1) As I started to get more into my work, I became deeply involved with what I was doing during the day. Maybe I've been brainwashed, but I have become to really enjoy working with SAP and feel like I've found my niche! I would arrive early in the morning and leave late at night.
2) Every single evening I had a social activity during the week. There was not one evening that went by where I wasn't having fun with my new friends till time for bed.
3) Every weekend I was flying off exploring as much as India as I could. It has been a dream of mine since childhood to see India, and I wanted to get the most out of it while I could. Sadly, I may never be back.
I've included below a bit about my apartment in Hyderabad. I took some photos before I left, I wanted to share with you.
I've included the link to Alanis Morissette's 'Thank U' song.
Morissette wrote "Thank U" after returning from a trip to India in 1997. The song expresses the heartfelt gratitude which she felt at the time. That's how I feel myself. Towards the end of my stay, I obsessively was singing the one line 'thank you India' that she repeats throughout the song.
Thank you India.
IBM Guest House
The IBM Guest House was my home for 1 1/2 weeks. I grew to love my room.It also helped that I have a staff of boys that cleaned my room for me, cooked for me, and washed my clothing for me every day.
I've included some photos of my bedroom, the living room, dining room and the views outside my balcony. I also was privileged to have some very nice suite mates.
One of them being Cumali Aksu who was later sent to India on the SAP Booster Program from the Netherlands like me.
These were actually privately owned apartments that were rented out via a company to IBM.
There was a living room, kitchen, dining room and three bedrooms. Three IBM colleagues would stay in each suite at a time.
Even though we had our own kitchen we would eat in the dining hall where we would have traditional Indian food by the boys who would cook for us.
Needless to say, the food was not always so lovely, so most of the guys would go out to eat at 
the numerous restaurants nearby.
I think the thing I loved about the apartment the most, besides having great IBM colleagues around all the time, was the balcony and the view.
the numerous restaurants nearby.I think the thing I loved about the apartment the most, besides having great IBM colleagues around all the time, was the balcony and the view.
There was always exciting things going on around on the ground below my apartment on the 3rd floor.
There was a sort of water treatment plant. All day long there were people, chickens, cows, dogs, and people bathing (outside) activities going on.
It was so interesting seeing the people having fun together, working fighting with each other, etc...
There were also rice paddies below my balcony.
I was able to watch the people working in the rice fields, plowing with ox, and splitting the rice plants and planting fresh new crops.
Lastly, the boys that worked there were all so friendly. There were about 10 boys working in the IBM Guest House, ranging in ages from 16 to 30's all came from the Indian state Orissa.
They are all from a little village in the middle of
the jungle. This job for them is a big opportunity to make a lot of money and to see 'the world', at least, to see something besides their village.
Actually, I was the first foreigner that they had ever spoken to.
When I'd come to breakfast or dinner, I'd pick a ring side seat so I could have fun with them. They would come in smiling and I'd make comments to them and try to make jokes.
Some of them didn't speak a word of English, some of them a bit better.
Honestly, the things I miss from the IBM Guest House are that you can meet all kinds of Indian IBM'rs from all walks of life doing all kinds of exciting things in Hyderabad, I miss having fun with the boys working there and the incredible view from my balcony.
That's about it. For the rest, I'm very glad to be back in my home!
There was a sort of water treatment plant. All day long there were people, chickens, cows, dogs, and people bathing (outside) activities going on.
It was so interesting seeing the people having fun together, working fighting with each other, etc...There were also rice paddies below my balcony.
I was able to watch the people working in the rice fields, plowing with ox, and splitting the rice plants and planting fresh new crops.
Lastly, the boys that worked there were all so friendly. There were about 10 boys working in the IBM Guest House, ranging in ages from 16 to 30's all came from the Indian state Orissa.
They are all from a little village in the middle of
the jungle. This job for them is a big opportunity to make a lot of money and to see 'the world', at least, to see something besides their village.Actually, I was the first foreigner that they had ever spoken to.
When I'd come to breakfast or dinner, I'd pick a ring side seat so I could have fun with them. They would come in smiling and I'd make comments to them and try to make jokes.
Some of them didn't speak a word of English, some of them a bit better.
Honestly, the things I miss from the IBM Guest House are that you can meet all kinds of Indian IBM'rs from all walks of life doing all kinds of exciting things in Hyderabad, I miss having fun with the boys working there and the incredible view from my balcony.
That's about it. For the rest, I'm very glad to be back in my home!
(There will be more to come... Nirvana, Trips around Hyderabad, Kolkata (Calcutta), Kerala, Delhi, Taj Mahal, Goa, Saying goodbye...)
welcome back! Good to see you enjoyed it and your are safe and sound back home, and enjoy that too. Speak to you soon!!
ReplyDeleteYou did a wonderful job letting me see a bit of somewhere I know I'll never see. Thanks kiddo. What's my present at least a clue.
ReplyDeletelove your big sis