4 months India / 5 years Microsoft - Week 16 & 17

This week's blog post marks 4 months here in India, as well as my 5 year anniversary at Microsoft--it's amazing how time flies! Whenever things get a little rocky out here in India, or I start feeling a little home sick, I just focus on the fact that I've been given this once in a lifetime opportunity to live and work in a foreign country--while still working for an amazing company like MSFT.  I realize that I probably sound like a commercial promoting MSFT, but I can honestly say that I think Microsoft has figured out the secret of success...making it's employees feel valued.  It seems simple enough, yet somehow other companies can't seem to grasp that concept. I feel very lucky to have spent the last 5 years with such a great company--and since it already sounds like I'm a running promo for MSFT, might as well plug Windows 8 and Surface (Microsoft's new tablet--can't wait till Oct.!!).

My co-workers in India totally caught me off guard and threw me a surprise party for my 5th Anniversary--it's awesome these milestones, even though small, are still celebrate--

CONGRATULATIONS -
Saturday, August 11 - My friends Phil and Allison tied the knot in Seattle and I would've given anything to have been there to celebrate with them, but will have to settle for celebrating with them when I return.  Congrats guys--hope you had an amazing time!  Love ya!

Uncle Connie goes home...other good news is that my Uncle Connie was finally released from the hospital this past week and is recovering at home.  Love you and wishing you a speedy recovery!

Happy Belated Rakhi -- to all those that have brother/sister's...
August 2nd marks a Hindu holiday celebrating the bond between brother and sisters. I probably never would've known about this day if I hadn't received a package on Aug. 1st from my 'sisters'-- Coll, Nat, Staci, Christal, Denise and Jill.  They sent me a card with handmade bracelets/charms wishing me Happy Rakhi.  Jill, who actually married a guy from India, was the driving force behind this one...thanks Jill!

R . A . K . H . I
R : Relationship
A : Affection
K : Knitting together
H : Him (Brother) & Her (Sister)
I : Interminably

Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi will be celebrated on 2nd August, 2012, all over India. The Hindu festival of Raksha Bandhan celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters. On a full moon day in the month of Sravana (August), sisters tie thread amulets on their brothers’ wrists, praying for their longevity and happiness. Brothers, in turn are bound by the delicate threads to cherish and safeguard their sisters.

This was what I rec'd in the mail!

India -- the differences...
Maybe for one of my last blog's I'll devote a full post to calling out all the things I've noticed to be 'different' in India vs. the States, but until then, I'll continue sharing some of those differences.

I've already written quite a bit about the driving/traffic over here.  This past week though I came to a conclusion--I'm giving up on trying to figure out, or understand, how people drive here.  I thought that after being here 4 months, I would've seen some rhyme or reason to their driving style...but I think I could be here for 5 years and still not understand how there could possible be so many bad drivers in one country.  I actually was thinking of looking into a driving school here and pretending that I don't have a license and go through there driver's ed--just so I could see what they're actually being taught..."Ok, the light is red, but feel free to go through it and just honk your horn the whole time and people will stop", or "there's an old lady crossing the street carrying a basket of bricks on her head--speed up and honk your horn and make her go back to the other side." 

So, I'm giving up on trying to figure out the India driver...instead I'm going to turn my attention to the pedestrians and people on the street and try to figure out why no one uses the sidewalks and why people feel they need to walk toward the middle of the road vs. along the side.  I have a feeling I'll be giving up on this qwest shortly as well.

Visits to college campuses...
This could fall under "differences in India" because it is amazing how different the college/university campuses are here in India vs. those in the states.  Sad...and amazing.  Sad because of the conditions these schools/buildings are in...amazing because these are some of the brightest minds in world--and they've reached that level without the fancy labs, air conditioned buildings, mini-malls on campus, or any of the other perks that American students enjoy.  Thinking back at my time working at Case Western Reserve Univ., and recalling some of the complaints the students voiced about the student lounge--like not having a flat screen tv, sofas to relax on or free soda/coffee; I would have loved to share with them the following photos I took during a recent visit to Javadpur University in Kolkuta.

Unfortunately these pictures can't "show" the unbelievably HOT temperatures in the buildings or some of unbearable smells...just outside full classrooms.  I did feel terrible for the students we were interviewing, who were waiting in large area with hard seats, concrete floors that was hotter than a sauna...and if that was not bad enough, there was a terrible stench coming out of the bathroom, which was located right next to the seats.  I even asked someone in the placement office if we could get a fan and have it placed in the waiting area (which never happend) and I asked the students if they wanted to move the chairs to the other side of the room...I didn't say because of the smell coming from the bathroom b/c they might have not even noticed.  But they just looked at me, and finally one of them said "that's ok, this is the area that we can get a signal for our phones."

Area for the students waiting to interview--notice no sofas, tvs or even drinking fountains for water!

Cafeteria...no McDonald's or other food chains--just locals cooking in the kitchen.

The main hall in one of the buildings where schedules are posted and info on visiting companies. 

Random observations...

While on that same trip to Kolkuta, there were a couple of things that caught my attention, so thought I'd share--

I was on my way to my gate in the Kolkuta airport to head back to Hyderabad and as I was walking through the airport, which I should call out that most the India airports I've traveled through are just a step above the conditions I've mentioned on campuses.  Most of them have air conditioning, but no frills...every once in a while though, I'll see something that just doesn't quite fit.  For example, I'm walking through the Kolkuta aiport, which is a pretty small airport and a far cry from "up-to-date", but I come to the following spa--

A couple things struck me as funny--the first was that there was even a spa that looked this nice in airport that didn't even have electronic boards for flight information.  The second was that apparently a big sign blocking the entrance way, and a closed door with a closed sign on it behind the board, isn't enough o a clue that they're not open.  I guess they wanted to REALLY make sure people knew--so they created a web made out of packing tape blocking off the entrance.  I was walking by this spa with one of my co-workers and said "hang on, I need to get my camera out and take a picture of this. Don't you think this is funny?"  He didn't even notice the tape!!

And the last observation I thought I'd share is regarding my dirty laundry ;-).  We stayed at a really nice hotel in Kolkuta--and if I doubted the quality of the hotel, those doubts were quickly erased when I returned to my room following my visit to campus and found all of my dirty laundry, which I had left in a pile on the floor, folded nicely into a pile on a doylee with flowers placed around/on it!! I couldn't believe it myself, so of course I had to take a picture to prove I'm not making it up...

That's all folks--thanks for reading!! Be prepared for some great pictures in my next post--and I'm not talking about more pictures of run down buildings and my dirty laundry! You'll have to tune in and read my next post to find out what I'm talking about ;-).

Peace, out!! K-