, you've got auto-rickshaw drivers and merchants trying to jack up prices. But, in Delhi, everyone seemed to be steering us towards some shop so that they could make a commission off us.
On Saturday night, we asked our auto-rickshaw driver to take us to this restaurant "Spirit." He must have stopped in front of about a dozen restaurants on the way, telling us how nice they were and that we should go there instead of the one we had picked. We ended up liking ours just fine.
One auto-rickshaw driver who we asked to take us to India Gate, told us we couldn't go there because there was a big parade and it was closed. We took the auto-rickshaw behind him. Turned out there was no parade.
We asked another drive to take us to the National Museum. Despite his warnings that it was closed because the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, was using it for special meetings, Brian and I asked that he take us there anyway so we could see the building. I guess there was some confusion as it was actually a different Singh who was giving a speech about art there.
There were also plenty of people on the street who approached us, trying to steer us towards this shop or that.
Most of these were pretty overt. I can take that. I had a lot of fun with it, giving them various comical (at least to me) responses.
But, some of them were much more subtle. For example, one rickshaw driver picked us up at Gandhi Smriti, a beautiful memorial to Gandhi at the location of his assassination, and took us to the Lotus Temple, a marvelous Bahai temple. On the way, we got into some conversations, much more interesting than those that we usually have with our drivers. He pointed out things around town and provided us background for a bunch of the monuments or areas of town. When we got to the temple, he offered to wait so he could drive us back. Having just forged this relationship, we took him up on it.
When we got out of the temple, we were a little pressed for time as we had to grab dinner before catching our flight back to Hyderabad. Our driver told us that he wanted to take us to a few monuments on the way back, but we politely declined. He took us anyway. In particular, he took us to this crafts shop and insisted we just look around for a minute.
I find forging relationships with people, however small or insignificant, to be a very rewarding experience. But, there's an element of trust that goes along with that process. You have to trust that the feelings that person is conveying are real. When that trust breaks down, it's very easy to detach from others and remain very guarded. The way people, especially the guy from breakfast and the driver who took us to the temple, constantly tried to take advantage of us left me feeling that way. I found it to be a very embittering experience.
Monday, December 8, 2008
A Little Bit the Same. A Little Bit Different.
Having been in Hyderabad for two weeks, it was refreshing to go to Delhi. There are a lot of similarities, but a lot of difference.
The first obvious difference is the way the city is built up. The infrastructure is dramatically better. You still get loads of congestion and crazy driving, but not nearly at the level in Hyderabad, which I think is in large part due to better roads.
Delhi is also set up very differently than Hyderabad. Other than Old City, Hyderabad is essentially a big corporate office park and a downtown that's so polluted I couldn't breath. Not really a place for city life.
Delhi is basically split into two sections: Old Delhi and Central Delhi. The former is not too unlike Old City in Hyderabad, though a little less market focuses -- people seemed to just be going on about their days. I found it a little more manageable because of that.
Central Delhi, however, is unlike anything in Hyderabad. The area has chic bars, coffee shops and green space scattered about. People walk around in very stylish clothes (by Western standards). The area is the center of the national government. A long walkway between India Gate and the President's Estate has the feel of the Mall in Washington (except people play cricket instead of softball).
Hyderabad is not a pleasant city. It's dirty. There's trash everywhere. You can't breath well in downtown because of the pollution. And it's a town that's very much divided. There are the unbelievably rich, who section themselves off in Banjara Hills, and the tech industry, who protect their office buildings by putting up gates with guards and not even allowing restaurants to be built inside.
There's something different about Delhi. Sure, there were still vendors and auto-rickshaw drivers trying to overcharge us. And the sound of horns was at times annoying. And the poverty level was unbearably high.
But, it's got an ecosystem, much like what I've been saying could be built up around Hitech City. To be clear, there are obvious divisions in the city. But, it functions as an entity in a way that Hyderabad can't.
The first obvious difference is the way the city is built up. The infrastructure is dramatically better. You still get loads of congestion and crazy driving, but not nearly at the level in Hyderabad, which I think is in large part due to better roads.
Delhi is also set up very differently than Hyderabad. Other than Old City, Hyderabad is essentially a big corporate office park and a downtown that's so polluted I couldn't breath. Not really a place for city life.
