Home Safely

Hi All,

Home at last. The flights home were uneventful but long. It's good to be home, where I don't have to be afraid I'll swallow water in the shower. Or make a mistake like the first day and rinse my toothbrush under the faucet. You think you won't forget, but you do. All in all this experience was a wonderful chance to meet new people and see how another culture lives. It really makes you appreciate home. Thanks for following me on my adventures. Till next time.

Sam

Last Day in India

Hi All,
Our time here is winding down quickly. This has been a wonderful experience. Seeing how a different culture lives is truly a gift. I know most of these people here will never be able to have the chance to travel. I've meet so many nice people. The hotel staff were great. My new Backups are so nice and thankfully they all have a sense of humor. I think that might come in handy in the future!! Thanks to all my followers.
Sam

Hi All,
I had a very strange ride home from the office last night. The on-ramp for the highway was closed due to contruction. The ever dependable Venkatesh, didn't blink an eye. He turned around and proceeded to drive up the OFF RAMP instead. Apparently you just turn on your hazard lights and drive on the right instead of the left. I was a bit nervous until we crossed back over to the left side of the highway at a break in the divider. Good thing it was 2:00 AM and traffic was light. I noticed too we never seem to stop for red lights except at very congested intersections and turning right. I've watched the people on the back of scooters and motorcycles, they have no fear. It's amazing. I've seen a people hauling a TV while riding two on a motorcycle, I wish I could have been quick enough to get a picture of that one. Five people on a motorcycle, and today I saw a printer for a computer strapped to the back of a motorcycle. I've seen oxen pulling carts, people riding bicycles all with huge loads. All sharing the same road. I'm sure glad I can watch instead of drive.
Well just 2 more days to go.
Bye for now.

Hi All,

Tuesday and I'm almost all packed and ready to come home. Everyone here has been very nice, the hotel is wonderful, but it's not home. I have to admit it's very nice to be waited on hand and foot. Food just comes to your door if you call and ask for it. (I'm pretty glad I'm not paying this bill though.)

The training is still going well, the backups are smarter than the trainer. Pretty sad!

We are having a Pizza party tomorrow at work. Frank W. is treating us all. It's very nice of him.

Well the crew is back so back to work for now.

Bye Sam

Finally the Mall

Hi All,
Jacintha took us to a place called Skywalk Saturday. We had great fun shopping. I don't know how, but Frank did not buy a thing. I however was able to help the Indian economy with no problems. We also visited a very nice book shop called Higginbathoms.
Sunday I went to church again with Jacintha and her Father. He came to visit Jacintha for the weekend. We went to Pizza Hut for lunch. Then off to work for our Sunday duties.
Bye for now.
Sam

See what happens when I let the Backups help with my blog.

Thursday

HI All,

I wanted to post a picture of the group I am training. They are affectionately known as 'the Backups'. They are from right to left Jacintha, Mani, Saravanan, and Thamil. They are all doing very well with training. I'm confident in their abilities to continue when I'm no longer here to give hands on guidance.

Jacintha is taking me shopping this weekend.

Bye for now. The Backups are here waiting to work!!

Another Middle of the week

Hi All,
Here it is another Wednesday. There really isn't much to Blog about, when all I'm doing is going back and forth to work. The training is going very well. We are farther ahead then I thought we would be at this time.

When I get back from work it's about 2:30 AM IST, but it's really about 4:00 PM CST so I'm not quite tired enough to sleep. So to help me get tired and to exercise, I walk the halls of the hotel. This hotel is huge and the hallways are better Air Conditioned than the work out area. I think the people here think I'm crazy. Oh and Thanks Jerry for the head phones the quality of the music is wonderful!!
While I was eating lunch today I noticed some activity by the hotel pool. It looked like they were doing a photo shoot. I tried asking but I didn't quite get what my waiter was explaining. They were photographing a very pretty girl in and around the pool. Very interesting. The garden and pool area are very picturesque so I can see why they chose that setting.

