One week back home and things have returned to "normal". Just as I expected, being thrown into the daily grind of work and school have limited the time I have available to gather my thoughts and post them into this blog.
Not that I'm making excuses, but when you are up for work at 6am and don't get back from class until 9pm, it does make it difficult to think about anything other than putting your head on a pillow.
It is now 9:44am and I am on a break from my Portfolio Valuation class on Saturday morning. My final reflection paper for this trip is complete and this will be my last blog.
Just 5 minutes earlier, most of the MBA class was huddled around my laptop, looking at pictures of India while Gene and I told them about a few of our adventures in Mysore. It has been the first time since I've been back that I've really been able to reminisce about my trip to India...and I do miss it.
So...have I learned about international business in India? Sure. Did I experience the life of an MBA student in India? Absolutely. Have there been educational and cultural takeaways that I will remember from this trip? I certainly hope so. I guess what I'm trying to say is that my personal reflections will never be truly captured by this blog, or my paper, or the stories that I tell you and everyone else that asks me how my trip to India was.
I do hope that by reading some of my thoughts, you have been able to share in the experience that I've been blessed to have. And if you're really bored, you can ask me to email you my final reflection paper...
In the meantime, I will try to follow my own advice and take the time to admire the world that surrounds us. There really is an abundance of culture to experience if you just open your eyes enough to see it.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
Back home!
Sorry for the long delay. I'm not joking when I say that we probably had the worst return trip ever, or possible, compliments of Air India.
It is now Monday morning, 10:30am and I have just gotten back to Rochester. Deviating slightly from our scheduled return at 7:30pm Friday night, we ended up back in Minneapolis on Sunday morning at 9:30am. Since I'm tired and desperately need sleep, here are some highlights to tide you over until I wrap up with my final reflections on the trip:
-10 hours in the Bangalore airport. Quite possibly the dirtiest airport I've ever been into. I've got video of our "living hell" on my camera.
-Was forced to use the public bathroom in Bangalore. No, it was not a western toilet. No, there was no toilet paper. Yes, I had to "pop a squat". No, it was not easy. I will never, ever complain about a dirty gas station bathroom in the US ever again.
-Begged for food at the only coffee store located at the Bangalore airport. After all of the begging we had seen on this trip, I was able to take bits and pieces of what I learned and successfully land 2 samosas for breakfast.
-Missed every single leg of every single flight on our 4 layover trip. Not one flight left on time and not one leg went smoothly.
-After staying one night in Mumbai, left early in the morning for Frankfurt. Surprisingly, we all made it and I was even able to get an exit row seat for this leg.
-On our way to Chicago, I ended up getting some kind of food poisoning or stomach bug. Unfortunately, the first time I decided to lose my lunch, I didn't quite make it all the way to the luxurious Air India 747 bathroom. It is not easy to vomit within a room that is 3 feet by 3 feet. Oops.
-Finally, in the United States! What could go wrong right? The baggage doors on our plane in Chicago froze shut and we weren't able to get our bags until an hour later. We only had 45 minutes to catch our flight to Minneapolis. One more night of our living nightmare was spent in Chicago. Fortunately, we all got hotel vouchers and food vouchers for dinner. Unfortunately, the restaurant closed before most of us could get there.
-Back in Minneapolis. 38 hours AFTER we were supposed to be home. I'm trying to think of what I am going to write in my tasteful letter to Air India when I get home. Here is a word of advice for anybody who wants to visit India...DO NOT FLY AIR INDIA!!!!! Worst customer service, worst airplane efficiency, worst website for flight updates, I have ever experienced. I have never been on an airline with more excuses, inadequate help, and bad attitudes than Air India. They don't even use computers...everything is done on carbon paper. Forget the frequent flyer miles I've racked up for this trip...I will never use this airline ever again. And I will do my best to make sure nobody else has the unfortunate experience of flying Air India either. Trust me, it isn't worth it, even if your flight is free.
OK, time to hit the sack...
It is now Monday morning, 10:30am and I have just gotten back to Rochester. Deviating slightly from our scheduled return at 7:30pm Friday night, we ended up back in Minneapolis on Sunday morning at 9:30am. Since I'm tired and desperately need sleep, here are some highlights to tide you over until I wrap up with my final reflections on the trip:
-10 hours in the Bangalore airport. Quite possibly the dirtiest airport I've ever been into. I've got video of our "living hell" on my camera.
-Was forced to use the public bathroom in Bangalore. No, it was not a western toilet. No, there was no toilet paper. Yes, I had to "pop a squat". No, it was not easy. I will never, ever complain about a dirty gas station bathroom in the US ever again.
-Begged for food at the only coffee store located at the Bangalore airport. After all of the begging we had seen on this trip, I was able to take bits and pieces of what I learned and successfully land 2 samosas for breakfast.
-Missed every single leg of every single flight on our 4 layover trip. Not one flight left on time and not one leg went smoothly.
-After staying one night in Mumbai, left early in the morning for Frankfurt. Surprisingly, we all made it and I was even able to get an exit row seat for this leg.
-On our way to Chicago, I ended up getting some kind of food poisoning or stomach bug. Unfortunately, the first time I decided to lose my lunch, I didn't quite make it all the way to the luxurious Air India 747 bathroom. It is not easy to vomit within a room that is 3 feet by 3 feet. Oops.
-Finally, in the United States! What could go wrong right? The baggage doors on our plane in Chicago froze shut and we weren't able to get our bags until an hour later. We only had 45 minutes to catch our flight to Minneapolis. One more night of our living nightmare was spent in Chicago. Fortunately, we all got hotel vouchers and food vouchers for dinner. Unfortunately, the restaurant closed before most of us could get there.
