I appear to be quite accident prone this week. Not only did I get a cut and a fatty, nasty lookin' bruise on my right shoulder from ultimate, I also ended up slightly injuring my quad and twisting my right ankle. I blame it 80% on the stupid unevenness of the sidewalks and 20% on my own idiocy =P. In any case, I was forced to hobble around all day and I missed another ultimate-in-monsoon-season session (huge bummer!)
In other news, my friend and I are hoping to create a bollywood parody short film...ah, the goals we set for ourselves in life. We've already brainstormed major themes, scenes, and characters. Now if only we could get to the execution phase...just a fun project that hopefully we'll be able to achieve before most of us have to leave =( I'm getting pretty bummed out about the idea of having to part with some of these people already. People on the fast track are heading to their new sites in two weeks and then I'll have to leave a bunch of good friends when I move to Hyderabad at the end of October. Booo, not enough time! Oh well...at least most of my new buddies got posted in Seattle with me so that should be fun!
We have yet another exam on Tuesday so it's crunch time. I feel like we're finally starting to learn something useful. I'm actually learning how to program things! I find it pretty fun (yes, I'm a huge nerd). It's just so satisfying when after all that programming , you compile, execute and everything works. It's so much better finally doing real WORK and real LEARNING rather than waiting around. Being in this sort of routine really makes me feel like I'm finally settling in. I'm working hard and still having fun so things are good. =)
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Weekend update, ultimate frisbee, and unit assignments
So it's been pretty hectic since getting back from Bangalore. Well, at least that's what it feels like. We left for Bangalore on Friday evening right after class ended. The drive took forever and 8 of us were all squashed in a sumo taxi - 1 person in the front with the driver, 3 in the middle, and 4 packed in the very back (with 2 and 2 facing each other). Of course, being one of the smaller people here I was stuffed in the back... It was an exhausting drive but definitely worth it. The driver got lost (multiple times throughout the entire trip, boo) but we stayed with my friend's uncle at his resort called the Tamarind Tree. It was AWESOME. The place was exactly what we needed for the perfect escape from the Infosys campus. There were two cabins which were both huge with a king size bed and gigantic bathroom...with both a shower inside and outside! I definitely used the outside shower in the morning and it was super cool. The resort also sported a small fish pond and crazy statues from various time periods that my friend's uncle had collected over the years. I've only been to a few places in India so far but I'm pretty sure this will be one of nicest places I've seen.
Not only were the lodging accomodations such a sweet deal...they also fed us! And it was authentic, totally delicious Indian food - so much better than Infosys cafeteria stuff! It makes me drool just thinking about it. The resort was so nice that we didn't even go into Bangalore on Sunday and opted just to stay and relax. We ended up playing Uno and hide-and-seek (which was especially awesome at the resort) and I learned how to play euker.
But otherwise, on Saturday we did go into Bangalore and shopped and ate, etc. I got a salwaar kameez which is a type of traditional Indian style clothing for women. I like it a lot but it needs some serious alterations which I am hoping to get done this weekend. We ended up eating at a restaurant called Just Oriental for lunch. It was reeeeallly good and I'm glad I finally got some relatively legit Chinese food (boy, do I miss Chinese food! And sushi! And In-and-Out! And everything!) For dinner we went to the Hard Rock Cafe just so we could get our hands on some hamburgers...yummy! They were quite delicious.
Coming back to the Mysore Infosys campus really made me go into food withdrawal. I believe I have successfully avoided the cafeterias since I've gotten back. I am so craving genuine, home-cooked Indian food right now. Back at school feels same old same old. The weather has been pretty cool lately though. I'm actually really loving living in a monsoon area. After class on Monday we planned on playing ultimate right before dinner (because it was much too hot at that immediate moment). But when we ventured out to the field you could tell that there were some dark clouds above and we were losing light. We played anyway. I ended up falling while diving for a pass in the end zone and I scraped up my shoulder. It's pretty bruised up right now. But right after this incident, it really started to rain and it was kinda funny cuz i had blood running down my arm (psh, as if I'm that hardcore). Our team was winning and everyone was really stoked about playing in the rain. And so we did. And it was great. I almost can't wait for us to get the chance again because playing ultimate in the rain is super fun. I think we stayed out for at least half an hour or more. It was getting pretty ridiculous by the end of the game because the rain only started falling harder. Awesomeness.
