The Golden Triangle

Classic Taj Picture

It's Sunday (and Mother's Day at that) and I find myself again reminiscing over another fantastic week in India. Per usual, it was a busy week with a lot of changes. Prachi is being evaluated to go live and the new group hit the floor for their first calls--and all are doing so well! There is lots of work to be done, but I really enjoy everyone that I have been working with--so it makes the days and weeks go by so quickly! I can't believe I am already half-way through my trip!

The "Golden Triangle" is one of India's most popular tourism circuits. It is made up with Delhi at the top and Jaipur and Agra forming a triangle of amazing cities with beautiful attractions. We did all three--in one week!

Delhi

Wednesday Night (or should I say Thursday Morning) after work, Javed and Shaun invited us to experience the sunrise while site seeing in Delhi. Erin and I could not say no, so we piled into Shaun's car and drove in to the city. At 4am, it was a quick trip that would have taken hours had it been during a peak time of the day. We had open roads ahead of us as we made our way to the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib. This beautiful Sikh place of worship was beautifully lit against the dark sky. As we approached the main courtyard, we heard the chantings of the priests inside and drums were beating as they rhythmically shared passages from their holy text.

Gurudwara Bangla Sahib

Before entering, we removed our shoes and donned head covers. The marble courtyard felt smooth against our bare feet as we explored the exterior and sat peacefully by the pond. A man approached us with an offering of food and Erin and I almost declined before the boys told us it was extremely disrespectful to do so. Instead, we held out our palms and accepted the warm, sweet meal he provided. It was Karah Prasad (a mix of butter, sugar and semolina) a blessed offering that is provided to all visitors of the grounds and was absolutely delicious. We explored the temple inside and out and watched the sky lighten the backdrop of the white building as we left to continue our journey.

Shaun, Erin and Me at India Gate

After leaving the temple, we drove as close as we could get to Rashtrapati Bhavan, the massive presidential residence in the area of Delhi that could be equivalent to our own "National Mall". Though we could only see the tip of the main palace's dome peeking above the entry way, we could see the magnificent complex. Directly opposite the palace, the India Gate serves as a war memorial to fallen soldiers. We explored the area and the surrounding gardens--it was beautiful in the barely-morning light

We drove by a few other sites, including the railroad park and the American embassy, before making our way back to Gurgaon for a five-star buffet breakfast. I am sure you are sick of me talking about the India time warp, but in this case I was glad to be having breakfast for dinner because it was delicious. Shaun dropped us off at the apartment at 8am IST (10:30pm ET) so we could get plenty of rest for the remainder of the week.

Click here for more photos of our Delhi Drive.



Agra

The group at the Taj Mahal

We set ourselves up for another fast-paced weekend when we decided to leave as soon as the shift ended on Friday for a journey around the Golden Triangle--starting with Agra. Caitlyn, Brendan, Jasmin, Dave, Erin and I filled every seat in Suresh's van and got out of Gurgaon pretty close to schedule. Most of the crew passed out, but I realized quickly that someone needed to stay awake, as Suresh was feeling a little sleepy and the Indian roads are not easy to manage with heavy eye-lids. Again, I was in awe as we made the 250km trek. The decorated trucks, people alongside the roadways, miles and miles of roadside stands and cows crossing the street with no care at all left for pretty exciting scenery to take-in along the way. You can really tell how populated India is--there was no point on the trip where you didn't see someone standing, working, sitting or doing their business on the side of the road and it was always bustling.

I was 8:30IST when we made it to Agra and we could see the silhouette of the Taj Mahal in the distance as we approached. It was still early in the morning, but as soon as the sun came out it was HOT and we were immediately sweating. Suresh dropped us off in the nearest parking lot possible, which was still a few kilometers from the entrance. Naturally, we hopped in a camel cart and hired a guide, Wasia, to take us around. He told us the history of the site and pointed out important elements in the structure. Additionally, he served as a great photographer and we were able to get a few group shots. We dragged our bootied feet around the mausoleum complex until we finally broke down to the heat and after being harassed by souvenir hawkers, we decided to continue on our journey. We came, we saw, we conquered--in 2hours time.

