Friday, November 5, 2010
Sorry
Sorry that this blogg has been so sparse. As my friend Nathan has informed me, "your blogg sucks." I was expecting to have a lot more down time while here in India then I actually do so I have not posted nearly as much as I expected to. I am also new to this blogging thing so I am having a hard time getting into it. But with two weeks to go in India I'll see if I can't find some time to make some more posts about India and my experiences.
Mysore Palace
I went to Mysore Palace this past weekend with my Fiance. Here is the link to some photos of the trip.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Friday, September 10, 2010
2 Weeks down
I have been in India for just over two weeks now! I am sorry that I am not doing a better job of updating the blog. I have been surprisingly busy and I am still taking everything in.
Traffic
The traffic here is soooo different from the states. I mentioned it before in an earlier post but I am going to try an explain it some more because it is such a large part of the experience. I am going to try and do a video later to give you a better idea of what it is like. There is so much chaos and randomness to India traffic. Cars share the road with large buses, construction vehicles, motorcycles, scooters, bicycles, rickshaws, people, cows, etc. There is no sense of obeying any type of traffic laws. Cars will just stop in the road when they get to where they want to go. Each moment on the road is a game of chicken. Who is willing to take the risk and drive in front of another car. It can feel a bit claustrophobic on the road since there are so many motorcycles weaving in and around cars. They come right up to the cars too. The other day a motorcycle even hit our car. Our driver just exchange a look with the motorcyclist that said 'why did you try to get through that gap? I was already there' and kept going.
All this craziness seems to work most of the time which is something I don't think an American could understand. Sometimes it does have consequences though. The first week I was here I witnessed a woman and her baby get hit by a car. Construction was going on in the road going the opposite direction we were. When they do construction on the road, they just pull up and start working. They don't car they the road going that direction is completely blocked. Because of this cars were going down our road in the opposite direction of traffic. A woman holding her baby was crossing the road. She stepped out only looking in the direction that she expected to see traffic. She didn't realize cars were going both ways on that street. She stepped right out into the road and into car. She smashed in the windshield and flew back rolling a flipping a few times. She was able to protect her baby from the impact and only dropped the baby at the very end of her rolling. It is one of the craziest and most horrific things I have ever seen. But she did stand up immediately from it, though crying and screaming. People from all around rushed over to help her. Interesting tidbit on how the people of India handle situations like this. Since there really isn't much of a police force to deal with these instances, the people who witness the crash gang up on the person responsible and beat him up. So usually after an accident the person at fault has to flee the scene to avoid being beaten. At least this is what I am told. The whole thing was tough to take in and made me want to leave India. After thinking about it for a few days and digesting it I realize pain and accidents like this are happening all around the world including back in California. I just happen to be in a place to witness it here within my first week. It is just another reminder that we are not guaranteed to live to the next day, no matter where we live.
FRRO
I had to register for working in India the other day. I was gone for about 12 hours to do this. It was like the DMV, but 100 times worse. We got there around 10am, although the company that helps us with this process had people waiting in line since 6am for us! I had to hand some guy a stack of 20 or so sheets of papers that had been prepared for me. He stamped them and signed them and I got a ticket number. We then sat around for about 1.5 hours till my ticket number was up. I had to go into the room and fight through a group of people to get to one of the 3 men that were checking of the papers. Once I did that I went to another room to get another signature and then into a line to hand in all my signed papers. Once I did that they gave me a sheet and told me to come back in the evening. So I went over to the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch and then walked around and explored some of Bangalore. The guys told us to come back at 5. They would be getting us better spots so that we wouldn't have to wait all day to get our papers. We came at 5 and waited to get in. I got into the main room where you had to wait in the line with your number. Though I am pretty sure I got in before I was suppose to. Everything was so chaotic and random. There was some yelling and arguing between a few guys before I managed my way into the place. Then I got to stand in line for a good hour. Someone in my line had some issues with their papers. I watched probably more than 50 people in the other lines go up and get their papers in the time that my line did not move because of this one guy with issues. Eventually they got it sorted out and my line started moving though. I have my registration and now I am allowed to leave the country though.