The other big news of the week is my unit assignment and US location!!! Today, they also informed us that they are paying us entirely in Indian rupees (which is a breach of their contract, but this is an entirely different story). However, I do have some sense of my future now. I have been assigned to the Enterprise Solutions unit which basically means I'm going to be consulting. This means that near the end of October I'm going to be relocated to Hyderabad for ES specific stream training...eep! I hear it's extremeley hot there and that there are far more mosquitos as well. I'm screwed. My only consolation is that most of my good friends here are also in the same unit and also going to Hyderabad so I should be in very good company. Not only that but most of my good friends and I were all assigned to the same US location....dun dun dun...Seattle! However, Infosys always gives the disclaimer that this is just a projection of where we will probably end up (but not for sure). Yay, how exciting! I finally have some picture of where I'll be in a year. Anyways, I was happy to find that we all ended up in the same place because that makes the assignment even better.
Alright, I think that's all I have to report for now. I have my first module test tomorrow so I'm guessing I should probably get some sleep. P.S. does anyone wanna send me some gummybear vitamins? I'm feeling undernourished! =P
Not only were the lodging accomodations such a sweet deal...they also fed us! And it was authentic, totally delicious Indian food - so much better than Infosys cafeteria stuff! It makes me drool just thinking about it. The resort was so nice that we didn't even go into Bangalore on Sunday and opted just to stay and relax. We ended up playing Uno and hide-and-seek (which was especially awesome at the resort) and I learned how to play euker.
But otherwise, on Saturday we did go into Bangalore and shopped and ate, etc. I got a salwaar kameez which is a type of traditional Indian style clothing for women. I like it a lot but it needs some serious alterations which I am hoping to get done this weekend. We ended up eating at a restaurant called Just Oriental for lunch. It was reeeeallly good and I'm glad I finally got some relatively legit Chinese food (boy, do I miss Chinese food! And sushi! And In-and-Out! And everything!) For dinner we went to the Hard Rock Cafe just so we could get our hands on some hamburgers...yummy! They were quite delicious.
Coming back to the Mysore Infosys campus really made me go into food withdrawal. I believe I have successfully avoided the cafeterias since I've gotten back. I am so craving genuine, home-cooked Indian food right now. Back at school feels same old same old. The weather has been pretty cool lately though. I'm actually really loving living in a monsoon area. After class on Monday we planned on playing ultimate right before dinner (because it was much too hot at that immediate moment). But when we ventured out to the field you could tell that there were some dark clouds above and we were losing light. We played anyway. I ended up falling while diving for a pass in the end zone and I scraped up my shoulder. It's pretty bruised up right now. But right after this incident, it really started to rain and it was kinda funny cuz i had blood running down my arm (psh, as if I'm that hardcore). Our team was winning and everyone was really stoked about playing in the rain. And so we did. And it was great. I almost can't wait for us to get the chance again because playing ultimate in the rain is super fun. I think we stayed out for at least half an hour or more. It was getting pretty ridiculous by the end of the game because the rain only started falling harder. Awesomeness.
The other big news of the week is my unit assignment and US location!!! Today, they also informed us that they are paying us entirely in Indian rupees (which is a breach of their contract, but this is an entirely different story). However, I do have some sense of my future now. I have been assigned to the Enterprise Solutions unit which basically means I'm going to be consulting. This means that near the end of October I'm going to be relocated to Hyderabad for ES specific stream training...eep! I hear it's extremeley hot there and that there are far more mosquitos as well. I'm screwed. My only consolation is that most of my good friends here are also in the same unit and also going to Hyderabad so I should be in very good company. Not only that but most of my good friends and I were all assigned to the same US location....dun dun dun...Seattle! However, Infosys always gives the disclaimer that this is just a projection of where we will probably end up (but not for sure). Yay, how exciting! I finally have some picture of where I'll be in a year. Anyways, I was happy to find that we all ended up in the same place because that makes the assignment even better.
Alright, I think that's all I have to report for now. I have my first module test tomorrow so I'm guessing I should probably get some sleep. P.S. does anyone wanna send me some gummybear vitamins? I'm feeling undernourished! =P
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Banglore
I'm extremely upset with Infosys right now. So far they have only proven to me that they are a highly inefficient and incompetent.
