Dragonflies Revisited - Return to India 2010

It's been 14 months since I left and Hyderabad still feels like home. The breeze in the evening is warm, the humidity high this time of year, and dragonflies still dance on the wind. I arrived last week and had one day in the office before embarking on my first weekend. There were about 15 cattle in the street immediately next to Microsoft, a large herd for roads in this part of town but they are running out of grazing space due to endless construction. Yesterday was for rest and recovery from jetlag, enjoying the Ista spa and an incredible Ayurvedic massage. Although I've been a happy consumer of massage for years this was new for me. The technique is called Abhyanga, a syncronized massage with two therapists followed by a steam bath and shower. According to the spa catalog this treatment improves physical consistency, help to remove toxins and induces relaxation whilst normalizing blood pressure and eliminating impurities. This appears to be true on all counts that I can measure and is highly recommended if you ever get the change to try it. I slept like a rock afterwards and felt wonderful the next morning.

Today I rented a car and went to meditate at Ananda Buddha Vihara in Mahendra Hills. The temple is about 45 minutes from Gachibowli and the route winds through the main part of town as well as Secunderabad. As usual the driver had trouble finding his way through the narrow streets but we made it with a combination of our collective memories and directions from passersby. The view from the top overlooks Secunderabad which reaches out further every year. If you know where to look you can see Galkonda Fort on a hill far away but it was too hazy today. I had never met the head Ahjahn (Teacher) before but he was there and made a special point of greeting me personally after his talk. He was warm and friendly and asked me about my meditation background. He seemed especially interested in Zen. This temple is Vipassana and the monks are dressed in typical Thai robes. After we talked for awhile he invited me to stay and sit for as long as I liked. So I did. The silence and peace in this place is always inspiring to me which is why I return as often as I can.

When I went to retrieve my sandals a man followed me out and we had a long talk about the dharma. Chakradora was a follower of Osho and had all sorts of interesting views on practice and the meaning of life drawn from Hinduism as well as Buddhism. I knew something of Osho who was named Rajneesh in the USA, his community fell afoul of the law over a number of egregious activities as well as conflict over land use and Osho ultimately returned to India, dying in 1990. But his teachings became quite popular after his death, especially in India. It was a fascinating and engaging discussion but after awhile it became clear he was trying a bit too hard to win me over. So I excused myself and took some photos.

My last stop was City Center where I love to shop and eat. But on the way my driver asked if I'd like to see a handicrafts shop. Having travelled in India before I knew that he was likely on commission but thought I'd make him happy anyway. So we stopped at Handicraft-de-India in Banjara Hills which was on the way. Amazingly I knew Faroz, a local importer and businessman, very well and have dealt with him in several other shops over the past three years. So I'm an old customer in several ways and evidently famous from what he tells me. Its the long white hair that does it, that's what he claims. More likely the rupees I bring their way myself and from other foreign colleagues. Faroz knows my taste too well for my own good and took me upstairs to see some antique art. I hope it really is as valuable as he claimed, one can never be sure so spend only what you can afford to... and truly love the pieces you buy. This time Faroz outdid himself. Out of the beautiful pieces he presented I bought a lost wax casting Buddha in a very unusual sleeping position, head bowed over knee in a seated posture. The face is exquisite as is the bronze and gold ornamentation. It is supposedly 60 years old and from a family collection. He also had a number of conch ceremonial horns with various types of artistic coverings. Most of these were far too expensive to even consider as they were adorned in silver but we settled on a smaller piece that I loved after haggling over the price for a long time. As a foreigner I know I won't get the best deals myself, you do better with a colleague present most of the time. But part of the price paid is for memory of the haggling process and friendships you make along the way as well as the merchandise. On one of my early trips a colleague tried so hard to get the price down that we nearly ended up in a fight and I'd prefer not to repeat that experience.

So finally we arrived at City Center. On the bottom floor was a marketing event and they had set up a fish pedicure pool, a few people had their toes in the water where throngs of fish nibbled away. Don't knock it till you've tried it I guess, amusing to watch for sure. This seems to be spreading across the world from Latin America and the Caribbean which is why I mentioned it, interesting how much Hyderabad has come into the global spin of trends and fashion. Thoughtful Indians are asking themselves how much of this is positive and how much reflects the extent to which their society is still colonized, struggling for its own independent identity based on deep cultural traditions. I've spent hours talking to one of my colleagues about this and its inspiring to hear his passion for his culture. There is an important book by Pavan K. Varma called "Becoming Indian" in which he delivers a thoughtful argument that India can never truly be free unless it reclaims its intrinsic cultural identity. I would never have understood his argument without traveling here through the explosive growth of the past three years.

Crossword books is still in City Center and I bought a few books that were missed on the last trip. Plus a stuffed, very soft tiger for a friend's daughter who is having her first birthday party this evening. I was asked to attend and will do so if I can get another driver for a few hours. If not I'll deliver the gift to him tomorrow morning in the office, you have to be flexible in India and everyone understands that. My favorite luncheon haunt was closed for a private party so after a few nice plates of Chinese food we headed back to the Ista where I'll spend the rest of the afternoon. Another great day in my second home.

Thanks for listening...

