Here is a picture of today's group.
;)
The day was filled with typical site seeing and pictures of everyone next to everything. The one exception was a first for me in India. As we entered one of the tomb areas, 2 very cute little girls wondered over giggling. One of them looked at me with big eyes and said “Hello, May I Have A Kiss ”. I’m sure I had an ear to ear grin with embarrassment. This isn't typical behavior for Indian girls. My only response was to ask if they would like their picture taken. They giggled some more, posed for the shot then asked my name. They flirted a bit more then ran away giggling.
Here are my momentary fans
We saw these girls running around the tombs a few more times today as they asked Mike and the others for their names and got a kick out of the hat he was wearing.
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( 3 / 22 )I can literally feel the final 5 weeks of my assignment slipping away. The extreme hours have been difficult and last week was no exception. I flew to Delhi and stayed in a subdivision called Gurgoan. Delhi certainly has a different look and feel from Hyderabad. Delhi being the capital city has a lot more money being injected by west and the Indian government. Commercial buildings are prevalent with multiple western corporation names labeled across the fascia of every building. Delhi feels more like a westernized city than I imagined would exist in India. Unfortunately the demands on my time while on this assignment made no exception during the Delhi trip and regrettably, I didn’t have an opportunity to explore the capital city at all.
I, along with my two partners in crime here (Mike and Gulshan) had to create organizational level presentations in 2 days (Saturday & Sunday), fly to Delhi on Monday, deliver 5 presentations between Tuesday & Wednesday, fly back to Hyderabad, then deliver an additional and final presentation. On Friday, when it was all over we closed out the week with a video interview for the US on our International Delivery Lead roles and the part we individually play. I had pulled another 60 hour week when the accounting was done and this doesn‘t bring to light the lack of sleep these schedules leave us with.
As my time in India grows shorter, I’m reminded of the many things I stand to lose when I leave. Among the most important to me are friendships. Mike and I have been like brothers on this trip and have only ventured out of the hotel separately on only a hand full of occasions. I keep thinking that going back to the states marks a return to familiarity and a winding down of my stress level but the $100 question is, “Does it really”. Mike made a joke yesterday that when I leave, 1000 people will be at the airport to wish me well. I don’t think that’s true but I have built a fair number of relationships in India and to potentially walk away forever saddens me.
I have a significant feeling that what was familiar prior to August 2007, will be new again and what used to be comfortable will require a significant adjustment period. I think these two aspects of a short to long term international assignment are what have caught me most by surprise. I contemplated many challenges before my journey, cultural as well as professional and these never made it on my list.
Of great excitement to me is that my relationship with my wife will be new again. I truly look forward to this and have already planned some fun & spicy experiences like Ballroom dancing lessons. As I’ve mentioned before, my daughter cries every day without fail. Regaining her trust and strengthening the bond between her, my son and I will be a primary objective in the first weeks back.
I also plan to continue writing in this blog for the first month after my return to allow those interested to understand the challenges and excitement of re-entry into the US.
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( 3.1 / 16 )Friday morning while eating breakfast, a man decided to sit with me across my table. He was older by about 20 years and I’m not sure if he intended to share the table for company or if he mistakenly sat with me. The Indian culture is so friendly I can’t discount either possibility. My friend Arun, who is one of the managers at the Taj Deccan, saw this and quickly scooted the man away and helped him to another table. It all happened so fast, that I never said a word. I was actually about to introduce myself and start a conversation with the man. I find that here in India, I’ve become much more interested in people, listening to their stories and learning about who they are. I feel bad about this observation because I realize just how jaded I’ve become toward relationships in the US. Looking back, I can see that this change happened in me around my late 20s as I had children and settled into a comfort zone that isolated, insulated and protected me from external pressures and judgment. As I built a home, I apparently built walls to protect it.
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, 4 months away from my life has really allowed me to look inside and regain perspective. It’s allowed me to subconsciously re-examine who I am and be critical about life in the past, present and the future. This isn’t to say I feel like a horrible or bad person or that I don’t enjoy my life at home. Its just that we all have personality flaws and sometimes it takes something significant to recognize them and have the courage to make change.
Last night, I continued to feel ill and had a late and stressful Friday. At 10:30pm, after my last call, I went down stairs to get dinner and be away from the PC. Arun noticed I was alone again and stopped at my table. I needed the space as Gulshan is in Delhi and Mike was tired. He wanted to apologize for the man’s behavior from the morning. I explained to Arun that I wanted the man to stay so I we could chat. Arun smiled and said, “you are truly a unique individual“. He went on with kind words saying that I seem to greet everyone and he finds that I am much friendlier than their typical guest. I appreciated his compliment and recognize this recent change in my behavior. Arun then mentioned a new guest sitting around the corner and wondered if he could sit the guest with me for company. I agreed, and with in a few minutes, I met Evan.
