Last day Bangalore Last day and time to return home to Sweden and also make some reflections about this journey. My first time in India was short but of course gave many new experiences. I will try to summarize in this last travel report. I became somewhat “indisposed” starting from Tuesday evening. During whole Wednesday I had fever and some “other” problems. The day after was better with no fever but somewhat dim. From Tuesday evening I in principal didn’t eat anything during the rest of the trip. I tried some very little stuff end of week just to test if I would manage. I probably had a “trivial” Indian experience compared to the stories I heard from others that haven’t been so “lucky”. The flight back from India has been a challenge for some of the prior victims. Perhaps this was some vendetta from Krishna and the guys in the temple we visited earlier this week. You must not just walk through the temple but sit down at least five minutes and reflect. I did not do so and perhaps Krishna reminded me if I am in such a hurry why not also being in a hurry to the restroom? Or, perhaps it was the devil we meet at top of the mountain outside Mysore that has something to do about this? He just wanted to remind me of our future acquaintance? Last day after end of our workshop it was just waiting at the hotel for transport to the airport. The flight departured 01:50 in the night. Short after arriving to the room the reception called asking when I was planning to checkout. Strange? I gave the information but this did not make my checkout any faster. It took about 15 min for me to checkout! They were two ladies in the reception administrating my checkout and no other guests! I realized during my stay that the payment procedures in India are causing some administration. I was also “forced” to fill in a survey about my stay. Had to fill in the survey while both receptionists supervised me. Is this trying to put pressure on the customer making “right” answers? It was the same procedure at earlier visited warehouse. Left the hotel early to not get late because of any traffic jams. Even if it was late in evening the streets were full of traffic. Bangalore never sleeps? We got stuck at some places but arrived in time to airport. The security checks were very ambitious at the airport. When waiting at the gate I observed a female soldier/officer. She was very stylish in uniform and had arranged her long hair in very proper and also good looking arrangement. BUT her stone face and eyes! The male soldiers/officers very just laughing and pushing out their breast just as men are doing in groups. But “stone face” did not show any emotion during the hour I was sitting there. If she has a family with husband and kids she will create perfect order if uncontrolled situations should occur. She just needs to look! Perhaps she needs to be such tough to manage in Indian army. I guess the majority are men? The flight home did not offer any spectacular things more and the “normal” stress passing security and immigration. The time between are often little too short for my nerves. Arlanda baggage handling must be one of the poorer compared to other airports. The information screen counting down minutes until the bags arrive are always wrong and it takes often three to four times more time. But when bags started to come my bag came as number six! What about India then? The country is huge and the contrasts are also huge. Modern buildings are crowding with old and shabby buildings. Piles of waste are dumped beside the roads – No recycling. Cows are walking free in the traffic and are eating of the waste. Traffic is a total jam and it must be a huge economic waste having such much people stuck/moving slowly for hours. Bangalore has almost same number of inhabitants as Sweden. It is pretty OK home in Sweden if we not listen to our leading political party leaders who state that Sweden will go right down to rock-bottom if the other wins the next election. BUT there are many positive sides. There is a lot of energy within the people living here. They really invest in their future if they get the opportunity. Our Office in Bangalore has grown very much in just some years. The ambition and openness/curiosity is experienced in many places. The hotel staff was also really interested to have a dialogue. The English varies from trained people speaking excellent English to those who are not so trained and are almost impossible to understand. Everyone wants to try at least. In Sweden we are much shyer if we do not have the language skills. How will the world look like in 50 years? One of biggest countries is investing hugely in competence. What will happen with the modernization of this country? Investments will be huge requiring tremendous volumes of bricks and concrete. Some small notices: • 10 bullet instruction how to behave when going with elevator • Saw a text painted a long wall besides the road “please do not urinate here” • Market adaptions – You can buy single cigarettes if only one is needed • You do not get into the airport if you do not have printed boarding pass or a travel plan in writing. At least you have discussed a lot. Sunwoo Kim a colleague from Korea had this experienced and shred it to me. I am now prepared with both boarding pass and travel plan. • Labor is probably cheap here. There is many very specialized tasks e.g. on the hotel. One guy just need to call up taxi that are waiting in garage for their customers • In evening staff is knocking on my door asking if I need any evening service. Ordered just some rice by calling room-service one evening when the stomach was somewhat better. This was “boiled” a loooong g time before I got it! • Just a cute story – Praveen told me that Nokia is still very popular here in India. Even if they buy smart-phones the keep their old Nokia. I guess Nokia/Microsoft should introduce their new products first in India. Who do not want to have such loyal customers! Back home we will soon have winter time and it will be dark when leaving home and dark when returning back from work. The running will be performed in darkness which is not as fun as running in daylight an see the surroundings. There was also some dark news last Friday. Coming winter will somewhat extra gloomy. Back home my wife was exhausted and fell asleep on Saturday afternoon. I guess I should be the tired one? Wonder what has been ongoing at home? Stepped on the scales at home. I have lost 4 kilo during my stay in India. The objective - Beach 2014 is already almost achieved. This went quick and “easy”. Bye Bye
Posted on: Sat, 26 Oct 2013 15:44:44 +0000