Also, I'm going to Bangalore this weekend.
Besides that, I am very grumpy and a bit homesick. That is all.
Also, I'm going to Bangalore this weekend.
Besides that, I am very grumpy and a bit homesick. That is all.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Not Living the C-LIFE
I got in trouble today. =( I tried to sneak into the boys' dorm because I wanted to play Wii and speed scrabble. I got caught. I wore baggy sweatpants, a big sweatshirt, and a baseball cap and I walked in with 5 guys. The security guard could still tell I was a girl. Boo. Which means I can't ever play Wii and I'll always have to force my friends to play games with me in the mosquito infested gazebo area. Right now, Infosys and all their crazy rules and all their extreme disorganization is really frustrating me. Anyway, my original idea was to sneak me in in a suitcase. Guess I probably shouldn't try that anymore...Boo again.
In other news, people from my batch are beginning to drop like flies...in the sense that even more people have been getting sick this week. Both of my neighbors are sick, one from food poisoning, the other from heart issues. I just know I'm next...eep! Knock on wood...
So ultimate has become my new favorite pastime here on the Infosys campus. Even though it's ridiculously humid and I sweat like crazy, I love, love, LOVE playing ultimate...especially since most of the other guys in the batch seem really into it as well. I hope to be coming back home with some brand new ultimate tricks...I've already learned a new move, woo woo! I'm quite proud of myself =)
In other news, people from my batch are beginning to drop like flies...in the sense that even more people have been getting sick this week. Both of my neighbors are sick, one from food poisoning, the other from heart issues. I just know I'm next...eep! Knock on wood...
So ultimate has become my new favorite pastime here on the Infosys campus. Even though it's ridiculously humid and I sweat like crazy, I love, love, LOVE playing ultimate...especially since most of the other guys in the batch seem really into it as well. I hope to be coming back home with some brand new ultimate tricks...I've already learned a new move, woo woo! I'm quite proud of myself =)
Monday, August 18, 2008
More Stuff I Want
Hey guys, here are some more things that I really, really need/want from home =(
Elizabeth Lam Emp. #113751
No. 350, Hebbal Electronics City
Hootagalli, Mysore - 570 018
India
Mobile phone #: 9741821595
I will be forever grateful to people who could accomplish this. I don't mean to sound needy or anything but I'm in desperation here! =P Thanks everyone!
- Oatmeal packets (like that one pack with Apple Cinnamon, Brown Sugar, and Cinnamon flavors, haha)
- BUG SPRAY!!! (I woke up this morning to find EIGHT mosquito bites all on my right elbow...omg, I'm going to get malaria)
- A candle
- Ramen
- Hydrocortisone
Elizabeth Lam Emp. #113751
No. 350, Hebbal Electronics City
Hootagalli, Mysore - 570 018
India
Mobile phone #: 9741821595
I will be forever grateful to people who could accomplish this. I don't mean to sound needy or anything but I'm in desperation here! =P Thanks everyone!
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Hume Infosys ja na he!
Yesterday we finally left the Infosys campus and went into Mysore city! We took 3 seven-person taxis as a caravan to get there. Driving through the city reminded me a bit of China (of course), especially the more undeveloped parts (like Jingdezhen!) There are very few sidewalks, and although there appear to be several buildings that line all the streets, everything looks run-down and old. Even though Mysore is a "small" town, the roads are crazy busy with people and the driving is as insane as Shanghai.
Our first stop was the Maharaja's Palace at the center of Mysore. The palace was actually built fairly recently (I think late 1800s, early 1900s) so lots of the architecture had obvious foreign influences. In order to go inside, we were required to take off our shoes, which was a bit nervewracking for me. Especially since getting from the main part of the palace to the nearby temple forced us to walk through an area that was scattered with camel poop...eep! We had to pass by elephants and camels giving tourists rides which explained all of the crap everywhere. But after gingerly maneuvering through the grounds we set off towards our next destination...lunch!
My friend suggested a restaurant inside a nice hotel, the Hotel Regalis, which he had eaten at before. When we arrived, we discovered the price for a buffet lunch was a whole 420 rupees...so expensive! (420 rupees ends up being about $10 U.S. dollars...haha, I know, we're such ballers for eating at such a pricey restaurant). It was pretty worth it because we finally got real vegetables and boneless meat and other such goodies. But my favorite thing there - naan! I don't know why but they do NOT have naan on campus which absolutely sucks, since I love naan. Apparently it's more of a north Indian cuisine. Oh well.