When the Student is Ready

Last Sunday I met Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche, a remarkable dharma teacher from Tibet. Khenpo studied with over 40 lamas in the Himalayas and of the three contiguous lineages of practice in Dzogchen he holds the succession for two of them. As a young man he was hidden from the Chinese who were actively suppressing Buddhism in Tibet. Eventually he left the country. The Dalai Lama asked him to join the government in exile and he declined citing his desire to teach. So they agreed that Khenpo would devote his life to bringing Dzogchen to the world, particularly in the West. This man is the real deal, an authentic lama of great simplicity whose compassionate and disarming manner of teaching communicates more than words ever could.

I heard Khenpo twice in two days, once at Red Cedar in Bellingham and again in a private home on Mercer Island. Both times he taught the same basic message about the true meaning of Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha. In Dzogchen they teach that it is possible to achieve liberation in one lifetime and the chants make strong statements of personal responsibility. "I am always humble... I am never egotistical". Sounds ridiculous but Khenpo begs to differ. Unless we believe it is possible to live in harmony with our world and purge negative thinking we never will make progress on the path. It takes courage to stay on the path and embrace our inner nature. Buddhism teaches us that we have Buddha nature but what does this really mean? Khenpo taught us that happiness is primordial Buddha, the more we replace negative thinking with positive thinking the closer we get to our true nature. All beings wish to be happy and cease suffering, this is the simple path to progress toward this goal. In Dzogchen they emphasize compassionate action as well as meditation. In fact Khenpo said they generally start students with 5% meditation and 95% service until enough negative karma is offset that meditation can actually begin. Khenpo's approach to the Buddhist path is thoughtful, practical and simple.

So what are Dhamma and Sangha? Dhamma literally means "teaching" and Sangha means the practice community. But Khenpo puts a slightly different spin on it. My positive thinking is teaching for me and a refuge for others. Their positive thinking is teaching for them and a refuge for me. In this way we embrace each other, teach each other and offer a refuge where practice is possible. And by doing this as a community we bring greater harmony to our world.

In Bellingham Khenpo taught for almost three hours and had to leave for another engagement in Canada so we didn't have time for much personal interaction. On Mercer Island it was different. He knew the family he was staying with and the children loved him. They gathered at his feet and he taught them in simple terms. It was a beautiful experience. At the end I had a chance to briefly speak to Khenpo. After we talked for a few minutes he looked at me with great intensity and said "teach this". And I told him I would.

Signals

It's 9:30pm and there is snow in the road outside. This afternoon I bought a guitar amplifier for $200 from a guy on the musician's alias at my company. That's more than many people in India would make in a month. My girlfriend is coming down ill and asleep in the other room. The cats are scattered around the apartment in various stages of slumber. Slumdog Millionaire just won a bunch of awards and a friend in Hyderabad sent me the recipe for authentic chicken biryani. And I'm still watching myself dream of India so very often.

My trip ended on January 7th but lives on in my mind. You will have to read my book to get a sense of it. Every so often in life something happens to change your perspective fundamentally. That's what India did for me. In the Ramayana the character of Rama goes through a number of adventures and toward the end of the story remembers that he is actually Vishnu incarnate. That's what India did for me, it reminded me of who I am. Many of us have forgotten ourselves, and it takes a long journey and many battles to rediscover what we are. So I careened through traffic in Kareem's Maruti listening to Indian pop music. I spent Sunday mornings in meditation at the Thai temple in Secunderabad. I made good friends both in and out of the office. I traveled through the Buddhist heritage sites on the Mahaparinirvan Express. Through it all I rediscovered a new sense of peace with myself and my life.

This photo is of the main alter at Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, arguably the most sacred place in Buddhism. Just behind this part of the temple is the Bodhi tree itself under which Buddha found enlightenment. As I worked my way to the front to take this photo there were many people chanting and bowing as well as a throng of tourists. The peace in this place was as thick as the mob of vendors outside. I could have spent a lifetime there.

Namaste and thanks for listening...

Dragonflies and Chutney

This story begins as most adventures do, with a long voyage to a distant land. I arrived in India in the evening on October 3rd and the moist air of Hyderabad surrounded me like a shroud. My driver Kareem was waiting for me and shuffled the enormous suitcase into the front passenger seat of his tiny Maruti. I collapsed into the back seat and we headed out into the flow of traffic. After a few hundred yards he pulled over and tied the suitcase down with a handkerchief so we'd survive the trip to the guest house. I think the suitcase weighed more than his car did. The drive into Kondapur took us past roadside shops, shanty towns, motorcycles and modern buildings. Indian music flowed out of Kareem's radio and the chaotic energy of Hyderabad surged around us. It felt like coming home. Finally we pulled into the Hominex parking lot after midnight and were greeted by the staff who sensibly handed me a key and sent me to bed. That was a little over month ago but it seems like yesterday. Life passes quickly, if you aren't watching you'll miss it.

My company arranged this trip to support our Gachibowli development center but they know I also had personal reasons for requesting a longer term assignment here. After my first two trips I formed a desire to experience India more fully. The planning for this adventure took months and I wasn't sure until a few days before leaving that it was all going to come together. My visa was held up in corporate limbo for weeks, I had to move due to an expired lease and other events threatened to derail my plans. I collected as much information as I could and stuffed it into my bag along with a Lonely Planet travel guide and a huge map of India. And I brought my meditation bench. In the end everything worked out with a lot of help from my friends. Living here has taught me a few things about flexibility, hopefully I will remember the lessons long enough to write them down.

