The roof of a small temple in the park. There are statues of a different Hindu God on each side.
Monday, June 19, 2006
Me and the Maharaja
The statue is of one of the Maharajas of the area. If only I was on horseback with a sword.
A Little Creepy
Nobody could explain why there was a statue garden dedicated to the Seven Dwarves in the main Bangalore park. I'm not sure I want to know. Anyway, Snow White is actually behind that big planter/clock.
Brigade Road
One of the big shopping roads in downtown Bangalore, this one has major brand clothing and electronics stores in addition to local craft and clothes stores. The billboards give it that "cosmopolitan" flavor...or so people say.
Traffic
Typical traffic situation on one of the main roads in Bangalore. There are three or four motorcycles across, then three or four cars, and a rickshaw for good measure. Somehow they seem to avoid hitting one another. Driving in Bangalore (and India, from what I hear) is most definitely an art. I'm very glad I'm not the one doing it. The only mitigating factor to the traffic is that it doesn't get going fast enough to do serious damage.
Sound Horn
All the trucks have this written on the tailgate. Drivers around here honk at any available opportunity. They honk to warn pedestrians to get out of the way (but don't slow down), when they pass a truck (even if there's another truck next to it), when another car is trying to occupy the same spot in the road (often speeding up to block them)...
Hosur Road
The highway from Bangalore city to the Infosys campus at a very low traffic time. Yes, that's an autorickshaw in the foreground.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Greetings from Bangalore
For over a week, now, I've been living and working at Infosys Technologies in Bangalore. It feels like much longer.
On the list of good things about being here, we've got food. As a big fan of food, and Indian food in particular, I was hopeful about the culinary aspects of this experience. And indeed, the food I've had has been delicious and inexpensive. There is such a variety of ingredients and flavors in dishes from all over the country. And the international food (I've had Chinese, French, Thai, and TGIFridays) is readily available on campus and in the city.
Next on the list is the work. I'm working with in the research department with the information management group. It's small, four or five employees and one other intern, but they're all bright and interesting and we've had some engaging conversations. I'll be working on sythesizing a practical definition of the concept of information management and developing a framework for applying it to an organization.
Following that, has to be the Infosys compound. As you might be able to gather from the photos below, it's a pretty campus (reminds me of Southern California - and not just because it feels a little fake). In addition to modern offices, there are numerous restaurants, coffee stands, two health clubs and a basketball court, a swimming pool, pool tables, a book store...and a few hundred bicycles to get around - you just hop on one outside your office and leave it for someone else outside your destination. The guesthouse where we interns stay is like a three-star hotel, which helps eases the pain of working 8-5 halfway around the world.
And the people have been great. The other interns are friendly and social - groups eat together, watch World Cup matches, and plan weekend excursions. They're international, but many have studied in the US. The folks coordinating the internship program have been very helpful in getting us settled, resolving problems, and explaining the more opaque aspects of Indian culture. And the people I've met on campus and in the City have been incredibly friendly and eager to help strangers (i.e. me). From restaurant recommendations to directions to helping me pick out good traditional South Indian music.
But the people also top the list of difficult things about being here. They don't seem to feel a sense of urgency about...well...anything (except maybe driving). Trying to get something done by a beaurocracy or fix an error in a restaurant bill or get a straight answer to all but the simplest questions can be maddeningly frustrating.
And on a more sentimental note, I get a little homesick. Even with Internet Radio and TGIFridays (no, I've only eaten there once), everything is different here. A little or a lot, depending on how adventurous I'm feeling.
Stay tuned for the next installment...
On the list of good things about being here, we've got food. As a big fan of food, and Indian food in particular, I was hopeful about the culinary aspects of this experience. And indeed, the food I've had has been delicious and inexpensive. There is such a variety of ingredients and flavors in dishes from all over the country. And the international food (I've had Chinese, French, Thai, and TGIFridays) is readily available on campus and in the city.
Next on the list is the work. I'm working with in the research department with the information management group. It's small, four or five employees and one other intern, but they're all bright and interesting and we've had some engaging conversations. I'll be working on sythesizing a practical definition of the concept of information management and developing a framework for applying it to an organization.
Following that, has to be the Infosys compound. As you might be able to gather from the photos below, it's a pretty campus (reminds me of Southern California - and not just because it feels a little fake). In addition to modern offices, there are numerous restaurants, coffee stands, two health clubs and a basketball court, a swimming pool, pool tables, a book store...and a few hundred bicycles to get around - you just hop on one outside your office and leave it for someone else outside your destination. The guesthouse where we interns stay is like a three-star hotel, which helps eases the pain of working 8-5 halfway around the world.
And the people have been great. The other interns are friendly and social - groups eat together, watch World Cup matches, and plan weekend excursions. They're international, but many have studied in the US. The folks coordinating the internship program have been very helpful in getting us settled, resolving problems, and explaining the more opaque aspects of Indian culture. And the people I've met on campus and in the City have been incredibly friendly and eager to help strangers (i.e. me). From restaurant recommendations to directions to helping me pick out good traditional South Indian music.
But the people also top the list of difficult things about being here. They don't seem to feel a sense of urgency about...well...anything (except maybe driving). Trying to get something done by a beaurocracy or fix an error in a restaurant bill or get a straight answer to all but the simplest questions can be maddeningly frustrating.
And on a more sentimental note, I get a little homesick. Even with Internet Radio and TGIFridays (no, I've only eaten there once), everything is different here. A little or a lot, depending on how adventurous I'm feeling.
Stay tuned for the next installment...
The Pyramid
It is, in fact, a four story glass pyramid. Supposedly modeled after the Louvre, there are two floors of offices in this showpiece. To clean the outside, a pair of custodians actually rappel down from the top with buckets and wipers!
Fountain at the Fish Pond
This rather large koi pond towards the center of the campus is surrounded by the main administrative buildings. In addition to a fountain, it sports a bridge and two paddle boats.
Guesthouse and Greenery
I'm staying in this employee housing and guest hostel. Quite a few planted areas around the campus, though they all have signs requesting we "avoid walking on the grass."
The Edge of the Campus
The Infosys campus runs alongside the main highway, just across which is a mismatched collection of colorful permanent and semi-permanent buildings. All of this is about 45 minutes outside the main city of Bangalore.
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