Days 4-5

After a few more days in the office I can finally say I've adjusted to the time change!  My favorite part of the day is seeing the city during my ride to work.   It's so neat to see the Infotech area as more and more companies are moving here and the city is growing with the industry.  Also, during my rides to work I've been planning my weekend activities - I can't wait to see more of Pune (the temples, shopping centers, and restaurants serving the local food). 

Although my time in Mumbai was short - I can't stop thinking about all the beautiful sites I got to visit and explore.  Here are a few pictures: 

The cabs here have 3 wheels and are much smaller than cars - which makes getting around easier.  But they are also the cause of the majority of the accidents/traffic in the city.  I noticed that traffic rules in Mumbai are somewhat non-existent, dealing with LA traffic seems like a breeze now!

Here are a few pictures from the Taj hotel - I love the architecture and the view looking up the staircase is beautiful!!

And right next to the Taj hotel is the Gateway of India - I wasn't able to get a photo because it was so crowded with the Republic Day festivities so here's one during the daytime:

Day 3

Today was my first day at the office. My work hours are from 2:30pm - 12:30am to allow a few hours of overlap when my coworkers in the US are in the office. I think this was my hardest day but I hope that my sleep schedule normalizes now that I'm getting into a routine.

I woke up this morning still dealing with the time change and was able to have breakfast and time for a quick workout. The gym is situated so you can look out over the pool while you're on the cardio machines. Little did I know while I was doing my workout would there be a traditional India wedding ceremony taking place only 20 feet from me (a glass wall was the only thing that separated me from the ceremony). I guarantee I made a few appearances in the background of their wedding photos!!

After my surprise at the gym I was able to relax for a bit in the hotel before heading off to work. The work site is about 15-20 minutes away from the hotel. After the short car ride I arrived and began the security process. Everyday I have to go through a metal detector and have my bags scanned. I then check into the security desk and sign in (women must sign in and out at each security point they cross during the day). In order to enter the UB secured room I have to scan my badge and the pass a finger print scan. There are about 10 individuals currently allowed access in the secure room and about 3 that I will be closely working with during my time here.

I was shown around the building - it is huge and reminded me of a university. It currently holds 20,000 employees and is the company's second largest campus. There is a food court that serves traditional Indian meals and a large courtyard for employees to use during their breaks. Everyone usually has there dinner break around 9pm. Once midnight rolled around (I barely made it - by 11pm sleep was all I could think about) we all started to pack up for the day. I survived my first shift and can't wait to see what happens tomorrow!

Day 2

I woke up early Sunday morning, still not adjusted to the time change - but eager to get on my way to Pune. After checking out of the hotel, a car service drove me to the airport. Im so glad I got to see the area during the daytime - I took a video of it from the car and hope to upload it on the blog. Anyways, my flight to Pune was extremely short (it's only 100 miles from Mumbai) so the flight was not even 25 minutes long!

Srikanth, another one of my colleagues, picked me up from the airport and dropped me off at the hotel. The drive from the airport was interesting - there are fewer people than Mumbai but more scooters and taxis zipping along the roads. I'm shocked about how people drive around here!! Pune is not as urban compared to Mumbai and the weather is a bit cooler (only 85 during the day and 65 at night). All the shops line the main roads and tons of people are walking along the streets - seems very lively.

Once I got settled in my room I went to the hotel lobby to watch a cricket match for the first time. It was lots of fun to watch with some of the locals! The match was very exciting and I found out that this one was a 1 day match (most of them are over 5 days) and this one was just over 8 hours long!!! I stayed for a few hours and I think I get the game, its somewhat of a mix between baseball and bowling. I'm sure I will be watching more matches while I'm here - so I can better understand the game.

Day 1

I've finally arrived in India! After a 16 hour flight to Dubai, a 3 hour connecting flight to Mumbai and getting through the airport I made it to my hotel. Let me tell you - it is beautiful! The architecture and decorative accents make my room so luxurious. I absolutely love the ornate details and use of color.

After catching up on some sleep I was ready to explore the city. Today is a holiday in Mumbai 'Republic Day' and the city is celebrating with lots of parades! Satish, one of my colleagues that I will be working with, picked me up to show me around. During my tour of Mumbai I was able to see the Gateway to India and walk around the streets. The city center reminds me so much of my time in Madrid, especially with all the people selling little things along the street. I wish I had taken pictures but it was a bit chaotic (I thought it was going to be crowded but not that crowded!)

Satish also showed me the hotel that was subject to the bombings a few years ago and I didn't even recognize it. It had been fully renovated - it looked beautiful - everything about that place was stunning, especially the spiral staircases leading up to the rooms and the magnificent crystal chandeliers hanging throughout the lobby. I'm so glad I was able to walk through and see it!

After our walk around the city center we stopped for dinner - my very first authentic Indian meal. It was around 7pm when we walked in and the restaurant was empty (everyone usually eats dinner around 9-10pm). I was grateful he ordered for both of us because the menu was overwhelming. The entire meal was phenomenal. It wasn't too spicy but he warned me that local cuisines (like in Pune) are much spicier. We had a lentil soup, some vegetarian dishes, and ended the meal with a sweet dessert. I can't wait to try the local cuisine and see what Pune has to offer!

Tomorrow I leave early in the morning to Pune - looking forward to seeing where I will be spending the majority of my time in India.