Agra

We may have only been in Agra for a short time but it was great! I was feeling better and excited for the couple of days of the trip but first we had to get there. We took a  5 hour train ride from Jaipur to Agra which was an experience in and of itself. The train station is crammed full of people which makes getting around (with your bags) a challenge. The ride was a good time to relax and think about my time in India. Once in Agra it was another complex maze out of the station to our bus and to the hotel.

The plan was to walk to the Taj Mahal to get a night view but it happened to not be lit up the night we were there and with the walls that surround it we were told we wouldn't be able to see it from outside. We spent some time on the roof top patio before deciding to find a bar or someplace to spend our last night together. According to the tuk-tuk driver the place was only 1km away - now I don't know the metric system super well but where he took us was much, much farther than 1km. Luckily it was closed so we ended up at a place closer to out hotel. We had been told to be cautious about the places drivers take you because often they make commissions for taking you to certain restaurants or stores. We actually experienced this in Jaipur so we had a pretty good idea what was going on. We ended up at "Zee-Bar" probably one of the only bars in the city since drinking isn't a major past-time in India. We had a good time, lots of laughs and a nice last night.

The next morning was the day we were so excited for - the Taj Mahal! “The Taj Mahal was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is widely considered as one of the most beautiful buildings in the world and stands as a symbol of eternal love.” Now I know I shouldn’t cite Wikipedia but this isn’t a research paper and I swear our tour guide told us the same thing!!! Apparently before she died she asked him to build something beautiful in her honor and this is his grand gesture. It took over 20 years to construct and many of the thousands of workers lived on site in the courtyard rooms. It was absolutely beautiful and I was so impressed to find out that all of the color is actually stone - there is no painting at all on the building. We also learned that the work done on the Taj Mahal is done by family members of the original workers. The skills of how to repair the inlay work have been passed down from generation to generation. This is just one example of the familial loyalty that is so prevalent in India to this day. 

Jaipur

Delhi

After twenty-four hours of traveling we finally made it to India!!! The culture shock was instantaneous as we walked out to get in the bus to take us to where we were staying. Having travelled a bit it wasn't completely unexpected but still something I noticed. The drive from the airport was fascinating, to say the least. We had discussed the economical climate amongst the people of India but seeing a giant home next to a tent city is pretty overwhelming. In America financial standing divides communities and cities but in India the rich and poor live together. Also, the amount of animals roaming the streets was something I didn’t know would be happening. Since the majority of the population is Hindu (about 80%) the cow is sacred to India. Seeing cows roaming the streets and even laying in the road is normal and they are not disturbed. After a quick stop to see the monkey god statue we made it to EMPI, the business school where we would be spending the first couple of days. We were greeted by Dr. Gupta’s father and the students who were hosting us. It was a warm welcome and we were all very excited to start our visit.

We checked into our rooms and had a bout an hour to get ready so we could begin the days discussions. We were staying in dorms at the campus and aside from the lock on the outside of the bathroom (which I’m pretty sure Jenelle could have locked me in the bathroom forever with if she’d wanted – thanks, by the way, for not doing that – you’re a doll) everything was nice and comfortable.

We had two classes the first morning one on Indian Innovation and one on Governance. The first class was full of great information and the factors (both positive and negative) that are effecting India’s amazing growth and economic emergence. Due to the fact that India lacks many resources they have learned to do the most possible with what they have. These innovations run from micro innovation (such a self-propelled washing machines) to large scale impacts like skipping through manufacturing and making an economy based on service. The creative nature of India means that India will continue to produce ideas that can generate income for all sections of the economy from rural villagers to major cities.

The afternoon was spent seeing the city. Our first stop was the Lotus Palace where people from all walks of life can come to worship and meditate. The Lotus Palace is considered a holy site so shoes were not allowed (this would not normally be an issue but since it was so hot outside our toes got a little burnt). After a couple more stops we went to an Indian bazaar for shopping and dinner. The food was so good and so was the shopping (although I always have a hard time wanting to spend money the first day – in hind site I wish I hadn’t because there was a lot of neat stuff there that we didn’t see anywhere else).

Needless to say by the time we got back we were ready for bed. It was a great first day in India with an immense amount of surroundings to take in.

On the plane - ready to go!

Lotus Palace

Map of India

Beijing

Day 14 – They Don’t Call It The Great Wall For Nothing!

September 18, 2010


Today was the day we’d all been waiting for – The Great Wall! But first a stop at the Panda House, Jade Market, Ming Tombs and The Beijing Olympic Site. It was a long day but a great one and best expressed in pictures so here you go:

PANDA HOUSE:

 

JADE MARKET AKA TOURIST TRAP:

 

MING TOMBS:

Yes, I did get yelled at in Chinese for taking the above photo!

THE GREAT WALL:

 

OUR LAST NIGHT:

I controlled myself!

Others did not! Hahaha! How did I get this cut on my arm?

Day 13 - Don't Look Them in the Eye!


September 17, 2010




Another day, another company visit (the last company visit to be precise). We had the chance to tour Jiya Electronics which is one of the leading manufacturers of single color LCD screens. The screens they make are used in car radios, 3D glasses, fuel dispensers, washing machines, microwaves, etc. and can be found in products from major companies such as Samsung, Motorola and Mitsubishi.  During their presentation they focused on product differentiation strategy. They explained that although they could produce multi-color LCD screens they have decided to stick with their core competencies (single color) and become the number one producer as opposed to trying to gain market share in a highly competitive product. We were able to tour their facilities an see many of the products. Plus we got to wear booties so we didn't get shocked - so there's that!


