After hitting the sack at 5p (after having been up for nearly two days with nothing but cat naps) it was inevitable that I awaken with a migraine. Luckily for me, I woke up at 11p with it and had plenty of time to pop some Motrin and pace the room (exhaustion helps kill my headaches I’ve found, and an hour of non-stop pacing was enough to do the trick). Fell back asleep like a baby, waking again just before dawn at 5a.
Checked out the breakfast and settled for hard-boiled eggs, bacon, some potatoes, and the wonderful chocolate-filled croissants. Don’t mess with a good thing I figured! After that I rode in a car with two fellow employees to SAS’ office in Pune. So many things to see along the way, almost sensory overload. People everywhere going about their business. Such a variety of vehicles — bikes, mopeds, motorcycles, trucks, auto-rickshaws (known to the British as tuk tuks). Absolute chaos — but a chaos that, combined with low speeds, seems to work out. Cars missing each other by inches, cycles darting between larger vehicles, dogs and people weaving among the vehicles, you name it. Along the route were tons of little storefronts. Food stands, sweet shops, etc. Everywhere was covered with painted murals and writing. Trucks were painted with fantastic things and very colorful. I only managed to snap a single picture and it doesn’t do it justice (later posts will, I promise!) but being the only one I must include it below.
I’ll get better street-side photos in this blog soon, I swear!
Arrived at the office around 9a. SAS’ India R&D office is in an IT park called Magarpatta City Cybercity, an area that just a decade ago was farmland. The Magar brothers convinced the local farmers to sell their land and developed it. It’s a very sleek building and the interior is very nice. As with the hotel security was tight. SAS occupies multiple floors, my office was on the third (well, fourth for us Americans). The main room was filled with cubicles with conference rooms and some offices surrounding the perimeter. The conference rooms were named with a astrological theme in mind — Cygnus, Crater, Aries, Pegasus, etc. My office was very nice with a neat view of the campus. I set up my computer and got ready to meet the gentleman I was to do a knowledge transfer to as well as his manager and the team.
My office for the next two weeks
View from my office
Before that happened, however, a gentleman brought me coffee and some bottled water. Amazing coffee! Ravindra, the manager, appeared first and welcomed me to Pune. We chatted a bit then I was introduced to Anshul, the person I would be working with. Then proceeded to meet the rest of the team and everyone was exceedingly nice. Anshul and I then settled down to the business at hand, coming up for air shortly after noon.
I don’t miss S’ coffee maker ONE BIT
Ravindra, Anshul, and I went down one floor to the SAS cafeteria. They serve one menu and then an alternate menu as well as offer sandwiches and the like. With their help I got a tray filled with savory food, Anshul and Ravindra taking particular care to ask how spicy the food was. The food was amazing! I had flat bread that was used as a scoop for some delicious curry and curds. Once the bread ran out I poured the rest on the rice. There was also a small square that was very sweet and tasted great. The only thing I didn’t care for was buttermilk with coriander.
After lunch Ravindra and I went for a walk around campus and past several of the other towers. We chatted about India and how the weather wasn’t quite the topic of conversation that it is in the US since it doesn’t vary crazily like it does in North Carolina. We also chatted about our families and other topics. I think the trees out front of the office look really neat, they are like Christmas trees. Cedars? Greg, help me out!
SAS’ R&D office in Pune, India
Returning to the office Anshul and I worked the rest of the afternoon, leaving well after 5p in the Westin car with the two I rode in with in the morning, Nikola and Lynneth. Nikola, who has in-laws in New Delhi and has visited India many times, informed us of many interesting things along the way.
Once back at the hotel just had a small snack and watched a bit of TV and worked a bit before sleep at 12a. A really great first day that left me feeling a bit less overwhelmed and a lot less homesick.