I will be posting before I depart, while I am in India and after I return to the great city of Milwaukee. I have been out of the country before to include Europe, Mexico, Aruba and China, but I have ha feeling that nothing is going to compare to this upcoming trip to India.
What I know of India so far is probably very naive and based on TV programs, books and movies as well as calling various help desks for work or personal computing. I do have a habit of recording anything on cable that has India in the title to try and prepare myself... whether it be The Food Network, PBS, The Travel Channel or Business programming, hopefully it helps a bit! I have been to Maharaja once for lunch, it was my first time, and definitely not my last ... I really enjoyed trying all the foods. I also have browsed a few travel books and cultural books about India, but words and pictures can only tell so much, I can't wait for the experience and the envelopment of the culture.
Assignment 1:
Post my pre-trip perceptions about India by 11/1/09, at least 5 about the people, social and cultural environment and the business world.
- I think the country is going to be very busy with people, autos and animals which translates into pure chaos in my mind. I have the picture in my head of people squeezing into any last space on a train or bus. I also have a feeling that personal space is not as we have it here in the USA. I also feel that there will be a great disparity between the rich and the poor. And I think it will be dirtier than I expected, but amazingly beautiful at the same time.
- Another perception is that a lot of help desks are located in India and the people of India are better able to speak the English language than we are! Very smart people. I also have the perception that companies that deal with USA are set up very similar in the style of the workplace. The technology business world is up and moving quickly in the right direction. Also in reference to business, I feel that anyone will work to make money, whether it is for a large multinational company, a family run business, or a street vendor with food or textile.
- I also think of the media I have seen in reference to Bollywood and Slumdog Millionaire with the fast speed of a 'Hollywood' type life. I also envision very dramatic movies and televisions programs for some reason.
- Another perception would have to be that entire country is colorful whether it be clothing, food, flowers, spices or celebration. I feel like every time I see a picture of someone or something or some place in India, the colors are vibrant and evoke a sense of happiness because they are so rich in color and texture. I also imagine flowers everywhere, especially used for worship.
- As for the culture and the people, the notion of family is the most important and religion plays an important role in daily life. I imagine families staying very close to other members as well as their lineage. I am also excited to see a people that have been around for 1000s of years, 100s of religions and various languages, yet the democracy is so 'new'.
So these are my perceptions for now, I can't wait for them to change!
