International Field Study - India

After 10 days of independent travel it is now time to join the rest of the Northeastern MBAs for our International Field Study. I'm so excited! I've been waiting for this since before I began at Northeastern! Here we go...

Day 1: New Delhi

After recovering from my long train journey with a nap and some socializing with our group at the hotel lounge I call it an early night so that I can be ready for our early morning business visits tomorrow. Plus, while it was fun to hang with my classmates at the hotel bar, my direction to avoid ice leaves my beverage options sadly lacking.

Day 2: New Delhi

Our first order of business today is a feast of a breakfast in a private Taj Hotel conference room. I see pork product for the first time in weeks along with pastries and all those delicious American breakfast goodies I have been missing.  After getting acquainted with the entire group, including four students from the part-time and online programs, we leave the comforts of our Taj Hotel for an equally westernized hotel about 15 minutes away. Here we are given a series of presentations from companies such as Possible Worldwide, a global interactive marketing agency.

Alstom

We enjoy a buffet lunch before hopping on our air-conditioned bus to Noida for our first on-site company visit at Alstom, a leading supplier of transport infrastructure, power generation and transmission.  While this presentation was decidedly more technical it was nice to have access to the actual company site. We had several company representatives speak to us on everything from the India job market, the company culture and even the specifics of electrical currents!

Continuing down the line of our jam-packed day, we get a few minutes back at the Taj Hotel to refresh before heading back to the Claridges Hotel for dinner and more presentations by influential Indians.

One of our dinner presenters was of particular interest to me. Raju Mansukhani is a former journalist who is now the Director of Mansar Communications.  He was perhaps the most impressive speaker we had yet as his experience in the newspaper industry gave him an intimate and wide-ranging knowledge of many cultural and political traits of the subcontinent.  What's more, he spent a good while discussing Udaipur's tourism efforts, showing pictures of the city I had just come from. How cool!

While these presentations were quite interesting, I begin to see the toll of a long day and jet lag impacting my classmates. Even our professor looks exhausted! We don't get home until past midnight. Looks like we'll only get only a few hours of sleep before our 5:00am attendance call in the hotel lobby. But it's fine by me because tomorrows is the TAJ MAHAL!!!

Day 3: Agra (a.k.a the home of the Taj Mahal)

I'll admit, even with the Taj Mahal calling my name it's a rough morning wake-up. We all sleepily grab a boxed breakfast and somehow manage to board the bus and then the tourist train to Agra intact.

During the two-hour train ride to Agra you can see the class start to wake up with a visible excitement replacing once sleepy eyes. I just can't believe we're going to see one of the most iconic structures in the world. I wonder if it can possibly live up to all of the hype...

Tonga ride to the Taj Mahal

After some schedule shifting (something that will become the theme of the trip) our Accent Group guide informs us that we will be heading to the Taj Mahal first, rather than at the previously scheduled twilight hour. I'm a bit disappointed, yearning for a stunning sunset snapshot, but understand his logic: he fears that if we wait until the end of the day we'll be too exhausted to enjoy it. So we board another large tourist bus and head to the main attraction. I'm pleasantly surprised to see that we will be riding horse-drawn tongas to the Taj Mahal! I hop in a rickety (to say the least) cart and before I know it our driver has us racing his friend down an Indian street. I have to admit it's thrilling a super fun.

The Taj Mahal is everything it promises to be and more. I had always assumed that I would arrive at the site to see only the white marble structure, but in reality, the Taj Mahal is made up of a series of buildings in shades of white and rusty red. We spend the next hour exploring the grounds and taking more photos than is healthy.

By the time we leave the Taj everyone is visibly overheated and drained, understandable in 107-degree heat. We are relieved to get back on the bus to our next site: Agra Fort. I'm eager to see the giant red-orange complex but, unfortunately, several of my classmates couldn't seem to face the heat again deciding, instead, to wait out the tour napping on the bus. If only I had known that this was just the beginning of our groups ailments...

