I promised to blog more, but I am failing to do so. Today I am going to chronicle my journey from Austin Texas to Pune India.
Yesterday (or two days ago) I headed for the Austin Airport at 4:30 AM. It was more crowded than I expected. I guess due to spring break. I got through security and got to my gate just in time. The flight from Austin to Newark was fun. When I arrived in Newark it was snowing. Things did not look good.
I owe a big thank you to my boss. He suggested since I had a 9 hour wait until my flight to Pune, that I should pay to join the United Club for the day. It was supposed to be $50. For some reason the lady processing my request had trouble, so for me being so polite and patient she let me into the club for free. Not only did she let me in for free she gave me a pass for another day at the club. I enjoyed the day drinking Sam Adams and munching on free snacks. I met some nice people. CIO of Starpoint Solutions, a lady who works for Rolls Royce, and two brothers heading to Breckenridge for some skiing fun! Who knows how many beers I had and I added a couple of shots of Jameson. It was a pleasant day working from the lounge of the United Club at Newark. Thanks Jack!
The weather miraculously cleared and my flight left close to on time. The flight to Mumbai was relatively uneventful, but the plane was FREEZING. I was so glad I had on my Snake Eyes wind breaker. I watched 4 movies: Argo, The Dark Truth, Chasing Mavericks, and Trouble with the Curve. I really enjoyed all 4 movies. I also played a game on the iPad called Trenches II. I suck at it, but it was entertaining. The food on the plane was marginal at best. I did not like the breakfast much at all. Fortunately I happened to pack some pretty tasty snacks.
I arrived and needed to go to the men's room due to the wonderful plane food. Let's just say the bathroom experience at the airport was exactly that an experience. Trust me, TMI!
I made my way through customs although I declared I was bringing meat into the country, beef jerky. Nothing happened, whew! Interesting in that the scan your luggage upon departure from the airport. I had no phone service so I could not text my family.
I found my driver readily. Hard to miss the large placard that had my name, but it took a minute or two to scan the large crowd. My drivers name was Kalyan. Fortunately for me he was an excellent driver. He did not know much English, but I felt safe. I will describe the traffic like this. A NASCAR track where speeding cars had to dodge large slow trucks of all flavors, motorcycles and throw in pedestrians playing "Frogger". I cannot do the experience justice in words. I now love Austin traffic! There is no way in hell I could have driven in this madness. Half way to Pune we stopped at highway facility. Honestly I was not about to use the mens room until I got to the hotel.
Finally arrived at the hotel at 2:00 AM. The hotel is very nice. It took me a few minutes to figure out how to turn on the lights in the room. I felt pretty stupid, but I chalked it up to my sporadic unrestful sleep on the plane. I was easily able to access internet and let my family know I had arrived. I took a hot shower and a sleeping pill. The bed was so comfortable. I slept like a baby until the barking dogs woke me up around 8:00 AM. I did feel well rested.
I went downstairs for the complimentary breakfast. Wow there were so many choices. I had some scrambled eggs with onions, spicy peppers, and mushrooms. The staff were amazingly polite. Here is what the kitchen looked like. And just a note to my family - I did resist the donuts in the photo at least for today.
The breakfast buffet was amazing. The service was exceptional and the people warm and kind. The music was also very peaceful. I wish I could find out who the artist was. During breakfast you could hear the occasional crack of a fly meeting what looked like a mini tennis racket. The coffee was deliciously strong. I took some photos of some great sculptures.
After another warm shower I am about to head out with my colleagues to tour Pune. I have no idea what is in store for me, but it should be a fun adventure.
Yesterday (or two days ago) I headed for the Austin Airport at 4:30 AM. It was more crowded than I expected. I guess due to spring break. I got through security and got to my gate just in time. The flight from Austin to Newark was fun. When I arrived in Newark it was snowing. Things did not look good.
I owe a big thank you to my boss. He suggested since I had a 9 hour wait until my flight to Pune, that I should pay to join the United Club for the day. It was supposed to be $50. For some reason the lady processing my request had trouble, so for me being so polite and patient she let me into the club for free. Not only did she let me in for free she gave me a pass for another day at the club. I enjoyed the day drinking Sam Adams and munching on free snacks. I met some nice people. CIO of Starpoint Solutions, a lady who works for Rolls Royce, and two brothers heading to Breckenridge for some skiing fun! Who knows how many beers I had and I added a couple of shots of Jameson. It was a pleasant day working from the lounge of the United Club at Newark. Thanks Jack!
The weather miraculously cleared and my flight left close to on time. The flight to Mumbai was relatively uneventful, but the plane was FREEZING. I was so glad I had on my Snake Eyes wind breaker. I watched 4 movies: Argo, The Dark Truth, Chasing Mavericks, and Trouble with the Curve. I really enjoyed all 4 movies. I also played a game on the iPad called Trenches II. I suck at it, but it was entertaining. The food on the plane was marginal at best. I did not like the breakfast much at all. Fortunately I happened to pack some pretty tasty snacks.
I arrived and needed to go to the men's room due to the wonderful plane food. Let's just say the bathroom experience at the airport was exactly that an experience. Trust me, TMI!
I made my way through customs although I declared I was bringing meat into the country, beef jerky. Nothing happened, whew! Interesting in that the scan your luggage upon departure from the airport. I had no phone service so I could not text my family.
I found my driver readily. Hard to miss the large placard that had my name, but it took a minute or two to scan the large crowd. My drivers name was Kalyan. Fortunately for me he was an excellent driver. He did not know much English, but I felt safe. I will describe the traffic like this. A NASCAR track where speeding cars had to dodge large slow trucks of all flavors, motorcycles and throw in pedestrians playing "Frogger". I cannot do the experience justice in words. I now love Austin traffic! There is no way in hell I could have driven in this madness. Half way to Pune we stopped at highway facility. Honestly I was not about to use the mens room until I got to the hotel.
Finally arrived at the hotel at 2:00 AM. The hotel is very nice. It took me a few minutes to figure out how to turn on the lights in the room. I felt pretty stupid, but I chalked it up to my sporadic unrestful sleep on the plane. I was easily able to access internet and let my family know I had arrived. I took a hot shower and a sleeping pill. The bed was so comfortable. I slept like a baby until the barking dogs woke me up around 8:00 AM. I did feel well rested.
I went downstairs for the complimentary breakfast. Wow there were so many choices. I had some scrambled eggs with onions, spicy peppers, and mushrooms. The staff were amazingly polite. Here is what the kitchen looked like. And just a note to my family - I did resist the donuts in the photo at least for today.
The breakfast buffet was amazing. The service was exceptional and the people warm and kind. The music was also very peaceful. I wish I could find out who the artist was. During breakfast you could hear the occasional crack of a fly meeting what looked like a mini tennis racket. The coffee was deliciously strong. I took some photos of some great sculptures.
After another warm shower I am about to head out with my colleagues to tour Pune. I have no idea what is in store for me, but it should be a fun adventure.