My trip to INDIA

2006-09-15T19:38:00.000-07:00

Everything I have Bought and what I remember paying for it.

Day 1
Glass star $2, Wooden Snake $2 (incredibly hard to pack), Chess set $2, Chinese dinner (ha ha)

Day 2
Dark Charcoal Grey Suit lined with red silk- $200 Dark Green cashmere Suit lined with yellow silk-$250 Four silk blouses; light blue, pink, white and something else- $100ish 20 pashmina scarves (many colors) $100 Green silk sari $50

Day 3
Silver earrings with topaz, peridot, some blue stone; each $4, Sliver, topaz and crystal bracelet $18, Silver, topaz ring $3, pretty necklace with lots of stones $35, peridot ring $5, he gave me an amethyst ring so ugly it is pretty and moth earrings.

Day 4
nothing

Day 5
Silver elephants $3, Silver bangles (7) $42, T-shirt that says India with two camels $3, ohm t-shirt $4

Day 6
Bed spread and pillows $40, skirt $4, shirt with sequins (you all know how I love to wear sequins) $3, back pack, table runner

Day 7
Nothing (got sick, no a cold) Dinner Hamburger (I have no idea what was in it) $5

Day 8
3 Skirts $3 each, 2 tops $3 each, Pants $2, Ganish blessing $1, Lunch $5

Day 9
Rug $490 (it is lovely, blue and brown, single knotted wool), Statues of Budda and Ganish $2, 4 Carvings of Ganish $1,

Day 10
Scented Oils (Rose & sandalwood, Jasmine, Rose, Tea Rose $15 (I think one of them is miss marked, why would I get that much Rose))

Day 11
GRE $6 (thank you for picking it up for me, when you get to Seattle I'll buy you a drink), Dinner at the Taj, Bollywood Movie $3

Day 12

Day 13, Sept. 11

Day 14, Sept. 12
Nothing

Day 15, Sept. 13
Nothing

Day 16, Sept. 14
Black Pearl necklace & earrings $30 (Mine, Mine, Pretty, Pretty)
Dinner (I don't want to think about it)

Day 17, Yesterday Sept. 15
Pillow Cases 165 Rs (for Mien Bruoder)
Bindis 300 Rs (me and people)
Lunch 100 Rs (Mutton Puff 15, Cold Coffee 55, shared Chinese stuff (Jack says it is Indian Chinese))
Dinner $18 (ouch, buffet)
Tea 90 Rs
Saffron 196 Rs
Candy
Coke

Day 18, Sept. 16
Crystal Bunny 150 Rs (Grandma)
Chess set 600Rs (Matt)
Wood Budda 150Rs (Doreen)
Piggy Bank 3Rs (Me)
Cute Shoes 220Rs (Me)
Saffron 110Rs (whoever)
Lunch 22 Rs (Chicken Puff, Somasa, Dipped Chocolate thing)

Korea Very expensive
Candy fish $1, Magnents $5, Lounging outfit $50 (clean clothes), polo shirt as gift $3.50, earrings of dogs $1, Mild Sexy Soap $1 (for when I am feeling too sexy), Cute socks $2, Penguins way too much (she better like them), Kentucky Fried Chicken $7

2006-09-15T19:34:00.000-07:00

Blog, blog. Ok, because I was worried about getting porn ads I left the comments set to members only. Well, it has gotten boring. So go for it. Comment away!!

2006-09-15T06:10:00.000-07:00

Hotels during our stay-

Delhi- Vandra says it was the Connaught. Can't remember it has been so long. Will check with the other students. My room overlooked part of the city I could see a gold (it is real gold) covered mosque and a bunch of other temples. My room smelled of urine and there was a computer center that had three computers. They told us that two were down and could not get on the internet. They were way down I tried to trouble shoot them and the were not plugged in to the router. The one that did work was dial up. The food was ok, I got rancid butter one night and freaked I would get sick.

Jaipur- Same deal, will get name later. Vandra claims Mansign. Very pretty, nice view. No rancid butter. Walking distance to a Pizza Hut. (I hate pizza and Pizza Hut is the worst.) It was wonderful. Almost like home. Water was ten rupees. Mango Ice Cream.

Mumbai- Fairyas (I remember because it sounded like Fairy Ass). Lovely, I had my own room and it was on the third floor see I could see out to the street. We had a computer room/lounge to watch tv and hang out together. Around about six corners was Theobromine, a incredible pastry shop. Bread pudding to die for and lemon tarts so sour and yummy that I will return. Joyann tried to get the recipe for the bread pudding. I think I can make the tarts, it was lemon curd, mmmm.

Hyderabad- Amrutha Castle-- Ekkk, we ran away it was so bad, it smelled, was dark and the elevator tried to eat Rick.