Evan, is a woman from the UK who works in Saudi Arabia. She’s here for a week with her Fiancé who is a pilot for SpiceJet “one of India’s top rated airlines”. We talked for an hour and a half about travel, culture and work. It was fascinating and led me to this post.
Last week, Mike wrote about an observation we’ve had and that he and I have been talking about for weeks. In India, they commonly use the phrase “5 minutes sir”. This is a euphemism that takes some time to recognize. When you hear this in India it literally means “As soon as I can”. I shared this with Evan and she chuckled. She mentioned that in Saudi, they have a similar cultural euphemism. The locals will respond to a time bound request with “Inshala”. She also explained that literally translated it means “God Willing” or “In Gods Time”. We laughed about this for a good 5 minutes and shared related stories.
I was very happy to hear that this isn’t unique to India. Finding these cultural Easter eggs, learning from them and finding ways to adapt has been a challenge. It is however, a challenge I was sent here to overcome and pass the wisdom of how, on to my peers in the US.
So today, Mike and I were fitted for custom suits as we’ll again be Key Note speakers next week. We’re flying to Delhi, to a subdivision called Gurgon. We’ll be there to deliver a message about the organization we work for to many of our new associates. I look forward to meeting them, learning their stories and sharing more of them with you.
Please keep me in your thoughts as I continue to fight through what appears to be a weak immune system and “Inshala” you’ll see another update next week before next weekend.
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( 2.9 / 17 )While I haven't been jet-setting around India, I feel like the pace of my life in the last 3 months has been extreme. I do long for the comfort of my home, the love of my family & the embrace of my wife. I'm not sure how I'll adjust to slowing down when I do finally regain these blessings. The last few months, aside from the varied and frequent illnesses, have helped me feel more alive than I have in years. This opportunity has brought me closer to my company and provided me time to think about who I am and what significant goals I would still like to accomplish in my life.
It's interesting how fluid, dynamic and unpredictable life is. I had no idea I would be India 4 months ago and I have no idea what awaits me when I return. A quote from French author François de la Rochefoucauld is often used in our company; The only thing constant in life is change.
Those who are flexible, will embrace change, adapt and find success. This applies to corporate life as well. Mike and I have passed this concept on during several speaking sessions recently through the quote, "It's not wrong, it's just different". This was a quote Mike picked up years ago in his own travels and I just can't stop using now.
This line of thought led me to think about India and the rich history of religion and philosophy that are derived from it. I'd like to share a few of my favorite quotes from this region as well as some pictures I've recently taken.
Mahatma Gandhi
Be the change you want to see in the world
- This is what drives me. Not only my children but all children and innocence. I truly believe we fail as a generation if we leave the world worse off than when we were handed the keys. I hope my life has value when measured by this standard and that what I do in it touches others.
Nobody can hurt me without my permission
- I've taught my daughter this concept for years. School can be tough on kids and wisdom like this has had a significant impact on her personality and how she's dealt with difficult situations.
Almost everything you do will seem insignificant, but it is important that you do it
- This is Hyderabad, this is me. I can't explain how or why but my choice to be here was a necessity. It may be insignificant in the diary & timeline of my life, but it will be important without question.
Mohandas Gandhi
A 'No' uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a 'Yes' merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble
- This reminds me of my companies CORE Values. We strive to be good at what we do and hold each other to Higher Standards.
Here are some nice pictures I've taken over the past week
A really neat picture outside of our rooms
Waterfall from 2 weeks ago
Mainland China Restaurant
- Mike & I love this place. I decided to snap a shot of our table. Boring maybe but man is it an authentic and beautiful restaurant.
I snapped this photo @ Charminar last weekend
- This stylish shot belongs on a Sunglasses Billboard :)
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( 2.8 / 85 )Well, i'm officially sick for the 4th time now. At first, for 3 days, I felt tired fighting off a mild head cold. This morning I woke up and it had advanced to the point that I need to call the doc.
I'm sure he'll get a kick out of my call.
I really appologize for not writing more frequently. I do have a lot to say but I'm working 10-12 hours a day on average and with how frequently I'm fighting off illness here, I just don't have the energy to compose my thoughts in a way I feel is valuable (I don't like brain dumps or rants).
For now, you can read about my adventures at Mike's site as he and I spent some time out last weekend.
http://mckennon-blog.spaces.live.com/
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