India in the News

A few of my friends are VERY good about passing on news stories that they read about India. I thought it would be nice to share them with everyone, so I've added a section to the right called India in the News. As I see interesting news stories on India, I'll be sure to add the links. Enjoy!

Chak De India!

This is how yesterday afternoon unfolded:

4:15pm: Mass exodus from the office building

5:00pm: I decided to leave the office because everyone else was gone

5:15pm: Major traffic jam in Gurgaon (much earlier than normal)

5:30pm: India vs. Pakistan match begins

7:00pm: I walk to the market but most shops are closed

8:45pm: India wins the match by 5 runs

8:45:01pm: Neighborhood erupts in cheers
8:46pm: Impromptu fireworks start and continue throughout the night

Tuesday: Everyone is offered congratulations about India's victory
Nonstop: News coverage and water cooler talk about the match

Hindustan Times: India Beat Pak in Cliffhanger, Lift T20 World Cup

Wickets and Idols

Life in India really isn't all that different from life back at home.

Yesterday, two stories dominated the news: Sports (India's advancement to the finals of the Twenty20 Cricket World Cup) and Entertainment (the grand finale of Indian Idol).

Tonight India takes on its political rival, Pakistan, in the Twenty20 finals and it's all anyone can talk about it. It will be the first-ever final between these two nations and a very emotional ones (for the right or wrong reasons). Since I've learned more about cricket during my time in India than I ever thought imaginable, I'll probably be in front of the TV, just like everyone else here, cheering for India this evening.

And last night, a young man from Darjeeling won the hearts of India and was crowned the newest Indian Idol. The finale was much like those in the US, with minimal singing from the contestants, appearances from random artists and even the same theme song. It was the third installment here of the world-wide phenomenon where, I read in the paper today, 70 million votes were cast.

If it weren't for the heat, dust, power outages and water shortages, I might forget where I was.

Do You Know Your Blood Type?

I didn't either until the other day when I called my mom. I was in my new Accenture office filling out the paperwork work for a badge and access card and one of the lines on the form was for my blood type. I kind of laughed and said, "I don't know this." I was then told that I had to know and that I should go to the hospital next door and have a blood test done. My easier solution was to call my mom.

Every Indian I asked know could rattle off his/her blood type without hesitation. As it turns out, most companies and offices require a person's blood type to be listed on his/her badge. In case of an emergency, this information is readily available. I know in the U.S. it's not too difficult to determine someone's blood type if needed, but here, I figure if they want to make sure they have this information handy, just in case, that's fine with me.

And for the record, my blood type is A+.

Settling In...Again

Today is my 4th day in Delhi and it's nice to be back. In this time I've gotten settled into my apartment, met Ani's entire family and started my job. This evening I'll be reconnecting with a few friends at one of my favorite restaurants. And tomorrow I will be playing host to some Accenture/ADP colleagues that are in town for a few days at another favorite restaurant.

I've had to readjust to several things, including the heat (100 degree days), the dust (there's a lot of it), power cuts (frequent but short), walking/passing on the left and not the right (I've had a few near-collisions in the hallway), and an overappreciation of lunch and chai breaks.

Yesterday I called the Foreigner's Regional Registration Officer with whom I have to register within 14 days of my arrival in India. I called from my office around 1:45pm and I was told that it was lunch time I should call back after 2:30. Thanks. And of course, when I called back, no one answered. Well, someone answered once, but hung up before I could say anything.

I've also had to readjust to the notion of service here. Basically, I don't have to do anything myself. I have someone to drive, cook, and clean for me. In the Accenture office, I don't even have to make my own copies. There's someone to do that for me too. There's someone to stir my coffee for me too. Weird, but I swear it's true.

Now, if only there was someone to go to work for me...

Going Back to Delhi

After weeks (well months) of talk and speculation, I'm finally heading back to Delhi! I will be staying with my company and transferring to our Delhi office. There, I'll be working with our management consulting practice to develop and grow our capabilities in India. It's an exciting opportunity for me and I'm really looking forward to it.

Right now, I'm half way back to Delhi and sitting in the Amsterdam airport on a layover. After about 20 hours of travel, I should arrive in Delhi around 11pm. Then I'll have all day Sunday to sleep, adjust to the time difference and get settled in my apartment before starting work on Monday morning. There's nothing like hitting the ground running.

As you can imagine, I'm really excited to go back to India because Ani is there! But the job is interesting too and I'm thrilled that everything worked out. I'll be staying for at least 18 months, so I'll have time to put down some roots and I may even start to think of Delhi as home.

I'm sure part 2 of my Indian Adventure will be filled with excitement, frustration, new opportunities, challenges, adjustments to Indian ways, and fun! Nothing I can't handle.