Holy Colee!

They said it would take about 40 minutes to get to the tour pick up spot, so to have the driver come an hour early. It only took 30. If there is anything I am good at, it’s being early – even in a foreign country. My hotel really is lovely, however, the hotel where I waited for the tour bus was POSH. Fountains, lobby with a ginormous mural on the ceiling, security guards that look like soldiers, reminds me of my Manila hotel, posh. It seemed to bode well for the rest of the day. Neeraj and his wife, Geetika , met me just before 6:30. We met the tour bus and the 15 folks in our group and we were off (30 minutes late). By the time we got our breakfast stop, we were an hour behind – but it was an hour of interesting things. I saw wild monkeys and elephants on the way. We even saw a snake charmer and monkeys who climbed on sticks and did tricks for the tourists whose busses had to stop and pay the tolls. I also really enjoyed the drive once we got out of the city and into the farm lands. It was interesting to see the women and children in the fields harvesting the wheat crop. It is crazy to me that this is still something that is done by hand. There were little tractors all over and later we even saw some combines, but most of the farming is still done very much by hand. I think the part that was most amazing was how uniform the cut wheat was and the bundles. I’ve never seen a machine cut or bail with such precision.
Our first stop was at Akbar’s tomb. The guide described him as a man who lived simply and thought highly. I believe he was the 3rd Mughal emperor, and one of only 2 kings to be known as “The Great.” During his reign he founded a new religion which was based on all of the major world religions of the time. He wanted a place where he could get all of the positive learnings from each, instead of limiting himself to one. If the rest of his life was consistent with this approach, I can totally understand why he earned the title.
Our next stop was the Agra fort. The fort has been used by each governing or invading force since its creation and only 30% is open to tourist today because the other 70% is still an active military base. Also inside the fort are (were) the living quarters for the royal family. I thought it was interesting that there were actually 2 palaces, one for the summer and one for the winter. The summer palace had windows and ventilation and the winter palace did not. Also, because the women had to live behind a veil, all of the rooms and terraces and courtyards were especially spacious, so even behind a veil, they did not have to feel like they were living in a cell. The King also had the queen’s palaces designed in the architecture of her homeland so that she would be more comfortable in her new home. Things I had never really thought about before but made a lot of sense…
Our final monument stop was worth the wait. Mark Twain once said, “There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who have seen the Taj Mahal, and those who have not.” I have always wanted to, but never really dreamed I would. The experience was nothing I could have prepared for. I was giddy as we went in, but even from the gate, my first glance left me speechless and awestruck. Even now as I type this 3 days later, my throat is tight as I think about it. The spirit of this place, is overwhelming. I don’t know anything about architecture, or buildings or marble inlay – but I don’t really think that is what makes this such an awe inspiring place, even though I am told those are all some pretty impressive things. The building took 22 years to build and 20,000 pairs of hands worked on it every day. It was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal who died after giving birth to their 14th child. I found this quote from Shah Jahan that I think gives us some insight into just how he felt...

Should guilty seek asylum here,
Like one pardoned, he becomes free from sin.
Should a sinner make his way to this mansion,
All his past sins are to be washed away.
The sight of this mansion creates sorrowing sighs;
And the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes.
In this world this edifice has been made;
To display thereby the Creator's glory

I honestly can’t explain it, so I am going to stop trying.
On the ride home I became convinced that time stands still when you are travelling by bus in India. You keep driving, passing things, looking like you’re getting somewhere, but it is all a mirage. The trip between Delhi and Agra is like… 230 km, so 140 miles and took over 6 hours to get home. India is not nearly as interesting in the dark ;) It was worth every minute of it.

I found out this afternoon that because of a lack of communication, last night my driver reported to the office at 11p and waited until 7a for me. I had actually left at 9 for the previously mentioned dinner. I REALLY must tip him well at the end of this. I’m being told it’s not a big deal, but if I was left waiting for someone for 8 hours, I’d be livid. Of course, I probably also would have called one of the 3 numbers he had to clarify, but still, livid. He will probably be less than pleased that he is picking me up at the office at 11 tonight and will be reporting back to my hotel at 530 in the morning. Maybe they get used to stuff like that? I am spoiled by my very normal office hours. If my daily cab fare is about $6, what do you suppose the right amount of – I am so sorry – tip would be?
Ekta is the amazing admin who is helping me set up my “tourist” activities. She has arranged my trip to The Taj tomorrow and my shopping activities this weekend. The place I will be shopping is used to having foreigners, so I will not need a friend assigned and they will take my American plastic money. WOOT :)
I love the way everyone is watching out for me here. I am so excited about this trip tomorrow, but concerned about missing my cab or being late for the tour bus. I’m a worrier. I was just chatting with Neeraj (my assigned friend for the trip to Agra) and I didn’t even mention these concerns, but he asked if I had a local number so he can call and make sure that my cab picks me up on time. Since I don’t have a local number, he’s going to get my driver’s number so he can call him. He and his wife will be meeting me at the tour start in Delhi. I told him how much I appreciated him giving up his day off and he was so gracious about it – especially since they told him he could bring his wife he said it only mattered that they could spend their days off together (yes, they are newlyweds, I think half the people I’ve met are newlyweds) and that it is such a great sight to see, and he didn’t mind at all. Anyway, I just really appreciate all the interest and concern I have been given. I like to think I am an ok traveler, but when most of the people outside of work and the hotel don’t speak functional English, it kind of puts me at a loss.
Follow up – the driver picked me up 35 minutes late tonight. Of course it was the one night I didn’t have his number with me. Thanks again to the many kind souls playing phone tag so we could find him. His card will be in my wallet from now on, without fail.