-Back in Minneapolis. 38 hours AFTER we were supposed to be home. I'm trying to think of what I am going to write in my tasteful letter to Air India when I get home. Here is a word of advice for anybody who wants to visit India...DO NOT FLY AIR INDIA!!!!! Worst customer service, worst airplane efficiency, worst website for flight updates, I have ever experienced. I have never been on an airline with more excuses, inadequate help, and bad attitudes than Air India. They don't even use computers...everything is done on carbon paper. Forget the frequent flyer miles I've racked up for this trip...I will never use this airline ever again. And I will do my best to make sure nobody else has the unfortunate experience of flying Air India either. Trust me, it isn't worth it, even if your flight is free.
OK, time to hit the sack...
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
MTV says so...
Yesterday morning, we were able to enjoy a lecture given by Professor Balakrishnan concerning branding strategies from an Indian perspective. We were introduced to various Indian brands and the methods that Indian companies use to market to the general Indian population. It is interesting to see what large multinational firms must go through when branding in India. The lecture reminded me of the lecture given by Dr. Aggarwal during one of our marketing courses regarding Thums Up! Soda, a popular Indian soft drink.
Coca-Cola is one of the most widely recognized brands in the entire world. In this day and age, it is difficult to find a country that does not have Coke products. Without a doubt, Coca-Cola has an effective marketing department that has reached developed as well as underdeveloped countries. As a result, it was a surprise to us that Coca-Cola ran into significant problems when marketing in India. The brand name loyalty to Thums Up was so strong, Coca-cola did not sell nearly as well as the nationally incumbent product! For the first time in history, Coca-Cola was forced to retain the Thums Up! brand name, even after acquiring the business a few years later. Last night, as a small group of us were enjoying a Subway sandwich in Mysore, we noticed that Thums Up! soda was available right next to the Coca-Cola dispenser in the soda fountain. While it isn’t completely unusual to have two sodas (Coke and Sprite) from the same manufacturer in the same fountain, it is a little unusual to have two separate colas (when one of them isn’t diet). I’ve got to admit, I’m glad Thums Up! is not the cola of choice in the United States. It definitely has a distinct flavor that doesn’t agree with my palette.
The same morning, we were informed after our class that we would have members of the local media, TV and newspaper, present to talk to us about our experiences in India. Great. The one day on this whole trip that I didn’t dress in business attire for class. All in all, I think I counted 8 reporters there, asking us various questions about India, outsourcing, differences in business, and comparisons between the MBA programs in India and the United States. While I chose to generally stay quiet, there were a couple of questions that I felt strongly about which forced me to pipe up. One of the reporters asked about the general perceptions of the United States concerning outsourcing in India. I didn’t need Friedman’s book to answer this one. This question was very real and was a daily conversation that I had to have with various businesses in the United States.
In my experience, the overwhelming opinion regarding outsourcing to India in the United States is usually tied to some negative connotations. For those that have lost their jobs and businesses to outsourcing, the topic can be very emotional and personal. Certainly, there are various trains of thought regarding whether outsourcing is right or wrong. Furthermore, the debate can be spun into whether outsourcing is right because it is a greater good for the majority versus the minority, stimulates our global economy, etc. Still, I can completely understand why thousands of Americans feel that outsourcing is a problem because the topic has hit very close to home. It is hard to justify the “greater good” when you don’t have a paycheck coming in to pay for your mortgage.
What people need to understand is that outsourcing and globalization is a reality and a necessity in order for our global economy to thrive. Whether you want to believe it or not, outsourcing is what actually keeps our costs DOWN and is one of the reasons why our American economy has not already sunk into a recession. It provides the opportunity to supply more employment both domestically and internationally and it is the reason why we can enjoy the various goods and services in the United States that we do. In the Midwest, I hear statements like, “I bought my John Deere tractor because I want to buy American.” What people are not realizing is that John Deere has large manufacturing plants outsourced to Japan. Conversely, Komatsu, a competing Japanese company, has manufacturing operations in the United States!
In my humble opinion, the real problem lies in the standard of living that we have come to expect in the United States. We externalize our problems and complain about factors such as sub prime mortgage rates and inflation, when in reality, we are buying homes and products that are far beyond our means. There are far too many people who spend money they don’t have on luxury cars, jewelry, and clothes just because some credit agency gave them a $100K limit when they earn $25K per year. How does that math make sense? I’m sick and tired of hearing about how gas has gotten expensive, food is expensive, homes are expensive…Take some time and look into the mirror people! Yes, it is going to cost a lot to fill up your 50,000 gallon tank for your brand new Hummer. Yes, it is expensive to go to the grocery store and buy lobster tails and filet mignon. Yes, the house payment on a $500K house is expensive when you make minimum wage.