Jaipur

Kids on the road to Jaipur

It seemed like Suresh was able to rest up a bit, so I felt comfortable resting my eyes during the second 250km of our trip. We made good time until we came across a terribly designed intersection at a railroad crossing and were stuck for 40 mins until the mess was cleared. We made some friends in the meantime and exchanged some granola bars for bags of cool water and adorable pictures. When we finally got moving, we bumped and jostled our way to Chokhi Dhani, an Authentic Rajastani village and resort. After an Aarti & Tikka welcome (they blessed us each with a bindhi--the red dot on your forehead), we were almost turned away as only three of the six of us had our passports with us and it was required for entry. After only a few moments of panic, we were able to contact our friends back home in Delhi, who emailed us pictures. Needless to say we were exhausted and ready for a shower.

Dancing at Chokhi Dhani

After freshening up in the "royal cottage" decorated in true Rajastani style, we met for dinner and drinks at the restaurant. All of us were starving and were disappointed to hear that we could only order appetizers until 7:30. It didn't stall us a bit, and we made a full dinner of Samosas, noodles and crispy papadum. Afterwards, we walked to the villae where a crowd of locals and travellers enjoyed the fair. There were stalls with handmade crafts, carnival style games, elephant rides and dancers. We explored for a little while, watched a "magic show" and pet the baby cows before heading back to the resort for a drink and a cozy bed.

Suresh's Van

This morning, we packed up our things and asked Suresh to drive us around Jaipur. He took us past the sunken palace and drove us though the famous "Pink city". We shopped around for a bit at the jewel capital of India, until unfortunately, Erin's debit card was retained by the ATM machine--so we decided to continue our trip to the Amber Fort--situated high above Jaipur. We explored the walled city and even saw a monkey before calling it a day and cramming in the car to make the journey home.

"Pink City"

We were all sweating and there was almost no circulation, but somehow we managed to get past it and doze for most of the way home. After being on the road for so long, we decided to shower up and head to the Westin for a nice Italian dinner. When we came home, Erin and I made our final reservations for Thailand--Bangkok and Pattaya for Memorial Day 2012!

We came home and called our Mother's to say hello and wish them a happy Mother's Day from afar. There is a busy week ahead and I cant believe my time here is offically half complete! So much to do, with so little time!!

Click here for more photos of Agra and Jaipur.

Desi and you know it...

Crazy ride in a bicycle rickshaw with Jasmin.

My time here is really starting to go by so quickly! It has now been three weeks, and here goes my fourth installment. Per usual, most of the week was pretty standard. [See last week's post for the routine] I am spending most of my day mentoring Prachi and the rest of it I assist AJ designing classroom materials. The new batch hits the floor this week, so there is a lot to do to prepare.

It is surprising how quickly the week flies by. There is so much energy and excitement in the office that time just seems to warp. One of the nights this week, I called Suresh to pick me up, it was 4:00 AM and I needed to head back to the apartment. On our way he tried to make conversation by saying, "Have you really been at the office for 12 hours?" I had to think about it a minute before I realized that it was true, and the sad part about it--I wasn't really that bothered. In fact, I was planning to review a few more items from home. It's what everyone signs up for when they come--but it is worth it. Everyone here works hard, but plays hard too!

Cvent Recruitment

Cvent recruitment drive

We cancelled our plans to go to the Taj when we found out that Cvent was hosting recruitment drives this weekend and needed our help. Similar to sending representatives to find talented people on college campuses in the US, Cvent places ads in the paper and employment websites asking job-seekers to come interview with us at an open call. In an attempt to get some rest for a long day ahead, I left work on Friday at 12AM IST [2:30PM ET]. As hard as I tried to fall asleep during what my body thought was mid-afternoon, I tossed and turned until I finally dozed off at 6:30AM IST [8PM ET] --just in time for my alarm to go off at 7:30AM IST [9PM ET] to get ready to go.

