A taste of home...and returning to India -- Weeks 25 - 30

HI!!  To answer the numerous messages I've received over the past couple weeks--NO, I haven't stopped writing my blog, I just took a little hiatus.  To my cousin Cory, sorry...don't know what you've been doing for reading material, but it's back baby!  Before I share what I've been up to the past few weeks, time for the call outs...

Call-Outs
Oct. 27 - My mom's birthday...Happy Birthday Mom!  Love you!

 

October - After 42 years in Africa, my Aunt Sheila returned back to the states for a VERY well deserved "retirement".  I had the opportunity to go out and visit her in Africa a couple years ago, and am SO glad I did before she retired.  I think that experience in Africa, and my aunt living there for 40+ years, played into my decision to come to India.  I knew it was going to be tough, and it was going to be a challenge to move to a foreign county where I didn't know anyone, but I figured if my aunt could do it for 42 years, I could do it for 18 months!  And although my trip was a couple years ago, I'll definitely remember it forever...sharing juts a couple of pics.  Welcome "home" Aunt Sheila!

 

 

 

Nov. 13 - Happy Diwali to all my Indian friends and co-workers!  Diwali is known as the "festival of lights" and is one of the most important festivals of the year and can compared to our 4th of July and Christmas combined--with gifts exchanged and LOTS of firecrackers going off. 

 

I'm attaching a few pics I took at my apartment complex--gives you a good idea of my complex and all the lights.  I took most of the pics from my apartment, but did go down to meet a friend who was on the street...I lasted maybe 5 minutes before I that uneasy feeling set in in my stomach--you know, right before something bad is about to happen.  So I headed back inside and on my way a firecracker rocket flew right over my head--only missed me by a couple feet!  I try to act all casual, as there were tons of people on the street, including really little kids lighting off firecrackers, but I couldn't get inside fast enough.  Once I got inside, I couldn't help but wonder "how many people visit a hospital on Diwali for some sort of burn related injury??" (that thought is thanks to my mom who was a nurse for 35 yrs)

I REALLY feel bad for the people who have to clean this up tomorrow...there was not a patch of ground that wasn't covered in used firecrackers. 



 



Back in the US of A
Just after my last post I made a small trip (20 hours) back to the states--Seattle--for a few work meetings and trainings...and some much needed "US time".  I can easily fill this post, and probably a few others, just telling you how great it was being back and visiting with friends.  If you read my blog, chances are you've already seen my pics from Seattle, but thought I'd share a few...

Instead of sharing all the stories and reliving how great it was to connect with my friends and old co-workers, I thought I'd share some the things I missed the most and/or had taken for granted prior to coming to India...