Do you want reality? Reality is that the majority of employees in India make less than $200 a month. Reality is that a farmer in northern India committed suicide yesterday because he owed 1 lakh in debt ($2,500 US). And this is just India. Yes, I understand that the costs of living vary across nations and you have to take into account what the Purchasing Power Parity is and yadda, yadda, yadda. Still, apples to apples, we have a very, VERY nice life. And outsourcing is not the main contributing factor to why Americans are losing jobs to developing nations. It’s all about education. Don’t take my word for it. Don’t take MTV’s word for it. Don’t take Oprah Winfrey’s word for it just because she is a nice person and gives away tons of free stuff and tells you to vote for Obama. Vote because you have educated yourself about the platforms these candidates stand for. Vote because it is a privilege, not a right. Vote because you want our nation to be represented by the best, possible individual for the job, not just because your friends talked to you about him/her at the bar. I hate to admit it, but not long ago, I was ignorant to the very soapbox I am standing on now. I’ll always be grateful to Cathy for showing me that if you don’t exercise your right to vote, you don’t have the right to complain…
So I’ll leave you with that. I don’t even know how I got off on this rant, but always, always, strive to educate yourself. Get the facts, do your research, stay current with what is going on in the news. The second you stop trying to educate yourself is the second you grow ignorant to what is going on around you. Now go read a book…
Coca-Cola is one of the most widely recognized brands in the entire world. In this day and age, it is difficult to find a country that does not have Coke products. Without a doubt, Coca-Cola has an effective marketing department that has reached developed as well as underdeveloped countries. As a result, it was a surprise to us that Coca-Cola ran into significant problems when marketing in India. The brand name loyalty to Thums Up was so strong, Coca-cola did not sell nearly as well as the nationally incumbent product! For the first time in history, Coca-Cola was forced to retain the Thums Up! brand name, even after acquiring the business a few years later. Last night, as a small group of us were enjoying a Subway sandwich in Mysore, we noticed that Thums Up! soda was available right next to the Coca-Cola dispenser in the soda fountain. While it isn’t completely unusual to have two sodas (Coke and Sprite) from the same manufacturer in the same fountain, it is a little unusual to have two separate colas (when one of them isn’t diet). I’ve got to admit, I’m glad Thums Up! is not the cola of choice in the United States. It definitely has a distinct flavor that doesn’t agree with my palette.
The same morning, we were informed after our class that we would have members of the local media, TV and newspaper, present to talk to us about our experiences in India. Great. The one day on this whole trip that I didn’t dress in business attire for class. All in all, I think I counted 8 reporters there, asking us various questions about India, outsourcing, differences in business, and comparisons between the MBA programs in India and the United States. While I chose to generally stay quiet, there were a couple of questions that I felt strongly about which forced me to pipe up. One of the reporters asked about the general perceptions of the United States concerning outsourcing in India. I didn’t need Friedman’s book to answer this one. This question was very real and was a daily conversation that I had to have with various businesses in the United States.
In my experience, the overwhelming opinion regarding outsourcing to India in the United States is usually tied to some negative connotations. For those that have lost their jobs and businesses to outsourcing, the topic can be very emotional and personal. Certainly, there are various trains of thought regarding whether outsourcing is right or wrong. Furthermore, the debate can be spun into whether outsourcing is right because it is a greater good for the majority versus the minority, stimulates our global economy, etc. Still, I can completely understand why thousands of Americans feel that outsourcing is a problem because the topic has hit very close to home. It is hard to justify the “greater good” when you don’t have a paycheck coming in to pay for your mortgage.
What people need to understand is that outsourcing and globalization is a reality and a necessity in order for our global economy to thrive. Whether you want to believe it or not, outsourcing is what actually keeps our costs DOWN and is one of the reasons why our American economy has not already sunk into a recession. It provides the opportunity to supply more employment both domestically and internationally and it is the reason why we can enjoy the various goods and services in the United States that we do. In the Midwest, I hear statements like, “I bought my John Deere tractor because I want to buy American.” What people are not realizing is that John Deere has large manufacturing plants outsourced to Japan. Conversely, Komatsu, a competing Japanese company, has manufacturing operations in the United States!
In my humble opinion, the real problem lies in the standard of living that we have come to expect in the United States. We externalize our problems and complain about factors such as sub prime mortgage rates and inflation, when in reality, we are buying homes and products that are far beyond our means. There are far too many people who spend money they don’t have on luxury cars, jewelry, and clothes just because some credit agency gave them a $100K limit when they earn $25K per year. How does that math make sense? I’m sick and tired of hearing about how gas has gotten expensive, food is expensive, homes are expensive…Take some time and look into the mirror people! Yes, it is going to cost a lot to fill up your 50,000 gallon tank for your brand new Hummer. Yes, it is expensive to go to the grocery store and buy lobster tails and filet mignon. Yes, the house payment on a $500K house is expensive when you make minimum wage.
Do you want reality? Reality is that the majority of employees in India make less than $200 a month. Reality is that a farmer in northern India committed suicide yesterday because he owed 1 lakh in debt ($2,500 US). And this is just India. Yes, I understand that the costs of living vary across nations and you have to take into account what the Purchasing Power Parity is and yadda, yadda, yadda. Still, apples to apples, we have a very, VERY nice life. And outsourcing is not the main contributing factor to why Americans are losing jobs to developing nations. It’s all about education. Don’t take my word for it. Don’t take MTV’s word for it. Don’t take Oprah Winfrey’s word for it just because she is a nice person and gives away tons of free stuff and tells you to vote for Obama. Vote because you have educated yourself about the platforms these candidates stand for. Vote because it is a privilege, not a right. Vote because you want our nation to be represented by the best, possible individual for the job, not just because your friends talked to you about him/her at the bar. I hate to admit it, but not long ago, I was ignorant to the very soapbox I am standing on now. I’ll always be grateful to Cathy for showing me that if you don’t exercise your right to vote, you don’t have the right to complain…
So I’ll leave you with that. I don’t even know how I got off on this rant, but always, always, strive to educate yourself. Get the facts, do your research, stay current with what is going on in the news. The second you stop trying to educate yourself is the second you grow ignorant to what is going on around you. Now go read a book…
Monday, January 14, 2008
Trip to the ER...