Delhi is basically split into two sections: Old Delhi and Central Delhi. The former is not too unlike Old City in Hyderabad, though a little less market focuses -- people seemed to just be going on about their days. I found it a little more manageable because of that.
Central Delhi, however, is unlike anything in Hyderabad. The area has chic bars, coffee shops and green space scattered about. People walk around in very stylish clothes (by Western standards). The area is the center of the national government. A long walkway between India Gate and the President's Estate has the feel of the Mall in Washington (except people play cricket instead of softball).
Hyderabad is not a pleasant city. It's dirty. There's trash everywhere. You can't breath well in downtown because of the pollution. And it's a town that's very much divided. There are the unbelievably rich, who section themselves off in Banjara Hills, and the tech industry, who protect their office buildings by putting up gates with guards and not even allowing restaurants to be built inside.
There's something different about Delhi. Sure, there were still vendors and auto-rickshaw drivers trying to overcharge us. And the sound of horns was at times annoying. And the poverty level was unbearably high.
But, it's got an ecosystem, much like what I've been saying could be built up around Hitech City. To be clear, there are obvious divisions in the city. But, it functions as an entity in a way that Hyderabad can't.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Despite The News
Imaging waking up in the morning, in a country that just had a terrible bombing, having a flight that evening to Delhi, and reading headlines like "Airports turn into fortresses" and "All steps taken to ensure air passenger safety."
Brian and I were scheduled to head to Delhi and all of the papers were talking about attacks at airports. They mentioned Delhi among three airports for which the Indian intelligence had information about a potential attack. And this is all happening a week and a half after Mumbai and on the 16 year anniversary of the bombings at Babri Masjid. Needless to say, I was a bit freaked out on Friday morning.
I got into the office on Friday and started asking around, getting my co-workers' opinions. Uniformly, everyone said we should go anyway. There's a lot of hype, but you need to go on living your life. I agreed, but was still a bit anxious about the whole thing.
Security at the airports was pretty crazy. There were guards walking around with rifles and semi-automatic weapons. In Delhi, on the way home, there was a guard sitting in a truck with a gun pointed at the crowd of people walking into and out of the airport. I was probably more scared of him accidentally slipping and pulling the trigger than I was about terrorists at that point. As I walked in front of his truck and in front of his gun, I couldn't help but take a deep breath.
Delhi itself had pretty tight security, too. I obviously haven't been there during other times to make a comparison, but every place we went had armed guards who frisked us and searched our bags.
On Saturday, we went to Jama Masjid, India's largest mosque. There was a group of people standing in front of the mosque rallying passerby. Behind them, news clippings and photos from the bombing at Babri Masjid covered the fence. The mosque was beautiful, but it was hard not to feel like it was a potential target as I walked through it.
In general, I felt really safe on the trip. The chances of anything happening are so slim. And most of Delhi just seems to be moving on as if there's nothing to worry about. But, the level of security in Delhi certainly makes you think twice.
Anyway, I guess my co-workers were right.
Brian and I were scheduled to head to Delhi and all of the papers were talking about attacks at airports. They mentioned Delhi among three airports for which the Indian intelligence had information about a potential attack. And this is all happening a week and a half after Mumbai and on the 16 year anniversary of the bombings at Babri Masjid. Needless to say, I was a bit freaked out on Friday morning.
I got into the office on Friday and started asking around, getting my co-workers' opinions. Uniformly, everyone said we should go anyway. There's a lot of hype, but you need to go on living your life. I agreed, but was still a bit anxious about the whole thing.
Security at the airports was pretty crazy. There were guards walking around with rifles and semi-automatic weapons. In Delhi, on the way home, there was a guard sitting in a truck with a gun pointed at the crowd of people walking into and out of the airport. I was probably more scared of him accidentally slipping and pulling the trigger than I was about terrorists at that point. As I walked in front of his truck and in front of his gun, I couldn't help but take a deep breath.
Delhi itself had pretty tight security, too. I obviously haven't been there during other times to make a comparison, but every place we went had armed guards who frisked us and searched our bags.
On Saturday, we went to Jama Masjid, India's largest mosque. There was a group of people standing in front of the mosque rallying passerby. Behind them, news clippings and photos from the bombing at Babri Masjid covered the fence. The mosque was beautiful, but it was hard not to feel like it was a potential target as I walked through it.