• One of life's necessities...water! - I don't people who live in countries where clean drinking water is availble simply by turning on the tap in their sink realize how lucky they are.  It's funny, the first couple days I was back in Seattle and was brushing my teeth, I was looking around for bottled water!  Finally by the 3rd or 4th day I was getting used to drinking water from the tap again ;-).
• Enjoying a salad, or other raw veggies/fruits - Tied to clean water, but it's amazing how many times I've ordered and eaten a salad in the states and never thought, or worried, whether the veggies were washed thoroughly.  My first night back in Seattle I go to a brewing company for dinner w/ my cousin and Cara and I order a big fat salad...and Oktoberfest beer.
• Traffic lights and stop signs - This one surprised me even...considering I've had my share of traffic tickets in the past.  But the simple fact that there is order and rules to driving in the states is now something I can greatly appreciate.  Every day I'm in the car here I have a new respect for my driver for his patience...India definitely would be a place for anyone with even a mild case of road rage.  I had said that I'd stop trying to figure out driving here in India, but I still find myself frustrated with the manner in how they drive...for example, I've seen numerous drivers, including mine, who turn onto a crowded road, but never look to see if a car, or pedestrians, are coming--it's funny actually, my driver will turn onto a crowded look and not look, but only after we turn onto the road (and cut off a car or two) does he look in his side mirrors.  I just don't get that, and thought about saying something to him, but I wouldn't want him to come into my work and tell me how to do my job ;-).
• Another necessity of life...air! - Clean air...oh man, I can't tell you how good it smelled when I landed in Seattle.  I know that's a strange thing to think, but to breathe in and not smell car fumes or other not so pleasant smells, was better than the smell of Taco Bell after a night of drinking!  Seriously, the fact that I could go for a run or drive with the windows breathing in the fresh air, is something I will never take for granted again.  In fact, if I were asked to do a commercial promoting car emission testing, I would gladly do it with a big smile on my face.  So next time you have to go and get your car tested in order to pass an emissions check, you should be glad that we are trying to be aware of our environment and air pollution (done preaching).
• Lines...yes, you read that correctly, lines - I'm not known for my patience, but having been here now for 7 months, I can honestly say that I was more than happy to wait in any line in the states...for the simple fact that I know people will actually stay in a line.  I don't know if people are worried that they're going to run out of chicken at a KFC, or that someone is going to take their seat on the airplace, but the concept of waiting in a line here in India doesn't exist.  It's more like a free-for-all.  I don't think I realized it as much as I did after returning from the states and waiting at a cashier's counter...keep in mind no one else was standing in front of it at the time I walked up...and then a group of 5 or 6 people comes in and literally walks right up and tries to shoulder me out.  Well, not only am I not the most patient person, but I'm also not one to keep my mouth shut when something bothers me...so I put my arm out in front of all of them and say, "Excuse me--you had to see me standing here and being next at the counter...what's up with that?"  I said it just like that and they just looked at me and took a step back...I must've been wearing my muscle tee.
• Electricity - yes, of course I have electricity here in India, but the uncertainty of when (not if) the power will go off...and for how long, is something that I definitely took for granted living in the states.  It was only during bad storms that I even thought about the possibility of losing power, but here it doesn't necessarily have to do with the weather.  Sometimes when the power goes out here, I have the strangest thoughts...like a room full of monkeys riding bikes generating power...and a banana dangling out in front of them, and when the power goes out, that means the one generating power for my area got a hold of the banana and is taking a break eating it ;-).  AND LAST, BUT NOT LEAST...
• My friends! - I've never taken my friends for granted, but having been away for 6 months has made me realize how much I do miss them...and all the activities I did with them.  Unfortunately I didn't get to see my family this trip back to the states, but my next trip back will definitely be spent with them.  And although I didn't get to see all my friends in Seattle, I was very grateful for the time I did have with those I did see and am already looking forward to celebrating with all of you when I return.

Taking an opportunity like this, where I knew I would be away for 18 months, is one that I'll look back on and be so happy I did...not just for the experience and new people/friends I meet and places I visit, but also for giving me a different perspective on my life back in the states.  I'll end this section saying that returning for a visit was great, and I'd be lying if I said that the thought of not getting back on a plane didn't cross my mind, but I do realize just how much more I can learn and experience from being over here.

The Return--India bound...again
The return flight...in economy...wasn't as bad as I had expected.  And I know how spoiled that makes me sound, but it's only because I had gotten so used to flying business class on international flights in my old position.  And for those of you who have never been lucky enough to fly business, you can compare it to sitting in a loge / box at a ball game for a whole season and then the next year you're sitting in the nose-bleeds...and have to wait in the line at the bathroom!  It's amazing how quickly a 15 hour flight goes by after you take 2 Dramanine.  Before I knew it I was back in India...

And let's just say that my return wasn't as smooth as I would have liked...no, I didn't get strip searched at the airport, although that would've probably been the highlight.  Here are some of the lowlights of my return-