Over the weekend, Al and Rajiv left our schedule wide open but had arranged for 2 full days of sightseeing in nearby cities for those of us that were interested. I had decided that I would go on one of the two trips and catch up on some much needed sleep on Sunday. Saturday morning, the majority of us headed off to Belur Halebeedu to visit 3 separate temples, one of which is still active. Quite honestly, I’ve had my fill of temples at this point. If you are really interested in what they look like or which god/goddess each one is dedicated to, I’m sure one of my classmates has posted something about our excursions this weekend. As for me, I won’t be visiting another temple anytime in the immediate or distant future…or at least until I can visit one without having to walk around in my bare feet.
I decided that I would go and try to finish up on some last minute souvenir shopping on Sunday afternoon. If you’re reading this blog, chances are good that I will have something for you when I return to the United States. I won’t spoil it here so I’ll leave you in suspense. That way, most of you will actually be excited to see me when I get back home…
Of course, my weekend could not have ended without some sort of excitement in my life. That would be way too ordinary and boring. Very early Monday morning, I had the pleasure of visiting the emergency room of the local Mysore hospital. And no, it was not one of our planned tours…
Here is a chronological list of events as I remember them:
-Saturday night, 11:30pm. Had an unfortunate incident with a 150cc moped while returning home from The Road. I won’t get into details, but let’s just say I left a fair share of my palms on the road/dirt/pavement in Mysore.
-Sunday morning, 11:00am. 3rd round of tweezing/cleaning various rocks and debris embedded in my hands in Gene’s room. Lucky for me, Gene had a good supply of antibacterial soap, ointment, and band-aids.
-Sunday afternoon sometime. Most of my classmates return home from their Sunday sight-seeing tour. As Mary (whose husband happens to be a family doctor in Duluth) looks at my wounds, she says they look great and jokingly states that I shouldn’t worry unless, “red streaks start shooting up your arms.”
-Sunday night, 11:00pm. I give Mary a call in her room. I show her the “red streaks shooting up my arms.”
-Sunday night, 11:45pm. Because I am a complete genius and a trained professional, I decide that it would be great to give myself a self-diagnosis on WebMD to see what I should do.
-Sunday night, 11:55pm. After a thorough self-diagnosis, I have determined that not only am I in the beginning stages of a serious infection, I also have 47 other skin/blood diseases, some of which are not yet known to mankind.
-Monday morning, 12:15am. I decide to call the one person who is able to talk sense into me. Cathy advises me to call Cigna and get on the 24-hour nurse hotline and explain the situation.
-Monday morning, 12:30am. I am told that I need to see a doctor immediately since I am in a foreign country and they have no idea what kinds of organisms/bacteria/diseases might be living in the ground in India (I immediately recall my first blog where we witness a little boy doing a #2 in the middle of the street). Furthermore, she tells me that the red streaks are “not good.”
-Monday morning 12:45am. Rajiv accompanies me to the local Mysore hospital where I am taken to the emergency room. I notice the various signs on the door as I walk down the hall. Office. X-ray. Surgery. I get ushered into a room where the sign says “Casualty.” All of a sudden, I don’t feel so good (Rajiv did tell me after we left the hospital that “Casualty” is the term they use for the ER. A small detail that would have been good to know BEFORE visiting the hospital).
-Monday morning, 12:55am. While we are waiting in the ER (which is definitely NOT clean by any stretch of the imagination), the power shuts off in the hospital. It is completely pitch black. My doctor comes in through the door way using her cell phone to illuminate the path. I start to feel even worse.
-Monday morning, 1:00am. The doctor takes a look at my arms, scribbles a prescription on a pad and asks Rajiv to go to the pharmacy to buy me the appropriate medicine AND medical syringe. Did I mention that I am not feeling too great about the situation yet?
-Monday morning, 1:05am. I have the pleasant experience of having my wounds scrubbed and washed with alcohol (which they called spirits), peroxide, and iodine. I’d be lying to you if I told you that it felt great.
-Monday morning, 1:10am. Rajiv explains to me that they will be injecting me with an antihistamine. I roll up my sleeves to get my shot and the nurse tells me he is going to inject it in my butt. I’m not one to argue so…when in Rome, right?
-Monday morning, 1:12am. Doctor explains to me that the red streaks are most likely an allergic reaction to something that got into my wounds, shouldn’t be a problem and to come back the next day if streaks don’t get better.
-Monday morning, 1:15am. They tell me that I need to pay for my bill. As Rajiv and I walk to the front desk, I wonder if I should have brought my credit card with me. Here is what the breakdown was:
Consultation- 60 rupees (about $1.50 US)
Hospital set-up fee- 10 rupees (about $0.25 US)
Medication and syringe- 9 rupees (about $0.25 US)
Total fee for my ER visit with medication- 79 rupees (about $2.00 US)
I wonder what Cigna will do if I try to submit this for reimbursement?
So there it is. My little adventure to start the week. I paid $2.00 US for a great story that I will never forget for the rest of my life.
I decided that I would go and try to finish up on some last minute souvenir shopping on Sunday afternoon. If you’re reading this blog, chances are good that I will have something for you when I return to the United States. I won’t spoil it here so I’ll leave you in suspense. That way, most of you will actually be excited to see me when I get back home…
Of course, my weekend could not have ended without some sort of excitement in my life. That would be way too ordinary and boring. Very early Monday morning, I had the pleasure of visiting the emergency room of the local Mysore hospital. And no, it was not one of our planned tours…
Here is a chronological list of events as I remember them:
-Saturday night, 11:30pm. Had an unfortunate incident with a 150cc moped while returning home from The Road. I won’t get into details, but let’s just say I left a fair share of my palms on the road/dirt/pavement in Mysore.