People have been asking why the blog has fallen silent during these weeks. It isn't because there is nothing left to say. There is still time in my life for one more stupid decision... so I'm writing a book. Not that there aren't already enough books about India on the shelves of bookstores around the world. India is like a massive onion you can never fully peel so the potential for topics is bottomless. Just in Hyderabad you can write about the Qutb Shahi, Mughal and Nizam dynasties as well as the British Raj and the Great Game between European powers who used India as a chessboard. There is the story of Independence and all the changes that ushered India into the modern world. In recent years the forces of development have turned Hyderabad into a technical powerhouse. The engines of business have been working overtime and along with prosperity has come convulsive cultural and economic change. That's only part of the backdrop behind Hyderabad that gives it texture.

It is presumptuous for a middle aged western techie to try and explain all this. There is more honesty in writing my own experience of India, how it has affected my spiritual practice and what I've learned from my travels here. The book is still finding its voice, evolving with my experience and growing in ways that were never foreseen. Like my life it is a work in process. And it will take a long time.

Thanks for listening

Dancing on the Wind - 8 Days of Everyday Zen

Last week I had the opportunity to attend a Zen Sesshin (meditation retreat) on Samish Island in Washington. A number of people have asked me what it was like so I thought it might be useful to share my experience.

The eight day retreat was organized by the Red Cedar Zen Community in Bellingham, WA and attended by practitioners from across the US. The majority of the attendees were affiliated with Soto Zen Centers in the Pacific Northwest. For many of these the guiding teacher is Norman Fischer. Norman has been a Zen student for over 30 years and is in the lineage of Sunryu Suzuki from the San Francisco Zen Center. Norman was abbot of that center for five years. Subsequently he chose to focus on promoting lay Zen practice and created the Everyday Zen Foundation. He is a published author and poet with wide ranging interests. He is also a compassionate and engaging speaker.

It is not easy to write about Sesshin, a Japanese term for intensive practice that means "Gathering the Mind". Although I could describe the schedule and explain the terminology of Zen that would produce little understanding of what it is actually like inside the retreat itself. Just the same here are the basics. This form of Buddhist practice is Japanese and reflects their cultural sense of order. You enter the Zendo in accordance with strict guidelines. Shoes are removed at the door, you bow at the entrance to the practice area where cushions are arranged in a large rectangle around a small alter containing incense, flowers and a statue of Buddha. Students are expected to sit in the same spot throughout sesshin and there are a variety of Zabutons (large cushioned floor mats), Zafus (cushions), Seiza benches or even chairs used depending on personal preference or medical necessity. A few people would even lie down. There are formal Zendo positions for an Ino (practice leader) and Tenkin (responsible for signaling transitions with a singing bowl or wooden blocks). The Ino, Tenkin, Roshi (teacher) and his Jisha (assistant) sit at the entrance to the practice area.

We practiced sitting and walking meditation for 6-8 hours a day. Zazen (sitting meditation) was conducted in 30 minute increments punctuated by Kinhin (walking meditation) which lasts around 10 minutes per session. The rhythm of Zazen-Kinhin-Zazen-Kinhin-Zazen is repeated morning and evening and provides structure for your inner practice. During Kinhin you are free to take care of your biological needs and there are formal procedures for entering and leaving the practice area during these transitions. Sleep is limited to about seven hours assuming you go to bed immediately after evening service, some would return to the Zendo at night and continue to sit. Doing this on the last night is traditionally considered very powerful. We rose to the bell at 5:00am. Once you understand the schedule you can safely remove your watch as two wooden Han (gongs struck with a mallet) or a larger bell in the dining hall would signal the next activity at appropriate times. I will admit I left mine on for the entire week. There were classes in the early part of the week on dharma topics, opportunities for private practice discussions with various Zen priests and formal Dokusan (individual teaching) with Norman Fischer. Norman gave a dharma talk once a day. We held traditional services several times a day involving chanting and prostrations. There were a few special services including a Jukai lay ordination and a spirit calming ceremony dedicated to the Samish Indians. Meals were vegetarian and mostly conducted in silence. Although the first half of the retreat was semi-informal the second half was almost completely silent. In the middle of the day we held Samu (work practice) for an hour and this was very helpful to the retreat facility... Zen students are pretty hard workers. Most of this is the typical sesshin experience. But so far I've told you nothing.

The inner work that happens during sesshin is deeply personal and elements of it are hard to describe in words. I can only describe what happens inside myself, others may report a different experience. The first few days are a time to slow down the mind and come to some sort of personal equilibrium. Changing to a vegetarian diet is typically a challenge for me, at least in the first few days, but the process is cleansing in very subtle ways. It becomes a meditation on the toxicity of my daily life and the need for more deliberate choices. After three days or so my body and mind calm down and the real inner work begins. Although formal meditation may look regimented the inner experience is far from identical from moment to moment. The mind alternates between periods of monkey-mind (undisciplined meandering) and penetrating silence as well as every possible state in between. The pain of sitting Zazen is part of the experience although to me this is often over-emphasized in published reports about Zen. I found a lot of the artificial barriers to practice evaporated when I switched to a Seiza bench.