In general, I felt really safe on the trip. The chances of anything happening are so slim. And most of Delhi just seems to be moving on as if there's nothing to worry about. But, the level of security in Delhi certainly makes you think twice.
Anyway, I guess my co-workers were right.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Novotel
I had dinner with Brian and a co-worker from the Hyderabad office, Naresh, with whom I've gone out a few times now. We were being very indecisive about where to go, but ended up at Novotel, the 5-star hotel that I was originally taken to, at the recommendation of another co-worker. Novotel is situated right next to the HICC (Hyderabad International Convention Center), which is hosting the Internet Governance Conference. The conference is being put on to determine how to take the next steps in developing the Internet. For example, how do we get it to people who don't have it. There are hundreds of people from all of the world meeting to figure this out.
On the drive up, there was a lot of security, presumably due to the events in Mumbai. There's security on the drive into Amazon, but it wasn't at the level we found entering Novotel. Both places search the cars as they drive up as well as your bags as you enter the building, but Novotel's was significantly more thorough. Additionally, there were guards walking around with rifles. It was a bit surreal.
Naresh, Brian and I went inside to eat at this Mexican restaurant in the hotel. The restaurant was this outdoor, tropical-looking poolside paradise with palm trees and all. The food was alright (I reluctantly agreed to get guacamole despite knowing that avocados don't grow anywhere near India). After being in Hyderabad, a busy, noisy, dirty city, for two weeks, it was very weird eating at this restaurant. The scene was very tranquil, though you could still hear cars honking and fireworks from a wedding in the distance.
At the end of the meal, our server brought us a survey to provide feedback of our experience. Brian started asking the questions aloud as he filled it out. As comment cards are a total joke in the States, we were laughing about a few of the questions. In response to one question about the service, Brian ended up writing that it was merely satisfactory because they had taken my plate away and didn't bring me a new one promptly. Though most of the card had "excellent" filled in, the server very anxiously asked us why we had filled the card in so poorly when he returned. Brian started changing some answers; I offered to take the card with me and not turn it in.
After we walked away, Naresh explained to us a bit about these servers. Many of them come from small villages and are working to provide for their families back there. They're treated very poorly by their managers, a vestige of the caste system. The concern about our comment was interpreted by Naresh as genuine fear by the server. He's really working for his livlihood. I wanted to go back, but Naresh told me not to worry about it; that this guy wasn't going to lose his job over it or anything.
Though I'm much happier in my hotel than I would have been at Novotel, tonight was a surprisingly deep experience. It's funny how people are connected and how they rely on each other. You've got this group of people from around the world coming together, trying to bring the Internet to those less fortunate. At the same time, you've got these less fortunate people at the hotel itself waiting on the every need of the guests -- including those here for the conference -- completely dependent on their satisfaction. Presumably, these are the same types of people trying to be helped by the conference. You've also got these local, armed guards protecting the conference-goers so that they can do their job (or at least standing around so that they can feel safe doing their job).
At dinner, Brian, Naresh and I got into this conversation about spirituality. Brian talked a lot about his idea that everything in this world is just an entity made up of smaller pieces. You've got molecules that work together to form your brain; the brain, and your other organs work together to make a person; people work together to make a society; etc... Everything has some purpose, some contribution to the system. Togther, the entity moves forward. Tonight kinda makes me wonder where to.
On the drive up, there was a lot of security, presumably due to the events in Mumbai. There's security on the drive into Amazon, but it wasn't at the level we found entering Novotel. Both places search the cars as they drive up as well as your bags as you enter the building, but Novotel's was significantly more thorough. Additionally, there were guards walking around with rifles. It was a bit surreal.
Naresh, Brian and I went inside to eat at this Mexican restaurant in the hotel. The restaurant was this outdoor, tropical-looking poolside paradise with palm trees and all. The food was alright (I reluctantly agreed to get guacamole despite knowing that avocados don't grow anywhere near India). After being in Hyderabad, a busy, noisy, dirty city, for two weeks, it was very weird eating at this restaurant. The scene was very tranquil, though you could still hear cars honking and fireworks from a wedding in the distance.