Whitefield vs India
I am working in an area known as Whitefield. It is a good hour to two hours outside of downtown Bangalore and is very different from the main part of the city. I think the best comparison would be Simi Valley in LA. There is a lot more money here and less traffic. There are nice restaurants and large shopping areas. Even though I have been here for 2 weeks I really haven't experienced India yet. I am living in the bubble of Whitefield expat life. Up until a few days ago the most authentic Indian food I had eaten was Pizza Hut. I have had great sushi, and crepes, lasagna, t-bone steak, burgers, etc. I think you get the idea. There is a large issue with sanitation in India so part of the reason for eating this way is that I am eating at fancier places where I am less likely to get sick. I have to drink bottled water only and most people even use bottle water for brushing their teeth. I have to avoid leafy greens for the most part. Though I did eat 3 salads last week (at fancy restaurants) Besides eating lots of great food at fancy restaurants, I have been enjoying other things like massages. I've gotten two so far already.
Money
U.S. money is worth a lot here. It is interesting how the cost of things work though. Because of the high import taxes some things are more expensive and then because of wanting to eat at places with better sanitation, things get a bit pricier. Electronics and Alcoholic cost about 1.2-2 times as much here as they do in the states. This means that they are crazy expensive for the average person in Bangalore. Imported cars like BMW's are sold at twice the cost because of the import tax. Food can be super cheap though. A large bottle of water is about 15 rupees, which is around 30 cents. I went to Subway today and got a sandwich and drink for about 2 bucks. A latte or mocha is usually around 80 cents. But if I eat at my hotel, a coffee is around 4 dollars and a meal is around 15 dollars. We did a all you can eat and drink buffet last weekend that was 30 bucks. So meals can range from a dollar to 20 bucks depending on how nice you go. My 1.5 hour massage was 20 bucks. My money goes a lot farther here most of the time. I also have to balance going to places that cater to expats and are more expensive with cheaper places that have more risk of getting sick.
Traffic
The traffic here is soooo different from the states. I mentioned it before in an earlier post but I am going to try an explain it some more because it is such a large part of the experience. I am going to try and do a video later to give you a better idea of what it is like. There is so much chaos and randomness to India traffic. Cars share the road with large buses, construction vehicles, motorcycles, scooters, bicycles, rickshaws, people, cows, etc. There is no sense of obeying any type of traffic laws. Cars will just stop in the road when they get to where they want to go. Each moment on the road is a game of chicken. Who is willing to take the risk and drive in front of another car. It can feel a bit claustrophobic on the road since there are so many motorcycles weaving in and around cars. They come right up to the cars too. The other day a motorcycle even hit our car. Our driver just exchange a look with the motorcyclist that said 'why did you try to get through that gap? I was already there' and kept going.
All this craziness seems to work most of the time which is something I don't think an American could understand. Sometimes it does have consequences though. The first week I was here I witnessed a woman and her baby get hit by a car. Construction was going on in the road going the opposite direction we were. When they do construction on the road, they just pull up and start working. They don't car they the road going that direction is completely blocked. Because of this cars were going down our road in the opposite direction of traffic. A woman holding her baby was crossing the road. She stepped out only looking in the direction that she expected to see traffic. She didn't realize cars were going both ways on that street. She stepped right out into the road and into car. She smashed in the windshield and flew back rolling a flipping a few times. She was able to protect her baby from the impact and only dropped the baby at the very end of her rolling. It is one of the craziest and most horrific things I have ever seen. But she did stand up immediately from it, though crying and screaming. People from all around rushed over to help her. Interesting tidbit on how the people of India handle situations like this. Since there really isn't much of a police force to deal with these instances, the people who witness the crash gang up on the person responsible and beat him up. So usually after an accident the person at fault has to flee the scene to avoid being beaten. At least this is what I am told. The whole thing was tough to take in and made me want to leave India. After thinking about it for a few days and digesting it I realize pain and accidents like this are happening all around the world including back in California. I just happen to be in a place to witness it here within my first week. It is just another reminder that we are not guaranteed to live to the next day, no matter where we live.
FRRO
I had to register for working in India the other day. I was gone for about 12 hours to do this. It was like the DMV, but 100 times worse. We got there around 10am, although the company that helps us with this process had people waiting in line since 6am for us! I had to hand some guy a stack of 20 or so sheets of papers that had been prepared for me. He stamped them and signed them and I got a ticket number. We then sat around for about 1.5 hours till my ticket number was up. I had to go into the room and fight through a group of people to get to one of the 3 men that were checking of the papers. Once I did that I went to another room to get another signature and then into a line to hand in all my signed papers. Once I did that they gave me a sheet and told me to come back in the evening. So I went over to the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch and then walked around and explored some of Bangalore. The guys told us to come back at 5. They would be getting us better spots so that we wouldn't have to wait all day to get our papers. We came at 5 and waited to get in. I got into the main room where you had to wait in the line with your number. Though I am pretty sure I got in before I was suppose to. Everything was so chaotic and random. There was some yelling and arguing between a few guys before I managed my way into the place. Then I got to stand in line for a good hour. Someone in my line had some issues with their papers. I watched probably more than 50 people in the other lines go up and get their papers in the time that my line did not move because of this one guy with issues. Eventually they got it sorted out and my line started moving though. I have my registration and now I am allowed to leave the country though.