-Sunday morning, 11:00am. 3rd round of tweezing/cleaning various rocks and debris embedded in my hands in Gene’s room. Lucky for me, Gene had a good supply of antibacterial soap, ointment, and band-aids.
-Sunday afternoon sometime. Most of my classmates return home from their Sunday sight-seeing tour. As Mary (whose husband happens to be a family doctor in Duluth) looks at my wounds, she says they look great and jokingly states that I shouldn’t worry unless, “red streaks start shooting up your arms.”
-Sunday night, 11:00pm. I give Mary a call in her room. I show her the “red streaks shooting up my arms.”
-Sunday night, 11:45pm. Because I am a complete genius and a trained professional, I decide that it would be great to give myself a self-diagnosis on WebMD to see what I should do.
-Sunday night, 11:55pm. After a thorough self-diagnosis, I have determined that not only am I in the beginning stages of a serious infection, I also have 47 other skin/blood diseases, some of which are not yet known to mankind.
-Monday morning, 12:15am. I decide to call the one person who is able to talk sense into me. Cathy advises me to call Cigna and get on the 24-hour nurse hotline and explain the situation.
-Monday morning, 12:30am. I am told that I need to see a doctor immediately since I am in a foreign country and they have no idea what kinds of organisms/bacteria/diseases might be living in the ground in India (I immediately recall my first blog where we witness a little boy doing a #2 in the middle of the street). Furthermore, she tells me that the red streaks are “not good.”
-Monday morning 12:45am. Rajiv accompanies me to the local Mysore hospital where I am taken to the emergency room. I notice the various signs on the door as I walk down the hall. Office. X-ray. Surgery. I get ushered into a room where the sign says “Casualty.” All of a sudden, I don’t feel so good (Rajiv did tell me after we left the hospital that “Casualty” is the term they use for the ER. A small detail that would have been good to know BEFORE visiting the hospital).
-Monday morning, 12:55am. While we are waiting in the ER (which is definitely NOT clean by any stretch of the imagination), the power shuts off in the hospital. It is completely pitch black. My doctor comes in through the door way using her cell phone to illuminate the path. I start to feel even worse.
-Monday morning, 1:00am. The doctor takes a look at my arms, scribbles a prescription on a pad and asks Rajiv to go to the pharmacy to buy me the appropriate medicine AND medical syringe. Did I mention that I am not feeling too great about the situation yet?
-Monday morning, 1:05am. I have the pleasant experience of having my wounds scrubbed and washed with alcohol (which they called spirits), peroxide, and iodine. I’d be lying to you if I told you that it felt great.
-Monday morning, 1:10am. Rajiv explains to me that they will be injecting me with an antihistamine. I roll up my sleeves to get my shot and the nurse tells me he is going to inject it in my butt. I’m not one to argue so…when in Rome, right?
-Monday morning, 1:12am. Doctor explains to me that the red streaks are most likely an allergic reaction to something that got into my wounds, shouldn’t be a problem and to come back the next day if streaks don’t get better.
-Monday morning, 1:15am. They tell me that I need to pay for my bill. As Rajiv and I walk to the front desk, I wonder if I should have brought my credit card with me. Here is what the breakdown was:
Consultation- 60 rupees (about $1.50 US)
Hospital set-up fee- 10 rupees (about $0.25 US)
Medication and syringe- 9 rupees (about $0.25 US)
Total fee for my ER visit with medication- 79 rupees (about $2.00 US)
I wonder what Cigna will do if I try to submit this for reimbursement?
So there it is. My little adventure to start the week. I paid $2.00 US for a great story that I will never forget for the rest of my life.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Breathe in all that is...Infosys!
Friday afternoon, we were all excited to go on our daily excursion. Armed with a newly tailored suit, mirror-polished shoes, freshly pressed shirt, and a mind filled with an eagerness to learn, I was prepared to visit the pinnacle of all of our site visits in Mysore: Infosys. Arguably, this is where outsourcing began in India. This was the heart of India’s IT infrastructure. This is where we would see the world’s largest corporate training campus in action and see why companies such as Microsoft relied on this IT giant for much of its software development. Complete with awards such as “The Best Managed Company in India”, this was undoubtedly the country’s pride and joy.
From a purely physical standpoint, Infosys was everything that I thought it would be. The entire campus was reminiscent of a resort in Florida, equipped with lush, green grass, palm trees, a pool that looked like an island oasis, and an auditorium that was a spitting image of Epcot Center. This was definitely not the India that we had been staying in over the past 2 weeks. This was a tropical getaway with state-of-the-art facilities, fitness center, bowling alley, grocery store, pharmacy, and even its own on-site salon. Off in the distance, we could see a new building being erected. When asked what everyone’s opinions were on what the new building looked like, we all came up with the exact same answer; the Roman Coliseum.
Impressive? Absolutely. There was no doubt that Infosys was presenting an image of success. Infosys was proud of where it had started and what is has turned into today. As the tour began and our speaker introduced us to the company, I began to get a sense for what the company was all about. To be brutally honest, Infosys was my worst corporate nightmare.
I’ll preface the following by saying that this is my personal OPINION and I’m sure that Infosys has plenty to offer for employees of certain skill levels, personality types or expectations. With that said, if anybody is still offended by the fictitious narration of my personal Infosys perceptions, deal with it. We don’t have to agree with each other, we just have to mutually respect our varying individual opinions.
