Tuesday, August 30, 2005
A great one day weekend...
Our one day off is Sunday so Saturday night has become “Drink Night”. The night started slowly after work. I went into my room to relax a little, shower and get ready for our typical Saturday night party. I was sidetracked by, of all things, a Steven Segal movie. Not really his biggest fan but there was a cool fight scene in the beginning that got me interested so I sat and watched it. Got downstairs about 9:15 and had a quick bite. I ordered a Dosa Masala, which everyone else seems to like, but I didn’t care for it much so probably won’t be ordering that again. Because they all got there an hour or so before me, they were all way ahead of me in alcohol consumption but I made a gallant effort to catch up. The bar closes at 11 with last call usually about 10:20. One of the TA’s we work with ordered a bottle of whiskey and some beer for his room and we ended up there. It was a pretty typical Saturday night for us, sitting around drinking and talking and listening to music but then things really got funny when someone got the great idea of throwing fruit around the room. Oranges and apples were smashed against the walls and grapes ended up all over the floor. The next morning, those who were indulging in the fruit throwing didn’t even remember it…
Sunday morning it was hard to get motivated. Laid around a while, talked to Stacey on the phone. It was her Saturday night and she was really tearing it up with some friends. We talked again a little later when she got home… I was a little concerned about her making it, but she got home OK. Damn, I sure do miss that girl! When I hung up the phone I realized it was later than I thought. We were supposed to meet Ramesh for a movie and then join him at his house for dinner with his family.
Ramesh, Jules, Zac and I drove up to the theater, set up much different than those in the states. It had a large balcony with couch like seating, very comfortable with paddle fans. Below the balcony, from what I could see, there was similar seating somewhat raised and then down in front was standard chair type seating. The theater had a surprisingly good sound system but the screen seemed a bit old and the picture quality was just OK. The movie was interesting. It was a historical movie about the beginnings of the struggle for Indian independence from England obviously from an India point of view. It was in Hindi with a lot of English thrown in, at least enough to be able to follow the story somewhat although we missed a lot of the more subtle story lines. Ramesh and I discussed it for a while and he filled me in on the rest. All in all, it was a good time.
We swung back by the hotel and picked up Lael and headed to Ramesh’s home for dinner. It’s a very big home with the family legal offices below and living upstairs. Ramesh has a wonderful family that made us feel very much at home. His father was very inquisitive and talkative, a very friendly man. His mother couldn’t speak English but her smile let you know she enjoyed having us there. His wife was the perfect hostess although I wish she would have sat with us during dinner instead of standing over us constantly putting more food on our plates. I guess being American, I’m just more accustomed to everything set on the table and everyone digging in together. One of the many cultural differences… I hope I have an opportunity to get to know them all better before we have to leave. They served an absolutely delicious vegetarian dinner that was much different than expected. The dishes that were prepared were delicately flavored with a variety of tastes that surprised me. Ramesh had given me a sample of this when I tasted his curd rice one evening when we were out. I have become accustomed to the very spicy, rich strong flavors that I have previously identified as “Indian Food”. This was a great change and a cultural education as well that is very much appreciated.
After dinner we sat for a few minutes to relax then headed back to the hotel, stopped into Cheers for a couple then off to our rooms as tomorrow was another work day…
Sunday morning it was hard to get motivated. Laid around a while, talked to Stacey on the phone. It was her Saturday night and she was really tearing it up with some friends. We talked again a little later when she got home… I was a little concerned about her making it, but she got home OK. Damn, I sure do miss that girl! When I hung up the phone I realized it was later than I thought. We were supposed to meet Ramesh for a movie and then join him at his house for dinner with his family.
Ramesh, Jules, Zac and I drove up to the theater, set up much different than those in the states. It had a large balcony with couch like seating, very comfortable with paddle fans. Below the balcony, from what I could see, there was similar seating somewhat raised and then down in front was standard chair type seating. The theater had a surprisingly good sound system but the screen seemed a bit old and the picture quality was just OK. The movie was interesting. It was a historical movie about the beginnings of the struggle for Indian independence from England obviously from an India point of view. It was in Hindi with a lot of English thrown in, at least enough to be able to follow the story somewhat although we missed a lot of the more subtle story lines. Ramesh and I discussed it for a while and he filled me in on the rest. All in all, it was a good time.
