Back in the USA

Wow, it is hard to believe the trip is over. Everything about it was fantastic. Given an opportunity I would visit again instantly. The only thing that was different that I didn't like were the bathrooms. The traffic was unbelievably hectic but seemed to work - we went to Agra on Saturday to see the Taj Mahal and Red Fort. It was approximately 124 miles from Dehli and took 5 1/2 hours each way. On the trip (sharing the same road) we saw a camel caravan (5 camels), an elephant, cars, rickshaws, buses, trucks, motorcycles, ox drawn carts, people and probably modes of transportation I have forgotten. I definitely would not drive in India.

The people were absolutely wonderful. Everyone was friendly and very excited meeting Americans. Although the street vendors were strange at first we got used to them and started bargaining as we walked.

Poverty definitely exists in India - and seeing people living on the street or in tent cities was hard. Having beggers knocking on the windows of the bus, and mothers with young children asking for money tore at my heart.

I was very impressed with the commitment of the students. They attend classes 6 days a week and are often in tutoring sessions on Sunday. Families see education as a means to improvement - and also as an opportunity. I wish I could bring some of that commitment back with me.

I LOVED the food. However, Indian food has always been a favorite - and the variety that was offered at meals made it hard to choose. However, we did alot of walking so I didn't gain any weight on the trip (although I didn't lose any).

Where else could I visit Perot Systems, IBM, Oracle, and InfoSys all in 4 days. And if we had more time Microsoft, Dell, Yahoo and many other companies also had buildings in the same area. However, the Indian people we talked to still see the USA as the land of opportunity - and also see a direct tie in of our success and theirs. As we talked about a global economy Romania and Vietnam were often mentioned as new sites for globalization.