This is how practice works for me. Contemplation of the body gives way to contemplation of feelings and then to contemplation of the mind and objects of mind. One of my classes dove into a sutra that described this sequence in detail and it resonated with my experience in ways I had not grasped before. In the early part of the week I used exercises I learned from Tibetan practice to focus my mind but these became less necessary as the week progressed. There is a profound sense of connectedness. After a few more days food tastes richer, the sky is bluer and you become intimately aware of everything around you. I could feel the wind in the trees, feel the trees as they bent to the wind. I found myself wondering what a large boulder in the midst of our cabins felt like as it sat there through the centuries watching the world change around it. There was a Blue Heron rookery adjoining the conference grounds and we saw many large birds over the course of the week. Normally they fly in a fairly straight line but one evening they were swooping and diving on the evening breeze that blew in from Puget Sound. The wind in their feathers blew through my mind and I found myself dancing on the wind along with them. This probably sounds overly poetic but its the best I can do to explain my sesshin experience and why it matters in my life. Over time my involvement in the dharma, not just meditation but the full spectrum of Buddhist practice, has had a deep and lasting effect on my personal priorities.

This was my third sesshin in a year but was a bit longer than the others. Since the first few days are the hardest I had a much deeper experience this time. I suspect this will become an annual retreat for me as long as it continues (this was their 13th year). I started my affair with Buddhism in the late 90's but after 10 years of practice I feel like I'm just getting started. Still I choose to enter the silence. This despite the pain associated with Zazen and the intensive schedule that potentially challenges the ego. Why? Read the above and breathe deeply... in and out... I respectfully urge you who study the mystery, don't waste time.

Thanks for listening

Sojourn in India - The Dilemma

What to do with Abby?

After my friend in Bangalore challenged me with the idea of access to an international network I began to think seriously about changing direction in my life. Coincidentally it was time for my mid year career discussion and I took the opportunity to pitch an outrageous idea to my manager. "I would like to seek an international assignment for the company" I explained. His first words were "Would you consider India?" to which I responded "That's where I want to go". He picked up a pencil and we began to talk. I described what I thought I could achieve for our company, some ideas I had about building our team and enhancing the level of architectural alignment between divisions. We talked about duration, I suggested six months to a year. As events have evolved it looks more like three months at a time. I also explained some of my personal opportunities and challenges, my desire to write a book and visit Dharamsala and the Himalayas. He listened intently and told me he would talk it over with our general manager and get back to me. At this point I'm on hold over the metaphorical airport waiting for clearance to land. Everyone I've discussed it with is enthusiastic. One of my colleagues even volunteered to find me an Indian wife, an idea I find both unlikely and flattering. But there's something about this sojourn concept that feels inevitable and I'm looking forward to the future with a lot of anticipation.

So how does one plan for an international sojourn? There are a lot of details. Where do you put your stuff? It makes no sense to ship everything for a three month trip, nor does it make sense to dump it all. One of my colleagues suggested a pod storage facility which is great for anything that isn't temperature sensitive... like my piano, guitars, antiques, pretty much anything worth paying to store in the first place. Fortunately there are plenty of self-storage facilities in Redmond and many are temperature controlled. Its much cheaper than paying for an apartment you can't live in. What about banking and financial details? That turns out to be pretty simple as long as you're comfortable with Internet banking and bill pay. It helps enormously that I'm completely debt free with no intent of being otherwise anytime soon. Visas? Not a problem in India as long as its under six months. Any longer than that and you need a special visa, easy to get for a major corporation. My car? It's paid for and just needs to be stored. My girlfriend? Long story. We'll deal with it... or not. That leaves the biggest concern: What do I do with my cat?

Abby and I have been together since 2003 and she's the most stable thing in my life. Her gentle purring keeps me sane at night and her future matters to me. For short trips up to two weeks I have my incredible petsitter Jay Yanick but this is way outside his frame of reference. And I can't reasonably expect to keep an empty apartment for months. So what to do? The obvious thing is to take her to India with me. Here's the logistics. After the NWA/Delta merger some things may change but on a practical level it will be pretty much the same as now. According to the Allo Expat India site I can bring a cat to India as long as I have a current medical certificate showing evidence of vaccination from rabies and distemper. Northwest will accept pets as luggage except from June 1 to Sept 15. So all that remains is to pay her fare and make sure I don't leave till late September. As crazy as it sounds I thought that was the obvious solution. An old friend who also loves cats brought me back to reality. That's a long time for a cat to be stuck in a cage. Based on past experience she may not survive the trip. So I started looking for alternatives and found a few. The best option seems to be an extended stay with friends for the duration, or a sublet. I think I solved that problem with a new apartment (lease signed today) and a commitment from a close friend. That's a better choice. So what's left?

I have to decide. Am I finally ready at 50 for the kind of adventure I've waited for all my life? Is it all bunch of words or am I going to fully embrace the present moment? Sounds kind of rhetorical. Needless to say if I get funding I'm out the door.