We swung back by the hotel and picked up Lael and headed to Ramesh’s home for dinner. It’s a very big home with the family legal offices below and living upstairs. Ramesh has a wonderful family that made us feel very much at home. His father was very inquisitive and talkative, a very friendly man. His mother couldn’t speak English but her smile let you know she enjoyed having us there. His wife was the perfect hostess although I wish she would have sat with us during dinner instead of standing over us constantly putting more food on our plates. I guess being American, I’m just more accustomed to everything set on the table and everyone digging in together. One of the many cultural differences… I hope I have an opportunity to get to know them all better before we have to leave. They served an absolutely delicious vegetarian dinner that was much different than expected. The dishes that were prepared were delicately flavored with a variety of tastes that surprised me. Ramesh had given me a sample of this when I tasted his curd rice one evening when we were out. I have become accustomed to the very spicy, rich strong flavors that I have previously identified as “Indian Food”. This was a great change and a cultural education as well that is very much appreciated.
After dinner we sat for a few minutes to relax then headed back to the hotel, stopped into Cheers for a couple then off to our rooms as tomorrow was another work day…
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Catching up to date...
My first weekend here we all went to Hyderabad and spent the weekend at the Taj Krishna. It was a holiday weekend due to Indian Independence Day. This was a different kind of place. Very western oriented. Beautiful hotel with great restaurants, a huge pool, nice large comfortable rooms and great service. The only thing missing was a pool side bar since the waiter was kind of slow getting our drinks.
We spent the whole weekend eating very good food, lounging by the pool and partying in the bars at night. The others seemed to "appreciate" everything more than I did but, after all, I had only just arrived and they had been here for months.
We had gone there on a sleeper train but couldn't get return tickets so we hired a car to drive us the 9 hours back to Rajahmundry. That was the trip from hell with the driver playing chicken with everything from bicycles to big trucks. His speciality seemed to be passing on blind corners... I'll never get used to the driving conditions here. No wonder they won't let us drive. I wouldn't even try...
Since then it's been pretty much just back and forth to work six days a week with some late nights on site. Most evenings are spent eating dinner and having a couple drinks before retiring for the night. Saturday night has been dubed "Party Night" or "Drink Night" because it's the one night we can party all night because we don't have to get up the next day...
I am the oldest of the crew of 5 field engineers here on this job. Zac, the project lead is late twenties as is Jules, the controls FE. We also have a couple of electrical FE's, Lael and Adam who are in their 30's. We seem to get along well, which is a good thing under the circumstances, since we are stuck together for some time to come.
We spent the whole weekend eating very good food, lounging by the pool and partying in the bars at night. The others seemed to "appreciate" everything more than I did but, after all, I had only just arrived and they had been here for months.
We had gone there on a sleeper train but couldn't get return tickets so we hired a car to drive us the 9 hours back to Rajahmundry. That was the trip from hell with the driver playing chicken with everything from bicycles to big trucks. His speciality seemed to be passing on blind corners... I'll never get used to the driving conditions here. No wonder they won't let us drive. I wouldn't even try...
Since then it's been pretty much just back and forth to work six days a week with some late nights on site. Most evenings are spent eating dinner and having a couple drinks before retiring for the night. Saturday night has been dubed "Party Night" or "Drink Night" because it's the one night we can party all night because we don't have to get up the next day...
I am the oldest of the crew of 5 field engineers here on this job. Zac, the project lead is late twenties as is Jules, the controls FE. We also have a couple of electrical FE's, Lael and Adam who are in their 30's. We seem to get along well, which is a good thing under the circumstances, since we are stuck together for some time to come.
Saturday, August 27, 2005
Settling in...