Julide, Jasmin and I participated in the drive at Essex Farms, a meeting facility in South Delhi. Because most of the recruiting efforts rely on the advertisements in the local papers, you never know what type of crowd you are going to get when you arrive. Unfortunately, this particular drive was not as successful as some others have been in the past, but it was great to experience the whole process for hiring in India. I have always known that our department is made up of a smart, talented and diligent group of people--but my appreciation for our team rose even higher when I met with the other people looking to get in with one of Gurgaon's hot companies.

The whole process was a fascinating day to observe and partake in. The space was configured with a reception area and two large rooms with desks and chairs. Candidates would check-in with a member of HR and make their way to one of the rooms to begin filling out their application. At the surrounding desks, current team members waited to meet with the candidates. Because the flow of candidates was more like a trickle, I was able to conduct most of my interviews by pairing up with a teammate.This worked well because Ross, Gautam, Abhilash, Baldeep, Tenzin, Mansi or Piyush could spot the candidates from top schools or companies, and I could judge their communication skills from an American perspective. A candidate who finished their application would be sorted to one of the "Level 1" tables. This level was mostly for communication skills and screening--if they were good--we would pass them to a manager at "Level 2" and a decision would be made on whether or not to invite this person to the office for further rounds of interviews.

I sat at the level 1 tables for most of the day. We would be handed an application to review and then call the candidate for a 5 minute interview. The application was surprisingly detailed. It asked for your grades from high-school to college and your rankings/ratings and your previous employer. Even age in years was a data point on the application and played a part in many decisions--that would never fly in the US! After introductions and the nervous realization that they had been called to the table with the American, the first question was typically "Walk me through your resume"--a typical introduction to get the ball rolling--and the conversation continued from there. It wasn't hard to tell within the first 30 seconds the people that should move on and the people that just weren't cut out for it, but we gave everyone the respect of an interview for their effort. See some questions and typical answers below:

• So, tell me about yourself.
• My name is sldkfjlskdjf, from the town of adslfkjlkjadf in the middle of lakdjsflkjasdlkfj. I traveled today from algfkljlkasdlalskd and am staying in lkajsdlkjasld.
• I see that your last job was in 2010, what have you been doing since then?
• I went home to akjflkjskldfj to start a business with my father. The business failed due to a land dispute so now I am looking for a new job.
• I fell ill and was unable to work.
• What have you heard about Cvent?
• Nothing much.
• I heard they are a paymaster [pays well] and has high retention.
• They design events and websites for the client and when the client has a requirement they build the softwares. [Not really...]

After speaking to a candidate for a few minutes, my interview partner and I would make a decision on whether to move them on. We assessed their speech/grammar and if they were a good fit for the team and the company. We typically hire people who have prior experience working on the phone with callers from the USA, Australia or Great Britain. Additionally, they need to demonstrate a strength in logic and the ability to lead a client through unscripted situations.

I met with all sorts of people, from young professionals who showed a lot of potential to unqualified job-seekers who were desperate for a break. While it was unfortunate to turn someone a way with the "We'll get back to you" it was satisfying to know that we ended the day with a few high-potential candidates too.

The two BEST parts of the day were the lunch (DELICIOUS rice, roasted Mutton and Dal) and the chance to get to know more of my colleagues that were at the drive. Between interviews we had a few minutes to chat and get to know each other which I really appreciated.

...and the Fun Stuff

Shopping in Hauz Khas Village

After the drive ended, Julide, Jasmin and I asked Suresh to take us to Hauz Khas Village where we met up with Sid for some exploration and shopping. I have come to find out that India gives me a total adrenaline high--do I even need sleep?--and I was able to make it through the day and into the night.We meandered our way through the narrow streets lined with levels upon levels of shopping, dining and living space. The store fronts displayed some of the most beautiful saris, suits and dresses that I have seen and the quality of workmanship was exquisite. Some of the items were absolutely breathtaking, but my practicality won over, as I knew there would be little occasion for me to wear a bedazzled sari once I returned home.Though we all admired the beautiful attire, we stuck to the jewelry arena and made some friends at a silver store where each of us purchased a few beautiful pieces. I also walked away with a scarf and a leather wallet.