Whitefield vs India
I am working in an area known as Whitefield. It is a good hour to two hours outside of downtown Bangalore and is very different from the main part of the city. I think the best comparison would be Simi Valley in LA. There is a lot more money here and less traffic. There are nice restaurants and large shopping areas. Even though I have been here for 2 weeks I really haven't experienced India yet. I am living in the bubble of Whitefield expat life. Up until a few days ago the most authentic Indian food I had eaten was Pizza Hut. I have had great sushi, and crepes, lasagna, t-bone steak, burgers, etc. I think you get the idea. There is a large issue with sanitation in India so part of the reason for eating this way is that I am eating at fancier places where I am less likely to get sick. I have to drink bottled water only and most people even use bottle water for brushing their teeth. I have to avoid leafy greens for the most part. Though I did eat 3 salads last week (at fancy restaurants) Besides eating lots of great food at fancy restaurants, I have been enjoying other things like massages. I've gotten two so far already.
Money
U.S. money is worth a lot here. It is interesting how the cost of things work though. Because of the high import taxes some things are more expensive and then because of wanting to eat at places with better sanitation, things get a bit pricier. Electronics and Alcoholic cost about 1.2-2 times as much here as they do in the states. This means that they are crazy expensive for the average person in Bangalore. Imported cars like BMW's are sold at twice the cost because of the import tax. Food can be super cheap though. A large bottle of water is about 15 rupees, which is around 30 cents. I went to Subway today and got a sandwich and drink for about 2 bucks. A latte or mocha is usually around 80 cents. But if I eat at my hotel, a coffee is around 4 dollars and a meal is around 15 dollars. We did a all you can eat and drink buffet last weekend that was 30 bucks. So meals can range from a dollar to 20 bucks depending on how nice you go. My 1.5 hour massage was 20 bucks. My money goes a lot farther here most of the time. I also have to balance going to places that cater to expats and are more expensive with cheaper places that have more risk of getting sick.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
First Weekend in India
India was not how I expected it to be. But then again, as Dagan has said, I haven't really experienced India yet. So to be more precise; my first weekend in India was not how I expected it to be.
I went to a mall that was built by one of the wealthiest families in India, if not the wealthiest. It has stores like Tag Heuer, Diesel, Lui Vuitton and other crazy expensive stores. It was nicer than any mall I have been to in LA.
I went to a restaurant called Sunny's which I think it is one of the nicer restaurants in India. For 3 people with drinks and appetizers our bill was about 100 bucks. The food was really good, I would say it was a medium level restaurant in comparison to food in LA. This is a very expensive bill for food in India though.
Then I hung out at Dagan and Bree's place. It is a very nice 2 story house in a gated community that does not look like India at all. They have a maid, a cook, a driver, green grass, flowers, etc. It looks like a community you would expect to see in Orange County.
I also went to this place called "HyperCity" which is like a target/cosco type place for India. They have pretty much everything from local food, imported food, electronics, furniture, movies, etc. We even found blueberries from Oregon there.
There is a place called Sorbet, which Bree accurately described as the whole foods of India. This place has lots of imported food like Jiffy peanut butter, pretzels, chocolates, juices, nuts, etc. You will pay some steep prices for some of the imports though, like $7 for a bag of pretzels.
Sunday I got to have a more legitimate India experience at the food market. I have lots of pictures from the market on my facebook album here. We were the only white people there and prices here are very cheap, even though we get charged 2-10x more because we are white. I didn't buy anything there but I think Dagan and Bree came away with a few baskets full of fruit and vegetables for a couple of bucks.
India is a very interesting place. There are lots of interesting things about the way things are run which make no sense. Lots of light switches in the rooms which will turn on lights in other rooms. Security checks everywhere that aren't actually doing anything. Electricity going in and out. Driving with no traffic rules but one (don't hit anyone else). One of the most interesting things to me is the divide between the rich and the poor. People can come here from the states and live without really experiencing India at all. There are the super fancy restaurants, malls, hotels, private schools, etc that are all tailored to be non-Indian. A lot of these places are way more expensive than anything else in India, but that brings them up to about the price you would pay in the states or a bit more. For an example: It is my understanding that if you go eat at a typical Indian restaurant the meal would cost around a dollar. But a meal at the restaurant in the fancy hotel that I am staying at is more around 5-10 bucks.
