Thanks

Folks, thanks so much for your birthday wishes. No, I didn't do much celebrating yesterday as school was extra long yesterday with an exam and a presentation. However, some of my professors (who you can see in the background) and staff came to 504 after our marketing presentation and surprised me with a card and a delicious chocolate cake. Now, you know this cake MUST be good because I am very picky when it comes to cake. Don't cry for me though. We will all go out Saturday night. Plus, my roommate treated me to a Domino's pepperoni pizza while we had out Ugly Betty study break last night. Now while Domino's ain't the best, I can't say no to pizza.

The funniest thing about yesterday was the confusion. You may be wondering why the partially-eaten cake says "Colin & Stella." Well, Colin, who you see laughing with me, wrote on his registration form when we first got here that his birthday is 08/03. We Americans read that as August 3rd but non-Americans read it as March 8th. Knowing that, Colin put it the non-American way so the Indian staff would understand. However, the Indian staff, knowing he's American, thought that he was actually writing it the American way. So they thought his birthday was just a few weeks ago! They felt bad for missing his birthday (we didn't start school until until August 6th), so they decide to combine both birthdays in one. Oops! Well, it was a terrifically nice gesture, and we all enjoyed ourselves.

By the way, I've already contacted you but I wanna give shout-outs anyway.
Happy Birthday to my fellow August girls, Krystal (8/30) and Cameron (8/26).
And Happy Anniversary Roland. :-)

Take A Look Inside...

...the secret lair! Ok, just kidding. It's just classroom 504, the IMBA classroom. This is where we have class everyday. Along with class time, I study here at least 1-2 hours/day here and also meet with my presentation groups here. So, yeah, I'm here a lot. Anyway, these pics are from the 1st day of school. We had to wear suits. To class? Yeah, I know. Luckily, the only other times we have to wear suits is when we go on corporate visits. Usually, though, we wear business casual so everyday I'm in a skirt and blouse of some sort. Saturdays we wear whatever we want (as long as we don't wear shorts.) Friday has also been christened Polo Shirt Friday so many of us wear save our 1 or 2 polo shirts for Fridays so we can be matchy-matchy.

One Month and All is Well

I've been here now exactly 4 weeks. A long time. The past week was hardcore. Midterm time! We had 3 exams and 3 presentations since last Thursday and one more exam this coming Saturday. But it's all good in the hood. Just as I had to adjust being in India, I had to adjust to studying all the time but I'm learning a lot of interesting stuff, so it's definitely worth it. This is a picture of us as we left our first corporate visits a couple weeks ago. We had a day off so we visited a mutual fund company and risk management company. I have to say, the financial district in Mumbai looks quite nice.

Warning: Put Your Sunglasses On!

Here's a much newer building. I took this picture from the 5th floor bathroom at school. It's beautiful. It looks almost like a beach resort. So, very un-Mumbai-like. I mean, it's brand-spanking white! Which is amazing because I thought it was impossible to keep anything very white for very long here. Who knew?

A New Form of Exercise?

There aren't very many tall buildings in Mumbai, especially residential ones, so deem yourself lucky to see one now. This is a much older building, and for some reason, there's wooden scaffolding in front of it. Actually, a lot of buildings here have these skinny tree branch-looking structures in front of them, yet I never see any construction workers--no work ever being done. A woman told me that many times a dispute comes up or money runs out. So construction just stops--sometimes for years. This happens in the U.S. as well, but it just seems more extensive here. Oh well, I do like monkey bars and I WAS the schoolyard climbing champion back in 1991! Maybe I'll give it a try.

Henna For Me, Henna For You

While walking around a market in south Mumbai, we caught sight of this some goats. Look at the white one on the right. Even goats get decorated! Now, I'm not 100% sure if it's henna or not but I wouldn't be surprised at all. Besides, whatever it is, it's a much more humane way to mark an animal than branding. So go on goat, rock on with your bad self! You know the other goat is jealous!

Come On In!

This is the Gateway of India, our final stop on the tour. It's at the southern tip of Mumbai and the first thing people see when they arrive by boat. "The Gateway of India--come to India, and discover the wonders." (Don't I sound like a government tourist ad, right now?)