By the time we finished it was pouring rain outside (it is monsoon season after all, I suppose). Even so, we continued on our Mysore journey as the 3 cabs split up to do various activities. I ended up going shopping and after much walking around in the mud and rain I was ended up buying a pair of running shoes (yay, I can finally play ultimate without hurting myself...maybe). I also found a nice collered shirt/jacket thing which was quite exciting (the reason being, on Mondays through Thursday girls' dress code is collared shirts only - and since I only have about 7 of them, I'm going to end up with an extremeley limited wardrobe).
At dinner time we tried to find a "Chinese" restaurant but when friends reported back to what they had seen of the the kitchen, half of us immediately left and went to Pizza Hut instead, haha. It was around this time that I started to pester my other friend to teach me some Hindi...so I know I know a handful of words, yay! And hopefully he'll be willing to keep teaching me - we'll see how much I manage to retain by the time I get back =)
We got back to the Infosys campus around 9...just in time to catch the movie at the multiplex! And guess what tonight's showing was? Kung Fu Panda! Woo! So I have now officially seen that movie four times in theaters...I think that's a record for me. But watching with an Indian audience is certainly a different experience. Since the multiplex on campus only shows movies on weekends and since they only have two choices - one Hindi movie and one English movie - the theater was packed. And when Indian crowds watch movies, they cheer at EVERYTHING. If the panda did something funny - claps and cheers. If Oogway said something deep - claps and cheers. It was awesome...haha.
When we got out, we spotted a crab, of all things walking around near the sidewalk. We were so intrigued that we followed it around taking pictures and generally attracting attention. So much so that an old-ish man started watching the crab beside us and suddenly took off his sandal and squashed it! I was so surprised and freaked out I literally screamed and ran away. It was so bizarre...LOL.
Anyway, today I tried to sleep in but apparently my body hates me and refuses to sleep. I also realized that I've gotten down to my very last granola bar...nooo!! Which reminds that I should now post a list of things that I would like in case anybody is interested in sending care packages hee hee!
Our first stop was the Maharaja's Palace at the center of Mysore. The palace was actually built fairly recently (I think late 1800s, early 1900s) so lots of the architecture had obvious foreign influences. In order to go inside, we were required to take off our shoes, which was a bit nervewracking for me. Especially since getting from the main part of the palace to the nearby temple forced us to walk through an area that was scattered with camel poop...eep! We had to pass by elephants and camels giving tourists rides which explained all of the crap everywhere. But after gingerly maneuvering through the grounds we set off towards our next destination...lunch!
My friend suggested a restaurant inside a nice hotel, the Hotel Regalis, which he had eaten at before. When we arrived, we discovered the price for a buffet lunch was a whole 420 rupees...so expensive! (420 rupees ends up being about $10 U.S. dollars...haha, I know, we're such ballers for eating at such a pricey restaurant). It was pretty worth it because we finally got real vegetables and boneless meat and other such goodies. But my favorite thing there - naan! I don't know why but they do NOT have naan on campus which absolutely sucks, since I love naan. Apparently it's more of a north Indian cuisine. Oh well.
By the time we finished it was pouring rain outside (it is monsoon season after all, I suppose). Even so, we continued on our Mysore journey as the 3 cabs split up to do various activities. I ended up going shopping and after much walking around in the mud and rain I was ended up buying a pair of running shoes (yay, I can finally play ultimate without hurting myself...maybe). I also found a nice collered shirt/jacket thing which was quite exciting (the reason being, on Mondays through Thursday girls' dress code is collared shirts only - and since I only have about 7 of them, I'm going to end up with an extremeley limited wardrobe).
At dinner time we tried to find a "Chinese" restaurant but when friends reported back to what they had seen of the the kitchen, half of us immediately left and went to Pizza Hut instead, haha. It was around this time that I started to pester my other friend to teach me some Hindi...so I know I know a handful of words, yay! And hopefully he'll be willing to keep teaching me - we'll see how much I manage to retain by the time I get back =)
We got back to the Infosys campus around 9...just in time to catch the movie at the multiplex! And guess what tonight's showing was? Kung Fu Panda! Woo! So I have now officially seen that movie four times in theaters...I think that's a record for me. But watching with an Indian audience is certainly a different experience. Since the multiplex on campus only shows movies on weekends and since they only have two choices - one Hindi movie and one English movie - the theater was packed. And when Indian crowds watch movies, they cheer at EVERYTHING. If the panda did something funny - claps and cheers. If Oogway said something deep - claps and cheers. It was awesome...haha.
