One thing I miss from home is watching sports. I’ve game casted (on-line updates) Georgetown’s first game, a bunch of Pistons games and Michigan’s many losses since being here, but monitoring and reading about sports on-line just doesn’t cut it. I guess it’s better than nothing though.
Anyway, I can’t believe the college football season is ending. I left for India the weekend it opened.
I’m about to “watch” the Michigan-OSU game.
Go blue.
Over the past 8 years, I’ve lived in a variety of places – dorm rooms, Stephens Lane, a kid’s room, The Dojo – but I’ve never once lived alone, until now. I am living in a “flat” situated in area called Bodakdev, which is in the newer part of Ahmedabad.
Reliance Mart.
I figured that living alone would force me to be independent, but between the routine hospitality of my neighbors and my incredibly generous family in Ahmedabad, it’s not entirely the case. Neither is the concept of simple living. As I’ve said, Ahmbedabad is now considered a “mega city”, so many of the amenities found in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore are now in Ahmedabad; malls, movie theaters, new restaurants, McDonald’s are common place here.
Warming up my milk.
That said, my average weekday day to day life is still vastly different than what it was like at home. For the first time in 4 years, I don’t have to wear a suit and tie to work. I only shave three times a week (they are rolling out the Fusion here now). I still eat cereal every morning, but I buy individual milk packets the night before, boil and then strain the milk before applying to said cereal.
I get around by rickshaw and although I’ve finally learned the math behind the DC like taxi charges ((total distance / 4) +2 = rupees owed), I’m in the market for a scooter. I walk home from work when I can, which usually takes 45 minutes. My neighbors help me navigate the local market (by market I mean the western-style grocery store; I haven’t built the courage to buy from street vendors yet) and arrange for my apartment cleaning. Because of my child-like Gujarati, they also think I’m 15 years old and regularly ask me for a “he-sob” – a weekly account of my expenses.
Vasna.
I work Monday through Friday from around 10AM to 630PM and on Saturday from 10AM to 130PM. I go into the field 3 days a week for at least 3-4 hours per visit (field = slums where Saath works).
Marketing for Umeed on a pan-wallah.
I spend the majority of my field time at the Umeed centers (vocational training program) and at the Urban Resource Centers (where slum residents obtain ration cards, livelihood information and basic services) collecting datat and interviewing and interacting with students, visitors and staff.
After avoiding caffeine through banking and PE, I drink chai (Indian tea) twice a day, at 11AM and at 230PM.
The Bullpen.
For lunch. 3-6 of us usually gather in the courtyard outside our office and share meals, discuss politics (everyone loves Obama) and catch up.
At work.
Natassia and I just started a tiffin service (see picture below) where we split an assortment of shak (cooked vegetables mixed with flavored gravy), roti (thin, circular bread), dhar (vegetable curry), and bhat (rice). In Mumbai, an organization called Dabbiwalla, serves 200,000 tiffins daily. Apparently, they are “six sigma certified … most are illiterate lecturer MBAs” … Read about it: http://www.mydabbawala.com/
One Container. Six Meals. Everyone is Happy.
For dinner, I either eat at my uncle’s house (3x), eat out with Natassia and Ekta (2x) or make pasta (penne with ketchup disguised as tomato sauce) and grilled cheese (2x). I love eating and spending time at my uncle’s house. He and his family helped me move in, call me regularly and even help Natassia and Ekta with their new clothes alterations. My cousin Parag has two kids, Hersh and Kanisha, who speak great English and are teaching me Gujarati. It’s incredibly humbling to learn a new language from a 13 and 9 year old.
I like it here.
Desai Family.
Anyone and everyone interested in India’s modern history should read In Spite of the Gods by Edward Luce. Luce, a former writer for the Financial Times, presents an extremely balanced view of the formation of India’s current political, economical and social environment. A shockingly quick and fun read for a “history” book, In Spite of the Gods has (rightly or wrongly) framed my perspective of India, specifically in a global context.
http://www.amazon.com/Spite-Gods-Strange-Modern-India/dp/0385514743
best. book. ever.