Today I've included a picture of the ever dependable Venkatesh.
That's all I have for today. Bye for now.
Sam

Finally a Field Trip

Hi All,

Frank and I were free on Saturday to enjoy some of the local sights. With Antony from work as our capable guide, and the ever dependable Ventakesh as our driver we headed out to a place called Mahaballipuram. This sight is near the Bay of Bengal, it's a collection of 5 temples dedicated to the Hindu Gods carved by hand from 1 stone. The area also has a concentration of stone carving Art Studios. I watched two of them at work for some time, while waiting for Antony to bargain with the local shop-keepers. He was instrumental is getting us very good deals on some gifts to bring back home. I had wandered off to visit other shops in the area. When I spotted poor Ventkatesh, I believe it was his job to babysit the old lady while Antony was getting a deal for Frank.

We stopped to see St Thomas Basillica and while Frank and Antony were exploring, Ventkatesh and were waiting by the car. We were parked next to a small bus. I didn't think too much about it (always forgetting I stick out like a sore thumb here) when we were surrounded by young girls in age from 10 - 13. They were on a small Holiday visiting some sights in Chennai, they are from an orphanage called Birds Nest. What wonderful experiences I'm having here!

We stopped to see our friend Dev in the evening and we got to meet his Wife, little girl and parents. They gifted me with a complete set of traditional clothing. Very pretty!!

Today we joined Jacintha at Her church for the Sunday Service. Outside of the language barrier it was quite similar to the service at Living Hope Church.

And as promised a picture of my trainees.

Bye for now.

Sam

Hi All,

I've had many questions about the hotel and the food. The Hotel first. This is one of the nicest hotels I've ever stayed in. The only down side is the pool is not available, they are doing something to it. I'm not sure what because I don't go outside much if I don't have to, it is very humid and hot.

The food is OK, I haven't experimented much. The food at the Hotel is the only food I've eaten so far. They have been packing my lunch for me everyday. It's true you do get a bit spoiled here. They bring the food all prepared right to your door. I'm going to miss that at home.

Steve and RuthAnn I have a new respect for your driving abilities. Thank God for Venkatesh he's our driver. He doesn't talk much bless his heart, but at least I'm not scared to death when I'm in the car. The commute is about 1/2 hr in the afternoon and only 20 minutes at night. At night is when you really see the dogs. There are a lot of them, but it seems they do alright.

The city at first looked a bit shabby, but the more I see the better it looks. The office is a very nice building. They have a huge cafeteria, with several food venders. Of course it's a very big building housing a lot of people. They must feel it isn't necessary to air condition the bathrooms or hallways though. And it seems the air conditioning cycles on and off thoughout the time we are there. The lights too.

The people I'm training are all very young and very smart. There are 3 fellows and 1 girl. Mani, Thamil, and Saravanan are the fellows, Jacintha is the girl. They are all taking Frank and I shopping this weekend. I think next weekend we are going to see something I have no clue how to spell, but it sounds very interesting. They are working on the traveling arrangements to the Taj Mahal. We are hoping to make it a day trip to save the extra expense of a hotel. Jacintha has volunteered to join me as has Dev. I'm not exactly sure how many will be going so it will be a surprise.

The boys have helped me download my photos from the phone to the laptop as I (of course) was having trouble. I don't have pictures yet of my crew. Coming soon.

Hello Everyone,

So sorry for the delay in blogging. I didn't have internet access right away in my room. The flights were uneventful if a bit long. I watched 6 movies.

Frank W. has been a good companion on this trip even with being sick. He took the 1st hit. Frank S. and everyone else at work, you would be very proud of him. I'll try and sneak a picture of him so you can see how nice he looked today for work.

I think the training session went very well today, even with the technical difficulties. The office is nice but you have to use your badge for every door you go in and out of. Also a metal detector, which I'm grateful for actually.

RuthAnn you didn't warn me about ALL of the stray dogs here. Kinda breaks a dog lovers heart.

Here is a picture of the business class compartment we had on the Brussels to Chennai leg of the journey.

It's 6:30 AM here and I'm meeting Frank for breakfast.

So bye for now.

Hi All,

Here is the link to the blog I said I would keep while in India.

The beginning

The start of something fun.