I arrived at the hotel in the middle of the afternoon. The place seemed nice enough, has a three star rating and includes two restaurants and a bar /wanna be disco. I checked in, without my bags still and went up to my room. It was a mess, basically clean but no attention to any detail. If you can picture the budget type motel, $29.95 special that runs up and down our interstate system, if you down grade that one level then you have a good idea of what the room was like. I was so ready for a shower. Remember, I had been traveling for three days in the same clothes and the only thing I had with me was my computer bag and the little complementary toiletry kit you get when flying overseas. At least it included a toothbrush. I showered, washed out my shorts and socks and hung them to dry, and slipped back into my shirt and pants and went back down to the desk. I told them I wanted a better room and they said it would be a day or two…
We went into work the next day and I called the airlines about my bag. They told me it would be a few days before they could get it to me. After we came back to the hotel that evening, our driver took me to the Main Street shopping area and took me around to get everything I needed, clothes, toiletries, cigarettes, etc to get through the next couple of days. This guy is awesome, he knew right where to go for the best prices. Needless to say, I was quite pleased to get back to the room, clean up and get into some clean clothes. The next morning, just as we were arriving at the job site, the driver got a call from the hotel saying that my bags arrived. I was really happy then...
...about nine days after my arrival, after much pestering by me that included a discussion with the manager about integrity and truthfulness, I was moved into a suite. Definitely larger, a little cleaner, a big bed, a fridge and it was about the best I could expect. OK, home for the next few months.
We went into work the next day and I called the airlines about my bag. They told me it would be a few days before they could get it to me. After we came back to the hotel that evening, our driver took me to the Main Street shopping area and took me around to get everything I needed, clothes, toiletries, cigarettes, etc to get through the next couple of days. This guy is awesome, he knew right where to go for the best prices. Needless to say, I was quite pleased to get back to the room, clean up and get into some clean clothes. The next morning, just as we were arriving at the job site, the driver got a call from the hotel saying that my bags arrived. I was really happy then...
...about nine days after my arrival, after much pestering by me that included a discussion with the manager about integrity and truthfulness, I was moved into a suite. Definitely larger, a little cleaner, a big bed, a fridge and it was about the best I could expect. OK, home for the next few months.
Getting to India
It is August 1st and it’s a delayed departure for my flight from Orlando to Detroit with a tight connection at the other end. Managed somehow to get on my connecting flight in Detroit, still not sure how that worked since when I arrived at the gate the plane door was shut and the access ramp was being backed away. Anyway, I was glad to get on the flight. Unfortunately, I found out later, my bags were left behind. It was, Detroit to Amsterdam then on to Mumbai (Bombay before their independence), a short overnight rest then onward to Vishakhapatnam. That name is so long, even the Indians refer to it as Vizag. Our driver was waiting for me there at the airport and was rather curiously looking at my lack of baggage. His English is very limited but I attempted to explain. No problem, we’ll get them later…
It’s a 3 hour drive to Rajahmundry, and what a drive it was. This is my first exposure to Indian traffic, driving techniques and lack of laws. Simply put, it is pure chaos… The only rule that seems to apply is occupy a space and honk a lot. The larger the vehicle the more others yield to it. Pedestrians, cows, goats, bicycles, motorcycles, auto rickshaws, cars and trucks all vie for the same spaces. Even on four lane divided roads the traffic flows in both directions in all lanes. It’s pure madness… I remember thinking it would be an amazing feat to arrive at the hotel without having an accident but we made it.
Check out this website if you want to know more about where I’m currently residing/working:
www.rajahmundry.net
It’s a 3 hour drive to Rajahmundry, and what a drive it was. This is my first exposure to Indian traffic, driving techniques and lack of laws. Simply put, it is pure chaos… The only rule that seems to apply is occupy a space and honk a lot. The larger the vehicle the more others yield to it. Pedestrians, cows, goats, bicycles, motorcycles, auto rickshaws, cars and trucks all vie for the same spaces. Even on four lane divided roads the traffic flows in both directions in all lanes. It’s pure madness… I remember thinking it would be an amazing feat to arrive at the hotel without having an accident but we made it.
Check out this website if you want to know more about where I’m currently residing/working:
www.rajahmundry.net
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Quick Background
OK, I've been hearing about blogs for a while now and a couple of engineers I'm currently working with have started blogs so I thought I'd try my hand at it. At least I shouldn't have to write as much e-mail back to friends and family now.
I'm a mechanical field engineer, traveling the globe working on gas turbine power plant projects. Most recently, within the past year, I've been in Northern Ireland, Spain and now find myself stuck in India.
