May I interupt your day again?

[lithera]

This is me.

I took the day off yesterday because I thought I was going to explode.

So, I get a mysterious e-mail from my boss' boss, yesterday, asking if I have my passport.

I, being a fool, do not instantly go looking for it. I instead, reply, that yes, I have my passport. This question comes up every now and then at work and it doesn't really mean anything - just checking things out. Being prepared and all.

Sooooo. Cut to today.

I come in to the office and find out that...

I'm going to India.

On the 18th.

This is me now freaking out. AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! I don't even know WHERE in India I'm going to. The flight is like 24 hours long.

Meeep. Help? Anything I need to know? Any horrible faux pas I need to know about to avoid?

Comments

[mizkit.livejournal.com]

WOOOOOOOOOW! INDIA! How cool is THAT!

[lithera.livejournal.com]

Dear Lord, need to make sure I know where my passport is and I don't even know what to pack. What the hell season is it there... I don't even know where in India I'm going!

Am I going to fly over the Himilayas? The flight is like 24 hours long...

[arian1.livejournal.com]

Not much hockey in India.

NO TIME FOR LOVE DR. JONES!

[lithera.livejournal.com]

*laughs*

Thanks.

[jeditigger.livejournal.com]

Wow.

Congrats! I bet it'll be one of the big cities. I'll see if my friend Sarah can get in touch with you; she's been several times and works for the State Dept. OK?

[lithera.livejournal.com]

Yeah! That would be great!

Thanks!

[tattermuffin.livejournal.com]

My parents are there right now - northern India. It's north of the equator, so same as here, winter season ... however it's still fairly warm. My mother bought Salwar Kameezes to wear for comfort.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

Okay. I just wasn't sure if it was all north of the equator or not, which seems stupid when I slow down to think about it...

[jameel.livejournal.com]

Find Dhalsim and learn how to breathe fire!

[lithera.livejournal.com]

..... Right. I'll put that on the list.

[apestyle.livejournal.com]

Don't bathe in the Ganges?

[lithera.livejournal.com]

Not at all on the list.

[skidspoppe.livejournal.com]

I have a friend who just moved to India. You want his e-mail?

[lithera.livejournal.com]

That would be awesome.

[sharkcowsheep.livejournal.com]

That is SO awesome. :)

I don't think there's much you need to worry about, faux-pas wise. American companies with Indian facilities usually try to make those facilities as American as possible, so English is spoken all the time, everyone in Western clothes, American junk food in the vending machines, all that. I don't know if Amazon's different but probably not. You'll be fine.

AND I AM SO FUCKING JEALOUS.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

I'm assuming I'm not always going to be in the company building. Or at least I'd hope not. And, India being India, I'm generally comforted that there will be plenty of English being spoken. (As 2 weeks is too short of a time for me to even really learn much of anything in a language.)

Freaking out. This is me....

[frostedelves.livejournal.com]

Hey COOL! :) Real Indian food!

Made with real Indians! Mmmm.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

Heeeeee.

[fireballof3.livejournal.com]

So, my uncle Tom went to India a few years ago (he works for Hewlett Packard), and he said that there were a few things that really struck him:
Pollution - it's BAD there. Be prepared with asthma meds a plenty.
Poverty - Again, it's HORRIBLE. Many people are REALLY poor, and you will inevitably see this, at least going to/from the airport.
Dirty - There is quite a bit of trash & such around. Not a big surprise.

Overall, it's nothing too crazy or out of your league. Just be prepared for the pollution end of things (see your Dr before you go?) and you'll be set!

[jeditigger.livejournal.com]

The beggars there are plentiful and very experienced. They don't take no for an answer. Be careful with the amount of cash you carry.

[yellowseptember.livejournal.com]

Wow! What a neat opportunity! Hope you have lots and lots of fun. :)

[lithera.livejournal.com]

Well, it'll be lots and lots of work but other than that, I'm not sure.

[kielrain.livejournal.com]

India.... Nifty! that's.... well... nifty!

[littledrow.livejournal.com]

Don't ask for meatballs, steak, roast beef...hell just avoid cow period. And leave the leather at home.

Hmmm.....avoid some of the ruins. They are either infested with monkeys (see: flying poo), Tigers or poisonous snakes.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

Chicken is my friend.

[stacyx.livejournal.com]

I spent ten days in New Delhi in 2005. There's really no faux-pas that you need to know about.