At the end of the meal, our server brought us a survey to provide feedback of our experience. Brian started asking the questions aloud as he filled it out. As comment cards are a total joke in the States, we were laughing about a few of the questions. In response to one question about the service, Brian ended up writing that it was merely satisfactory because they had taken my plate away and didn't bring me a new one promptly. Though most of the card had "excellent" filled in, the server very anxiously asked us why we had filled the card in so poorly when he returned. Brian started changing some answers; I offered to take the card with me and not turn it in.
After we walked away, Naresh explained to us a bit about these servers. Many of them come from small villages and are working to provide for their families back there. They're treated very poorly by their managers, a vestige of the caste system. The concern about our comment was interpreted by Naresh as genuine fear by the server. He's really working for his livlihood. I wanted to go back, but Naresh told me not to worry about it; that this guy wasn't going to lose his job over it or anything.
Though I'm much happier in my hotel than I would have been at Novotel, tonight was a surprisingly deep experience. It's funny how people are connected and how they rely on each other. You've got this group of people from around the world coming together, trying to bring the Internet to those less fortunate. At the same time, you've got these less fortunate people at the hotel itself waiting on the every need of the guests -- including those here for the conference -- completely dependent on their satisfaction. Presumably, these are the same types of people trying to be helped by the conference. You've also got these local, armed guards protecting the conference-goers so that they can do their job (or at least standing around so that they can feel safe doing their job).
At dinner, Brian, Naresh and I got into this conversation about spirituality. Brian talked a lot about his idea that everything in this world is just an entity made up of smaller pieces. You've got molecules that work together to form your brain; the brain, and your other organs work together to make a person; people work together to make a society; etc... Everything has some purpose, some contribution to the system. Togther, the entity moves forward. Tonight kinda makes me wonder where to.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Cost Analysis
Getting around Hyderabad typically involves rickshaws. Technically, they're supposed to use their meters. But, they often trick tourists into settling on rates upfront. I was fortunate enough to have my first rickshaw driver actually use the meter, giving me a baseline to compare other fares. I'm still probably overpaying, but at least not exorbitantly so.
On Sunday, Brian and I were trying to get a taxi back from Old City after lunch. Based on earlier rides, we figured it should cost about 250 Rs to get home. After bargaining one taxi driver down to 300, we hopped in his rickshaw ready to go. As we did this, a few police officers who had been standing at the corner approached the vehicle. They told the driver to turn the meter on. Despite some initial resistance, the driver agreed. We thanked them and drove off.
After turning the corner, the driver pulls the rickshaw over, wheels around, and turns the meter off. I reached up and tried to stop him, but he started shouting at me in another language. I can't imagine he actually thought that I could understand what he was saying. After a few seconds of him yelling and us looking confused, he took off and we were on our way home.
When we arrived at our hotel, I asked the guy at the front desk how much it should have cost for our ride. He said we were lucky to get 300 Rs. Some co-workers told me on Monday I shouldn't have paid more than 150. In Seattle, I'm sure the cab ride would cost at least the equivalent of 1,500 Rs.
On Sunday, Brian and I were trying to get a taxi back from Old City after lunch. Based on earlier rides, we figured it should cost about 250 Rs to get home. After bargaining one taxi driver down to 300, we hopped in his rickshaw ready to go. As we did this, a few police officers who had been standing at the corner approached the vehicle. They told the driver to turn the meter on. Despite some initial resistance, the driver agreed. We thanked them and drove off.
After turning the corner, the driver pulls the rickshaw over, wheels around, and turns the meter off. I reached up and tried to stop him, but he started shouting at me in another language. I can't imagine he actually thought that I could understand what he was saying. After a few seconds of him yelling and us looking confused, he took off and we were on our way home.
When we arrived at our hotel, I asked the guy at the front desk how much it should have cost for our ride. He said we were lucky to get 300 Rs. Some co-workers told me on Monday I shouldn't have paid more than 150. In Seattle, I'm sure the cab ride would cost at least the equivalent of 1,500 Rs.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Pizza Hut
Worked on a sev-1 pretty much the entire day. Joined the issue at 9AM; signed off around 11:45PM (though it was still ongoing). There were a bunch of people in the office and we all ordered dinner. They chose Pizza Hut. Didn't really taste like pizza to me. It was more like Indian food... just served on pizza dough.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)