Transportation for the Masses

There are several factors in the development of cities that have long-term effects. The infrastructure of roads and highways are essential to the success and potential growth of progressive metropolis, as well as the ability to provide reasonable access to public transportation. During our visit to Bangalaru, one of India's most populated cities in which Electronic City is located where Information Technology Companies like Infosys, Hewllett-Packard, and Wipro all have profit centers. We experienced a city that is under construction and will be ready for the coming decade aiming to improve traffic fluidity and mobility.

The Indian Government highly subsidizes public transportation for the common man. We wanted to see this for ourselves. During our stop in Chennai we had one of our most eye opening experiences (cultural shock) when we were a among the masses and used the train and bus to get around the city. Up to that point we had been traveling in comfortable tourist buses. I do not think any one of us was prepared for what we witnessed on that day. I noticed that the public transportation in India is so well subsidized for the common man that it cost us only 3 Rupees (approximately less than 7 US cents) to travel for a minimum of 20 kilometers, both on the train and on the bus , an incredibly inexpensive fare.

On Saturday January 8th, during the afternoon we decided to leave the hotel and go explore Chennai, to be among the masses. Some of us did not believe we were doing this and I think some of the locals did not believe it either. It was definitely new territory for us, we felt like celebrities the way they were looking at us. In order to get in the train we all needed to push each other to make sure no one was left behind. There is absolutely no 'elbow' room on the train. Once we arrived at the location and stepping out of a suffocating experience, we stepped out into the fleet market where the common people go to shop. Taking into account people were shopping for the national festival Pongal which was coming the following week. The fleet market was an alley way approximately one mile long in which thousands bargained for the best deals. I could not believe the number of people that were in front of me, around me, I was in awe. After walking through the suffocating fleet market, we regrouped and decided to go to the mall, so we took a bus. We walked to the bus terminal where people push each other to make sure they get inside the buses. Take a look below...

India is making strides to provide its citizens with better public transportation. We saw a metro being build in Bangalore, new highways in Chennai and Hyderabad. The government realizes that these concerns need to be addressed in order to improve the traffic congestion. India's population will only increase so improving the public transit system will positively benefit the country in the long-term.

Indian Cuisine

One of the most exciting parts of this trip was tasting the different curries and plate meals known as "Thali" prepared in the southern part of India where we stayed. I am a food fanatic and experiencing the southern Indian cuisine was a great experience for my taste buds. The southern Indian cuisine was unique in many ways. One thing that I learned about the Indian people is that a greater percentage of them are vegetarian. Even though I am not a vegetarian I could appreciate this practice because it is health conscious and I understand the premise behind it.

I was able to see a western influence throughout south India with many fast food restaurants in shopping centers and in business establishments as well. One of the shopping centers we visited, the longest lines were for KFC and McDonalds. The western influence will definitely effect the Indian culture and some of their eating habits specially for the children who are growing up and being influenced by the media.

At Ecospace Business Park in Bangalaru we visited Microland. After our meeting we had lunch at The Bay which is a cafeteria for the entire Ecospace Business Park which includes various IT companies. The Bay included western fast food restaurants like Dominos Pizza, McDonalds, and Subway. After having Indian food at the ashram for a few days I wanted a taste of American food in India. Khalil and I ordered a pizza. The ingredients in the pizza tasted different from what we have been used to here in the US.

My favorite meal I had in India was in Mysore at a hotel which is formerly a queen's palace. This plate is called Thali which was served on a silver round plate with banana leaves on the bottom. Then there was small containers with white rice, veggie curry, fish curry, lentil soup, yogurt, salad, and coconut rice pudding all around the round plate. I noticed the traditional way to eat this meal is with your hands dipping the bread into the curries as well as eating the rice with your hands. At the end of the meal they bring over a small container with water to wash your hands. This meal was not only delicious but it was also inexpensive, the cost was 400 rupees which is less than $10 which to the common man in India is a lot but not for westerner who is used to paying in the teens for a meal of such quality.

PONGAL FESTIVAL!!