Monkeying around at Agra Fort

Agra Fort is a treat. I especially enjoy that I can take photos of the Taj Mahal from across the river. The large community of monkeys calling the fort home isn't too shabby either.

After about an hour we're back on the bus to lunch at the Trident Hotel. The 23 of us all but rush the door for air conditioning and a cool drink. Some of my classmates even jump into the hotel pool fully clothed, resulting in our group getting banned from the outdoor area. Whoops!

Fatehpur Sikri

Even though we've already completed a fair share of site-seeing we're off again in an hour- this time to Fatehpur Sikri, a two-hour drive outside of Agra. I really enjoy the drive and the chance to take in the countryside. Fatehpur Sikri is nice as well and we manage to catch it at sunset. I snag some of my coveted photos at the deserted site before we're back on the bus for a mad dash to the train station.

On the way we realize a sit-down dinner is not in the cards time-wise and so our driver drops all 23 of us off at a Pizza Hut were we overtake the take-out window. With much rushing we make it to the train station in time for our train, but not before a scary encounter with some slum-children who we are informed are under the influence of drugs. They grab at our food, try to pull our belongings off of us and even sneak peaks up some of the girls' skirts! It was a very unpleasant experience and I pray for the train to arrive on time (it is, of course, 15 minutes late).

We finally stumble into our hotel in New Delhi around midnight with a wake-up call of 7:00am.

Day 4: Delhi

I'm super excited for today! Not only do we have a community service project in the morning but we'll finally get a city tour of New Delhi, 3 days after we've arrived here!

With some students from The Oxford Square

The Oxford Square is an NGO that provides free education to slum-dwelling children. I wasn't quite sure what to expect but was extremely (and pleasantly) surprised! One man has sacrificed half of his home and converted it into a school for more than 200 needy children ranging in age from 4 or 5 to 16 or 17! All classes are taught in English and I am honestly impressed with the student's mastery of the language. I'm pretty sure this visit was one of the most rewarding for our entire group. We leave smiling and inspired.

After our great morning we stop by a local restaurant for lunch before heading back to the Taj Hotel. Here's were things start to fall apart. After much complaining from my group our professor and Accent Group leader decide to CANCEL the New Delhi city tour! I'm incensed to say the least! I have paid for this tour and now I'll be forced to pay for it AGAIN if I want to see Delhi. I'm fuming when my teacher comes over to me to apologize. After conferring with the tour leader he agrees to pay for a cab for myself and two online/part-time students to go to the same sites. While we still have to pay the entrance fees, I am slightly appeased.

India Gate

Let me just say that my group missed out. We visit Qutab Minar and take in its famous Islamic architecture (some dating as far back as the 4th century!), Humayuns tomb which was the inspiration of the Taj Mahal but which I thought was far more impressive and ended the day with a sunset tour of the government buildings and India Gate for some ice cream, sodas and local flavor. The Delhi city tour was one of my favorite parts of my IFS tour!

Day 5: Delhi -> Chennai

Today is the day that our group transforms from students to a walking cesspool of sickness. Perfect timing for our flight to Chennai.

We all get up early and it's apparent that 'Delhi Belly' has claimed its dues. A good portion of our group can barely contain their illness on the ride to the airport. By the time we're through security, many can't even do that. Not to get into too much detail, I'll just say several of us couldn't make it to the restroom on time and I'm pretty sure we cleaned the airplane of its entire airsickness bag stock.

When we arrive at the Park Hotel it's all I can do to keep myself standing at reception to check out. I spend the rest of the day in bed, with the illness that had been hovered around me for days finally taking full hold.

Day 6: Chennai

Despite obvious stomach issues I can't bear to miss a day of site seeing so I force myself awake in the morning for our 2-hour drive out to Mahabalipuram. Unfortunately, about 20 minutes into the ride I'm feeling awful and I spend the next several hours trying to sleep on the bus while others take in the UNESCO World Heritage Site. When they return I ask our guide what my options are for heading back to the hotel; I don't think I can handle sitting on the bus for the rest of the day. We arrange for a cab ride home for me after lunch.