Thanks for listening

Return to India - The Farewell

We had some concerns about our trip home. The beautiful new Shamshabad International Airport opened last weekend but created major challenges to air traffic. The papers were full of horror stories. It seems the pilot of the first KLM flight was unaware of the change and attempted to land at Begumpet which is now closed. There is some question whether the airline was told of the changes before the plane left Amsterdam so it’s quite possible that the onboard flight computers were programmed for the closed airport. The pilot was circling Begumpet and after being told to land at Shamshabad asked the flight controller “What’s Shamshabad?” Due to bad weather and understandable concerns over safety he attempted to redirect to a new destination. After flying to Delhi and being denied landing permission he was redirected again to Mumbai creating major headaches for all concerned and a near riot in the airport. By then he had exhausted his flight time and passengers were stuck overnight in Mumbai. To make matters worse the roads leading to the new airport are inadequate. Traffic was horrendous, a situation exacerbated by 24 hours of uninterrupted rain. People waited for many hours just to get their boarding passes and their luggage arrived soaked. In advance of opening there was a lot of protest over the closure of Begumpet and certain officials made public assurances to stop a bandh. While government was out of session other officials forced the new airport open and closed the old one to circumvent opposition. The protests were based on a combination of concerns (labor, transport, etc). From the events of the last few days it seems the protesters had a point. My colleague called the airline and was assured there would be a plane on the ground to meet us. We hoped it was actually true but you have to be flexible in India. As it worked out our outbound airport gauntlet was incredibly easy. We left the hotel around 11:00pm and got to the airport in an hour after driving over fairly typical Hyderabad roads. Check-in was a breeze, they didn't even charge me for my overweight bag which looked ready to give birth. Security was both efficient and professional. We sat in the airport for hours waiting and met Lavonya, an American medical student of India descent whose father emmigrated to the U.S. many years ago. We talked about recent cultural developments in India, my colleagues Jewish heritage, her views on health care reform, and whatever else filled the time until our departure.

We left Hyderabad on flight 875 at 3:35am. As I write this I am in the air somewhere between Kharkov and Kiev about 2 1/2 hours out of Amsterdam, a city I first saw through wide eyes in 1979 and have loved ever since. After a half day stopover we will board a Northwest Airlines flight to Seattle and be home in another 9 hours or so. For most of my life I've wanted to be an expatriate of some kind. I've steeped myself in Conrad, Kerouac and Michener. My readings in the past few years included biographies on Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine and other early Americans who built lives and contributed to society from an international perch. Here I am at 50 finally living that dream, albeit only a few weeks at a time. I've made more friends in Hyderabad than I have in the U.S. Perhaps that's a byproduct of the type of life I live, you have more time to make friends when you are living at corporate expense with a full time driver. Just the same I find it incredibly rewarding to travel and work in India. During my side trip to Bangalore I had coffee with a former colleague who took a position in media production. His first few months have him flying all over the world. His first quarterly business review was in Singapore. He told me "you know dude, you have an international network now". He's right and I need to figure out what to do with that, not only professionally but personally. That little voice inside my head is asking me what I want out of life and working internationally may be part of it.

This trip was different than last years with less focus on history and more on the way people live today. There was a part of me that wanted a more "spiritual" experience and we planned to visit Birla Mandir on the way out of town. Unfortunately it was closed for some reason so we ate a final dinner on the hotel patio instead. The manager, chefs and waiters all came over to wish us well as we downed more prawn kebob and chicken tikka. Bats swooped overhead flitting in and out of the lights above us. A dog slept in the grass in the cool night air. A cat wandered around the tables, too skittish to come close but hopeful of sharing our leavings. Last night my colleague saw a large frog hopping across the patio. When we left work earlier in the day our colleagues came all the way down to the exit to say their goodbyes and wish us a good flight back. It occurred to me as I sat on the patio talking to my friends that this trip was spiritual in a very normal way. A life well lived is just being in the present moment and living it deeply. Breathe in, breathe out...nothing special.

Thanks for listening

Return to India - The Checklist

If you get a chance to travel to India take it, you will find yourself uniquely changed by the experience. After a few trips I've learned some things and thought it might be useful to share the practical details that will make your trip easier. My colleague and I collaborated on what should be in this list, its well worth your time. You won't read all of this in travel guides...

"The secret to success in life is to eat whatever foods you want and let them fight it out afterwards" (Mark Twain, quoted in the KLM flight menu)

Eating is a big part of Indian experience so you should enjoy it to the fullest. The food is wonderful. Its degree of spicyness will differ from state to state. In the northern part of the country you'll get much hotter food. This is thought of as Punjabi cuisine and the doormen in these restaurants will often be dressed in northern clothing. If you visit Hyderabad be sure to eat at Angeethi. Most Indian food is more flavorful than you may find comfortable at first. Even breakfasts will contain a lot of chili or curry leaves. My favorite breakfast dish is a Masala Dosa which contains onion and curry and is served with three types of chutney. All of this will affect you more than you think. Believe me you will have a better time if you come prepared. In my case I have a sensitive tummy so perhaps you'll do better but frankly I doubt it based on extensive testimony from my colleagues. Don't be optomistic, take as many medications with you as you can carry. I carried a one gram dose of Azithromycin and a three day 500mg follow up treatment. In my infinite wisdom I didn't take anything right away and suffered for it. The treatments got me back on track but I used it all. If I hadn't waited I would have run out, next time I'll take more. I also took a big bottle of Pepsid Complete antacid, rolls of Tums for my pocket, Poo chai herbs (thanks to my collegue for these, they worked well), Beano (take this right before eating), GasX with Maalox, Immodium and several anti-nauseants just in case (I have phenergan which can be dangerous if you haven't taken it before, I also carry zofran). On the plane I used dramamine and was glad I had it on the way over to avoid repeating the disaster from my last trip. Being on a plane over 20 hours is just difficult no matter how many times you've done it before. Here are a few of our favorite restaurants from the last two years:

• Chutney's (Indian family style dining, very reasonable and delicious)
• Angeethi (Punjabi and other cuisine, spicy delicious -- make sure to eat lots of the little samosas, they are my favorite)
• Ginger Court (Elegant and surprisingly cheap)
• Barbeque Nation (At-table kebab preparation on little grills that set into the table)
• Hyderabad House (Well known for outstanding Biryani)
• Name Any Hotel (Ellah Suites in Gachibowli has wonderful patio dining with grilled kebabs prepared in view of the tables, Taj Banjara has a great Thai restaurant (their patio is the photo for this post, albeit in the rain), Ohri's Banjara is also great, eating at your hotel saves a lot of travel time and the food is often as good or better as what you'll get in other venues)

"Don't drink the water" (tribal lore)

Actually I brushed my teeth in hotel tap water and never had a problem but don't do it yourself. Buy bottled water and make sure the cap is sealed. Depending on where you get it you may find them refilling bottles from the tap. Your hotel will probably provide reliable bottled water every day. Restaurants will always ask whether you want mineral water and whether you want it chilled or room temperature. It is hot in India and even if you are from a warm climate you will find yourself quickly dehydrated if you aren't careful. This is especially true while site seeing on weekends or spending time in outdoor pools, even more so if you drink a few Kingfishers.

"TATA Indicom empowers its customers with GoPower" (TATA offers a starter pack for 199RS and 39 paise per minute... that's about $5 to subscribe and .07/min on calls)

Cell phones are a necessity in India. The country has a better range of choices than in the U.S. and mobile-only communications are becoming the norm. Service is excellent and likely to be compatible with any reasonably current mobile phone. You should activate international roaming before you go or buy a prepaid plan. You can also rent a phone for your trip. This can get expensive if you aren't careful. Watch your synch settings and give up surfing the news from your phone. Because of the traffic and general difficulty of getting around having a mobile is a way to stay connected. It buys you safety and flexibility and is totally worth the money. To make calls outside India you will need to know the country code (U.S. is 01, to dial from my mobile is 001 plus the area code and phone number). Depending on your plan and location you may need to know special dialing prefixes or not use them at all. I find this confusing myself and suggest you try a few calls before needing to make them under pressure.

"You won't need any power converters" (questionable advice from a friend)

Actually most modern equipment auto-switches between 110v and 220v inputs so the heavy old converters are obsolete. Physical plugs are a different matter. In high end hotels you will find sockets supporting multiple plug types but you can't expect to find them everywhere, even in airports. You will need at least a plug converter for two pole round European style plugs to U.S. standard plugs. The hotel may have one to loan you but don't count on it. Taking these out of my laptop bag at the last minute cost me a few days of lost productivity. I also regretted leaving my RJ45 cable at home and wound up filching one from the office.

"Bash On Regardless" (sign near a military base in Hyderabad, appropriate slogan for driving in India)

Don't drive unless your life insurance is paid up. You will see things in traffic that are completely insane. We're talking four people on small motorbikes weaving in and out of traffic, three cars to a lane, running red lights, pedestrians dodging between traffic like characters in Frogger, cars and motorcycles going the wrong way, vehicles forcing their way through bizzarre U-turns, cattle and people in the street, goats/pigs/dogs... You name it, its all normal here. Defensive driving will get you killed. Many people fold their side mirrors in so they don't get torn off by passing motorbikes. Even getting out of the car is hazardous, people will whiz around you on both sides so be sure to look first even if it doesn't seem like someone could navigate between you and the curb. Hire a driver. We used Noori travel in Hyderabad and have had great experiences. Here's how it works. You tell your driver what time to pick you up in the morning. He takes you wherever you want to go and waits till you are done. He will wait all day if necessary, that's his job and he expects it (I never knew how he dealt with his own biological needs or food but it was never a problem). We told our driver when we would be ready but were often late. When you are ready to be picked up call your driver and he will magically appear from wherever he's parked. His job is to facilitate your day whether it ends at 5:00 or midnight. Once you get used to this its addictive but makes relaxed life in India possible.

"I believe you should live each day as if it is your last, which is why I don't have any clean laundry, because, come on, who wants to wash clothes on the last day of their life?" (Anonymous)

Make sure your hotel has laundry service. This reduces the size of your suitcase significantly... and leaves more room for shopping. You put your dirty stuff in a bag and it will be collected each morning. The cost is practically nothing. Depending on the hotel they may do the laundry in-house or send it out. If they wash it themselves you will get it back the next day. If not it may take a few days. Just the same I didn't use everything I brought and could have left a lot of it at home. In fact at least half of it... and that would have saved the backs of everyone who had to deal with my suitcase.

