Saturday in Agra

Saturday was a great day. I think I am adjusted to the time change although I did wake up at 5:30, but that gave me time to get caught up with e-mails and update the blog. Today we had breakfast in the hotel. It was a buffet with some unpronounceable foods. There were a few “standards” on the buffet including fruit and omelets.
After breakfast we went on a tour of the Taj Mahal and Fort Agra. It really was as wonderful as I remembered. Fort Agra was built in the 1500’s and the Taj Mahal in the 1600’s. It is hard to believe the craft that went into the building. I have included a few pictures from each. At both places there were lines to get in; I think because of a conference being held in Agra. We were asked several times if we were part of the group. I am not sure of the type of conference but it is big – many people today had on red baseball caps that were freebies from the conference.
After the tours we went out for lunch at an Indian restaurant (what else). Pete, Russ and I each ordered something different and shared – so I had a sampling of Curry Chicken, Tandoor Chicken and a Vegetarian dish. The food is outstanding – I don’t think I will tire of Indian food. So far no food pictures but I am sure that is coming. After that we took advantage of our free time to do a little shopping. Although it was mostly window shopping there were a few things I couldn’t resist. I love the carved wooden pieces and did a little Christmas shopping also.
After getting back to the hotel we met in the tea room for tea and pastries. From my experiences the desserts are as wonderful as the other food. The tea pots were beautiful. I have also included a picture. The menu had a choice of 17 teas.
Our hotel in Agra is pretty amazing. It is quite large and has 3 restaurants, a large courtyard, shops, and a fitness center. Unfortunately I didn’t bring along any clothing for working out. I really wish I would have thought of it.
Tomorrow we will be catching up on work during the day. Then we catch a plane for Mumbai (Bombay) at 5 pm. Monday will start six days of meetings in Mumbai, Trivandrum and Bangalore before heading back next Saturday.

Street Scenes from Dehli

I thought this was a great picture showing the range of traffic on the roads

I love the students in their uniforms. These look like very comfortable ones.

I am in India!!!

We left Asheville on Wednesday at 5:15. We then left Newark at 8:30 for a 15 hour flight to Dehli. I wasn't sure what to expect - but it worked out well. I had a window seat and the seat next to me was empty so I was able to sleep about 6 hours on the flight. We arrived in New Dehli at 8:30 Thursday night (there is a 9.5 hour time difference). By the time we got to the hotel and checked in we were ready to call it a night. Comparing notes Friday morning each of us got about 6 hours of sleep. So far I don't feel effects of the time change. It is now Saturday morning and I woke up at 5:30 but that is my usual time in the states.

On Friday we had some great meetings. We started the morning early (7:30 pick up time) by going to IBM to meet with their Country Manager of Government and Education. He shared some good information on creating a technology infrastructure for education. It is interesting how everyone seems to face the same challenges. After that we went to the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) where we met with 3 instructors in the Sciences and Engineering areas. This system has 1.8 million students and over 2,000 sites in India and other countries. It was very interesting to discuss the common issues that we have in the classroom. We also talked about 3-D visualization and how it can be incorporated in the classroom. Our meetings were set up by CORE ECS who we will be visiting in Mumbai on Monday. Just the meetings on Friday have made it a great visit.

After the meetings we stopped for a late lunch (1:30) before heading to the airport. Our guide stopped at a little shopping area (no time for shopping) - where there were many Western restaurants - Ruby Tuesdays, Subway, McDonalds, etc. However, we opted for an India restaurant and had a fantastic meal - the food was even better than I remembered.

We then went to the airport to catch a plane to Agra where I am now. We will be going to the Taj Mahal and Red Fort today. It is also a time to let outselves adjust to the time change. Sunday we leave for Mumbai for the beginning of a hectic week.

The traffic is as crowded (if not more so) than I remembered. Dehli has 11 million people. I am including 2 pictures from yesterday and more pictures will be coming.

Leaving Today

It is hard to believe - but departure day has arrived. Our plane leaves Asheville at 5:15 - then to Newark and a direct flight to New Dehli. I am not sure how soon I will add a post from India. We get in at 8:15 Thursday night (around 11 am EDT). But I might be tired. Then Friday is very booked. So if you don't see an update until the weekend keep looking.

India - 8 days

Next Wednesday, September 17, we leave for India. This trip is going to be different than the last one for two reasons. First, there will only be 3 of us going instead of a group of 15. Second, we are going more places - last time we spent 7 of 9 nights in Bangalore. This time we will be visiting and staying in Dehli, Agra, Mumbai (formerly Bombay), Trivandrum and Bangalore. We will be meeting with educational institutions, tech companies and government officials. I will have my notebook computer and Internet access so plan on including regular posts (I almost put daily posts but some days are heavily scheduled).

25 Days and Counting

It's hard to believe that we will be leaving for India in 25 days. The details are coming together. Right now the biggest issue is that we have about 3 places visit in New Dehli and will be there less than 24 hours. Nothing has been finalized yet but it looks to be a fast start to our visit.

We met last Thursday with representatives of CORE ECS. They have facilities in the US and in India. We will be visiting their Mumbai offices on Monday, September 22. I visited one of their U.S. sites in Gulfport in July. It will be really nice to have the comparison.

Reservations for September Trip

The reservations have been made for our September trip. There will be three of us traveling (all from AB Tech) - Russ, Pete and myself. We will be leaving on Wednesday, September 17. This time we are flying Asheville to Newark and then a direct flight from Newark to New Dehli which will be about a 16 hour flight. I haven't ever been on that long of a flight before.

Although all details haven't been worked out - we will be visiting Red Hat in New Dehli. Then over the weekend we will go to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. On Monday we will be in Mumbai (Bombay) to visit an IT development company. On Tuesday we will be in the southern tip of India (the state of Kerala) to meet with officials in IT and education. On Wednesday we will fly to Bangalore where we will both meet with our collegues at the Indo Asian Academy and experience some on-site training (possibly at IBM). Saturday we will be flying back.