Here it goes...wait for it...

Well, as I already promised, here it is: another story from a distant country not too far away that took place in the not too distant past...

Where to start, a lot of things happen round here. I got to know many new people, I do really love the country in every aspect so far experienced. I've made new friends and it is just great being around everyone here in this country.

But as promised...here it comes! To start with, in order to explain it to those amongst you who don't know what India offers and what differences there are between e.g. Germany and India, an example. Crafts are really cheap compared to overprized products in Germany. Two friends of mine and me bought some fabrics, total price for my fabrics 200 INR (3,30€). We went to the tailor afterwards in order to let him tailor a shirt. Total price for stitching 250 INR (4,15€). It took a few days and then we had what we came for: a brandnew slim business shirt. Total prize 450 INR, all in all about 7,50€! I don't have to tell you the difference to German prices.

Another day we've been to the gym, the Bosch Sports Ground. They offer nearly everything: soccer, volleyball, cricket, badminton, squash, table tennis, tennis, chess... 150 INR (2,50€) each month for badminton, squash and tennis (which are actually the sports you have to pay for). An affordable price...in order to pay the money, well, there is the catch...you can't just go there and pay the money cash.

You need to receive a DD (demand draft) at a bank. Doesn't sound that bad, well, so I went to a bank. Hmmm...your request could not be proceeded!! What the...? Okay, disillusioned I went back to the plant...where I met two colleagues of mine. They insisted to help me (hey, I know the manager of the bank next to the ATM!!) and we had another walk to a bank. The manager told me to get back in the morning at 9:30am with all papers filled. Filled the papers, got there at 10am (you never know, never be early^^). Still closed...10:30am the bank opened. Another 30min and I received my DD *yeeha.


Tomorrow I'll probably upload another story, meanwhile just have a look at the new diashow where you can actually see a few pics of my first days in Bangalore! Upcoming: Trip to Chennai, formerly known as Madras, Pondicherry and Mahabalipuram!!

Stay tuned!!

Indian ways to communicate

After two weeks of preparation in Feuerbach, some stressfull packing of my luggage and a two-hour-journey to the airport of Munich I finally made it...to the airport!
I have to admit that Emirates, the airline I chose for my flight to Bangalore, is one of the most service-oriented airlines I know. Great meals (and the opportunity to choose between two meals which actually were both tasty), an aisle seat, no problems with my laptop in my luggage...what could you possibly more wish for??

Well...here is at least one thing...

Next time, dear Emirates, don't pick an aisle seat right next to the children's row...especially not a row with two babies in it!! Approximately 97% of the flight both of them were crying...no, no, really...I didn't try to fall asleep...well, however, the other 3% of the time they switched continuously with making noise -.-

Alright, no complaining anymore. I finally arrived in Dubai, 11:40pm local time. A huge place, lots of different people...and at a terribly late time of the day. I tried to sleep...failed! I tried to solve some sudokus...failed! Lack of concentration after a flight with no sleep.
After boarding my airplane to Bangalore I slept...two hours, at last! At the airport I succesfully picked my cab driver, organised by Bosch. He drove me to Angel's Place, the trainee flat in Bangalore. And the trop to the flat is worth another story...

There some rules you have to obey once you're in the middle of traffic in India. First rule, disobey any rule you ever learnt. Traffic lights are neat, turn signals are only used to send Morse code or sth. else, by all means they don't use it do indicate the direction of travelling. And most important: the horn is the most effective way to communicate in traffic!! It is used in case of turning, braking, accelerating, driving towards a crossing, while crossing the crossing, after having crossed the crossing...long story short, for nearly everything! If there are three lanes, no problem, six cars are driving next to each other, side mirrors almost touching...on a single moped you can transport a whole family. Husband, wife and at least to kids! Reckless driving is as common as breathing air.

One might think that this is enough for one day...wrong. Two of the trainees in the flat took me on a 'guided tour'! We visited a lot of places. A market as huge as a small village, a lot of Rikshaw-driving, a Hare Krishna Temple and a lot more...pictures and stories to come :)

The way the cookie crumbles...

Who would have thought that events would turn out to be like this... Just imagine watching a theatre play and it does not resemble anything you imagined it to be in the first place while reading the script! If I would have to describe the preperations for my internship starting almost one year ago, it would be a scenario like that...not! But I'll get back to this point later.

Almost one year ago in November I received the offer letter for my internship *yeehaw* In May this year the company decided to split my internship into two parts. Two weeks of preperation in Germany, 4.5 months intership in India.
After enduring several vaccinations (rabies, hepatitis a/b, typhus...) during 2009 and 2010 I felt a little bit 'flattened'. I don't hate injections, but I just don't like the fact that I'm not able to do any sports for some days... 'and please don't do any sports for the next one or two days!' No problem during rainy days! Too bad I've had my injections always followed by bright sun-shiny days...
The vaccinations were followed by some severe shopping! I had to buy a lot of stuff for India in case I'd get on some jungle-adventure-mosquito-white-water-rafting-snake'n'spider-trip. On my list: repellents, a lot of tablets, meds, tropical-clothing, mosquito net and so on.
I had to book a flight and to apply for a visa. Status quo: flight booked, visa approved!

The only challenge during this time has been applying for the visa (as already mentioned in my last post). Interesting fact (and now we're getting back to the point I've been talking about in the first place^^): everything turned out how it was supposed to be. No surprises, no sidesteps, no dead ends!

I'm really looking forward to my time in India! If everything in India is going as nicely as it was back in Germany, I do have no doubt that it is going to be an awesome time!