A week of training - traveling

FIRST STOP - DELHI
Lets start off with how planes are boarded here in Pune!  No zones, no rows, just GO!  Believe it or not we left on time!


Dave and Deb looking for the right gate









Loading plane in Pune


















Dave needed to travel to the Haas factory outlets to do training for the engineers.  I'm still not feeling quite at home here in Pune, so---  off I went with him.  Chris from Canada was with us for this trip as well.  Our first stop was in Delhi.  Remember the water coming down the stair well with all the exposed wires on our last trip?  It seems to be fixed.  There was rain, but not in the building!  There have been a few improvements since we were there last.  Every thing seems to go in slow motion here in India.  Especially construction!  Well, not the cars!! 

Dave at end of training class



Stair well - no water,  and covered wires!



















Reshma & Ajit in admin office, Delhi





Office area in Delhi office

 














After Daves meeting on Sunday, while we were in Delhi, we went to a bazaar.  It was called Dilli Haat.  There were vendors from all the states here in India selling their wares.  It was great!!  I love to shop!!!  Vivek came along with us, to keep us out of trouble!  : )  He didn't know what he was in for.  Dave and I do a lot of walking!   Poor Vivek! He even told me that we had seen places that I know we had not, just to get me to stop shopping and go home!!
They had wood crafts, metal crafts,shell crafts, beading and just about any thing you can think of.

Dilli Haat Bazaar

There was an older man sitting on the ground making copper jewelry. There was an artist selling paintings with such intricate details.  It was amazing!  He painted a tiny face on my finger nail and we bought a couple post cards from him.

copper jewelry maker





Deb with artist




Deb getting drawing on finger nail

There were hand embroidered kurtas, and tons of sandals and shoes.  Great deals on sandals. Yes, I bought a pair for 200 rupees.  That is $4.25 US !!  Aren't they cute??? 



Deb trying on a kurta, notice Viveks smirk!





Tons of sandals to check out




Deb's new sandals!!



















Well, while I was shopping, what do you think Dave was doing?   Yup, talking and texting for work!  Good thing I had the $$$!!!  There seems to always be an emergency!



Dave texting!

 Dave did take a minute to pose for a picture with me and another with poor Vivek.  It was quite warm out and we did do a lot of shopping!!!  Check out Viveks shirt!



Dave and Deb at Dilli Haat Bazaar





Dave and Vivek end of day at Dilli Haat!

 Just before leaving Dilli Haat, Dave posed for one more fun picture!!  I think he was happy to be leaving the bazaar!  There were no coins there!!



Dave goofing of at Dilli Haat

SECOND STOP - AHMEDABAD

We are now visiting the Ahmedabad HFO office. We stayed at the Royal Orchid Hotel. We woke up early and went down for our usual fruit and toast.  Check out the watermelon!!


Heart watermelon!

The drive out to the Ahmedabad office takes nearly 45 minutes.  The office is more out in the country and the city seems to be cleaner for the most part.  I took pictures on the way to the office.



Cow resting in street




Camel delivery




Camel among traffic




Bikes used as barricade for construction




Women carrying branches for fire to cook





Guy looking out bus window




Flooded road on way to office




Carnival ride for kiddos




Some ones getting a ticket!  WHAT???




Tent housing on side of road




School letting out




Old intricate pass through



 

Apt. housing



The Ahmedabad office is out in the country but very nice and clean. The office staff seems to really be on the ball here. During Daves training they seemed to understand what he was trying to teach them.  Tho-- only time will tell.  Dave has been implementing a lot of changes.  Because of the language barrier, you just never know if what you are saying is really being understood. (See Daves language blurb below.)

