Hullaballoo
We're not in Kansas anymore.
I arrived in Bangalore, India late Saturday night. I have to admit, it was really overwhelming. I thought I would be better prepared, having spent many years in relatively 3rd countries like Bolivia and Ecuador. Um, nope.
Walking out of the airport into the wall of humid night and clamoring Indian taxi drivers, vendors, and hustlers was a shock to the system. As described to me later by the desk clerk, I had arrived into a complete hullaballoo. Luckily, I had a driver waiting on me, so I was quickly shown to a small compact car and whisked about 20 minutes across the city to my hotel, the Taj West End. Pulling into the Taj was like stepping across a magical threshold. On one side, all noise, traffic, dirt, and generally controlled chaos. On the other, serene tropical gardens, white washed wall, mahagony floors, and regal service. If you've ever jumped from a jacuzzi into a cool pool, you'll get my drift.
Sunday, I took a much needed rest day. My day consisted of: sleeping, laying by the pool, eating, and sleeping. I had zero urge to leave the hotel grounds (a 20 acre estate mind you) and I needed to let my batteries charge before another training week.
Monday (today) morning, my driver picked me up at dawn and we made the 40 minute drive to the client's new campus. Traffic here in unreal. Thousands of motorcyles and mopeds, many with 3 people straddling the seat, Autorickshaws (pictured above) by the hundreds, all let loose in a crazy sort of Play Station-make-your-own-lane sort of way. Work today was mostly setup and it went well. The real test will be tomorrow to see if everything continues smoothly.
I'm off to a Indian buffet dinner!