Green as a Leprechaun

Welcome to the nicest park in Mumbai, the Hanging Gardens. If this close to the school and hostel, you know where you would find me everyday at 5pm. Yeah, it's just that beautiful, green, clean.

12 Times a Year, Stay Away!

This is the sign you see when entering the Jain Temple. Most of them I understand and even expect but something seem did strike me as...well, different. Can you figure out what caught my eye? 10 points to whoever gets it right! (Collect 100,000 and get a new car!)

Jainism

Following the museum, we visited a Jain Temple. Jains do not believe in harming any other creatures, big or small, so naturally, they are vegetarians. But they take this belief to a whole new level by sweeping the floor before they sit so they reduce the chance of accidentally sitting on an insect. They make their holiest symbol of purity, the swastika, over and over again with rice as they pray. Yes, the symbol was unfortunately adopted and literally inverted by the Nazis back in the day, but they are the complete opposite. They believe in the equality and peacefulness of humanity. I even talked to a few of them before and after their worship and they were very open and inviting.

The Illustrious Ghandi

Next, we visited the home where Ghandi used to stay whenever he was in Mumbai. It is now a museum dedicated to him and it's really thought-provoking and inspiring. Here, you can see his room, which is behind glass. Included in his rooms are the looms on which he would weave, his incredibly uncomfortable-looking sandals and his bed. His bed looks tiny, too small even for his thin 5'4" frame. But well, he wasn't in it for thrills, right? I recommend this place if you're ever in Mumbai.

Wash, Rinse, Repeat

2 weeks ago, we went on a tour of Mumbai, led by the very knowledgeable Vinita. First we visited the Dhobi Ghat, basically the open-air laundromat. Dhobis are men offering full-service cleaning. They pick up your clothes, then wash, iron and fold them before returning them to you in under a week. They wash the clothes the old-school way by beating them against stones. They even make their own detergent and bleach. And all this for almost no cost at all. Talk about service!

Delay Ovah!

Hi folks. Sorry for the delay but I got swamped with loads of work. I still have lots more to do but it's time to get back to my peeps. On with the show!

Strut Your Stuff

I saw this amazingly decorated cow and cart this afternoon during lunch. The cow and the three people walking with it completely stopped traffic. Which makes sense to me cuz that cow was showing off. Yeah, it knew it was rockin'. Anyway, I don't know what the whole thing was about but man, I do love those random cow parades!

Bright Sunshin-y Daaay

Last Friday was my 1st full day and it rained like crazy. Today? Sunshine! Woot! Woot! It was a sunny, dry day with light warm breezes. Isn't it amazing how something as normal as sunshine can brighten someone's mood? I would roll around and wrap myself in the sunshine like a big fluffy blanket if I could.

W1 Over

It's now been one week since I landed in Mumbai. But it feels like a month. Of all the places I've lived in so far, I think this may be the one with the longest adjustment period. The city's incredibly filthy, the classroom is quite cold and financial management is really hard. Well, at least this pic from the front of my school shows how nice Mumbai could be one day! And you know your girl Stelli-Stell. Keep on truckin'. I got this!

Hey Stella!!---#1

Responses to some questions I've received:

1. Can't you get a horrible disease walking in that water? I don't know. Hope not. Well, I hope more that it doesn't rain again.

2. Why Crocs? Because they dry quickly, keep me an inch or so off the ground, and I don't want them after leaving India. So I plan to donate them to a shelter at the end.

3. Can I send you some rainboots? Thanks. Crocs may dry quickly but they don't keep my feet or legs dry. So I would love that. But they could be expensive to send. And who knows how long it would take? But mom is going to check out DSW this weekend to see if she can find some for me anyway. I'll let you know.