When we got out, we spotted a crab, of all things walking around near the sidewalk. We were so intrigued that we followed it around taking pictures and generally attracting attention. So much so that an old-ish man started watching the crab beside us and suddenly took off his sandal and squashed it! I was so surprised and freaked out I literally screamed and ran away. It was so bizarre...LOL.
Anyway, today I tried to sleep in but apparently my body hates me and refuses to sleep. I also realized that I've gotten down to my very last granola bar...nooo!! Which reminds that I should now post a list of things that I would like in case anybody is interested in sending care packages hee hee!
- SNACKS - good, American or Asian ones. Anything that you think I might like and that isn't spicy!
- Granola bars are always a good fallback
- Spam and seaweed. It would be cool if I could somehow make spamusubi
- SOY SAUCE (but I only need one or two bottles)
- Basketball shorts or shorts that cover my knees!
- Vegetables or meat somehow...
- Collared shirts and tank tops (totally unreasonable, I know haha)
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Weekend!
Today is Indian Independence Day so we get a three day weekend! Woo hoo, holidays already! A lot of the locals seemed to have left the campus for the long weekend to visit their homes. We considered traveling as well but realized that there might be a lot of things closed because of the holiday. So instead we planned a trip into Mysore city tomorrow. So far we plan on visiting Mysore palace and going shopping (apparently a lot of other people need shoes, like me!)
But in any case, today is a completely free day! There will definitely be lots of ultimate and other play occurring. It's nice because we haven't actually started our computer science training yet and so there hasn't actually been that much work to do. We're still in "soft skills" training, which apparently consists of the same presentation over and over and over again - lots of stuff about values and ethics, etc., etc...
In any case, yesterday I had an exciting moment when I found an Indian meal that I could actually eat and that I actually liked! I think it was called cholay bathuri...mmm...so delicious. Finally, something to eat around here besides Dominos pizza! Alright, time to start the weekend!
But in any case, today is a completely free day! There will definitely be lots of ultimate and other play occurring. It's nice because we haven't actually started our computer science training yet and so there hasn't actually been that much work to do. We're still in "soft skills" training, which apparently consists of the same presentation over and over and over again - lots of stuff about values and ethics, etc., etc...
In any case, yesterday I had an exciting moment when I found an Indian meal that I could actually eat and that I actually liked! I think it was called cholay bathuri...mmm...so delicious. Finally, something to eat around here besides Dominos pizza! Alright, time to start the weekend!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Phone...Finally!
I have finally obtained a sim card for my phone so now you can write "Mobile phone #: 9741821595" on any packages coming this way. Yay!
Today they had french toast and hard boiled eggs at the floating restaurant which was quite a pleasant surprise...food that I can actually eat! Other than that, today was yet another uneventful day full of presentations and administrative paperwork stuff. Although it did seem to pass by faster since we occupied ourselves with various sudoku and various other games...oops.
I did meet my local "buddy" here at Mysore. Her name is Ann and she is super nice. She seems really eager to help me out and show me around so hopefully I'll get a chance to see her again. It will be super helpful to get a local's perspective here. She has already warned us not to go into Mysore this Friday because it is Independence Day and it is sure to be crowded, half closed, and have heightened security. Perhaps Saturday instead? I'm desperately in need of some real running/sport shoes/sneakers...
I also learned how to play carrom today! It's like a mix between pool and mah jong but it can really start to hurt your fingers after awhile! Perhaps if we get the chance to practice more I'll get better...
Today they had french toast and hard boiled eggs at the floating restaurant which was quite a pleasant surprise...food that I can actually eat! Other than that, today was yet another uneventful day full of presentations and administrative paperwork stuff. Although it did seem to pass by faster since we occupied ourselves with various sudoku and various other games...oops.