Northern Ireland, while I was there, was not impressive... at least not the city of Derry/Londonderry, which name you use is depending on your political/religious affiliation. It had great potential and during the day was a lovely city to visit but at night it was a rather rough place to be. Not very friendly to us Americans there (except at the quite nice hotel I was at just away from the downtown area). Any weekend opportunity I had I'd leave the immediate area and head to the Irish Republic. What a difference, warm and friendly people, great pubs, etc. The countryside everywhere was beautiful from the green hills and stark rocks to the beautiful varied coastal regions.
After two months there I spent an awesome month home. Short runs around town on my own on the Road King, looking for a new home for my girlfriend and me, longer runs to neighboring areas with or without my girlfriend on our bike, visiting family, a couple all day and well into the night rides with my girlfriend on our bike. I guess you get the picture; I love to ride… by myself, with my girl, with friends.
Spain was my next destination. Bilbao was the city I was in on the Northern coast, not to far from the French border. What a place… I had a great time while there. It was a beautiful country. The city was an awesome combination of architecture that spanned about 700 or more years, the people were warm and friendly (even though I couldn’t speak a word of Spanish), the food was incredible (some of the best I’ve ever eaten) and the drinks were huge with overly generous portions of alcohol. I think they were waiting for me to tell them to stop but I never did and it seemed like they put 3 to 4 measures into each drink.
This was followed by another month or so at home, reread above about my time at home and then replace the part about looking for a new home with: settling into new home my girlfriend and I found while back in the States and purchased while I was in Spain. Special note… She and a girlfriend of hers moved a lot of our stuff in and really began to fix up the place while I was away. When I was home we didn’t get as much done as we had wanted because we were to busy… yes, you guessed it… riding our bike. We do like to do our share of partying…
I’ve made a relatively new friend who is the only other person I know who is free to ride anytime while I’m home so we do a lot of it together. His girlfriend and mine hit it off as well so we spend a lot of time together. I hear he is missing me right now. Not half as much as I miss him and all my other friends and family. Being stuck in India sucks… but I’m getting ahead of myself…
I'm a mechanical field engineer, traveling the globe working on gas turbine power plant projects. Most recently, within the past year, I've been in Northern Ireland, Spain and now find myself stuck in India.
Northern Ireland, while I was there, was not impressive... at least not the city of Derry/Londonderry, which name you use is depending on your political/religious affiliation. It had great potential and during the day was a lovely city to visit but at night it was a rather rough place to be. Not very friendly to us Americans there (except at the quite nice hotel I was at just away from the downtown area). Any weekend opportunity I had I'd leave the immediate area and head to the Irish Republic. What a difference, warm and friendly people, great pubs, etc. The countryside everywhere was beautiful from the green hills and stark rocks to the beautiful varied coastal regions.
After two months there I spent an awesome month home. Short runs around town on my own on the Road King, looking for a new home for my girlfriend and me, longer runs to neighboring areas with or without my girlfriend on our bike, visiting family, a couple all day and well into the night rides with my girlfriend on our bike. I guess you get the picture; I love to ride… by myself, with my girl, with friends.
Spain was my next destination. Bilbao was the city I was in on the Northern coast, not to far from the French border. What a place… I had a great time while there. It was a beautiful country. The city was an awesome combination of architecture that spanned about 700 or more years, the people were warm and friendly (even though I couldn’t speak a word of Spanish), the food was incredible (some of the best I’ve ever eaten) and the drinks were huge with overly generous portions of alcohol. I think they were waiting for me to tell them to stop but I never did and it seemed like they put 3 to 4 measures into each drink.
This was followed by another month or so at home, reread above about my time at home and then replace the part about looking for a new home with: settling into new home my girlfriend and I found while back in the States and purchased while I was in Spain. Special note… She and a girlfriend of hers moved a lot of our stuff in and really began to fix up the place while I was away. When I was home we didn’t get as much done as we had wanted because we were to busy… yes, you guessed it… riding our bike. We do like to do our share of partying…
I’ve made a relatively new friend who is the only other person I know who is free to ride anytime while I’m home so we do a lot of it together. His girlfriend and mine hit it off as well so we spend a lot of time together. I hear he is missing me right now. Not half as much as I miss him and all my other friends and family. Being stuck in India sucks… but I’m getting ahead of myself…