4. How's the food? The menus usually come with no description except whether or not its vegetarian. Nevertheless, the food is quite good but I'm still adjusting to eating Indian food everyday. I always eat in a restaurant, never ever from street carts. I usually have one big hot Indian meal a day with meat, vegetables, rice or bread. The rest of the day I have something small like crackers, cheese, bread, or raisins whenever I feel hungry. Since I can't eat anything raw (no salads, no fruit or vegetables that I don't wash and peel myself) I bought 100% real fruit juices (mango, pomegranate, orange...) and yogurt so I can have a more balanced diet.

5. And the water? Forget it. I even brush my teeth with bottled water.

More answers later!

Brown Like Me

This morning, I accidentally cut the back of my ankle. If I was in the States right now, I'd usually go for a hot pink or neon green band-aid. But all I have is a box I bought the other day here in Mumbai. And guess what, the band-aids are brown! I guess because this is India so the band-aids are darker for darker people. How cool is that? You can't really tell from the picture, but rest assured, that band-aid is brown. Not as dark as I am but hey, it's the thought that counts!

Moo!

Besides dogs, cows are also seen around town. I saw this one on my way to class this morning. It's strange to see a cow just relaxing in the street of such a big city. People who can't afford to feed their cows allow them walk freely through the city during the day so the cows can find their own food. There's no fear of anything happening to them because cows are considered sacred. So if your cab driver slows down all of a sudden, it could because of a random cow crossing.

Time Zone Mumbai

I'm 3-1/2 hrs ahead of Switzerland in summer, 4-1/2 in winter.
I'm 10-1/2 hrs ahead of Chicago in summer, 11-1/2 in winter.

All of you not in Chicago & Switzerland can figure out the time differences based on those numbers posted above.

If you wanna call (weekends are best) or send something, just email me for my number or address.

Bumpity-Bump-Bump-Bump

Today I drove in a cab with the worst engine in the world on the worst road in the world. You Chicagoans don't know anything about potholes until you've been in Mumbai. I felt like I was on a wooden 1925 roller coaster that hadn't been oiled ever. And with the incredibly insane drivers in Mumbai, I was really wishing I had a seatbelt on (they don't exist at all in the black n' yellows.) Since I had no seatbelt, I just closed my eyes every once in a while and hoped I'd be OK. Ah, Mumbai! Great infrastructure it ain't got.

Welcome Dinner

Last night, after our first 2 classes, Prof. Venkatesh (or Venky as everyone calls him) took us out on behalf of Welingkar. We had dinner in a wonderful restaurant. The Indian food was sooo good that I literally ate myself ill. (Don't worry, I was OK by morning.) Anyway, he told us a lot about the program, and I have to say, I'm excited about it. I hope we are able to do all the stuff he's trying to plan. Company visits, a Mumbai bus tour, even a trip to Delhi and the Taj Mahal.

By the way, yes, those are bantu knots in the ol' hair, and yes, they're cool. What's it to ya?

First Day of School

I am doing an accelerated 1-year International MBA program. I will spend 4-1/2 months in India, 6 months in Philadelphia and i month in Japan. Yesterday was the 1st day of school at Welingkar Institute here in Mumbai (you can see a pic of the school on the right.) There are 15 of us in our class. Among the 15, there are 5 women, the most they've ever had attend the Mumbai portion of the program. We 15 students have lots of different backgrounds and range from age 21-39. I think it will be a good class. For the first 7 weeks, we will take 5 courses twice a week, 3 hours per class (10am-1pm, 2pm-5pm.) These classes make up our foundation program. The foundation program is made of the basics: Financial Management, Statistics, Financial Accounting, Economics and Marketing Management. I don't know anything about any of this stuff and am not a natural math whiz. I already need to study like crazy for Financial Management! But it's all good. The program is a necessary challenge---one that I hope to benefit from by next summer. Pray for me and wish me luck!

Woof

There are plenty of stray dogs in Mumbai. You don't usually see them all hanging out like this though. I think this is just special at the beach. I have never been a fan of dogs, but now, I'm even more cautious of them. One could be rabid and come after you. This, of course, is very rare, but you never know--that is why some travel health officials recommend a rabies shot before coming here. So when I see one, I walk as far away from it as possible. Mama didn't raise no fool!