Hyderabad- Novotel, incredible!! (I am using the manager's computer. He was kind enough to trust me alone in his office so that I could post this.) Rick called a friend who had worked in these city (Microsoft) and asked him to recommend a location to us and here we are. It is wonderful. Pool, gym, buffet ($18) loaded with things we like to eat (smoked salmon, capers and pickled onions). Close to the companies we needed to visit and CLEAN. Vandra and I are sharing a room and the power went out due to a screw in the wiring, so they moved us. Literally, moved our things. Nice. It has been open only a short while so most people have not heard of it. Which means there are 45 people staying here (6 stories with 60 rooms to a floor) and our group is 18 of them.

2006-09-14T03:47:00.000-07:00

Hyderabad - flight was delayed and so we were late to arrive at the

India School of Business- a really cool campus that offers a certificate program after graduating with a BA. Missed lunch got coffee shop fare at the little café (this was the only time we had to buy our own food).

Infosys - a really cool campus (all of the campuses in Hyderabad are huge manicured, spiffy places that rival Redmond’s campus). They fed us meat pastries, veggie- pastries and pastry pastries and all kinds of juices, coffee and tea. They had fired over 80 people in the last 4 months, people that had falsified info on their resumes.

Microsoft – just like the Redmond campus, very cool. Please hire me!!! We spoke to Program Managers, Development Teams and Human Resources. The most recent hire had only been there 20 days and the longest was 5 years the day before (both PMs).

Dr. Reddy - DRUGS, DRUGS. We toured the Research and Development center, saw the testing facilities. They had a bunch of dogs we got to play with, cute little puppies. They gave us lunch. We saw another group touring and hypothesized (from the “Welcome GSK” sign) that they were Glaxo Smith Klein. Very cool, we offered them copies of our resumes but they declined.

Next we went to the production plant. They would not hand out samples but we did suit up in the clean rooms with booties, hair nets and lab coats (imagine 18 lunch ladies doing little dance steps in hallways). We saw antacids being pressed in to pills. The flawed pills that are rejected are burned at 1000 degrees to render them inert so that they may be used to fertilize trees.

2006-09-13T05:11:00.000-07:00

Mumbai

Sun Pharam- Boring, no drug samples. (Fed us, cookies, tea or coffee, water.) Would only take a gift of chocolate to share in the office but not our other gift, so I have a new USB drive.

ICICI- Huge banking group that is taking over the world with pretty decent ethics and Micro lending (would not give sample but did feed us). Very friendly met with high up people and they do take Interns, currently have a Spanish guy.

National Stock Exchange- Told us about how they set up their redundant system in a different state in case of natural disaster (cookies and tea or coffee, and water)

Hinditron- One of the American Alumni Association, a UW Engineering grad that does so many cool things, works with Cray, Fluke, HP. Great speaker I hope I can be like him when I grow up. American Alumni Association- This was so cool I met a gentleman that referred to himself as an Oaky because he graduated from Okalahoma State University, very cool, with his Hindi accent. The speakers spoke about how much they enjoyed going to school in the US and that is why the Association began, to give them a chance to talk to others with similar experiences. (High tea but was really dinner, Hinditron remembered being a hungry student and fixed us up. Too bad everybody was doing the same. I feel huge.)

Service Project School Teachers- We met with student teachers that will be working with disadvantaged youth. See pictures when I get them posted. Ten by ten foot rooms that families share with no running water, bathroom down the street. Some of the student teachers grew up there as well. We discussed the problems that face India and the US and brainstormed ways to solve them. My group did terrorism, two days after the bombing outside Mumbai. We decided that we need to understand why the bombings happen and help people have better lives so that they have the ability to protest in less violent ways. (No food, but we were too busy to care. Great NGO (Non Profit in the states) with caring people that will make a diffrence. )

2006-09-13T04:56:00.000-07:00

Agra – we took a train to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal. Somehow Mick got sprayed by a small child. (The train station was the grossest thing I have ever seen or smelled, the toilets were holes down to the tracks, imagine. Rats everywhere on the tracks.) Joyann vomited with the grace of a gazelle (due to malaria drugs on an empty stomach). The ride was fine. Lots of people doing stuff in the fields (ask for pictures).

2006-09-09T20:57:00.000-07:00

Jaipur – Met with small scale manufacturing (we shopped and talked to the shopkeepers). I got to sales people to say you might as well cut my throat. Rode elephants (Mick got sprayed), bought things (Ravi invited Joyann to New York) and we ate at Pizza Hut a lot.