I did meet my local "buddy" here at Mysore. Her name is Ann and she is super nice. She seems really eager to help me out and show me around so hopefully I'll get a chance to see her again. It will be super helpful to get a local's perspective here. She has already warned us not to go into Mysore this Friday because it is Independence Day and it is sure to be crowded, half closed, and have heightened security. Perhaps Saturday instead? I'm desperately in need of some real running/sport shoes/sneakers...
I also learned how to play carrom today! It's like a mix between pool and mah jong but it can really start to hurt your fingers after awhile! Perhaps if we get the chance to practice more I'll get better...
Monday, August 11, 2008
First Day of Work!
So this is what my mailing address is/should be...hopefully it works! They just gave it to us.
Elizabeth Lam Emp. #113751
No. 350, Hebbal Electronics City
Hootagalli, Mysore - 570 018
India
However, it might be easier for stuff to get to me if you also write down my mobile phone number on the package. I haven't gotten a phone yet but hopefully that will be soon to come! So don't send stuff until I get this!
Anyway, Monday was our first day of "work" although really we spent the day listening to various Heads in the company wanting to welcome us into the "Infosys Family". Rather uneventful, a bit disorganized, and boy, do I get hungry a lot during the day. Which is unfortunate because "Eatables are not allowed in the classroom". The schedule for today appears similar to yesterday's...sigh. Which makes it rather unfortunate that I keep waking up much earlier than I intend to...still not over the jet-lag, apparently!
Today we tried out the food court for the first time and it was then that I realized how awesome the "shi tang" was at good ol' Fudan U. Oh my goodness, just thinking about the meals I used to get there makes my mouth water...pre-made plates of meat and veggies that they would cook on the spot, hot plates, xiao long bao... Not to mention it was as easy as swiping your card instead of having to wait in line to buy a coupon (cash only) for a dish that you're totally unfamiliar with. I think a lot of people in our "batch" (especially the non-Indians) are having similar sentiments. Like someone else said earlier, I eat because I'm hungry, not because I want to. =(
Anyway, enough about food. Everything else is still pretty awesome. I'm meeting a bunch of awesome people and it's fun just hanging out - ultimate, mafia, bowling, or reading the hilarious self-help books of the "Life Coach" on campus (I have to bring home one of her books for you guys to read...it's just great).
Elizabeth Lam Emp. #113751
No. 350, Hebbal Electronics City
Hootagalli, Mysore - 570 018
India
However, it might be easier for stuff to get to me if you also write down my mobile phone number on the package. I haven't gotten a phone yet but hopefully that will be soon to come! So don't send stuff until I get this!
Anyway, Monday was our first day of "work" although really we spent the day listening to various Heads in the company wanting to welcome us into the "Infosys Family". Rather uneventful, a bit disorganized, and boy, do I get hungry a lot during the day. Which is unfortunate because "Eatables are not allowed in the classroom". The schedule for today appears similar to yesterday's...sigh. Which makes it rather unfortunate that I keep waking up much earlier than I intend to...still not over the jet-lag, apparently!
Today we tried out the food court for the first time and it was then that I realized how awesome the "shi tang" was at good ol' Fudan U. Oh my goodness, just thinking about the meals I used to get there makes my mouth water...pre-made plates of meat and veggies that they would cook on the spot, hot plates, xiao long bao... Not to mention it was as easy as swiping your card instead of having to wait in line to buy a coupon (cash only) for a dish that you're totally unfamiliar with. I think a lot of people in our "batch" (especially the non-Indians) are having similar sentiments. Like someone else said earlier, I eat because I'm hungry, not because I want to. =(
Anyway, enough about food. Everything else is still pretty awesome. I'm meeting a bunch of awesome people and it's fun just hanging out - ultimate, mafia, bowling, or reading the hilarious self-help books of the "Life Coach" on campus (I have to bring home one of her books for you guys to read...it's just great).
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Food
So I know I joked about it a lot but now I realize that I am truly screwed when it comes to food. Yes, the food here IS spicy for me. But I don't think that's really it. I just have no appetite for Indian food anymore...and that SUCKS. My stomach is grumbly but when I get a plate of food I just don't feel happy eating it! =( Hopefully my body will get used to this diet. But for now, I'm sooo hungry...send me American snacks!
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Whoa, India!