In contrast to our tour guide at L&T, the individual that was chosen to represent Infosys was uncharismatic, dull, and inexperienced with the company (2 years). He laid a heavy emphasis on technical development but glossed over the values and ethics that Infosys “marketed” through their introduction video. His answers to simple questions took 10 minutes and his answers to difficult questions took even longer. I think I heard about their 88,000 employee base poised for 30% growth and $3 billion net revenue statistics mentioned every 5 minutes. Both the presentation and facility tour seemed to scream, “This is Infosys. Breathe it in everybody, because we….are….awesome.”
The Mysore facility is geared towards the entry-level employee looking to make a career at Infosys. Infosys refers to their incoming classes as “batches” and these “batches” are on a rigorous 18 week training schedule. The end of this training culminates in the graduation and assignment of their new job as software programmer. These recent grads live, eat, and play on the Infosys site. After all, with all of the amenities they have, what need is there to ever leave? These robots, I mean, employees, are then taken to the Infosys lobotomy clinic where they have their brain removed and replaced with an Infosys issued hard drive void of feelings or emotions. Mandatory fun in the form of bowling and dancing comes at the hours of 9-10pm on Friday from where they must immediately depart so that they can plug themselves in at night through the serial port implanted in the back of their neck. Any Infosys employee caught in creative thought or having an individualistic idea gets shipped to the sandalwood factory, thrown in the sandalwood chipper, and subsequently becomes fertilizer for their award winning Infosys flower garden. Who knew that human blood was the key ingredient for healthy organic wildlife?
Ok. I may have made up the last part a little bit. But my point is that the entire Infosys campus and training methodology felt vacant and sterile. Case in point, the Infosys library was filled with nothing but scientific journals and books. I wonder what would happen if somebody asked for the latest edition of “Calvin and Hobbes”? The introductory training video ended with 3 short personal “experiences” of brain-washed Infosys grads who said things like, “At Infosys, I feel like I am in 7th heaven.” Not to be judgmental, but given appropriate context clues from the individual being interviewed, I seriously doubt if he even understood what the term “7th heaven” even meant. Short of holding a cue card complete with a Chinese-to-English translation, the testimonial couldn’t have been more scripted.
The Infosys website talks about how Infosys is helping to improve the world by making it more flat. And much of what it says does reflect what we have been reading about in our Friedman texts. So you would think that this would be a significant core value within the Infosys company vision, right? One of our classmates asked our tour guide a question pertaining to how Infosys was educating its employees and helping them to understand the concept of creating a flatter world. His response? A 10-minute deflection of how he was not the appropriate person to answer that question and that Infosys was continually creating avenues to expand the technical training of their employees so they could learn about different business divisions within the company.
All I can say is, “wow.” If the company culture of Infosys trickled down any slower, it would make an 85 year old man trying to urinate with gall stones look like a waterfall.
From a purely physical standpoint, Infosys was everything that I thought it would be. The entire campus was reminiscent of a resort in Florida, equipped with lush, green grass, palm trees, a pool that looked like an island oasis, and an auditorium that was a spitting image of Epcot Center. This was definitely not the India that we had been staying in over the past 2 weeks. This was a tropical getaway with state-of-the-art facilities, fitness center, bowling alley, grocery store, pharmacy, and even its own on-site salon. Off in the distance, we could see a new building being erected. When asked what everyone’s opinions were on what the new building looked like, we all came up with the exact same answer; the Roman Coliseum.
Impressive? Absolutely. There was no doubt that Infosys was presenting an image of success. Infosys was proud of where it had started and what is has turned into today. As the tour began and our speaker introduced us to the company, I began to get a sense for what the company was all about. To be brutally honest, Infosys was my worst corporate nightmare.
I’ll preface the following by saying that this is my personal OPINION and I’m sure that Infosys has plenty to offer for employees of certain skill levels, personality types or expectations. With that said, if anybody is still offended by the fictitious narration of my personal Infosys perceptions, deal with it. We don’t have to agree with each other, we just have to mutually respect our varying individual opinions.
In contrast to our tour guide at L&T, the individual that was chosen to represent Infosys was uncharismatic, dull, and inexperienced with the company (2 years). He laid a heavy emphasis on technical development but glossed over the values and ethics that Infosys “marketed” through their introduction video. His answers to simple questions took 10 minutes and his answers to difficult questions took even longer. I think I heard about their 88,000 employee base poised for 30% growth and $3 billion net revenue statistics mentioned every 5 minutes. Both the presentation and facility tour seemed to scream, “This is Infosys. Breathe it in everybody, because we….are….awesome.”
The Mysore facility is geared towards the entry-level employee looking to make a career at Infosys. Infosys refers to their incoming classes as “batches” and these “batches” are on a rigorous 18 week training schedule. The end of this training culminates in the graduation and assignment of their new job as software programmer. These recent grads live, eat, and play on the Infosys site. After all, with all of the amenities they have, what need is there to ever leave? These robots, I mean, employees, are then taken to the Infosys lobotomy clinic where they have their brain removed and replaced with an Infosys issued hard drive void of feelings or emotions. Mandatory fun in the form of bowling and dancing comes at the hours of 9-10pm on Friday from where they must immediately depart so that they can plug themselves in at night through the serial port implanted in the back of their neck. Any Infosys employee caught in creative thought or having an individualistic idea gets shipped to the sandalwood factory, thrown in the sandalwood chipper, and subsequently becomes fertilizer for their award winning Infosys flower garden. Who knew that human blood was the key ingredient for healthy organic wildlife?
