The Streets

...Our driver was stopped and all of the cars and motorcycles were still squeezing carefully by. I looked up to see why and noticed that we were at one of the few stop lights in Mumbai. Seriously, there can’t be more than a dozen stop lights in this city of 18+ millions. Anyhow, not only were these jokers all running the red light, but there were people running the red light on the wrong side of the street. It was like we were all in some sort of twisted auto-octagon for a final battle or something. I just clinched my seat and hoped we didn’t get killed driving through the intersection. Of course we are in an SUV and most people are on motorcycles, so I think we have the upper hand!

On a related note, there was an article in the paper today noting that there are 280 fatalities per day on the streets of India -- go figure!!!

Exporing Vashi

Sunday is the only day we are not working here, and this is the first Sunday that I opted out of the excursions to enjoy a true day of rest. This also gives me time to finally update my pictures and blogs. Things are pretty quiet around Vashi (neighborhood in Navi Mumbai) today, despite an email threat about bombs if the Pakistani cricket team didn’t leave India. Mumbai was on the list of cities noted in the threat, and I just got back from the train station. Yeah, I like to live on the edge :)

Co-worker Brandon Penksa and I took a stroll over to one of the 2 malls that are within a mile of our hotel. The mall we went to was interesting, although unimpressive. Only a handful of carts were open, and virtually all of the stores had metal doors pulled down. It was difficult to tell if there were any shops at all. The mall seemed eerily abandoned as the number of security guards and janitorial staff almost outnumbered the visitors. The malls here have an interesting perspective on security. There are security guards everywhere you turn, but they don’t really seem to secure anything. Metal detectors greet you at the entrance, and cameras are not allowed (still can’t figure that one out). As we were walking into the mall today, I forgot about my camera and set off the metal detector. As I apologetically looked at the security guard and reached for my pocket, he simply waved me off and let me walk into the mall before I could show him what metal I had on my person. Nice security!

Curry Turkey?

Wow, what a slacker. I can not believe it has been 13 days and I have not posted any comments to this blog. I guess I have some valid excuses since I have posted to my Quorum work team blog, and continue to take lots of pictures.

We had a Thanksgiving dinner of sorts last night, although we all still miss home pretty bad. Thoughts of all that succulent food… turkey… stuffing… pumpkin pie… ahhhh! The food here has character, and I am beginning to like and appreciate Indian food. However, I think the general care taken to prepare the food is much less than in the states so it in often underwhelming. Depending on where you go, they can do it up right. Our favorite restaurant in Navi Mumbai is called Chennab and it serves a mean fish (grouper, I think). The thing was almost as big as a turkey and we got two of ‘em!

Pictures of Thanksgiving

Tunga hotel is actually very nice. I am pleased to say that the scary reviews I read earlier were unfounded. Either that, or I have changed. On that note, I know that I definitely perceive things differently today than when I first arrived. My anti-bacterial gel only comes out a few times a day in particularly suspect conditions. I have begun to look past the mounds of trash and unfinished construction projects in the streets to look into the shops that line the streets.

The “radio shack” of Mumbai is a good example of something that shows how the Mumbai culture and economy differ from that we are used to in the United States. On our commute each day home from work we pass by a small electronic shop on the dirty, chaotic streets of Navi Mumbai. The shop has got to be less than 100 square feet, and almost every cubic foot is packed with wires, connectors, and other obscure electonic parts. Each night, this seems to be the happening spot as men gather to talk and socialize. This small vendor seems to have a spot decidedly more happening than radio shack in the states. I don't remember the last time I hung out at radio shack :)

Some Pictures

Although I don't have time to write much, I wanted to at least provide some recent pictures:

http://picasaweb.google.com/yewtaah/BuddhistCavesKhaneri

http://picasaweb.google.com/yewtaah/RelianceFirstDayOnTheJob

First Experiences in Mumbai

I envisioned that my first day in India was supposed to be laid back in order to let my body adjust to the time difference, but we were able to pack in quite an active day. Shortly after breakfast (which I slept through), we jumped into two cabs to check out the city. The crew was Dag, Santi, Natausha, Ross, Brandon, Bisrat, Jose, and I. We started with a trip out to the hanging gardens. We didn’t see anything hanging, but I think the name actually came from a religious group in the area that used to hang their dead in order to give them back to nature or something like that. We also so a Hindu temple and got to walk through some of the back alleys to get a feel for the local culture. After that we had a great lunch at the Taj hotel, and then finished off the day with some sightseeing at the Gateway to India.

Driving through Mumbai was a very eye-opening experience. The traffic is pretty heinous, and the lines on the roads don’t seem to mean anything to anybody. Cars, trucks, motorcycles, people, and even animals are all quite skilled at getting where they need to go. However, there doesn’t seem to be any systematic set of rules. The surprising thing is that somehow it still works. Not very well as the travel times around Mumbai are multiple times that of what one can expect in a US city. It is common to take over an hour to get from one place to another.