The difference between office cleaning crews – in my home office I can leave just about anything, food, money, etc, on my desk and fully expect it to still be there when I come the next day. Last night, I left a bag of mini candy bars that I brought to share with the teams here. When I got here today, 3/4 of the full bag I left had been consumed. Lol, it’s not a big deal at all, and I am completely amused by it.
Random thoughts
~ I am in an office on floor 5 (or, the 6th story for anyone who lives in a country where there isn’t a floor 0) and there is a very large rodent trap in the corner. I guess they do live on every floor, but it just seems like they shouldn’t be an issue this high up.
~Last night, my car to work smelled like grandma style rose scented lotion
~I got really funny looks from the wait staff this morning when I was dipping my toast into my hot chocolate. Also, the hot chocolate was really tasty, a little sweeter than at home.
~I’ve been in the country for 4 days and I still have no local currency and have taken only 4 pictures.
~I tried out the hotel bakery this morning. I will not need to visit there again. While the sweet was great, there is nothing that tastes good enough to ruin the hard work I’ve put into to trying to change.
~The nokia ring tone is annoying in any country, but I find it amusing that here it is played on a different “instrument” here.
I went to dinner with the WFM managers tonight. They are hilarious. It reminds me of a time when my team and I were actually in the same place, and makes me a bit envious. Dinner was great. We went to a place called Barbeque Nation. It’s the Indian version of Rodizio Grill– EXCEPT – the endless supply of grilled chicken, fish, lamb, shrimp, and cheese and potatoes and mushrooms and corn and and and is JUST THE APPETIZER. I had a bit of the main course buffet just to say I did… about a fork full of everything… in the name of exploration. I did however pass completely on the dessert buffet. The team did encourage me to try the sweet that was brought to the table. In English it’s called “round, round, round, stop” It’s basically a very thin batter, that is drizzled into hot oil in the pattern of round, round, round, stop – then while it’s hot, dropped into a sugar syrup. So basically it turns into a bite of pure sugar. One was amazing, but 2 probably would have put me into diabetic shock, and I am not even a diabetic. It’s a week of fasting here, which means many people have given up meat and alcohol for a week. It is kind of nice not to be the only one not drinking :) at least for this weekend :)

Today I actually kind of feel like I am really here. I can actually get around the building with out getting lost (now if we can just get my access card working), I’ve gotten the hang of the hotel, and I kind of even have the driver figured out so that Shobhit won’t have to give me a ride home tonight. I love that these guys work most of their day before my other responsibilities are starting to wake up. It has given me a chance to really give most of my time to being here and understanding what it is I am here to try and help with. I spent most of the “morning” (1pm -5pm) out on the floor with the real time team. Some things are the same, no matter what – I think floor management is one of them. I am excited because I think there are a few things I think we can knock out for them pretty quick. I am gaining a lot of education from the WFM managers. I think I will hang out with the team tomorrow and see what we can see and I am way looking forward to tomorrow night – they are taking me out :) I think you can learn more about a person in one evening outside of work than months in the office.
Today I also got my first actual Indian food… I love Indian food, and Indian food IN India- well, it really is that much better. It’s like the difference between a Big Mac in England vs a Big Mac in the US… The poor UK burger doesn’t have a chance. Amit assigned Shobhit to make sure I get fed while I am here. Shobhit then assigned me to one of the TAs. For breakfast I had a Masala Dosa and lunch was Butter Chicken. Do NOT let the name fool you, it was not a piece of chicken with butter – more along the lines of a chicken curry or tiki masala. I have also been assigned a friend for my weekend trip to Agra. I was willing to do it alone, but I am actually very pleased that I won’t have to. My luck, I would totally get separated from the tour group and miss my bus back. I have most of the call center figured out – not most of the country ;)

It’s kind of strange the things you notice. For instance, I noticed that the water bottles at the hotel come with caps that cannot be made to look unopened once they are twisted (which I appreciated as water bottles were on the list of things to be aware of). I noticed only 3 cows on the drive from the airport to the hotel. Seeing cows on the road is a pretty normal thing for me, but it is less normal when they are on the freeway. Plus, these were classic Indian looking cows, which I think is cool. I thought it was interesting that the hotel arranged an “in room” check in for me. I am pretty sure they think it’s a luxury, but I would much rather just give them my information at the front desk. That being said, the hotel is lovely, and I think tomorrow I will check out the bakery. :)
I’m still trying to figure out my driver. Yesterday he came to pick me up before anyone actually called him, or at least before anyone confirmed the time. Today we confirmed a time, but he was there 45 minutes late. I do enjoy the ride to work. There are just SO many people to watch, and today as we came in there were many school children on the roads – yes, on – so that was fun to watch as well. I did have to laugh a little. There was a boy, probably 8 or 9, who was walking with a bright pink Hello Kitty backpack. It looked new, so I don’t think it was a hand me down, and you could tell by the look on his face that he hated that thing, and would trade it for a black or blue or green backpack in a heartbeat. I would have traded him but all I had was a purple laptop bag. I’m pretty sure that would not be seen as an improvement.
The people I have met are really great. I will probably tell you more about them… but for now, it is bed time.