Wow! I've really finished up my first week here in India. I'll be honest; I was pretty homesick as soon as I got here. Just the reality setting in, of being away from home for two whole weeks.
Even though the hotel I'm staying at is amazing and beautiful, I barely got any sleep Sunday night. This jet lag is no joke! I lost 10 hours somewhere that my body is still trying to find. Needless to say, I was still pretty exhausted Monday morning. Before heading out on my first day, I ventured downstairs for some breakfast at the hotel. Incredible and delicious!!! Pretty much anything you want, and everyone is so eager to help you. (Some of the waiters/chefs got my name on Monday and remember me everyday!) I got a delicious omelet mixed up for me, as well as some fresh waffles made. My driver, Viru, was waiting out front for me, just as expected. After an interesting drive through the city of Bangalore, I finally got to see KPMG's Global Delivery Center in person. Wow, this place is no joke. There are people everywhere! The office takes some getting used to. And let's just say that the bathroom facilities are not up to my standards. Therefore, I usually try to limit my water intake during the day, to reduce my trips.
The office in India
My driver chauferring me around the city!
I'm usually not the first one to volunteer to instruct classes or workshops. I'm just not a fan of public speaking. But that's also one of the primary reasons why I agreed to this adventure in the first place, to push me outside of my comfort zone. After checking in, I was welcomed by a class full of professionals eager to learn about our audit methodology, as well as the U.S. culture. For many, this will be the first time they'll be coming to the U.S. (either for a 6 month stay or 3 years!) But I did see a few familiar faces, of those that had attended some meetings in the U.S. a few months back, so that was nice. Showtime! I'll admit, Day 1 was a little rough. It took some time for me to 'get back to the basics' and determine the best way to convey the information to this group. And for them to get used to my Texas twang. ;)
Each day got better and better, with me being more comfortable with the class, and likewise. But each night, I still struggled to get my body adjusted to India time. I couldn't seem to sleep (a.k.a. nap) longer than 2-3 hours at a time. It was exhausting!! Not even Advil PM was helping me. Everyday I started off with a rather large breakfast at the hotel, and usually just worked through lunch while my class was gone. Trying to play catch-up on emails with the time difference in the U.S. has been interesting. Although, two days I did venture out with some of the U.S. rotationals that are currently living over here. One day (after recommendations from a co-worker who has frequent trips over here), I went to this hole-in-the-wall (yet cute) little pizza place that makes the best handmade pizzas in a little brick oven. It was soooo good! And another day we went to nice hotel for a large buffet lunch. I know, I know; not very adventurous or Indian. But hey, I'm not a fan of Indian food in general, and I don't want to eat at random places where I can get sick! And I've been living off of room service in the evenings, which is pretty delish.
The week actually went by really quick. But I'm so tired of hearing myself talk, it's not even funny. By Friday afternoon, I was ready to kick back and relax at the hotel. First stop, the pool! Although, it got a bit creepy down there, with a couple guys getting chatty with me. One asked me if I wanted to go to the bar on the roof of the building next to us. When I politely declined, he proceeded to give me his room # and asked for mine. WTF?! I was just like 'Uh, I don't really feel like giving out that kind of information.' He finally got the hint and left, and then I waited awhile before I made my exit and quickly locked myself in my room for the evening. Seriously, you'd think this was the first time they'd seen a girl at a pool! I finished off the night by watching The Notebook in my room, while snacking on some Sour Patch Kids. :)
After an amazing 8 hours of sleep, I got up this morning to go get pampered at the hotel spa. Wowsers! I started off with a full body scrub, 90 min. massage, and then a 60 min. facial. Ahhhhhhhhh, heavenly!!!! Just what I needed. After that, I headed back down to the pool for a few hours to relax. This time I came prepared, with headphones to listen to music and my iPad to read. Surely that would give off the vibe that I didn't want to be disturbed. Success! It was indeed a relaxing day here in India.
Relaxing at the pool!
I can't believe that this time next week, I'll be on a plane headed back home to Dallas! I miss everything about home, my family, my friends, my co-workers, etc. desperately. Each day, I FaceTime with the boys before they get up and then again at night before they go to bed. Definitely thankful for amazing technology that allows me to 'see' them on video. They love to show me the countdown on the fridge where they're marking the days off before I come home. Jordan seems to be surviving without me, along with the help of some family and friends to help watch the boys a bit. It definitely takes a village to raise kids!
Austin showing me the calendar where they colored in every day for my countdown
Getting to 'wakeup' Chase in the morning from all the way over in India!
Overall, once I finally got here, the week has gone by pretty quick. Each day is an adventure getting to/from the office. And it's definitely humbling to see the surroundings and think about the way of life around here. Definitely makes me more thankful for everything I have back home. Interacting with the class has been fun and interesting, getting to learn more about their culture. Traveling to India has never been on my 'to-do list', but this is definitely going to be an experience of a lifetime.
There are literally hundreds of motorcycles/scooters on the roads, and it only adds to the chaos!
Just an average day on the streets of Bangalore
One more week to go! I can totally do this! :)
As a bonus, here is a video Jordan sent me this week of Austin dancing to his new favorite song 'Turn Down for What!' Crazy kiddo! And Chase could care less about what's going on, as long as he has his snacks. :)
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