The general living conditions seem to be polarized in an extreme nature. Well maintained high-rise apartment buildings are scarce, but the real-estate prices are comparable to New York or any other high dollar city. Middle-range housing seems to be non-existent, leaving most Mumbaikars in poverty conditions.
The extreme end of the poverty is the shanty-towns and sidewalk huts that appear to represent the majority of housing. It is common to see a sidewalk area simply “claimed” by a family that throws up some corrugated steel walls or tarp roof and calls it home. The overall housing conditions here are drastically more challenging than anywhere I have been in Mexico (my only frame of reference).

Despite the hardships, moral seems very good. People are happy to spend their time playing cricket in the streets or forging crafts to sell in the markets. Since it is Diwali (biggest Indian holiday of the year), we saw many families creating strings of fragrant flowers similar to a Hawaiian lei that were in turn sold by street vendors. Other forms of work include construction, but not under any conditions that would pass mustard with OSHA. We saw three workers several stories up on questionable scaffolding made of bamboo. Seemingly unconcerned, they were quick to smile and wave to us down on the street.

Pictures from my first sojourn into the city

Video Clips:
Driving in Mumbai
Gateway to India

Trans-Atlantic

So I am now 4 hours and 41 minutes away from Mumbai and just about to fly over the Caspian Sea. I’ve got a whopping 4098 miles under my belt on this Continental flight with 2755 to go. It is a chilly -56 F outside, so I am glad they provide these cozy blankets on the plane. Speaking of the plane, it has made me really think about the interesting paradox I am in right now. I am sitting in business first class, and I have just about everything I could ever want at my disposal. Coffee – “Cream and Sugar with that?” Newspaper – New York Times, The Financial Times, The Times of India. Wine, beer, drinks, better food than most of the restaurants I usually eat at. And yet we’ve just picked up some speed to 604 mph, so my time in this luxurious comfort capsule is limited.

Let me post a disclaimer here: I have misconceptions about India. I think anything that is unfamiliar can not possibly be understood until it is experienced. However, I think it is important for me to be honest and open with my thoughts and experiences during this journey. So I am not pulling any punches here. If some of this offends you, I apologize in advance as that was not at all my intent.

As a guy who doesn’t eat food the day after the “best if used by” date on the package, I am a bit worried about the quality and cleanliness of the food that I’ll have access to once we arrive in Mumbai. This skepticism was only bolstered today as I read the reviews of the Tunga Regency hotel on TripAdvisor.com. Are you kidding me? This sounds like I am walking into prison conditions and right now I am deciding whether to have brie or gouda on my assortment of fine crackers. Good thing I packed some backup comfort food in my bag!

And thus the paradox -- Do I gorge myself now and see how long it will last? Is it a good time to start pacing myself for a long journey of minimalistic consumption? I dunno, but that little cream cheesy salmon/tuna appetizer was awesome!

About to Head Out

I am in Newark, New Jersey right now waiting for our flight to Mumbai. Natausha, Santi, and I are all taking advantage of the freebies at the Continental President's Club at the EWR airport. For reference, Houston's is nicer :)

Have to say I am a bit nervous about the journey at this point. It has certainly been on my mind for weeks, but right now it is very, very real... I'm not quite sure what to expect, but culture shock has been a phrase mentioned by many people familiar with India. I've got my camera and my digital pen (this blog) to document the whole experience, so I guess I am ready!

Oh yeah, and I am re-reading Siddhartha to get in touch with my Om...

I think this article from earlier in the week says a lot about the state of India right now. The country is booming, and many Western businesses want to be a part of the action. Quorum is excited about the opportunity to work with Reliance Industries, the project for which I will be going to India next week...

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from The Independent & The Independent on Sunday
3 November 2007 06:47 Home > News > Business > Business News

Ambani overtakes Gates to become world's richest man
By Andrew Buncombe in Delhi
Published: 30 October 2007

A record-breaking performance by India's stock markets has put the industrialist Mukesh Ambani at the top of a list of the world's richest people.

Buoyed by unprecedented inflows from US and European investors, the benchmark Mumbai Sensex stock index topped 20,000 for the first time yesterday – having almost doubled in value in the last two years.

One of the results of the surge in share prices has been a boost for Mr Ambani's Reliance Industries, a powerhouse of the country's industrial strength and its most valuable firm. Its excellent performance, along with that of two other of the group's companies, saw the net worth of its chairman and managing director rise to $63.2bn (£30.6bn) yesterday.

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Read the rest:
http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/article3109959.ece