Ahmedabad office entrance



Dave teaching training class



Welcome sign at Haas Ahmedabad



Dave and Chris getting ready for training



Reception area in Ahmedabad

Machine area in Ahmedabad



Leena in Ahmedabad office




Reena and Vijay in Ahmedabad office


















Dave & Deb dinner with Chris, Sushil & Haresh

At the end of the day on Wednesday, July 13 we went back to the hotel to get ready for checkout to fly to Mumbai the next day.  Dave was busy returning emails and I was watching TV.  The news was in Hindi and it kept flashing breaking news.  So-- I decided to try and find an English news channel to see what was going on.  The first thing I saw was " Bombing in Mumbai"  I was in such a panic.  I could not believe we were going to fly there the next day.  Then, I start seeing RED ALERTS for the airports in Mumbai and Delhi. I decide I am not going to Mumbai or Delhi.  I just want to go straight to Pune or home to the US.  I start searching on the computer and the news flashes on TV again saying Ahmedabad and Pune are under Red Alerts!  So--  I decide I want to drive to Pune!  Sounded like a great alternative to me.  Next news alert...  roads are blocked and checks every where!  hm....  now I feel trapped!  Of course, Dave is calm and says we just need to shut off the news and go to sleep.  See what tomorrow brings!  Okay,  we go to sleep.  A very restless sleep mind you!  Next day,  believe it or not, I do feel better.  Still not comfortable flying to Mumbai, but I will.  We get to the airport and of course there are army men with guns (there always are).  It was a very eerie feeling being at the airport and security really didn't seem to be very red alert to me.  Not that I know what that would be like.  After a very smooth flight, we arrive in Mumbai.    Whew!!!


Ahmedabad airport

















Last stop MUMBAI

We arrived in Mumbai to Monsoon rains!!!  Cars every where.  There are airports in India that do not allow pictures to be taken and I was not sure about Mumbai so I din't take pictures of the rain and billions of cars every where.  I didn't want to be arrested with every thing going on!!!  The paper the next morning was in our room and says it all.


July 14, 2011



July 14, 2011



July 14, 2011

Dave went over to Haas India to do a training class and then to the Haas HFO to meet with Ashish and Chris.  I stayed at the hotel so there are no pictures of the meetings but I do have a nice picture of the lobby area!


Area above lobby at Park hotel

 The next day I went into the Mumbai office with Dave and he and Ashish had a meeting. Samina showed us the machine stickers she created.  Very nice job!


Dave and Ashish, casual meeting



Dave getting set up for meeting





Samina in Mumbai office

 Finally, we head for Pune!!!  Digumber came down that morning to pick us up!!  Thank goodness for Digumber.  He is a very careful driver!!!  I really appreciate him more than he could ever know!!
We had a 3 - 4 hour drive over the mountain.  We saw monkeys and beautiful water falls.  The monkeys were so close, I thought they would jump in the window!!  The monsoon rains turn every thing green.  Awesome views!!  Now if we could just get every one to drive SLOW!!  We would be all set!!


Waterfall on Pune-Mumbai road

















Monkeys on side of Pune - Mumbai Road




View on road from Pune to Mumbai



Monkey on side of Pune- Mumbai Road

We are back in Pune and all is well!!  It was nice to be back and see two of our favorite people!!  Tulsi the wonderful Admistrative Assistant and Digumber our Awesome Driver.

Debbie and Tulsi at Haas office



Dave and Digumber in front of car






















Last but not least, a little Indian language lesson!  : )  Courtesy of Dave!!

A little about the Languages spoken in India The official language of India is Hindi and English is the secondary language.
I really do not know how many Indians speak English but I would say about the same number as speak Hindi.
The languages spoken in India, number in the hundreds or over one thousand.
The major languages (with over 10 million people speaking the language) are as follows:
Hindi is spoken in the area around Delhi and south in the large north central area of India by between 258 and 422 million people.
Bengali is spoken in West Bengal and surrounding area around Kolkada by about 83 million people.
Telugu is spoken in Andhra and Pradesh (southeast) by about 74 million people.
Marathi is spoken the in states or Maharashtra and Goa where we live in Pune and Mumbai by around 72 million people.
Tamil is spoken in the Tamil Nadu on the east side of the southern tip of India by around 61 million people.
Urdu is spoken in Jammu and Kashmir on the far northern most part of India by about 52 million people.
Gujarati is spoken in the state of Gujarat in the western most part about mid-way north and south of India by about 46 million people.
Kannada is spoken in Karnataka which is just south of Maharashtra and Goa on the west side of the tip of India by about 38 million people.
Malayalam is spoken in Kerala which is on the western tip of India just under Karnataka by about 33 million people.
Odia is spoken in Odisha which is in the eastern part of India just under West Bengal by about 33 million people.
Punjabi is spoken in the state of Punjab north of Delhi by about 29 million.
There are still millions of people in India that speak any number of the over one thousand other languages.  Now, Indians cannot understand each other from state to state, can you imagine how difficult it is for a foreigner to communicate?
Also, if the names of the states and cities confuse you, it is because over the past several years India has changed a lot of the names from the colonial names that were given years ago (politics).

Enjoy!!  Until next time....