Juhu

Yesterday we went to Juhu Beach. There were tons of people there. But, as someone said, "I've never seen so many fully-clothed people at a beach before." Two reasons. 1: India is more conservative than most Western societies and 2: who would want to swim in that water? It's extremely brown and dirty. But that doesn't stop life happening at the beach. Kids were still running around and men were still selling corn on the cob. We just walked around and took pictures while people walked around and stared at the 4 non-Indian women, 2 of whom happen to be significantly taller than most of them. I had a great time.

Auto Rickshaw

Another mode of transportation is the auto rickshaw or tuk-tuk. It is a 3-wheeled vehicle. It's also black and yellow. It's cheaper than a taxi because you just multiply the rate by 9 instead of 13. I'd like to try it one day. The only problem seems that it has even less headroom than the taxis. So I won't try it unless I'm taking a very short trip and I'm ready to fold my body in half.

Blue N' White

If it's so hot that you feel you can't do without air conditioning, then get yourself a blue and white cab. These are guaranteed to be air-conditioned. I also believe they are more expensive as well but I'm not sure as I haven't used one yet. You usually see them in more touristy areas. We saw this one today when we went to the Marriott Hotel on our way to visiting Juhu Beach. When a cab driver is tired and has nothing to do, he takes a nap in his car, like this guy here.

Black N' Yellow

Speaking of taxicabs, they are EVERYWHERE! Dare I say there are more here than in NYC? Could be. here they are black and yellow. Inside, the seats are lined with various brightly covered fabrics. Usually, the driver has a religious figure on his dashboard, typically the Hindu god named Ganesh. Take care if you're much taller than me. There isn't a lot of headroom in these cabs. In my opinion, the front seat next to the driver is best to take pictures from. Taking a cab is the best way to travel and the fares are cheap. To figure out your fare, multiply the number on the meter by 13. After midnight, meters are turned off, so negotiate before starting your ride. However, since girls have to be back in the hostel by 11pm (though the boys have no curfew), I have no firsthand experience of this late-night negotiation.

Entrepeneurship

Mumbai is one of the biggest cities in the world. Some estimate the population as high as 18 million. There are so many people here from all over India who come here to try to make a living. They are really creative. Everywhere you look, someone has set-up a little shop. Barbers, tailors, fruit vendors have their businesses from carts, in a tent, in a small wooden hut, or even out of a taxicab. Hey-you gotta make your money somehow!

Sidewalk

As you can see from the pics above and below, Mumbai is lacking in some desperately needed infrastructure. As Rachel, one of my classmates, said, this place isn’t exactly wheelchair accessible. The sidewalks need serious care.

My Feet

On Friday, my feet were so wet they were gray. Luckily, the cool air of the 2 fans and air-conditioning in our hostel room combined with the heat & humidity coming from the hallway had my sneakers completely dry by the next morning…only to get wet when I went out again.

People looked at me like I was totally nuts when I asked about rainboots. Rainboots simply do not exist here. People just walk in the running streams of dirty water in flip-flops, sandals, or yes, even bare feet without a care in the world. I, on the other hand, prefer to actually have my feet covered as much as possible. However, I knew that if I wore my only pair of sneakers everyday, I would have no pair of sneakers in a month. So yes, folks, yesterday I bought…Crocs. I know, I know but I had to! What choice did I have? But have no fear. By the time I’m done with my semester here, the shoes will be so gross that they will never leave Indian soil with me.

Monsoon

It’s monsoon season here in Mumbai and so it rains—a lot. This causes a lot of flooding. Friday, my first full day here was the worst. In some areas, the water went well above my ankles. It amazes me how quickly the whole town flooded. Trains were stopped, flights were cancelled. It seems to me that a city that experiences monsoon rains every year would have an excellent sewer system. But, nope. The only saving grace is that the water does recede pretty quickly once it stops raining since the water is taken away by the ocean tide.

Intro

I finally decided to restart a blog. The last one I had when I first went to Switzerland nearly 2 years ago mysteriously disappeared to Internet Heaven so sometime later on, I will post a few pics and sentences about my previous travels. But now, on to India.