So it is an interesting dynamic. There are people living in slums with who don't have access to many of the things we take for granted and then there are people like me, staying in the nicest places with people driving them around and taking care of their laundry etc. It seems that for the same money I spend in the states I can live like a Hollywood celeb here, except that it is still India with all its idiosyncrasies.
An example of how 'interesting' India can be: Security
A lot of the fancier places of metal detectors and luggage scanners. Now this would make you feel safe and cozy if they actually used them correctly, but instead it is just a pointless annoyance. They insist on scanning any bags, even grocery sacks, but no one looks at the monitor of the luggage scanner. They just put that bag through and then hand it to you. Then they ask you to put your cell and metal stuff in the box and walk through the metal detector. Most times I walk through the metal detector, it goes off and they don't do anything. Walk through it with your cell phone or without, it doesn't matter. They don't actually do anything about it, they just want you do go through the steps.
I went to a mall that was built by one of the wealthiest families in India, if not the wealthiest. It has stores like Tag Heuer, Diesel, Lui Vuitton and other crazy expensive stores. It was nicer than any mall I have been to in LA.I went to a restaurant called Sunny's which I think it is one of the nicer restaurants in India. For 3 people with drinks and appetizers our bill was about 100 bucks. The food was really good, I would say it was a medium level restaurant in comparison to food in LA. This is a very expensive bill for food in India though.
Then I hung out at Dagan and Bree's place. It is a very nice 2 story house in a gated community that does not look like India at all. They have a maid, a cook, a driver, green grass, flowers, etc. It looks like a community you would expect to see in Orange County.I also went to this place called "HyperCity" which is like a target/cosco type place for India. They have pretty much everything from local food, imported food, electronics, furniture, movies, etc. We even found blueberries from Oregon there.
There is a place called Sorbet, which Bree accurately described as the whole foods of India. This place has lots of imported food like Jiffy peanut butter, pretzels, chocolates, juices, nuts, etc. You will pay some steep prices for some of the imports though, like $7 for a bag of pretzels.
Sunday I got to have a more legitimate India experience at the food market. I have lots of pictures from the market on my facebook album here. We were the only white people there and prices here are very cheap, even though we get charged 2-10x more because we are white. I didn't buy anything there but I think Dagan and Bree came away with a few baskets full of fruit and vegetables for a couple of bucks.India is a very interesting place. There are lots of interesting things about the way things are run which make no sense. Lots of light switches in the rooms which will turn on lights in other rooms. Security checks everywhere that aren't actually doing anything. Electricity going in and out. Driving with no traffic rules but one (don't hit anyone else). One of the most interesting things to me is the divide between the rich and the poor. People can come here from the states and live without really experiencing India at all. There are the super fancy restaurants, malls, hotels, private schools, etc that are all tailored to be non-Indian. A lot of these places are way more expensive than anything else in India, but that brings them up to about the price you would pay in the states or a bit more. For an example: It is my understanding that if you go eat at a typical Indian restaurant the meal would cost around a dollar. But a meal at the restaurant in the fancy hotel that I am staying at is more around 5-10 bucks.
So it is an interesting dynamic. There are people living in slums with who don't have access to many of the things we take for granted and then there are people like me, staying in the nicest places with people driving them around and taking care of their laundry etc. It seems that for the same money I spend in the states I can live like a Hollywood celeb here, except that it is still India with all its idiosyncrasies.
An example of how 'interesting' India can be: Security
A lot of the fancier places of metal detectors and luggage scanners. Now this would make you feel safe and cozy if they actually used them correctly, but instead it is just a pointless annoyance. They insist on scanning any bags, even grocery sacks, but no one looks at the monitor of the luggage scanner. They just put that bag through and then hand it to you. Then they ask you to put your cell and metal stuff in the box and walk through the metal detector. Most times I walk through the metal detector, it goes off and they don't do anything. Walk through it with your cell phone or without, it doesn't matter. They don't actually do anything about it, they just want you do go through the steps.
Friday, August 27, 2010
On my way. . .
Right now I am sitting in the British Airways 'World Class Travelers' lounge. Let me tell ya, flying business class with BA is an experience by itself and that is the only thing this blog post is actually about.
Just so you know where I am coming from, I have never flown anything but coach in the past. Even flying to Israel, Greece, London, Hawaii.. I have flown coach. So this is a special experience for me. I get to fly business world class because work is flying me out here. I can now see why these type of tickets are so dang expensive!