2006-09-05T23:16:00.000-07:00

Delhi- While we were in Delhi we met with the companies below

V-Customer- We learned that they hire people with attention paid to their English language skills and the region of India they are from because some regions have stronger accents and need more effort to train. After a person is hired they spend weeks being trained on voice, we were given an example of this. He spoke with an “English” accent than an “Eastern US” accent and sort of a Texan accent, each were very close. We also learned that the technicians we speak to on the phone for computer issues are very well trained and not reading from a manual. Needs an intern in marketing

Hero Honda- uses everything we learned in Management Operations. We heard terms like Muda, Kaizan, Kanban, the six s’s and saw all of it on the floor. But there were no women on the floor at all. They offer classes to the wives on how to take care of their husbands, because they have such demanding jobs (they learn things like money management and other skills that are very helpful).

National Association for the Blind-NAB was very interesting and I'll be hitting you all up for money for them. The head of the school is also a graduate and they do great work integrating the students into the school system but they also work with developmentally disabled students. Deaf, blind and disabled give money.

2006-08-31T19:57:00.000-07:00

Dude, I am here!!
two days and I have spent more than I make in a month... Stop me. I have bought two hand made suits, four blouses, 21 scarves, one sari, and a bunch of shiny things. It is beautiful, hot, chaotic, peaceful, lovely, and poor. (I will improve the economy.) I will post pictures later as I am on dial up. (Kill me. It is so slow.) Maybe at Microsoft we can tap in.

We met with VCustomer yesterday, really cool call center. If you call netgear support, upromise or target customer support these are the people you get. Nice friendly and they gave us food and drinks.
Today we go to the school of the blind and Hero Honda. We plan to steal motorcycles. Don’t tell. :)

2006-08-14T22:34:00.000-07:00

15 days until I leave I should really be packing but I ran into one of my professors today, you may know him, Sandeep Krishnamurthy. (He is a great instructor, if you ever get the chance take him). Well, I told him I would keep up my writing of this blog during my trip to India.

It really is not very exciting right now, but these are companies we will be visiting.
ICICI Bank
Infosys Technologies
Bombay Stock Exchange
Microsoft Research & Development Center
Dr. Reddy's (Pharmaceutical)
Mobile Creches (Childcare)
Hero Honda
Sun Pharmaceuticals
Hinditron (High Tech & IT)
V-Customer (Customer Service)
Pretty cool!!!

2006-07-28T09:18:00.000-07:00

Hi my class in Blogging is over but I hope to maintain this site while I am in India. Keep your fingers crossed for the Microsoft Internship.

2006-07-13T14:02:00.000-07:00

I am hoping to spend a great deal of time in Hyderabad (six months, don’t tell my mom) so, Deepa gave me a bunch of links to study.

These are some of the cool buildings I could work in.

2006-07-13T13:41:00.000-07:00

Deepa wanted me to post this poem. (I think she is concentrating to much on her own homework. How selfish. :) )

NIGHTFALL IN THE CITY OF HYDERABAD

See how the speckled sky burns like a pigeon's throat,
Jewelled with embers of opal and peridote.
See the white river that flashes and scintillates,
Curved like a tusk from the mouth of the city-gates.
Hark, from the minaret, how the muezzin's call
Floats like a battle-flag over the city wall.
From trellised balconies, languid and luminous
Faces gleam, veiled in a splendour voluminous.
Leisurely elephants wind through the winding lanes,
Swinging their silver bells hung from their silver chains.
Round the high Char Minar sounds of gay cavalcades
Blend with the music of cymbals and serenades.
Over the city bridge Night comes majestical,
Borne like a queen to a sumptuous festival.

2006-07-10T21:00:00.000-07:00

My blog is not even close to being googleable. I tried all of these "charlene mccormack india hyderabad travel plan" and you would think it would come up. But nooo. Anybody have any ideas, I'll share them with Kasey. I added my name to encourage that but I can only find my page through Michael's personal web page. This is so lame. It is not my night.

2006-07-10T18:07:00.000-07:00

Fun of moving around, a long way to go. I am excited too for everyone who visits my country.

India is a fun place.

Everyone knows that INDIA is dirty, but at the same time there is a freedom of doing everything; spitting on the street, throw-up on the street if you are sick, burp, yell (shout), and many other nuisance which is inappropriate for being in America.

But then too, INDIA is a lovely place. India welcomes their guests and treats them like a GOD.

As you will travel you will come across many people who will look at you. that doesn't mean that you all are an alien but they will feel proud of themselves and their country to have an american students in their country.

Everyone in INDIA knows english, at least enough so that you can easily understand.

INDIA is specified as a country of culture, traditional, respect, prayers, and a land of meditation.
A country which is ruled by British, a country who had a great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru, Bhagat Singh, Rajiv Gandhi, and many more. All those who died for the freedom.

A country where a mother is treated like a goddess.

A country where a husband builds a famous TAJ MAHAL for his beloved wife.

A country of love.

You people have an oppurtunity of learning a new culture. Culture where there is always respect for older people. Respect for the family, Values of being with family even you are able to live by yourself. Importance of having one person in your life for lifetime. Temples, where you will find peace, true priest who gives you knowledge of being with god. Statues, where normal people think, that there is god, and is listening to their prayers, eating the food they offer. Love and affection between true friends, brothers, sisters, families. Families of high standard living but they are unhappy of something in their life, Families of low standard who doesn't know if they will be able to eat tommorrow or not, but they are happy.

