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| I don't recall the building leaning like it seems in the photo - but it might be correct |
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| laundry hanging on the windows |
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| great views of your neighbours |
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| typical street scene |
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Final Photos - the buildings
My last day
Well today is my last day in India and my flight leaves at midnight.
The past few days have been a hectic series of meetings that would not be believed in a western business setting. The project manager leading one meeting with several senior executives in attendence, showed up having sent out the important "pre-reading" material one hour before the meeting. Provided no additional copies of the documents, and he was unable to get the beamer working to show the documents to anyone. We all crowded around the one available hard copy (his). To add to the confusion it was a video conference with a poor sound connection to a group in Sri Lanka and the signal kept dropping out every 15 minutes.
I spent most of my time however locked in a room with 20 Indians. I lead the meeting for a marathon 1.5 days. Often I would put my head in my hands and give a silent sob. The meetings are complete chaos. They jump from topic to topic as any random thought enters their heads. There are so many hidden agendas and personal grudges against one another it is actually amazing the company functions at all. Between meetings senior people pull me aside to tell me what is "really" going on because they don't want to say it in the meeting. I listen sympathetically and nod my head while counting the hours until I leave.
At least it is definitely not boring.
The past few days have been a hectic series of meetings that would not be believed in a western business setting. The project manager leading one meeting with several senior executives in attendence, showed up having sent out the important "pre-reading" material one hour before the meeting. Provided no additional copies of the documents, and he was unable to get the beamer working to show the documents to anyone. We all crowded around the one available hard copy (his). To add to the confusion it was a video conference with a poor sound connection to a group in Sri Lanka and the signal kept dropping out every 15 minutes.
I spent most of my time however locked in a room with 20 Indians. I lead the meeting for a marathon 1.5 days. Often I would put my head in my hands and give a silent sob. The meetings are complete chaos. They jump from topic to topic as any random thought enters their heads. There are so many hidden agendas and personal grudges against one another it is actually amazing the company functions at all. Between meetings senior people pull me aside to tell me what is "really" going on because they don't want to say it in the meeting. I listen sympathetically and nod my head while counting the hours until I leave.
At least it is definitely not boring.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Some of the sites around town
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| A wonderful view of the swamp next to the hotel. Last year two fishermen were eaten by crocks in it |
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| "The accessibility to the Dargah is very much dependent on the tides. As, the causeway is not bound by railings, when the causeway gets submerged during the tides high tides it becomes inaccessible. Therefore, the dargah is accessible only during low tide. This walk on the causeway, with the sea on both sides, is one of the highlights of a trip to the shrine." - Looking at it from a distance, I would say the walk would be the only thing of interest. |
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| The slum next to my hotel - a nice view down into it. It looks like one of the more up and coming slums |
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| The Gateway of India built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to Bombay, in December 1911. Unfortunately the British king and Queen only got to see a cardboard model of the structure as construction did not begin till 1915 - Typical for India |
The food - the good the bad and the ugly.
Indian food is an interesting topic. One must keep in mind that like all food it is the Good, the Bad and The Ugly. From a Western perspective, the Good is quite different from what the Indians believe is good. I quickly learned that the wonderful Indian food I had in London is not really "Indian food" but rather a westernized version of the best of it.
Here I am exposed to a variety of local food at the office restaurant that I best describe as Mushy veggies. All of which is indescribable and none of my kids would eat a bit of it. I rate this as the "ugly" and by the way most of it sets my mouth aflame.
An exception on the normal Indian fair, is my dinner this evening. At the buffet in the hotel it was a slow night and one of the Chef's approached me and asked if I would be interested in trying "xasdlf?+"*çkaöly" Being in a sociable mood I asked him to serve me his best. Which he did. It was wonderful and the Chef enjoyed my praise. Yet the rest of the Indian food on the buffet was quite poor by comparison (and extremely hot).
One night of Indian food is enough. Tomorrow I head to the Italian restaurant...
Here I am exposed to a variety of local food at the office restaurant that I best describe as Mushy veggies. All of which is indescribable and none of my kids would eat a bit of it. I rate this as the "ugly" and by the way most of it sets my mouth aflame.
An exception on the normal Indian fair, is my dinner this evening. At the buffet in the hotel it was a slow night and one of the Chef's approached me and asked if I would be interested in trying "xasdlf?+"*çkaöly" Being in a sociable mood I asked him to serve me his best. Which he did. It was wonderful and the Chef enjoyed my praise. Yet the rest of the Indian food on the buffet was quite poor by comparison (and extremely hot).
One night of Indian food is enough. Tomorrow I head to the Italian restaurant...
Monday, April 2, 2012
My driver
After spending two days with my driver I have already formed an opinion of him, and it is not a favourable one. I don't recall his name, which you may think is rude of me but given the unusual names here in India, I doubt most of you would be able to remember his name. Anyhow, I have been watching him closely and believe he is of low character. My first indication is that he deliberately attempts to run down any pedestrian on the street. I don't believe he would actually run over the person, but he cuts it pretty close. He has gone so far as to go out of his way to scare pedestrians off the street. He does it also with other cars or motorcycles that he believes are crossing into his territory. This evening I awoke from my daze in the back seat as he pulled into a gas station. I immediately thought "the lazy bastard" he had 8 hrs to himself (waiting for me) and he didn't bother to fill up! However, he then started to lean on the horn to scare people out of the way, at which time I noticed he was taking a short cut through the gas station - clever fellow.
I was quite disappointed with him this morning. I found out at 7am that I was to report for a breakfast meeting in downtown Mumbai ( 1hr away - with good traffic). When he arrives I ask him to take me to a certain hotel and he eagerly agrees, but it later becomes evident that he has no idea where this hotel is. Rather than admit this, he tries to suggest that I go to another hotel (same name) which is closer. Eventually I give up and tell him to take me to the original destination which he knows. I can see the relief in his face, as he wasn't quite sure how to handle the situation.
On Sunday on the way back from Mumbai, I asked him to take me to a barber and he told me that he didn't know any barber's in this area and I should wait until the next day. He said that he only knew barbers in another area of town - very far away - or so he said. Sure there are only 1 million people within 2 km, but no barbers.
I was quite disappointed with him this morning. I found out at 7am that I was to report for a breakfast meeting in downtown Mumbai ( 1hr away - with good traffic). When he arrives I ask him to take me to a certain hotel and he eagerly agrees, but it later becomes evident that he has no idea where this hotel is. Rather than admit this, he tries to suggest that I go to another hotel (same name) which is closer. Eventually I give up and tell him to take me to the original destination which he knows. I can see the relief in his face, as he wasn't quite sure how to handle the situation.
On Sunday on the way back from Mumbai, I asked him to take me to a barber and he told me that he didn't know any barber's in this area and I should wait until the next day. He said that he only knew barbers in another area of town - very far away - or so he said. Sure there are only 1 million people within 2 km, but no barbers.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Mumbai - downtown photos
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| Panaramic at Gate of India - Hotel attacked by terrorists to right |
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| The crowds |
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| Family living on the street |
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| my ride... |
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