• My driver wasn't there to pick me...even though he knew for over 2 weeks my return date and time.  And our flight even arrived 20 minutes late!  So I'm standing at the baggage belt trying to keep my voice down while talking to my driver on the phone--trying to understand why he's not at the airport to pick me up, which he starts on some rant about his brother not waking him up...at that point I cut him off and just tell him to get there as quickly as possible.  I only had to wait 20 minutes for him, but not really what I felt like doing after spending 20+ hours traveling.
• After I get in the car and we head out of the parking area, we stop at the pay booth to pay--after my driver and the booth attendant are saying things back and forth for about 5 minutes, I finally say "what is going on? just pay and let's go!".  Apparently the booth "wasn't working".  I said why didn't you just back up and we couldn't gone and paid at another...I didn't get a response, but by that time there was already a line of cars behind us, so we couldn't back up, and we couldn't move forward--so we were stuck.  Although there were a couple extra booth attendants and a cop directing cars out of the lot, NO ONE was doing anything about this line of cars behind our car...so I get out of the car and start motioning for the cars to back up so we could get out.  Of course that only elicited a lot of stares and more honking of their horns.  I finally go up to the attendant at our booth and say if he doesn't open this bar, I'll go lift it myself...but picture me saying this very loud and slow, with LOTS of hand/arm gestures, because he doesn't understand English.  Finally I walk towards the bar and am about to try to lift in manually when the attendant comes out raises it.  I beyond upset...and thought all that could've been avoided if they just had someone to manually raise it in the first place, let the cars in line out AND then shut off their booth lights to indicate that booth isn't open.
• I get back to my apartment complex/community, only to find that there's some BIG festival/party going on, with tons of people and very loud/screeching music.  Of course all of this was taking place at the club house, which is located right next to my building.  It was already 10pm at night and I just wanted to a nice, quiet return.  I tell myself that it's got to end soon and just head up to my apartment.
• When I reach my apartment, I actually do feel a sense of relief, and joy, to be back at my place, but that was short lived...  I opened the door and find my electricity is out...and not just the main power, but also the back up generator, which meant NO lights were working.  I tried calling the complex manager, but the guy that answers can't speak English and doesn't understand what I'm saying.  At this point, I just wanted to drive back to the airport and hop the next plane back to the states...or anywhere but India.  I call my landlord and tell him I have no electricity and can't reach anyone that speaks English.  Luckily he's a nice guy and very helpful, so he says he'll call someone, but at that point I was already walking to the security booth at the entrance of our complex.  They say that they'll have someone come up in 5 minutes...and being the mood I was in, I respond "Is that 5 minutes real time or 5 minutes India time?".  Realizing they were actually helping, I apologize and explain why I was so frustrated. I'm sure they didn't care in the least, but they actually got on their walkie-talkie and say something and then turn and say that someone will be outside my building by the time I walk back...and they were! 
• After the get my electricity back on, I feel like I'm in a much better space and figure I'll log onto my computer and let the fam know that I arrived back in India safely.  In case you can't guess, my internet wasn't working.  I had switched internet providers while I was away and my landlord assured me that it was working.  So yes, he got another call from me and I'm sure he was also thinking "I wish this guy would've stayed in the states!".  He tells me he'll come over tomorrow with a rep from the internet company to have a look.  It was at that point that I decided that I should just go to bed because obviously some force wasn't going to make it easy for me to return...and so I shower and get into my bed that's as hard as a brick and go to bed.

Things did get better the next day, but then again, they couldn't have gotten much worse.  Luckily I had a trip to Goa to look forward to in 2 days, which meant that I unpacked, did some wash and then repacked and headed back to the airport in a matter of 48 hours. 

Goa -- my escape in India
Luckily I had this trip to Goa on the calendar, and even though it was for a work conference, it was the one place in India I've found to escape the big cities and all the people.  Our HR Learning Week was scheduled for the week following my return and all the HR folks in India attended. Just before I left for the states I got to meet up with my friend Kecia in Goa for a quick visit...and although I was only there for a day, that's all it took for me to realize that I loved it there.  The conference was good, but it was a packed schedule and left very little time to actually enjoy being in Goa.  But I took advantage of every free slot we had by spending it in the pool or down at the beach.  Again, I'm sure many of you saw the pics I posted from Goa on my Facebook page, but attaching a few here as well-

Spending a week with some of my colleages in Goa was a nice way to ease me back into my life in India, and I found out that they like to party and dance just as much, if not more, than folks in the states ;-). 

 

Back to the same ole', same ole'

After Goa, it didn't take long to fall back into a routine and get back into the swing of things at work.  Within a week of being back in the office, it felt like it was ages ago that I was in Seattle.  I did come to the realization that it's good, and sometimes really needed, to get away from time to time...so I've already booked a trip to Singapore to spend Thanksgiving with friends and also check out a new city.  That means my next post you'll hear all about my trip and Thanksgiving in Singapore...consider this a teaser to get you to read my next post.

 

Deep-ak Thoughts by Keith

• There's no place like home!  And although I had only been in Seattle for about 4.5 years before moving to India, I definitely consider it home and realized how much I missed it and am looking forward to returning. 
• Don't take our everyday luxuries, and necessities, for granted.  Funny that Thanksgiving is just around the corner...so as you're having Thanksgiving dinner with friends or family and maybe going around the table saying what you're thankful for, if you can't think of anything, feel free to say "traffic lights" or "car emission testing"...it's ok if you use some of mine ;-)

 

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!!