It's a great suggestion :-
a) Stay away from beggers; Everyone of you have to be careful of beggars, because beggars
have there union. If you will give to one they will send many more. USE INDIAN words
called as HUT in an aggressive manner and rude. (go away, don't touch)
b) don't eat outside at a stall; you will get sick ( because you are not used to the weather)
c) only eat in nice resturant
d) if you want to pass food with your left or right hand (hand which you don't use to eat) you can pass
e) enjoy every city you go to
f) if you will be able to travel in train ( go in RAJDHANI EXPRESS - it's nice train)
g) most of the toilets will be indian, so be ready
h) there is no bathroom's in the small stores
g) there is a common bathroom in the department store, office building
i) there would be bathroom's in a shopping mall's, thearte's, some offices have their personal
bathrooms.
j) bargain if you buy from the street vendor
k) try to judge shopkeeper
l) if you purchase from the street be careful.

every experience is fun, shopping, prayers, offices, train, planes, it's a long way.

I am Proud of being Indian. I am PROUD OF MY INDIA

2006-07-10T00:54:00.000-07:00

I had dinner at my friend Deepa's house tonight, she is from India and has been in the US almost 2 years. The day I land in India is the same day that she arrived here. Anyway Deepa and I were going to get dinner then go to a movie but her mom offered to cook for us and everyone else. (Deepa lives in a large house with her parents, her sister and her sister's three kids. ) At dinner I was trying to copy how everyone was eating. I had been given a spoon straight off, (which no one else was using until they saw me trying to copy them, feebly) as I was copying Rushi (the youngest child and only boy), he was reprimanded for using his left hand. So, I attempted to not use my left hand, which is really difficult. I had a tortilla that Deepa seemed capable of using like a spoon. Well, try ripping a tortilla with one hand. I need a lot more practice. I course I ended up with a lot of food smeared on my right hand and was not sure if I could use my napkin in my left hand. I seemed to be the only one with food everywhere and the food was just spicy enough to make my nose run, I am sure Mrs. Jansari made it with less spice because she knows I am a wuss.

2006-07-06T15:32:00.000-07:00

There seems to be some confusion on why and when I am going to India, I will be traveling with the University of Washington's business department and we will leave at the end of August. If I can get hired as an intern by one of the Indian companies for six months I will get a certificate in International Business. My goal is to get hired by Microsoft in Hyderabad, then when I come home and complete my degree perhaps I can get a job on the Redmond campus and help pay for graduate school. I plan to get my Master’s in Library Information Science at the University of Washington, after I complete my BA in Business.

2006-07-06T14:30:00.000-07:00

Temples I will visit http://www.indiantemplesportal.com/
I will be visiting all of the cultural sites between shopping trips and feasting.
From what I understand if I use an American passport to go to the Taj Mahal
I will pay $20, but if I use an Indian passport it will be about $2. So, I will try to borrow one for the day (just kidding).

2006-07-05T16:44:00.000-07:00

Drugs
I have started my preparations for my trip. I have currently received four shots with one more to go. The shots I have received are for hepatitis A & B, spinal meningitis, malaria and something else. Two oral meds for other things and all of them are guaranteed to make me sick before I go, so that when I get there I don’t get as sick as I could. I have two sets of pills to take when I get to India, one will make me sensitive to light and again they will both upset my stomach. I will be packing a small pharmacy.

Packing List
Drugs
Sari (my friend's mom is making)
Flashcards with words I will need
Over the counter medicine
2 Suits –for interviews
2 Dress shirts–for interviews
7 Sets of underclothes
Water Purifier
Ear plugs
Eye mask
Sunscreen
Aloe
Bug spray
Band-Aids
4 Pairs of shoes
7 Handkerchiefs
Backpack
Purse
5 Blouses
4 Skirts
Flashlight
Headlamp
Passport carrier
Digital camera
Gifts
Toliet paper
Kleenex
Empty bag for gifts to take home

Flashcards with words I will need
Not spicy please
Bathroom please?
Coffee please
Can I try that?
How much is that?
Please take that amount from the wad of bills.
Ha ha, where is the real bathroom?
Please
Thank you
I'm sorry
The pills I am taking have made me sick, where is a doctor, please, or a bathroom?
Hurry, please.
I feel better, what is that can I try it?

2006-06-27T15:13:00.000-07:00

I am going to India with the Univerity of Washington Business Department to research and try to get internships with companies that are offshoreing jobs to India.

I am very excited and have started packing with two months to go before I leave, because I am such a freak.

If you have any advice about India, what I should take or words I should learn before I go I would appreciate the advice.