Hi everyone! I'm attempting to start this blog with the hopes that I'll be more successful with this one than I was with my China blog and keep you all updated on my adventures overseas. =P
So after over 24 hours in transit, I've finally made it to Mysore, India! I left San Diego very, very, VERY early on Wednesday morning and flew out to Atlanta, Georgia for the kickoff party that Infosys was hosting for its new recruits. We spent the day there doing meeting each other, doing team building activities, and learning about "cultural sensitivity", haha. That particular presentation really made me nostalgic for China (apparently, Indian drivers are crazy too!) although they are definitely more conservative over here. After all of the business they let explore the Virginia Highlands in Atlanta (although really, I was a zombie at this point, after waking up at 4am that morning).
Friday was the big departure day where they shipped all of us off at the same time to India. After a long stint of downtime at the Atlanta International Airport (which was filled with playing several rounds of "Spoons" - and yes, we actually grabbed a bunch of plastic spoons from the food court and even transported them to subsequent destinations in preparation for subsequent games =P), we were finally off. We first flew about 8 hours to Frankfurt, Germany, had another couple hours of downtime (also filled with "Spoons") and then flew another 8-ish hours to Bangalore, India. From here, we boarded two buses and filled a good-sized truck with all of our luggage. It took us another 4 bumpy hours to reach our final destination at the Infosys training campus. That particular journey reminded me so much of driving around Vietnam. The types of buildings and living conditions are similar to what you would see there. The roads have random bumps to check your speed. Even the tropical-type plants look the same as we drove through highly undeveloped areas. It may sound kind of weird, but it even smelled kind of like Vietnam or the more rural places in China. By the time we had arrived at our final destination, it was approximately 5am on Saturday morning. I had officially lost Friday =P.
After a long check-in process, we finally had a chance to grab a small bite to eat and head for our homes for the next few months. I'm sitting in my room and it reminds me almost exactly like China except for one very important difference - no roommate! =( My room actually has two beds (originally they were meant as doubles) so it makes this room feel even bigger. For those who know how my China dorm room was like, it looks pretty much the same except a little backward and more space (pictures soon to follow). The beds are even the same! Practically wood boards, except for a small layer of padding (although I have to admit, this one has more padding than China did, haha).
You would think that by this time, after finally having to chance to sleep in a real bed after a day of travel, that I would knock-out and sleep forever. Not the case. Me and several others were convinced that if we stayed awake for most of Saturday that we could make a faster transition to the Indian time zone. Thus, I set off to explore the campus with some of my new buddies. This Infosys campus is truly awesome. It's huge and has pretty much everything we need. I spent the morning discovering gym facilities which include a pool, tennis courts, volleyball courts, basketball courts, ping pong tables, billiards, bowling, workout room...everything! We bowled for a couple of rounds before setting off to find food. From there, a game of ultimate frisbee ensued (I believe this is going to be a common thing amongst us) and then a few mafia games before dinner (sound familiar, anyone?). After finally getting my last meal of the day in, I was free to knock-out! Which is how I explain why I'm here, blogging at 5am Sunday morning seeing as I did get in my 8 hours of sleep. How unfortunate!
A few points that some of you may be wondering/ might be interested in:
Anyway, I hope you guys are all doing great! I miss you all and can't wait until we're reunited again! =)
So after over 24 hours in transit, I've finally made it to Mysore, India! I left San Diego very, very, VERY early on Wednesday morning and flew out to Atlanta, Georgia for the kickoff party that Infosys was hosting for its new recruits. We spent the day there doing meeting each other, doing team building activities, and learning about "cultural sensitivity", haha. That particular presentation really made me nostalgic for China (apparently, Indian drivers are crazy too!) although they are definitely more conservative over here. After all of the business they let explore the Virginia Highlands in Atlanta (although really, I was a zombie at this point, after waking up at 4am that morning).
Friday was the big departure day where they shipped all of us off at the same time to India. After a long stint of downtime at the Atlanta International Airport (which was filled with playing several rounds of "Spoons" - and yes, we actually grabbed a bunch of plastic spoons from the food court and even transported them to subsequent destinations in preparation for subsequent games =P), we were finally off. We first flew about 8 hours to Frankfurt, Germany, had another couple hours of downtime (also filled with "Spoons") and then flew another 8-ish hours to Bangalore, India. From here, we boarded two buses and filled a good-sized truck with all of our luggage. It took us another 4 bumpy hours to reach our final destination at the Infosys training campus. That particular journey reminded me so much of driving around Vietnam. The types of buildings and living conditions are similar to what you would see there. The roads have random bumps to check your speed. Even the tropical-type plants look the same as we drove through highly undeveloped areas. It may sound kind of weird, but it even smelled kind of like Vietnam or the more rural places in China. By the time we had arrived at our final destination, it was approximately 5am on Saturday morning. I had officially lost Friday =P.