After my pathetic attempts at lunch (read a piece of naan and some white rice) I'm in the back of a cab.  When I arrive back at the Park Hotel I order room service, begging for some simple pasta or something. I'm starving but all of the India food seems to be upsetting my stomach.

My glorious meal arrives shortly (though with a nearly $20 price tag for noodles) and I sleep for the rest of the day and night.

Day 7: Chennai

Ugh.... I don't leave my bed today. I feel horrible for missing out on a company visit to Dell. The one thing that makes me feel not as guilty is that my roommate, a native of Chennai, has been gone for the past three days with visits to the doctor from stomach issues as well. It appears that India does not discriminate on who it gifts its stomach issues to.

Day 8: Chennai -> Bangalore

I wake up early today based on instructions from our itinerary. However, as mentioned previously, that itinerary changes every hour. After completing my check-out at 6:00am I wait with another classmate who was sick yesterday in the lobby. We sit for 3 hours before our professor rolls around to inform us that the schedule had been changed and we would now be meeting in a room of the Park Hotel (rather than traveling to a business) at 10:00am. Frustrated I head to the breakfast bar and then to spend $10 for an hour for internet.

Listening to a presentation by Hand in Hand

Our meeting  turns out to be quite interesting. We are visited by a firm called Hand in Hand and it provides microfinancing for villagers around India. Their efforts are much broader than I would have expected and I am uplifted by the presenter's stories of success. It's amazing what $100 dollars or less can do for an aspiring business owner or villager who barely makes that much in a year.

Next we head a bit outside of town for a visit to Accurate Products, a leading grease fitting manufacturer. The owner is actually our professor's old friend from college! We get a plant tour and a nice Powerpoint presentation before rushing off to catch out afternoon Kingfisher flight to Bangalore, the last stop on our IFS tour.

Day 9: Bangalore

After a glorious night's sleep and gourmet breakfast at the Gateway Hotel (an offshoot of the Taj hotels) we head to our final company visit: IBM. The IBM tour was one of the best of the trip. Located in a large complex of heavy-hitting international companies like Yahoo! and Ebay, the IBM building was a modern facility housing thousands of workers. After several presentations from such higher-ups as the Vice President of Operations, we get a tour, grab some snacks at their 'campus' cafeteria and return home.

I spend the rest of the afternoon browsing shops near the hotel. That night most of us make our way a couple of doors down from our hotel to an Irish pub (of all places) for some Kingfishers. Our professor even joins us for some drinks.

I excuse myself relatively early to rest up for what was supposed to be a full -day tour of Mysore tomorrow (about 5 hours away). Little did I know that our trip there was soon to be canceled.

Day 10: Bangalore

Due to lack of interest our trip to Mysore would not longer be running. Upon hearing the news I become visibly furious. I was literally the ONLY person who wanted to go. Everyone else just wanted to lounge by the pool. This having now been the SECOND time a cultural activity was canceled I approach our professor and tour leader to protest. They say there is nothing they can do and don't even offer a cab for me to go on my own or any other options to see the sights. UGH! I'm at my wits end with my sickness and the heat and the disorganization of this trip.

We finally come to some agreement that they will offer us a short city tour of Bangalore. It makes me feel a little better that my professor comes over to express his sympathies and apologize for the situation.

Luckily, the city tour ends up going quite well. We take a tour of Tippu Sultan's Palace, the Nandi Temple with one of the largest Nandi murthis in the world followed by a walk in the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens.

The rest of the afternoon is spent by the pool, shopping and with all the girls getting henna done! I guess the day didn't turn out as poorly as I thought it would. Plus, we were able to relax before our farewell dinner.

I get to bed that night around 11:00 pm and will have to wake up around 2:30 am in order to get ready for my 6:00am flight to Nepal. I travel to the airport with 5 other students and as we zoom through the early morning darkness of Bangalore I bid India goodbye.