India: 2003-02

  Driving around the city was very cool. It’s so different than what we’re used to seeing every day - it’s a breath of fresh air. These people are living in what we would consider extreme poverty… living in shacks, walking barefoot… the reality is that this place is very alive. Lots of people smiling. Everywhere you look, people are enjoying each other’s company, laughing, etc. In their eyes, it’s not poverty, it’s just life.  I was also concerned about the much-publicized issues with food, but so far, the food has been excellent, and the service incredible.
   
 
     
  Cows are sacred here, and, thereby, everywhere, roaming freely. It does take some getting used to. Even more interesting was the university that I visited on Tuesday. The animals have basically claimed it as a game reserve, so they’re everywhere, roaming freely about campus. Everything… deer, oxen. Most entertaining was the monkey (yes, as in Barnum & Bailey), just hanging out. Sadly, I didn’t get a picture - we were driving through campus and I didn’t have my camera out. The greatest part is that people walked past him and drove around him as if it was nothing. I felt like saying, “Am I the only one who notices that there is a monkey in the middle of the road?”
     
  Our team at Microsoft recently built a Microsoft Technology at a university in Chennai. It was very cool to visit, and meet the students and faculty working there.
     
  On Tuesday, my driver, John, asked me if I wanted to see his residence… I thought he meant drive-by, but he invited me inside, and I got to meet his family, and play with his kids. It was an awesome experience. Hospitality is incredible here, and a major part of the culture. The kids were adorable, and really smart. I took some digital photos of them, then put the CF card in my Tablet PC and showed them the photos on the big screen… the kids also had a blast playing with the Tablet PC!
   
 
   
 
     
  Traffic throughout the cities of India is crazy. It’s very typical to see between 2 and 4 people piled onto a motorcycle or scooter. You’ll occasionally see an entire family on a motorbike… The father is driving, two women are sitting, both side-saddle on the back, and the kid is riding on the front… on the handlebars. It’s a refreshing departure from the gas-guzzling SUVs of the U.S.
     
  Bangalore & Hyderabad are the two centers of high-tech business activity in India.  Microsoft has offices in both places, and a beautiful new business center in Hyderabad, along with a ~150-person development team - one of the only outside of Redmond.

I thought this was interesting... the MS building had a very clever elevator system.  I've always wondered why modern elevators don't aggregate people who are traveling to the same floor.  Here they do - rather than just pressing a binary call button (specifying only up or down), you designate on a keypad to which floor you're traveling, and an LCD display on the keypad tells you which elevator bay will serve you.  This way, the computer can use queuing theory in the allocation of elevators.

This is Tom, my host/mentor/guide/historian/colleague while in India.  Tom co-manages Microsoft's outreach to Indian universities, and was an incredible resource in both the planning and the execution of this evangelism tour.  He was also essential in my education of the cultural & linguistic particulars of each region.
     
  In India, the proper protocol for automotive horn use is… use it constantly. When passing, hold it down abrasively. I found it entertaining how most trucks even offer a reminder.
     
 

Our train didn’t leave Kanpur until 11pm on Saturday night, so we killed some time by going to a Hindi movie.  Incredible experience.  Even though I didn’t understand a word, the dance numbers alone were worth the price of admission.
     
 

Note to self: no arms/ammunition in the movie.  Check.
     
 

My spacious room on the train back to Dehli.  Actually a very efficient way to travel.  After our action-packed day, I slept like a stone.
     
 

There was lots of cool architecture on the way to Agra.  This is just one example.
     
 

My first glimpse of the Taj Mahal, off in the distance behind the main gate.  Each of the perimeter gates alone are absolutely amazing.
     
  The Taj Mahal was every bit as impressive as I had expected. While the main shrine is incredible, the entire site is breathtaking, with several stunning gardens, gates & Mosques.
     
 

This is my driver’s son, Suraj.  He has lived in Delhi for his entire life (18 years), but had never seen the Taj Mahal, so he joined us for the day.
     
 

Everything on the site is highly symmetrical.  Note that this photo is a perfect mirror image of the next photo.  I stood in one place, facing the main shrine, then took one photo facing Left…
     
 

…and one facing Right.  Perfectly balanced.
     
 

My guide took me across the river to show me a major construction project that is underway.  They’re widening the river to allow for easier boat transit.  The Taj is visible in the far distance.
     
 

Back in Delhi, this is a view of the Lotus Temple from my hotel room.  This modern interpretation of a temple is a nice contrast to the historical buildings around every other corner.
     
  The hotel in Kolkata/Calcutta was very cool.  One of the many Taj group hotels in India, it had some really impressive ambient artwork - including these ancient statues.
     
  Our hotel in Mumbai/Bombay was just on the water, and right near a very cool district of restaurants and bars.  Thanks to Nik Patel for his guidance in this realm.  I recommend Olive, a very hip Bombay restaurant/lounge.
     
  Clearly, the most... exciting experience of the trip was the 4-hour trip (each way) by car to/from Kharagpur.  Imagine an entire interstate of cars playing chicken on a dirt road, and you start to get the idea.  Every single vehicle was completely packed with travelers.  From this thumbnail, it appears that the roof of this bus is packed with luggage.  If you click on the photo, you'll see that it's not luggage.  At this point we're traveling about 50mph.
     
    All-in-all, an amazing trip.  Great times, new experiences, Incredible people.