But here are some helpful hints

1. Don't drink the water. It's like going to Mexico. Use bottled water to brush your teeth. Don't eat salad. Don't eat any unpeeled fruit. Don't drink any drink with ice in it. I followed these guidelines and didn't get sick. A few coworkers of mine got sick when they went because they weren't careful.

2. Don't give money to beggars on the streets. They have a begging ring and the person you give the money to doesn't necessarily get to keep it. Not to mention that you'll be surrounded by a mob in less than ten seconds if they see you give to one person.

3. Go to the Taj Mahal if you can. It's absolutely amazing.

4. Because you're female, the men over there won't take you as seriously as another male or won't listen to you at all. It sucks, but it is a very male dominated society.

5. The exchange rate is usually pretty good. It's generally around 42-46 rupees per dollar. And you can haggle and bargain for most things in non chain stores and non-government run stores. If you know someone well enough over there, get them to do it for you.

If I think of anything else, I'll let you know.

[stacyx.livejournal.com]

Oh and going there will make you really appreciate what you have and where you live.

[dr4b]

My housemate zml just got back from a month in India over the holidays, actually. He said a lot of what's been said here: pollution, poverty, etc, bad traffic and people trying to scam you for money all over the place.

He has asthma and I'm under the impression he was just fine with his normal stuff for it though. And he didn't get any shots and came back with some sort of persistent cold, but I didn't catch it from him and he seems mostly okay now. On the other hand, he said he probably SHOULD have gotten malaria pills and all that stuff.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

*laughs*

Thanks for the heads up.

[gothams3rdrobin.livejournal.com]

Hee - wow!

My manager's going over there in a couple of weeks too, on a secondment to our Bangalore call centre. Gonna leave us with just our supervisor and the other team's management duo for about three or four months.

The last manager from our department who went out there is still there, a year or more later! She comes home from time to time, for visa reasons - she was just back about a week ago - but something tells me Carly would stay if she could. I hope Louise doesn't do the same.

Of course, we're all teasing her that they're not going to understand a word she says - she's from Waterford in the Republic of Ireland (famous for it's crystalware) and she has a very strong accent. She has people in stitches every time she has to say things like '"It was our error." 'cause it comes out as "arr errr." *grins*

[lithera.livejournal.com]

Oh dear. Heeee.

Well, I think I'm going to Hyderabad.

22-26 hours of planes!

Your Freindly Nidghborhood Local Geographer Says...

[sordidatus.livejournal.com]

Get a hold of ofthewoods right the freak now.
Don't carry all of your cash in one place on your person.
Purse goes over the opposite shoulder.
Never travel alone (a rule that you are going to break on a solo ship mission)
Eyes up, head on a swivel.
India is not included in the book "The World's Most Dangerous Places" but it is still "the emerging markets" part of the world.
Hydrabad is in the middle of the little triangle that pokes out into the Indian Ocean on the map.
Read the WIKIPEDIA articles on India and Hydrabad before you go.
Get a couple of travel guides.
I recommend "Culture Smart" & "Lonely Planet" but that's just me.
You will be fine.
Have fun.
Take pictures.

Re: Your Freindly Nidghborhood Local Geographer Says...

[lithera.livejournal.com]

Well, most of that is the general 'when travelling stuff'. And a call to Matt is on the agenda of what to do. I'm not looking to travel on my own in India at all. I'm only doing any of that if I have a co-conspirator.

[trilliumgrl.livejournal.com]

Me = jealous. Take pictures for me.

Any plans I had for a trip this year went out the door with the new job. *sad*

Awesome just doesn't quite cut it anymore.

[bennykinnerooni.livejournal.com]

Seriously. I'm gonna go with fucking sweet.

Why are they sending you? School CS nerds?

Do you have a DS? Or other portable gamey goodness? I have a DS lite and FFIII that I never touch because I still haven't gotten through FFXII, if you wanna borrow.

Re: Awesome just doesn't quite cut it anymore.

[lithera.livejournal.com]

I'm going to go teach people how to upload images as well as browse node and... bleh. I don't have any games.

[jinian.livejournal.com]

Wow, that'll be amazing. You could read rachelmanija if you wanted; she grew up in a tiny religious town in India, which is maybe not completely applicable but certainly interesting.

India

[physphilo.livejournal.com]

Just got back from India a few days ago. Hope your trip is great. Check out my last post for some pics to get yourself prepared. Assuming you will have a driver... have fun with that. Our driver was INSANE.