Check in:
Just checking in is a different experience from flying coach. They have a different line to get your ticket and drop your bags off. You pretty much walk right up to a person and get your ticket, no waiting. Then going through security there is a different line. Again I walked straight up to the security scanner and a lady helped me get my laptop out and everything. I looked to the side and saw a large line, probably more than a 45 minute wait for everyone else. From getting to the airport to sitting in the lounge or being at the gate takes a total of less than 20 minutes. It's kinda ridiculous.
Lounge:
Then you get to go to one of the lounges they have at the airport. This place is ridiculous. There are wash rooms where you can take a shower and change. They have a computer section, a bunch of lounge sections, a coffee room section, and a dinning room section. When I landed in London they also offered a free 15 minute massage. The food area has 3 different bar sections with things like pasta, sandwiches, soup, cheese and crackers, drinks, beers, wine, coffee. They have a 3 different wine bar sections within this lounge area. Also, I noticed a theater room. Another interesting note is the lack of trash bins and the amount of staff walking around helping out. You just leave your stuff there when you are done eating and they clean it up. It's actually a bit awkward for me.
Boarding:
When I boarded the plane on the way to London, they had a different terminal that you walked onto for the business and first class customers. I walked right onto the plane and into my seat in minutes, no waiting or anything.
Flying:
The seats are crazy too. They can fold all the way down into a bed. They have a little divider thing so that you are basically in your own world with nothing else around you. You get free drinks and food whenever you want. For dinner, they had a menu with different choices and everything. I posted some pictures of the flight to London here on facebook at the start of the album. The whole experience is so comfortable and fun that the 10 hour flight felt like nothing at all.
So to summarize:
Flying British Airways Business World Class is a fun little glimpse into what being rich is like. It actually is a lot of fun and much less stress. But I'm glad its just a glimpse, I don't think I could handle this kind of treatment all the time. If you ever get a chance to fly business or first class to another country, do it! And come to the airport early to enjoy the lounges ;-)
Just so you know where I am coming from, I have never flown anything but coach in the past. Even flying to Israel, Greece, London, Hawaii.. I have flown coach. So this is a special experience for me. I get to fly business world class because work is flying me out here. I can now see why these type of tickets are so dang expensive!
Check in:
Just checking in is a different experience from flying coach. They have a different line to get your ticket and drop your bags off. You pretty much walk right up to a person and get your ticket, no waiting. Then going through security there is a different line. Again I walked straight up to the security scanner and a lady helped me get my laptop out and everything. I looked to the side and saw a large line, probably more than a 45 minute wait for everyone else. From getting to the airport to sitting in the lounge or being at the gate takes a total of less than 20 minutes. It's kinda ridiculous.
Lounge:
Then you get to go to one of the lounges they have at the airport. This place is ridiculous. There are wash rooms where you can take a shower and change. They have a computer section, a bunch of lounge sections, a coffee room section, and a dinning room section. When I landed in London they also offered a free 15 minute massage. The food area has 3 different bar sections with things like pasta, sandwiches, soup, cheese and crackers, drinks, beers, wine, coffee. They have a 3 different wine bar sections within this lounge area. Also, I noticed a theater room. Another interesting note is the lack of trash bins and the amount of staff walking around helping out. You just leave your stuff there when you are done eating and they clean it up. It's actually a bit awkward for me.
Boarding:
When I boarded the plane on the way to London, they had a different terminal that you walked onto for the business and first class customers. I walked right onto the plane and into my seat in minutes, no waiting or anything.
Flying:
The seats are crazy too. They can fold all the way down into a bed. They have a little divider thing so that you are basically in your own world with nothing else around you. You get free drinks and food whenever you want. For dinner, they had a menu with different choices and everything. I posted some pictures of the flight to London here on facebook at the start of the album. The whole experience is so comfortable and fun that the 10 hour flight felt like nothing at all.
So to summarize:
Flying British Airways Business World Class is a fun little glimpse into what being rich is like. It actually is a lot of fun and much less stress. But I'm glad its just a glimpse, I don't think I could handle this kind of treatment all the time. If you ever get a chance to fly business or first class to another country, do it! And come to the airport early to enjoy the lounges ;-)
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Why India?
Why am I going to India for 3 months?
In a word: Work
It is a rare and unique opportunity for me to visit this country and get paid to do it.
My company, DreamWorks Animation, has a studio in Bangalore India and I am going over there for 3 months to help out with the studio. It is a pretty cool setup. I am gone long enough that I can put everything in storage in the states so I will have almost no expenses while working in India. So on top of a cool new experience and seeing the other side of the world, I get to save up some money in the process.
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