Ok. I may have made up the last part a little bit. But my point is that the entire Infosys campus and training methodology felt vacant and sterile. Case in point, the Infosys library was filled with nothing but scientific journals and books. I wonder what would happen if somebody asked for the latest edition of “Calvin and Hobbes”? The introductory training video ended with 3 short personal “experiences” of brain-washed Infosys grads who said things like, “At Infosys, I feel like I am in 7th heaven.” Not to be judgmental, but given appropriate context clues from the individual being interviewed, I seriously doubt if he even understood what the term “7th heaven” even meant. Short of holding a cue card complete with a Chinese-to-English translation, the testimonial couldn’t have been more scripted.
The Infosys website talks about how Infosys is helping to improve the world by making it more flat. And much of what it says does reflect what we have been reading about in our Friedman texts. So you would think that this would be a significant core value within the Infosys company vision, right? One of our classmates asked our tour guide a question pertaining to how Infosys was educating its employees and helping them to understand the concept of creating a flatter world. His response? A 10-minute deflection of how he was not the appropriate person to answer that question and that Infosys was continually creating avenues to expand the technical training of their employees so they could learn about different business divisions within the company.
All I can say is, “wow.” If the company culture of Infosys trickled down any slower, it would make an 85 year old man trying to urinate with gall stones look like a waterfall.
Friday, January 11, 2008
One night in Bangalore...
After another exhilarating morning lecture session, we had the opportunity to visit Larsen and Toubro in the afternoon. It was here that we would experience the best lunch we’ve had since our arrival, the best site visit we’ve had throughout the trip, and the best management team in Mysore thus far, whose enthusiasm and dedication to their company were reflected by their products and employees.
Larsen and Toubro is a large firm with satellite locations throughout the world, offering products and services in the healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing, and engineering fields. Their products range from electricity meters to heart monitors and their services include a wide range of consulting services from mechanical contracting to building architecture. L&T was impressive both aesthetically and operationally, but what stood out to our group the most was the respect and honor that was given to us, a diverse visiting group of students from the United States. Signs, computer monitors, and LCD screens throughout the building stated, “Larsen and Toubro cordially welcomes the students from the University of Minnesota.” A small, simple, yet powerful statement that truly made our little group feel welcome in an unknown country. Until L&T, no other company had done that for us before.
At some point during the presentation, our tour guide mentioned that to date, L&T has never lost one single customer in its history. When asked about how they market their products and services, he simply stated that the majority of their business spread by word of mouth and that L&T did not invest significant resources into its marketing initiatives. Service was everything and L&T would go through any means necessary to ensure that their customers were happy. L&T even went as far as freely giving away patentable ideas to host companies without receiving any fees or royalties from patents filed. Was this really the case? Or was L&T just another company trying to make a favorable impression on students who might be on its business radar in the near future?
Perhaps it was the beautiful campus, or maybe it was the way all of the employees smiled at us while we walked by (we’ve all noticed that most of the locals here don’t like to smile or wave). Perhaps it was the energy of our charismatic tour guide or the gift (a carved wooden elephant) that was given to us as we left. Maybe it was even the fantastic chocolate cookies (the way to my heart is truly through my stomach, Cathy knows this better than anyone) that we happily munched on while we were sitting in the Q&A session. Whatever the reason, I was sold by L&T and thought about what steps I could take as a manager to proactively synergize the culture within my own company back home. L&T showed that the luxury of a truly positive workplace environment was very real, and within the grasp of those leaders who were willing to work for it. For the first time since I’ve been here, I was envious of an India based company environment. The question was not, “what can Indian companies do to be more like companies in the US?’ The question became, “what can US companies do to harbor a successful culture like L&T in India?”
I’ll be the first to admit that I am a very, very stubborn person. My stubbornness stems from being generally closed minded to new ideas and my selfish pride. I hate to admit it, but I’m a “glass is half empty” kind of guy and that is something I am working hard to change. This trip was no different and I can remember my feelings in the airport before we departed for this adventure. As a result, I feel a need to apologize to this country and this trip, for painting an initial negative image in my own mind and the people around me.
Adversity is a funny thing. It’s probably the worst feeling in the world when you have to deal with it, but you only appreciate the great things you have in life after you’ve conquered it. And throughout the process, you grow stronger. There is a great quote from Being Indian that defines why India is developing at such a rapid pace, “Even a middle class Indian struggles for such basics as electricity, water, transport, and medical care. The very poor, of course, survive the absence of all of these. This relentless grappling with adversity has bred by now an inventiveness and a will to survive that can only be called remarkable.” –Pavan Varma
India, like many other Asian nations, is becoming a modern day “Tortoise and Hare” story. Slow at first, underdog by appearance, yet resilient to the end. We’ll see how this story ends in another 10 years.
That evening, Gene generously offered to take Karl and I to Bangalore so that we could enjoy a nice dinner at the Oberoi hotel with his manager and Director of IT. It took us about 2 hours to drive the 150 km from Mysore to Bangalore and another full hour to travel 2 km downtown to the hotel once we were in Bangalore. To say that the traffic was bad is an understatement. The roads are so congested that people turn off their vehicles while waiting for stoplights. There is absolutely no space in between cars, buses, mopeds, and scooters. 2 lane roads turn into 5 lanes and there isn’t even enough space for pedestrians to walk between vehicles to get to the other side of the street! I am being completely serious when I say that other vehicles are 2 inches away from your own and you could easily read a newspaper over the shoulder of somebody sitting in the bus right next to you. Surprisingly, we haven’t seen any accidents yet.