Because of the weather and time constraints we visited the Temple of Heaven this afternoon. The temple was constructed during the 1400s and emperors would go there to pray for good weather and a good harvest. The temple is beautiful and we had a good time walking around.  The best part of the Temple of Heaven would be on the way out as we were getting ready to leave. We went to look for the bathroom and followed the signs which led us behind a building where lo and behold we saw some "Chinese Gangsters" playing cards (they may have just been old people but the suits and the back ally location was definitely shady). Per the advice of our professor we did not "look them in the eyes". I did however take a sneaky picture with my cell phone! It was brilliant and hilarious!


I decided to opt out of dinner (I just needed a Chinese food reprieve!) and Jenelle, Salam and I headed to the mall across the street from our hotel to eat at McDonald's!!! I know it probably seems ridiculous to eat McDonald's when a free and delicious Chinese meal is available but it was so good - best McDonald's ever! We spent some time shopping in the mall and then headed back to the hotel to hang out. On the way back we saw some elderly people doing some Chinese fan dancing/exercises on the side of a hotel which was quite entertaining.


*Apparently I didn't think today was all that important because I only took 6 pictures the whole day... here they are:

Day 12 – How Does One Eat a Starfish?

September 16, 2010

Today we visited the Chinese Beijing Equity Exchange (CBEX). CBEX is a professional equity exchange institution which provides services for the entire Chinese market. One of the main functions of CBEX is to take state owned equity and government owned enterprises and transferring those to private entities and investments. Some of the points that were reiterated during the presentation at CBEX were transparency and integrity. Although CBEX deals with multi-million dollar companies they want to make sure that their dealings are handled in a professional and ethical manner. This moral force has helped make CBEX the most trusted player in equity exchange. Likewise CBEX sees itself as a major contributor as the global economy attempts to recover from the economic crisis that has occurred by working inter-continentally to support and develop relationships with other nations.


After lunch we went over to Beijing University which is one of the most prestigious universities in China. One of the professors from California State University – San Bernardino is currently working there and we were able to meet up with him while he gave us a tour of the campus. The campus was beautiful and it seemed more like walking through a lush park than a college (although their bathrooms could definitely use some attention).

We had dinner at a traditional Chinese tea house. During dinner there are different performances and entertainment including a shadow show. The food was really good and so was the company.
 

Once we got back to the hotel we decided to go down a couple of blocks to the outdoor food market. This place is crazy! The sheer amount of disgusting food you can get there is mind-boggling. At the beginning of the trip I had every intention of trying some of the crazy stuff but as the days went by and the Chinese food settled in my adventurous spirit dimmed and I couldn’t bring myself to get anything. It was neat just to see all the stuff. It started to rain but we continued looking around and checking out the shops. It ended up being a pretty low-key day but a fun one all the same – especially walking in the rain with my friends.

 

 

 Day 11 – Gan Bei! Cheers!

September 15, 2010

The morning started out with a visit to the Beijing Wangdong Medical Group. As their name suggests, the company is responsible for developing and manufacturing medical equipment such as X-ray equipment, MRI, cardiac intervention imaging systems, dental units, dental digital imaging systems, etc. The lecture presented focused on Wangdong’s technological advancement through research and development. The introduction of their products in the marketplace has been well received as quality machines with lower prices. The lower price point has forced competing companies to lower their prices as well. Wangdong currently ranks 4^th in the market and hopes to double their output in the next five years thus increasing their market share. While there we were able to see many of their current and developing products (and Dr. Kim even got an x-ray). Wangdong is a great example of an expanding brand which is poised to compete with the big brands.

After our visit we had the chance to go to one of China’s famous indoor markets. We’ve had a taste of the shopping in Taiwan and China but I’m not sure there was much that could prepare us for this. There was bargaining, and flattery (I didn’t know I was so pretty until people wanted to sell me their knock-off goods), and barricading, and pulling, and good deals, and ridiculous items, and tons of people! I did manage to buy some pretty good looking wallets and found a wall of crocs but decided my desire to not look ridiculous outweighed my need for comfortable plastic shoes. I’m not going to lie, the market was really overwhelming – there’s just so many things! Overall it was totally fun (who doesn’t like being called crazy for not buying a fake Marc Jacobs’ bag or being told their money is gross and they won’t take it!!!)  Plus, I got a couple of things but it definitely wasn’t the shopping spree I had thought it would be.  

On aside note, we saw our first accident today which is so shocking because people drive crazy here!!!!!!!!!

We had a really cool experience today where we played basketball with China Steel’s basketball team. Since I still wasn’t feeling super great and I have a general dislike for playing basketball I (along with half of the people from the group) decided to sit on the sidelines and cheer our team on. In the end we lost by just a couple of points but it was really fun and definitely something different than what we’ve been doing during the trip.

From the game we got ready and went to a dinner banquet which is the most formal dinner we’ve been to. Yes, by most formal I do mean the most drinking we’ve experienced. Let’s just say Chinese businessmen can drink! There are a lot of social customs that come into play during a dinner like this and it was neat to see that first hand. As a guest you have to go to the head table and toast the host which leads into a toast of each person at that table. I faked most of the drinking that night because I couldn’t even imagine taking that many shots (but some people handled it like champs, evidently they’ll be fine doing business in China). Of course there was karaoke and dancing and it was a really good experience.

It was a really long day and we ended the night relaxing as a group playing dice and chatting at the hotel.

***Also, please focus on my hair in these pictures and in the rest of the days to follow. The humidity in Beijing is almost non-existent so I’m able to brush my hair and not forced to rock a fro! It’s a little thing but I am so excited!!!