"You'll do better if you take an Indian with you" (a friend's advice about shopping)

I did a lot of shopping in Hyderabad this year. If you buy handcrafts from a government shop or craft fair like Shilparamam you are expected to haggle over the price (you cannot bargain in major department stores so don't embarrass yourself). Don't expect to get stuff for nothing but asking for a better price is normal, especially if you buy multiple items. In general you can count on 20% or better, especially if you work for a major company that has invested in Hyderabad's economy. By myself I was able to get 30% off by threatening to walk away a few times. When I had an Indian with me I could get 40% off. Hearing my company name routinely will get to 20% immediately. Ignore promotional offers you may get through the hotel or your driver. Also be careful of the exchange rate. Stores will tend to round up for simplicity and this can disadvantage you. Even with an Indian helper it is possible to insult the proprieter so don't play the ugly American. A well intentioned friend nearly started a fight with a merchant in Bangalore by telling him his merchandise was hopelessly overpriced. Also beware of banking fees for currency conversion. These are normally a percentage of the total and can quickly make a purchase more expensive than it needs to be. In spite of propaganda about theft I generally carry a few thousand rupees in cash and pay for things that way when I can. On the few occasions when I've used my debit card in government shops I've never had a problem with the accuracy of what I was charged. Ymmv. Remember to call your bank before leaving and make sure they know you will be using the card in India. Depending on the bank you may or may not have to tell them your travel dates. This is a protection against identity theft.

That's all folks!
So that's my checklist of travel tips to India, hope you found it helpful. My last tip would be to enjoy the people and take them on their own terms. During my trips here I've met a few fellow travelers who have a preconceived ideas that keep them from really experiencing what the country has to offer. Where there is poverty there is also dignity of spirit. Where there are less material possessions there is often great spiritual treasure. Enjoy the adventure that is India and it will stay with you a lifetime.

Thanks for listening

Return to India - The Life

I awoke this morning to the sound of gentle rain on the patio. My colleague and I agreed to meet for breakfast at 9:00am and enjoyed the rain falling outside the hotel windows. My plate consisted of a Dosa accompanied by two chicken sausages, fresh fruit and a vasa with chutney. A vasa is doughnut shaped and made from potatoe. They appear to be fried and have a nice brown exterior. Dipped in chutney they are a great substitute for toast although considerably less healthy. The new Shamshabad airport opened last night and Begumpet closed its doors forever to the great consternation of a lot of Hyderabadis who believe both could have continued to run in parallel. The new airport, which we will fly out of on its fourth day of operation at 3:30am, is in a part of the city that is harder to reach. To read the papers it seems they didn't plan for better access roads and people are expecting a real mess for awhile. One of our colleagues told us to allow four hours for the trip from our hotel to the airport and check-in procedures. Hopefully he is wrong but we aren't sure what to think at this point. Perhaps there will be a bandh and we won't be able to leave at all.

The Party Whirl section of the Deccan Chronicle carried the title "Holi Fever Grips the City" this morning. The papers are full of reports on Holi with celebrities and tourists alike pictured in vivid purple and blue hues. The Taj Krishna hosted a huge Holi party and people played with color and each other long into the night. One politician was greeted at his home by a group of tribal villagers and he played Holi with them for awhile to the bemusement of his guards. Of course he encouraged them to vote for his party in the upcoming elections. Yesterday we saw several group of young people displaying their colors in convertibles and jeeps, the photo at the head of this article is one of them I shot out the back window of our cab. It looks like a lot of fun.

India is a huge place and its not possible to see everything. This trip I'm really just enjoying living in the country and experiencing the people and culture. We've managed a few historical outings and were planning to visit Golkonda Fort today but the rain started last night and hasn't stopped for 24 hours so it turned into a light shopping day and rest. It was interesting to walk through Hyderabad City Center and see the kinds of things typical Indians would put in their homes. Most of the refrigerators were very small by American standards, about half sized. They seem to cost about $400. Their selection of cell phones is better than ours. My colleague was severely tempted by an HTC phone that looked much like an iPhone but ran on Windows Mobile. We visited several handicraft shops and finished our shopping (again) and had a Thai lunch at the Taj Banjara. We're feeling less of a need to cram a lot of stuff into each day. Despite the incredible energy in Hyderabad I feel a sense of peace here that is rare in America. Perhaps its the kindness of the people, their openness to ideas and willingness to share. I love seeing roadside temples and covered fruit stands everywhere I go. I even enjoy the crazy reckless traffic. But whatever it is my sense of place is strong here and it feels like a second home.

This evening some friends came by and took us to Barbeque Nation which is much cooler than the name sounds. Its a lot like Korean BBQ at Blue Ginger in Bellevue. They put skewers of kabob on a grill at the table and you eat until you're stuffed for rs 430 (about $10.75). We had prawns, more prawns, more prawns, as well as mutton, chicken, veggies, fish and other things. Their pomegranate and passion fruit martinis were delicious. Toward the end we were all stuffed and our local colleagues insisted on adding Biryani. We laughed at them. Since they are always such great hosts we had decided that we would insist on paying the bill and I have to give my colleague a lot of credit. He talked to the manager while nobody was looking and when the bill was called for it came to us. Our local colleagues were literally reaching across the table trying to grab it out of his hand, it was the funniest moment I've had in weeks. Since they drove through heavy rainfall to bring us here is was only fair. That's life in India.

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Return to India - The Festival

My nemesis this morning was a Sports Art Fitness C53r recumbant exercise bike. The blasted thing tortured me for 30 minutes while I road 14.2 kilometers and burned of 354.3 calories worth of shrimp kebab. Bupati is provided by the hotel as a personal trainer and seems to know me by name, but familiarity didn't stop him from insisting on just a few more reps of weights and some crunches to flatten the tummy. I spent the better part of an hour and feel great but sore. Hopefully I will achieve my goal of returning to the U.S. no fatter than I was when I arrived in India on the 12th. Last year the food took its toll and I gained quite a bit of weight, this year I'm holding steady so far.

