October - India

India... Where to start. This was a business trip, which kept me segregated I would say from quite a bit of what India has to offer, but luckily I was able to set aside some time; which made for an excellent, productive, and educational trip.

I flew out about 8 hours after returning from the Japan Grand Prix in Suzuka. The travel on the trip was excellent, no complaints there, business class, good service, good food, etc. My outbound flight was Tokyo to Hong Kong to Bangkok, then finally to Delhi which made for a long ride, but no problem there - the longer time in that 180 lay-flat seat with no chance for phone calls or interruptions - the better.

The arrival into Delhi was interesting; with the commonwealth games in full swing (my primary purpose for being there) security was at a maximum. Nothing like getting your documents checked at immigration with more guys with automatic weapons then actual foreign passport holders at the immigration counter. The travel from the airport to the hotel was another experience, probably best kept out of the blog, but just to say BOA does it right and safe - that's for sure.

The hotel, the Trident, wow. If there is such a class of hotel as a 5-star fortified bunker; these folks would get top honors. The hotel is only two floors, spread on a 6 acre compound with an earthen mound around the entire perimeter of the hotel. There is a security check point for vehicles upon entry into the gate, and then an outer courtyard where all drop-offs and pick-ups occur - no vehicles past that point. The friendly guards/hotel staff immediately take your luggage from there and scan it while you yourself are scanned. Once you and your belongings are found to be squeaky clean, you enter the inner courtyard by way of a passage way through the berm; which is securely and strategically not wide enough for a motor vehicle. Once in the inner courtyard, on the way to the main entrance, you're greeted by a breathtaking reflective pool which is covered with a blue tile mosaic; producing the most astonishing deep blue mesmerizing color. This process repeats itself each day as you are picked up and dropped off from the hotel by the driver - no driving yourself there. There is really too much to say about the hotel; I could go on forever. Service - A+, Room - A+, Facility - A+, Security - A+++. Check out the photos, check out their web site - stay there if you ever go to Delhi or Gurgaon. One additional item I'll mention is the breathtaking waterscapes. Directly out your room window you are presented with a two tier reflective pool/moat which is illuminated by flame during the night that appears to magically hover above the water - quite literally awesome.

Most of the trip was spent working. I met my outstanding colleague, Abhinesh. We got a lot done, and I was extremely lucky to have the opportunity to have met such an outstanding work associate on our team. I worked the most of the time out of Gurgaon. Gurgaon is incredible. You hear a lot of negatively about India, a bit chaotic, disorganized, etc.; a great example - they took a lot of flack for the commonwealth games preparation. I think critics need to take a step back and understand really what is happening there; especially in Gurgaon. It's a city that has raised out of farm fields in a decade. Western companies have literally built temples to capitalism (these aren't just buildings, each one is architected with jaw dropping aesthetics) that extend for miles in every direction. Every major western firm is there, and Gurgaon is doing everything (quite well I'd say) to keep up with the demand. I was thoroughly impressed and left with a respect for India's approach to capitalize on the opportunity at hand, focusing on the most critical elements first, and understanding that building a city virtually over night is going to result in some snags and some items of lower priority (i.e. ideal streets) having to wait a bit. Watching this country continue to grow, define it's middle class, and continue to meet market demands I think is going to be a thing of excitement for at least the next 10 years.

The food. Sadly, I worked my rear off, enjoyed my sleep, and didn't get to eat out a great deal. I did have a few excellent meals though - of exactly what I wanted - CURRY! Obviously, it was amazing. Abhinesh picked some great spots, I left taste buds satisfied, and digestive system 100% in order. I must say, if you are a non-veggie especially, Americans need to introduce more mutton in our diets; dear lord that makes for some great meat.

The last day, Friday, was excellent. This day the driver and a protective services agent accompanied me to the Delhi office. I did a couple hours of work there, then Abhinesh and I spent the rest of the day riding around Delhi, visiting breathtaking historic and government sites, and taking in some of the local scene. India has much to offer in terms of ancient culture - with many structures from 1000-1200 AD still  intact and easily accessible. It's nothing less than astonishing to take these sites in and understand the advancements that the East had made in terms of construction, engineering, etc. ahead of the west - smart cookies; that's for sure. We also had time to stop off at a local market where I was able to get some nice local hand crafted souvenirs and gifts. Abhinesh, with his superior bargaining skills, I'm pretty sure got me at least a 50% discount on every item with the best being 20 inr for an originally priced 150 inr item - AWESOME; way to go Abhinesh.

From October - India

My trip ended with saying goodbye to Abhinesh at his train station, then heading on to the new international terminal at Delhi airport. I was able to find some nice chocolate omiyage for the folks back in Tokyo and picked up the new Tony Blair book as I had just watched the excellent Special Relationship movie on the flight out. The flight back was on JAL. JAL I love you, I really love you - please teach U.S. airlines how things are supposed to be done. This flight was a bit quicker, being a direct into Tokyo. I selected the Japanese dinner over the Western, fully embracing my enthusiasm to head back to home, sweet home. I woke up around 6 AM, an hour before landing, to a sunrise at 11k meters. Looking out my window on the left side I was welcomed home by the towering Fuji-san above the clouds (you can barely see it in a couple of the photos - blasted IPhone camera). I was the first to spot it, and let the flight attendant know who announced it over the system. That was kind of fun/humorous; the gaijin being the first to spot Fuji-san; can't say I wasn't a bit proud of myself there.

From October - India

The site was breathtaking.  There is something special about that mountain that chokes you up, and at least for me symbolizes the larger indescribable grip this country gets on your heart; which makes leaving one day down right painful to consider. It was my first trip away from Japan since being here, my first chance to use my gaijin card at immigration (which was slightly a proud moment for me).

Being my first trip away, it was also obviously my first return; of which I can honestly say it was a return home. I really like it here. I know it is temporary, and for the much foreseeable future will stay that way, but that is something I do try to consistently block out of my mind and for the time being simply continue to enjoy this amazing adventure.