It was getting late and the sun was setting so Sid lead us to the best sunset spot in town, Boheme, for a unbelievable view of the neighboring park in the evening. It was a wonderful setting for a coffee and a delicious Italian meal. We relaxed and enjoyed the ambiance for a few hours until we decided to pump it up a bit and head out to Turquoise Cottage for some rock music and dancing. It was Cinco de Mayo, so the group decided to celebrate by ordering margaritas. It ended up being a bad choice, as they came out as basically tequila on the rocks--which we readliy improved with an order of fresh lime juice. We met up with quite a group and it didn't take us long to start the party. The song selection was amazing [all American of course] and everyone enjoyed moving to the music.

After a few more rounds and a free bottle of champagne, we called Suresh and asked him to transport us to Angi, where the folks who had not gone recruiting in Essex were gathered. By this time it was 3AM IST [5:30 PM ET] and I had basically been awake (minus 1 hr of sleep) for 36 hours. We kept it going and partied with the full crowd. A local singer/DJ was playing live and a popular song [no joke] was a remix of the preschool classic. "If you're Desi and you know it clap your hands..." Desi basically means "Indian" and the song immediately caught on to all of us--I am sure it wont be the last time I hear that chorus.

We eventually made our way back to Essel Towers, but continued the fun till the early morning hours. I think I finally went to bed around 6AM IST [8:30 PM ET], with plans to wake up for brunch at the Westin. Needless to say, brunch didn't happen. I finally woke up at 3:00 PM IST [5:30 AM IST] and appreciated the ability to catch up on sleep. Jasmin and I decided to head down the block to explore a bit and get a nice meal. Much to our convenient surprise, we walked out of Essel towers and happened to find a Westin auto-rickshaw driver who was on his way back--so we hopped in. The complex would be a short walk away from the apartment, but the mid-day heat was quite exhausting--not to mention the busy roads lined with ruthless beggars.

Enjoying the Westin pool

We ordered a scrumptious pasta lunch and capped it off with an Oreo ice cream pie. The manicured lawns and swimming pool was a Delhi oasis for a few minutes. Jasmin needed to stop at an ATM, so we walked out of the gated complex to find one and were immediately surrounded by a gaggle of girls who thought they had hit the gold mine--they followed us chanting "money-money-money-money" until we finally shooed them off and made the snap decision to flag down a bicycle rickshaw. We didn't think about the conditions until we were already on our way, and the five minute trip was terrifying as our driver pedaled through traffic an eventually needed to cross 8 lanes before turning into our gate. We thanked him for keeping us alive and paid the 50 Rupee fare--that's about $1.

Glad to be alive, we rounded up the troops and decided to ask Suresh to take us to the grocery store. I already stockpiled last week, so I only needed a few things to add to my inventory--a set of Tupperware being one!

We unpacked our loot and loaded the fridge. The group of 8 all sat together for a family dinner thanks to Puni. It is rare that we are all eating at the same time and it is always enjoyable to gather for an Indian meal. Puni made a delicious chicken tikka and fried rice dinner. We stayed up for a few more hours and watched a movie. Everyone was using their ipad or iphone to load pictures etc.--its funny how connected everyone can be!

Family Dinner from Puni

After everyone called it a night, I came to my room to spill this out. This week is going to be busy and then I actually think we are going to make it to Agra next weekend! Check back next week for another post and leave your comments!

Check out more photos here.

Delhi Days

Breakfast in Bed

And it's Sunday night...so I find myself at the helm of my computer once again. This routine is starting to kick in, but if you talk to any of my Indian friends, you will find that I am sometimes lost in a complete time-warp confusion.