The trip was definitely worth it. After feasting on a gourmet Thai dinner complete with Tom Yum soup, Thai spring rolls, grilled grouper, steamed red snapper, deep fried prawns in chili oil, assorted Thai curries and chicken Pad Thai, we ended the evening with a few glasses of single malt scotch and some very familiar Romeo Y Juileta No.2 cigars. As we sat around the dinner table enjoying each other’s company, the five of us reflected upon our experiences in Bangalore and solved all of the world’s problems…
Larsen and Toubro is a large firm with satellite locations throughout the world, offering products and services in the healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing, and engineering fields. Their products range from electricity meters to heart monitors and their services include a wide range of consulting services from mechanical contracting to building architecture. L&T was impressive both aesthetically and operationally, but what stood out to our group the most was the respect and honor that was given to us, a diverse visiting group of students from the United States. Signs, computer monitors, and LCD screens throughout the building stated, “Larsen and Toubro cordially welcomes the students from the University of Minnesota.” A small, simple, yet powerful statement that truly made our little group feel welcome in an unknown country. Until L&T, no other company had done that for us before.
At some point during the presentation, our tour guide mentioned that to date, L&T has never lost one single customer in its history. When asked about how they market their products and services, he simply stated that the majority of their business spread by word of mouth and that L&T did not invest significant resources into its marketing initiatives. Service was everything and L&T would go through any means necessary to ensure that their customers were happy. L&T even went as far as freely giving away patentable ideas to host companies without receiving any fees or royalties from patents filed. Was this really the case? Or was L&T just another company trying to make a favorable impression on students who might be on its business radar in the near future?
Perhaps it was the beautiful campus, or maybe it was the way all of the employees smiled at us while we walked by (we’ve all noticed that most of the locals here don’t like to smile or wave). Perhaps it was the energy of our charismatic tour guide or the gift (a carved wooden elephant) that was given to us as we left. Maybe it was even the fantastic chocolate cookies (the way to my heart is truly through my stomach, Cathy knows this better than anyone) that we happily munched on while we were sitting in the Q&A session. Whatever the reason, I was sold by L&T and thought about what steps I could take as a manager to proactively synergize the culture within my own company back home. L&T showed that the luxury of a truly positive workplace environment was very real, and within the grasp of those leaders who were willing to work for it. For the first time since I’ve been here, I was envious of an India based company environment. The question was not, “what can Indian companies do to be more like companies in the US?’ The question became, “what can US companies do to harbor a successful culture like L&T in India?”
I’ll be the first to admit that I am a very, very stubborn person. My stubbornness stems from being generally closed minded to new ideas and my selfish pride. I hate to admit it, but I’m a “glass is half empty” kind of guy and that is something I am working hard to change. This trip was no different and I can remember my feelings in the airport before we departed for this adventure. As a result, I feel a need to apologize to this country and this trip, for painting an initial negative image in my own mind and the people around me.
Adversity is a funny thing. It’s probably the worst feeling in the world when you have to deal with it, but you only appreciate the great things you have in life after you’ve conquered it. And throughout the process, you grow stronger. There is a great quote from Being Indian that defines why India is developing at such a rapid pace, “Even a middle class Indian struggles for such basics as electricity, water, transport, and medical care. The very poor, of course, survive the absence of all of these. This relentless grappling with adversity has bred by now an inventiveness and a will to survive that can only be called remarkable.” –Pavan Varma
India, like many other Asian nations, is becoming a modern day “Tortoise and Hare” story. Slow at first, underdog by appearance, yet resilient to the end. We’ll see how this story ends in another 10 years.
That evening, Gene generously offered to take Karl and I to Bangalore so that we could enjoy a nice dinner at the Oberoi hotel with his manager and Director of IT. It took us about 2 hours to drive the 150 km from Mysore to Bangalore and another full hour to travel 2 km downtown to the hotel once we were in Bangalore. To say that the traffic was bad is an understatement. The roads are so congested that people turn off their vehicles while waiting for stoplights. There is absolutely no space in between cars, buses, mopeds, and scooters. 2 lane roads turn into 5 lanes and there isn’t even enough space for pedestrians to walk between vehicles to get to the other side of the street! I am being completely serious when I say that other vehicles are 2 inches away from your own and you could easily read a newspaper over the shoulder of somebody sitting in the bus right next to you. Surprisingly, we haven’t seen any accidents yet.
The trip was definitely worth it. After feasting on a gourmet Thai dinner complete with Tom Yum soup, Thai spring rolls, grilled grouper, steamed red snapper, deep fried prawns in chili oil, assorted Thai curries and chicken Pad Thai, we ended the evening with a few glasses of single malt scotch and some very familiar Romeo Y Juileta No.2 cigars. As we sat around the dinner table enjoying each other’s company, the five of us reflected upon our experiences in Bangalore and solved all of the world’s problems…
More pictures!
(Click to enlarge)
Elephants at the Kabini River Lodge. We discovered that elephants will do a fake "charge" at you when they get scared or angry. One came a little too close for comfort as we were trying to get in for a picture...
Elephants at the Kabini River Lodge. We discovered that elephants will do a fake "charge" at you when they get scared or angry. One came a little too close for comfort as we were trying to get in for a picture...
The entire group at Planet X. Sadly, of all the places we have visited, this is the only group picture I have with all 16 of us in it. I won't post the "after" picture...
Making new friends at the Mysore Palace. Here, I'm getting a lesson on how to properly use "rattlesnake eggs."
The magnificent Mysore Palace at night. 
Traditional south Indian cuisine. This entire meal was less than $3 US.
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