On our last day in Hyderabad, we went to a shopping/entertainment center called "Shilparamam" where some of us got henna tattoos. In the middle of the shopping/entertainment center there was a big field where families could bring their kids to play and enjoy the weather. AS you walk around you see various statues of deities.

Pongal Festival is one of the most popular harvest festival in South India, and it lasts for four days. Schools were cancelled and businesses were closed. This tells us the importance of this harvest festival in this region. It is mostly celebrated in the rural areas and not as much in the main city. While in the shopping center, I got a video of one of the ways they celebrate Pongal.

Later on that day, we were invited to a kite festival at Golconda Golf Club by Dr. Rao's childhood friend, Amarnath.

The weather was amazing and the people were very friendly. There was dozens of colorful kites in the sky. Going to this kite festival put the icing on the cake to the study tour.

OMMMMM!!!!!

Wow! Now I understand why many people often compliment yoga as a great way to get away from reality and get in touch with your inner self. While we were staying at the Fireflies ashram in Bangalaru, we met a yoga instructor from Canada named, Marc Joseph. We were the only ones visiting the ashram around this particular time. Marc was kind enough to offer us a yoga group session. I can honestly say that on Thursday, January 6th, 2011, I did yoga for the first time in my life, in Bangalaru, India! I was introduced to another form of art. I have done similar stretches before but never to this level of intensity and concentration. My entire body felt rejuvenated. I do admit that it felt awkward and painful at times but the end result was all worth it.

We enjoyed doing yoga so much that Barry and I woke up at 6:30 next morning to practice it once again. Barry and I walked in to the yoga room where the instructor was meditating and waiting for us. It felt great to start of the morning in a peaceful state of mind. Some of the stretches were demanding and made me break a sweat but it was all worth it. The perseverance, motivation and relaxation that I gained from YOGA these first two times will motivate me to keep practicing it. Below is Marc Joseph giving Barry a Thai massage. This picture captured the moment before he accidentally dropped him.

I have been doing my research on Yoga and I am looking for a class around the area where I could practice it. Hopefully, I will be able to find a class that fits my schedule so that I can continue to practice Yoga. Ten years from now, I can look back with joy and say that I practiced Yoga for the first time at the Fireflies Ashram during my Study Tour to Bangalaru, India.

Life as a Manager at Marina Towers, Chennai

As India continues to grow as a superpower economy in the world, the hospitality business should prosper as well. More multi-national companies have chosen to outsource their practices to India in cities like Bengalaru (Bangalore), Chennai (Madras), and Hyderabad. Hence, there will be more demand for hotel occupancy for business people who are doing business in these cities. In addition, I assume that tourists around the world will be intrigued by India's growth and would like to experience for themselves. Due to this growth in business and tourism, hospitality business should grow and those who are part of the hospitality business should benefit. Well it does not seem to be the case.

Our second stop in our trip to India was, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. We stayed at Comfort Inn Marina Towers from Saturday January 8th until Wednesday January 12th. During my stay I took the opportunity to get to know two of the managers at the hotel. After getting to know them, they felt comfortable with me and I was able to interview them. My main goal was to get an understanding of life as manager at a hotel in India, both positives and negatives.

The first manager I interviewed had 20 years experience in the hospitality business but had only been with Comfort Inn for 40 days. His position is as manager of food and beverage. He told me that the favorite part of his job was interacting with customers. He speaks three languages: Hindi, Tamil, and English.


The second interview was more in depth. We spoke in one of the offices at the hotel. He is only 31 years old and has 9 years of experience in the hospitality business and also speaks Hindi, Tamil, and English. He has a degree in hospitality management which took him 3 years to acquire. His favorite part of the job is managing the bar because he is able to build an intimate
relationship with patrons. On the other hand, he mentioned other parts of his job that he does not enjoy as much. First "the duration of work is overwhelming" he said. His regular schedule is Monday through Saturday 8:30 am to 2:30 pm and 4:30 pm to 10:30 pm. These long hours do not leave disposable time to spend with his families. Secondly, he mentioned that the pressure of work is fatiguing. As a manager he was doing the job of three people. Instead of having more employees, these companies seem to be putting more pressure on their employees to do the job of multiple people. Last but not the least, poor pay was his main concern, "especially in South India" he said. He was curious as well and asked me what I get paid for my job here in the US. I used my summer internship at Enterprise Rent-a-car as an example. After doing the math and converging rupees into dollars and vice versa. We concluded that the amount I got paid in a week as an intern, he gets paid for the month as a manager. I was shocked! I understand that the cost of living in India is less than the US but I did not expect the pay to be that low especially for a manager at a 4 star hotel with such qualifications.