I have been keeping track of my daily routine on two clocks. The way the conversion works is this: Take Delhi time, add 2.5 hours, and switch the AM/PM and you get Eastern time.  That means, it is 2:00am Monday morning in Delhi right now but 4:30 PM Sunday Night in Virginia. It seems easy, but I have found that translating one to another and back again can be a little flustering. My daily routine goes something like this:

•  3:30PM IST ( 6:00AM EST) - Wake Up, Call Puni
•  4:00PM IST ( 6:30AM EST) - Shower, Eat Breakfast
•  4:30PM IST ( 7:00AM EST) - Call Anil, Leave for the Office
•  5:00PM IST ( 7:30AM EST) - Get to the office and catch up/prepare for the day
•  6:30PM IST ( 9:00AM EST) - East Coast Shift officially begins
•  9:30PM IST (12:00PM EST) - Lunch Time
•  3:30AM IST ( 6:00PM EST) - Shift ends
•  3:45AM IST ( 6:15PM EST) - Cab home
•  3:50AM IST ( 6:20PM EST) - Arrive home, socialize, prep for work, phone calls
•  7:30AM IST (10:00PM EST) - Bed Time

It seems easy, but when you factor in that all of the other people who are in the apartment are on completely different schedules, it starts to be a lot to juggle.

This week was pretty straight forward, after the exciting weekend in Risikesh, tasks at work kept on pressing forward. I shifted gears a bit and am acting as a full time mentor to Prachi. She was hired in January and is showing a lot of potential for going "live" in the next few weeks. I have been working with her to round out her product knowledge and critique her calls. All has been progressing well and she is going to be a great addition to our phone team in India.

On Friday, I went straight home and got in bed so that I could enjoy the weekend. This is the part that makes the time shift confusing:

•  3:30AM IST ( 6:00PM EST) - Shift Ends
•  4:30AM IST ( 7:00PM EST) - In Bed
• 12:00PM IST ( 2:30AM EST) - Alarm goes off, Call Prachi
•  1:30PM IST ( 3:30AM EST) - Leave for CP Market and shopping in Delhi

Caitlyn and Brendan arrived early Saturday morning and joined me for a shopping trip at CP Markets in Delhi. After several recommendations from many people, the three of us met up with Prachi and she showed us a mix of what Delhi has to offer. High end Saris and gifts at the Emporiums, jewelry vending from  street carts and rows and rows of tents with everything from home goods to everyday clothing.

Prachi took us around to her favorite spots and helped us bargain for the best deal. We would pick out something that we liked, she would argue with the vendor for a few minutes, then name our price. I am so grateful for her skills, because otherwise I would have absolutely overpaid! We grabbed a few drinks and lunch at an upscale lounge called QBA. I walked away with a purse/satchel, an onyx ring, 2 necklaces, a bangle and 2 Kurtas--A successful day.

My Kurta! Photo by Ana Usmani

It was getting dark and we decided it was time to head back to familiar territory--Gurgaon. The new arrivals started getting sleepy as we navigated our way home. Prachi stopped at every corner to ask for directions--and people willingly provided them--navigating us through the twists and turns of Delhi. We stopped for coffee at the Costa near the office and made our way for dinner at Rt. 04 - An American Bar in Cyber City. We met with Bharat, Sam, Aman and Javed for a few drinks before heading to Striker for dancing. To top off the evening, we made a pit stop at a 5-star restaurant for a late night snack of Briani--fried rice.

This morning I woke up at 2:30PM IST ( 5:00 AM EST) and met up with Caitlyn and Brendan. We lounged in the apartment for a few hours as they were awaiting their missing luggage from their flight on Friday. Caitlyn and I went to Spencer's to pick up some essentials: Cookies, Crackers and Gatorade. For the most part, Spencer's seemed like any normal grocery store. The only thing that was a little awkward were the employees that were crowding the aisles. I not exactly sure as to their purpose, but it seemed like they were getting paid to encourage you to buy certain items. They were helpful when we asked where to find certain items, and then they would ask us if we wanted to buy lotion that we didn't need or respond to a survey. I think the two of us were targets.

We made our way home to watch the cricket match and eat a wonderful home-cooked dinner by Puni. "Chicken and Gravy" was delicious, but nothing like what you would find on Thanksgiving. I bought a thermos at the store today, and plan to ask Puni to fill it with tea so I can take it work. I also plan on asking him to prepare dinner for me for when I get home tomorrow.

I think we are planning to go to Agra and Jaipur next weekend, so there is much planning to do!

Catelyn