On Friday afternoon, the local director in Hyderabad asked: "So, do you have any plans for the weekend?"
I truthfully admitted that we do not.
His response: "Good, because we have plans for you" (big smile)
Me: "Oh that sounds great" (nervous half-smile)
At the end of the workday (which happened to be around 7:30 pm), a couple guys on the team asked me and my trainee to change so we could all go out for the evening. A few minutes later, we were in the back of a hotel car and en route to a nearby temple.
I thought back to the many Friday nights in Chicago that I spent with my colleagues after work. Not once did these evenings begin with a trip to the temple.
We removed our shoes at the front gate and walked through the stone enclosure. As expected, every wall was elaborately decorated with scenes involving the many gods. I tried asking questions to learn more about the scenes but the responses were not too detailed (beyond what I could see from looking at the images myself). It made me wonder if most people even know much about the details of their religion or if they simply visit the temples out of routine and obligation. Either way, it was an interesting experience and I enjoyed integrating myself into local culture (even though I probably looked completely out of place).
From there, we drove through the city and stopped at a few sites that I remembered from past trips to Hyderabad. At one point, we hit bad traffic and I noticed a broken down bus up ahead. Then, suddenly, a bunch of passengers exited the rear door and started pushing the bus. I literally couldn't contain my laughter, as I thought about that scenario in Chicago. The passengers would NEVER even consider such assistance. It's a different world out here.
For dinner, we stopped at a well-known local chain called Paradise for some biryani. Biryani is actually one of the few Indian foods that I enjoy because it is a simple rice dish with vegetables (or meat) and spices. No mystery sauces that disguise the true ingredients, no yogurt, and no mustard. The restaurant was described to me as "Mc Donald's" for biryani, which was frightening. Fortunately, the fast-food concept was only for the street level, but there is a premium full-service restaurant on the second floor. I think I was the only white person in the entire restaurant, but the service in India is so gracious that I didn't feel uncomfortable. In fact, the people go out of their way to make you feel special. (Part of me wishes they could just treat me like a regular customer because I don't like being the center of attention).
On the way out, the local guys insisted that we try paan, which is a traditional food that involves all sorts of "stuff", wrapped into a leaf. As soon as I bit into it, my mouth was immediately filled with flavors of dish detergent and grass. My first instinct was to immediately spit it out into my hand, but I didn't want to be rude so I tried to force some of it down my throat. Bad idea. I stored the rest of it on the side of my mouth until we reached the car and I had the chance to inconspicuously spit out the rest onto the sidewalk. Tip of the night: don't EVER eat paan.
I spent the next morning in a much more comfortable environment: the spa. I didn't eat much throughout the day because I was still full from all the food that was forced onto my plate from the night before. I have decided that being a "guest" for meals is stressful (even if they're not home cooked) because people are so eager to make you enjoy the local specialties. It's so nice but it's also a lot of pressure in a region where food is very difficult for my palette.
Saturday evening, we went out again - this time to the mall. Yup, the mall. Apparently, this is the hot spot in Hyderabad because it was filled with people. The experience started on the awkward side because I really have no desire to shop while other people are watching me. Maybe I've been alone for too long, but I just don't understand the appeal of shopping with other people. Much like running, everyone has his own pace and I'd rather save the conversations for another time.
Fortunately, the shopping part of the night was short-lived, as we stopped at an outdoor bar and shared a giant pitcher of beer. (This bar was next to Chili's, which made me feel right at home). If there weren't so many Indian people around, I would swear I was at a suburban mall in the United States.
I really appreciated the time that the local team spent to entertain us during the weekend - especially considering that they work 6 day weeks and spend long hours commuting to the office each day. They managed to get me out of the hotel twice (which is a feat in itself while traveling in India). I have a long way to go before feeling like a local, but this was a step in the right direction.
I truthfully admitted that we do not.
His response: "Good, because we have plans for you" (big smile)
Me: "Oh that sounds great" (nervous half-smile)
At the end of the workday (which happened to be around 7:30 pm), a couple guys on the team asked me and my trainee to change so we could all go out for the evening. A few minutes later, we were in the back of a hotel car and en route to a nearby temple.
I thought back to the many Friday nights in Chicago that I spent with my colleagues after work. Not once did these evenings begin with a trip to the temple.
We removed our shoes at the front gate and walked through the stone enclosure. As expected, every wall was elaborately decorated with scenes involving the many gods. I tried asking questions to learn more about the scenes but the responses were not too detailed (beyond what I could see from looking at the images myself). It made me wonder if most people even know much about the details of their religion or if they simply visit the temples out of routine and obligation. Either way, it was an interesting experience and I enjoyed integrating myself into local culture (even though I probably looked completely out of place).
 |
| One of the many scenes depicted on the walls |
 |
| Central structure within the temple walls |
From there, we drove through the city and stopped at a few sites that I remembered from past trips to Hyderabad. At one point, we hit bad traffic and I noticed a broken down bus up ahead. Then, suddenly, a bunch of passengers exited the rear door and started pushing the bus. I literally couldn't contain my laughter, as I thought about that scenario in Chicago. The passengers would NEVER even consider such assistance. It's a different world out here.
For dinner, we stopped at a well-known local chain called Paradise for some biryani. Biryani is actually one of the few Indian foods that I enjoy because it is a simple rice dish with vegetables (or meat) and spices. No mystery sauces that disguise the true ingredients, no yogurt, and no mustard. The restaurant was described to me as "Mc Donald's" for biryani, which was frightening. Fortunately, the fast-food concept was only for the street level, but there is a premium full-service restaurant on the second floor. I think I was the only white person in the entire restaurant, but the service in India is so gracious that I didn't feel uncomfortable. In fact, the people go out of their way to make you feel special. (Part of me wishes they could just treat me like a regular customer because I don't like being the center of attention).
On the way out, the local guys insisted that we try paan, which is a traditional food that involves all sorts of "stuff", wrapped into a leaf. As soon as I bit into it, my mouth was immediately filled with flavors of dish detergent and grass. My first instinct was to immediately spit it out into my hand, but I didn't want to be rude so I tried to force some of it down my throat. Bad idea. I stored the rest of it on the side of my mouth until we reached the car and I had the chance to inconspicuously spit out the rest onto the sidewalk. Tip of the night: don't EVER eat paan.
 |
| paan on the inside |
I spent the next morning in a much more comfortable environment: the spa. I didn't eat much throughout the day because I was still full from all the food that was forced onto my plate from the night before. I have decided that being a "guest" for meals is stressful (even if they're not home cooked) because people are so eager to make you enjoy the local specialties. It's so nice but it's also a lot of pressure in a region where food is very difficult for my palette.
Saturday evening, we went out again - this time to the mall. Yup, the mall. Apparently, this is the hot spot in Hyderabad because it was filled with people. The experience started on the awkward side because I really have no desire to shop while other people are watching me. Maybe I've been alone for too long, but I just don't understand the appeal of shopping with other people. Much like running, everyone has his own pace and I'd rather save the conversations for another time.
Fortunately, the shopping part of the night was short-lived, as we stopped at an outdoor bar and shared a giant pitcher of beer. (This bar was next to Chili's, which made me feel right at home). If there weren't so many Indian people around, I would swear I was at a suburban mall in the United States.
I really appreciated the time that the local team spent to entertain us during the weekend - especially considering that they work 6 day weeks and spend long hours commuting to the office each day. They managed to get me out of the hotel twice (which is a feat in itself while traveling in India). I have a long way to go before feeling like a local, but this was a step in the right direction.
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