India Partner Program Participants

Jon, Jen, me, and Sherry in the office our first week of working

The Resurrection

On the grim and fateful day of Wednesday January 28, my computer decided to commit suicide. It was a sudden decision that I caught me completely off guard, in spite of the rocky relationship we had in the past.

My explanation is that it doesn't like me, or doesn't like India as much as I do. Abdul, one of the Tech Stop support guys, has a different explanation: a hard drive malfunction. Apparently a hard drive is important for a computer. Meaning, it stores all your data. Your photos, itunes music, poems, work docs, folders, bookmarks, settings, Flip videos that are supposed to go onto your blog...everything.

Tech Stop said that my data is gone. Sorry Charlie.

On top of that catastrophe, the problem was intensified by my laptop battery failing as a side effect. Whenever I remove the computer from a power source, it shuts down completely. This makes going to and from meetings about as fun as Tom Brady would have at a Russian ballet.

Abdul was nice enough the next day to work his magic and do who knows what to retrieve the backed up data and (in turtle pace) copy it to my computer. So there is a God. That makes Thursday, January 29th a lucky and holy day henceforth.

Blackmail

Guitar Hero night at Shannon & Pratap's place. Behold, the auditory splendor!

Possible Blackmail:

Definite Blackmail:

An exciting recent revelation: the new season of American Idol airs in Hyderabad on one of the (many) Star channels with just a 10 hour delay. Perhaps I can use these clips to audition our fresh talented vocalists for the next season.

Shilparamam

Shilparamam is an outdoor marketplace that you pay a nominal entrance fee for (20 rupees, so about 40 cents). They sell everything from beaded patchwork pillowcases to Indian saris, wood tables to bangle bracelets, pashminas of all colors to ceramic vases. Here's a photo of a pottery section that I thought made for a beautiful photo.

Fountain of Wealth

Me throwing a penny into the largest fountain in the world, located in Singapore. Yes I'm backtracking. What did I wish? Take a guess in the comments...

"Smile Is Everything"

- Naeem, our driver from the Hyderabad airport

Global Randomness

My Mom sent me an IM: "What is www.globalrandomness.blogspot.com?"

I had never heard of it, but I liked the title. Then she added: "It has photos of you." Hmmmm...who was this mysterious website owner person posting unauthorized pictures of me? I conducted some investigative work (by clicking on the link) and discovered that she had come across the blog of our India adventures that Miss Sherry Zarabi has been pouring over since we arrived.

We've been here for less than two weeks and already Sherry's published 29 posts. So I finally read it. I highly recommend Global Randomness for getting the full story - all the details that don't appear on my own blog. Our blogs are like a toothbrush and toothpaste. They work best as a unit.

The Rainbow School

Rainbow Primary School, which also includes a preschool, is attended by children of very low income families in the midst of a wealthy area. Weath and poverty are not as physically distinct here as in other parts of the world. In fact, they almost always exist side-by-side. The school was started by the wife of the Google employee who developed the Google Hyderabad office. During out first full day in India, the transportation Manager, Ismail, told us that some people were painting the preschool the next day. I wanted to volunteer. On our second full day in India, we left at 8 am in our grubbiest clothes turned inside out, tired but ready to paint. 

The Rainbow School: Part 1

The Rainbow School: Part 2

Seoul & Singapore Airports