I am grateful I got the chance to speak to both managers and pick their brain. It helped me appreciate the opportunity I have as an American. Even though India is growing as a superpower, the real questions is: who is it really going to benefit? The Indian population or the multi-national corporations who have chosen to set up camp in India.

"Powered by Intellect, Driven by Values"

Visiting Infosys was one of the highlights of the study tour. We visited the leading information technology company in India which was located in Electronic City, Bangalaru. Electronic City is the equivalent of Silicon Valley in California. After a brief wait in the lobby, pictures for guest ID, and security check; I was ready to explore the Bangalaru Infosys campus.

We were greeted by the director of marketing and directed to a conference room in which 24 different locations can be reached at once. Thomas Friedman visited this same conference room in 2005 and became the inspiration to write The World is Flat. It was flattering to be in a room in which many successful professionals and thinkers like Friedman have been in.

The presentation of the company was outstanding! The infrastructure of the multiple buildings and locations situated in India was mind boggling. The director of marketing said "We are driven by the same values that started the company in 1981." Based from Pune, India; 7 ambitious individuals formed Infosys. In the present day, Infosys has over 120,000 employees working at all locations in various cities of India with an average age of 26. Only 1 out 100 interviewees get the job. Their client focus is not in India but the rest of the world.

Ironically, the tour guide's name was Sebastian as well. We were escorted through the Bangalaru Infosys campus on large golf carts. They provided us with lunch midway through the tour of the campus. The campus was impeccable, extremely clean and the landscape was well maintained.

There are various factors that make Infosys the leading informational technology corporation in India. First, their global delivery model (client-on site, on site to offshore, offshore to client) provides the best customer service for its international clients. Secondly, their 6-month orientation program sets them apart from other companies, only 1% of new hires fail. This type of regimented training gives Infosys a competitive advantage. Lastly, the concept of maintaining the same values that founded the company in 1981, drive their day to day to avoid complacency.

Arrival in Bangalaru, India

It is 2:40 am in Bengalaru, India (formerly known as Bangalore) which means that it is 4:10 pm in Boston right now. It feels good to finally to relax at Fireflies Ashram, after a 4-hour van ride from Bridgewater to Newark, 15-hour plane ride from Newark to Mumbai( formerly known as Bombay), and an hour flight from Mumbai to Bengalaru, and an hour ride from the airport to the ashram.

During the flight from Boston to Bangalore I watched two Bollywood films and listened to Punjabi music. One of the movies had Akshay Kumar as the main character who is one of the more recognized actors in Bollywood. The subtitles helped me understand the movie. I was very impressed with AirIndia's quality of the food, entertainment choices and the complimentary drinks. We had dinner, breakfast and a few snacks in between. I feel like I got a quick introduction to the Indian cuisine with rice noodles with vegetables and curry as well as yogurt on the side.

All the advertisements in the airports were in English which I was surprised but shouldn't be since English is the second official language in India since they were ruled by the British until 1947. Even though it was dark outside, on the way to the ashram we can already notice the obvious differences like driving on the left side instead of the right and the continuous beeping of cars as a way of saying excuse me. Our eyes are trained to see car coming on the left side instead of the right. Also, I saw a lot of street dogs just like I was used to seeing when I was a kid in Colombia. We arrived at Fireflies ashram around midnight so I am not able to see my surroundings. All I can tell is that it is located in the rural areas of Bangalaru. I don't feel as tired as I expected, perhaps it is because I napped during the flight or I am excited to start exploring India.