Today is the festival of Holi which is rooted in several Hindu legends. There are several versions of how the festival started and each contributes a piece of the whole. One version tells how Hiranyakashipu the king of demons was granted almost complete immunity to being killed and in his arrogance demanded exclusive worship from the people. His son Prahlad was a devotee of Lord Vishnu and refused to stop praying. After surviving multiple attempts on his life the son was ordered to sit on top of his sister Holika on a pyre. Prahlad prayed to his god for protection. His sister was expecting to be protected by a magic shawl but it miraculously flew from the sister to the son as the flames burned. Holika died but the son survived. Vishnu finally had enough of the king of demons and killed him. That's one of the reasons why Hindus light fires all over India to commemorate Holi. Another story has Lord Krishna complaining to his mother about his consort Radha's fair skin and the mother colored her face to improve the situation. Krishna of course is blue. That's why Hindus color their faces, hair, clothes and anything else that's exposed at this time of year. In some parts of the country they drink baang which is a canabis derivative. Younger people play firtatious games and often find their life partners during this festival. Its a very romantic time in the Hindu calendar. Holi can get dangerous for women and most seem to agree it's best to celebrate it with family and close friends. Just the same we saw many smiling faces in vivid colors on this day and watched a lot of people enjoying themselves tremendously.

We decided to take the day to do some shopping and site seeing but didn't get started till quite late. I didn't come down for breakfast till nearly 11:00 and the hotel staff was almost ready to pack up the buffet. Fortunately I was able to down a good breakfast before we hit the road around 11:30. Armed with a wallet full of rupees we headed for the Charminar which is a beautiful structure built by a Nizam ruler to ward off cholera. It is surrounded by massive markets dating back hundreds of years. This year we didn't tour the Charminar itself (see last year's post for that experience) but walked deep into the markets instead. A young man appointed himself as our guide and provided a lot of interesting information about the market. The Charminar is about 450 years old but the market is older, around 500 years old. For the most part its completely destroyed, to quote our guide, but there are a few of the original walls left standing enough to see the original architecture which must have been beautiful. The shops are built up against the old walls, many of which have been rebuilt or modified multiple times. It gives the market a sense of energy and timelessness. There was one shop selling herbal remedies, the Muslim equivalent of Ayurvedic remedies which are very much the same. In another shop there were many shelves of books and magazines, some very old like an MS-DOS manual. I expected that our guide would want payment for his services but surprisingly he excused himself when we got back to the car without asking for a dime. During the walk he asked me endless questions about getting a job in technology, the salary ranges in America, whether he could get in with only a bachelors in IT and other similar questions. Perhaps he thought my answers were payment enough, but it was nice to have someone local to talk to during our walk.

Across the street from the Charminar is Mecca Masjid, a large mosque dating back around 350 years. We removed our shoes and upon entering the mosque grounds were immediately adopted by a guide who gave us a very nice walk around the premises and explained it's main features. The mosque and courtyard are big and capable of containing 10,000 people during Friday prayers with 3,000 inside and 7,000 more outside. They have large canopies they can put up during prayers to keep the rain and sun off the worshippers. The inside of the mosque is carpeted in rows where worshippers kneel for prayer. The large chandaliers came from Belgium but are of a more recent vintage, around 100 years old. There are verses from the Koran inscribed into the front wall and an orphanage in a building to the side. Our guide told us numerous times that this building houses 500 children and asked repeatedly for donations. We gave him several rounds of rupees to assuage our conscience and he finally backed off. You enter the mosque through an area where quite a few kings and one Sufi holy man are buried. At the Sufi tomb I was offered the chance to place a flower at his grave and received a Muslim blessing which was delivered with a bundle of straw that looked very much like a broom. Of course I was also asked for a donation. Many of the people touring the mosque that day were visibly Hindu judging from the women's garb, life here is very multicultural despite a sad undertone of religious hostility. Last year, only a few weeks after we left Hyderabad, this building was bombed by extremists. Fortunately several of their bombs didn't go off and the building was unoccupied at the time or many people could have been killed. There is a black granite table from Iran on the grounds and it's said that if you sit on this table you will return to Hyderabad. We both sat down for a photo so I guess we'll both return some day.

After Charminar we went shopping at India Treasures, a well known shop carrying handcrafts including rugs, statuary and textiles. We were stunned to recognize two of the sales guys from last year and even more surprised when they remembered us. At the time they worked for Kashmir Emporium but had moved over to this shop. I finished most of my shopping for the trip and returned to the car minus many more rupees. But I'm getting better at haggling and got them down to a price I thought I could afford after long discussions and multiple attempts to leave. My Indian collegue did a little better for me last year but being a foreigner I think I aquitted myself pretty well. I even got a free package of sandalwood incense. During my negotiations the power went out and they had emergency backup in this shop, I found that interesting and wondered if it was a security measure. Some of their merchandise was very nice, particularly the carpets which were too expensive for me this trip. During the power failure my sales guy laughed and said "That's life in India". Life indeed.

Thanks for listening