After a long check-in process, we finally had a chance to grab a small bite to eat and head for our homes for the next few months. I'm sitting in my room and it reminds me almost exactly like China except for one very important difference - no roommate! =( My room actually has two beds (originally they were meant as doubles) so it makes this room feel even bigger. For those who know how my China dorm room was like, it looks pretty much the same except a little backward and more space (pictures soon to follow). The beds are even the same! Practically wood boards, except for a small layer of padding (although I have to admit, this one has more padding than China did, haha).
You would think that by this time, after finally having to chance to sleep in a real bed after a day of travel, that I would knock-out and sleep forever. Not the case. Me and several others were convinced that if we stayed awake for most of Saturday that we could make a faster transition to the Indian time zone. Thus, I set off to explore the campus with some of my new buddies. This Infosys campus is truly awesome. It's huge and has pretty much everything we need. I spent the morning discovering gym facilities which include a pool, tennis courts, volleyball courts, basketball courts, ping pong tables, billiards, bowling, workout room...everything! We bowled for a couple of rounds before setting off to find food. From there, a game of ultimate frisbee ensued (I believe this is going to be a common thing amongst us) and then a few mafia games before dinner (sound familiar, anyone?). After finally getting my last meal of the day in, I was free to knock-out! Which is how I explain why I'm here, blogging at 5am Sunday morning seeing as I did get in my 8 hours of sleep. How unfortunate!
A few points that some of you may be wondering/ might be interested in:
- In this particular US "batch" of Infosys recruits, there are 57 people total. Only 9 of us are girls. Of this number, I would estimate that about a third of us are Indian and the rest are white or Asian. (Amongst the nine girls, 4 are Asian and the rest are Indian...just to get a sense of the demographic.)
- I mentioned above that India seems much more conservative than China. At least, that's how it appears here on the Infosys campus. Here are a few of the rules: Girls and guys do not live in the same dorm. It takes about 10 minutes to walk to the guys' dorm. Alcohol is prohibited everywhere on campus. As a girl, I'm probably not allowed to wear shorts that go too much above the knee. Plunging necklines are definitely out of the question and even tank tops are questionable attire (even on casual days). Although I haven't seen the effects of this yet, there appears to be a curfew for getting back on the Infosys campus: 9:30pm for weekdays, 11:30pm on weekends.
- But even with all the restrictions, we are hooked-up. Like I said before, I get this double room all to myself. My dorm is actually more like a hotel room because it gets cleaned reguarly (and not by myself =P). Since we're from the US, we get a lot of free food for the first week. Not that it really matters because meals here are CHEAP. I think to get a meal at the food courts here, it costs on average, less than 25 cents.
- However, the food IS spicy - at least for me. I've been eating the food that's supposed to introduce us to Indian food. In other words, it bland in comparison. I'm screwed.
- Security on this campus is TIGHT. There are security guards EVERYWHERE and they have already become infamous amongst us Americans for their warning whistles. In fact, I can here some security whistling at someone right now... And they are strict about a lot of stuff. Like requiring you to walk on the sidewalk at all times. I think the security at the gates to the campus even do a thorough search of all vehicles that enter the campus. We also don't get wireless in our rooms due to security reasons. Later this morning, I also have to get 25 passport photos and make 8 copies of all non-blank pages of my passport for the Infosys administration - a bit ridiculous.
- A lot of you may be wondering where exactly I'm going to end up when I get back to the States. Apparently, we don't even find this out until 3 months later. We have to wait 3 months to determine where we're going to end up, what department we'll be in, what program track we'll go on, and what project we're going to take. So yes...still in the dark about my future situation.
- I also do not yet know what my mailing address is here. I have to note that whatever is sent to me will probably be searched twice: once by Indian customs and again by Infosys. However, unless it's something highly suspicious, it should reach me.
Anyway, I hope you guys are all doing great! I miss you all and can't wait until we're reunited again! =)
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