Team AIF A’Bad (or r-ekta-ssia as I like to call us) has congregated to watch election coverage. 10 1/2 hours ahead of US eastern time, we will hear early Wednesday morning whether McCain or Obama will be our next President. Not being home for the elections has made me a bit homesick, but there has been sufficient media coverage and dialogue here in India. I learned that although Bush’s current polices and McCain’s proposed platform (US-India Nuclear deal, supportive of off-shoring and opposed to trade barriers) better serve India’s economy than Obama’s, most of the Indian citizens that I have spoken to support Obama, especially in light of the global financial crisis. I agree. I admire John McCain and would have liked him to be our President four years ago, but given the current environment, I think both America and the world need a “transformational” leader.
Rektassia.
*I read the following in Indian newspapers…amusing:
1) “USSR = United States Socialist Republic” (a newspaper heading after the US announced the financial bailout).
2) “If the US had never invaded Iraq, the financial crisis would have been avoided.”
**I spent last week in Kerala for our Diwali break. I saw in Kerala a side of India I have never seen before: lush green scenery and breathtaking views. I will write about the trip later, but a fellow fellow, Meera, wrote a post about our trip: http://meerasinha.wordpress.com/2008/11/03/kerala/
A Few Things:
1) Saath has updated its website – check it out: www.saath.org
2) It’s Diwali time. Click for: Wikipedia’s definition or Michael Scott’s version.
3) We have a week off from work and I’m headed to the state of Kerala (map of Kerala, India) in south India. I’ll be traveling with Natassia, Ekta, Chandni, Michael (my roommate from training) and Meera (a fellow fellow working in Bangalore. We are touring tea plantations, waterfalls and taking a boat through the back waters.
4) Shobin: I’ll tell your family you said what up. (picture of Shobin)
I had a very productive week at work, spending most of it in the field at the Umeed centers (Umeed is Saath’s vocational training program). My primary project this year is to create new service offerings for Umeed. Specifically, I will work with Umeed staff to create a “Livelihood Center” where Umeed graduates and prospective students (i.e., slum youth) can access computers/internet current information and mentorship and employers can post job positions. The Livelihood Center will also serve to gather graduate data (current employer, salary, etc.) to begin measuring the impact of the program. Once this is up and running, we will begin developing a highly specialized training program for currently employed slum youth to help them access mid-level, premium positions. The key to this program is to make it fully sustainable (not rely on gov’t or foundation subsidies) through microlending…will explain in more detail as this project progresses.
On Monday and Tuesday, I met with alumni, faculty and current students. I even spoke to a few classes and had a Q&A in Gujarati. My broken Gujarati prompted enormous laughter, but with the help of of the faculty, I was able to get some of my questions across. On Thursday, I met with Dinesh Bhai, a faculty member at Behrumpura, and we went on a “roadshow” with students and graudates in a nearby slum. Not quite the same as a Wall-Street roadshow, this version was a door-to-door marketing campaign to promote the Umeed training. I believe a large percentage of the students learn about Umeed through the roadshows (we are working on an initiative to track where students hear about the program).
We met a local teacher named Hitendra Bhai, who created a school 10 years ago that provides after-school tutoring for 8-12 year olds in math and science. Hitendra Bhai agreed to let us use an open space in his small school to present an Umeed awareness video to attract local youth to the program. Hitendra Bhai’s tutors children of all backgrounds – Hindu, Muslim, Dalit (the given name for those assigned to lower castes) and really impressed not only me, but also the Umeed staff.
After the roadshow, I joined three of the youth, Amit, Piyush and Vashna, for lunch. We spoke in each other’s language – I doubt we really communicated anything (see: my dad and Felix’s epic conversation) of substance, but it was great to spend time with the local youth.
Mr. Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister of Gujarat from the Hindu focused BJP Party, came to Ahmedabad on Wednesday to inaugurate a new highway (new malls and highway are springing up quickly as Ahmedabad evolves into a mega city). Mr. Modi recently received a lot of press as Tata (one of India’s premier conglomerates) designated Gujarat as the production base of the new Nano car – terrific for Gujarat’s economy. Immediately, signs went up congratulating Modi, welcoming Tata, and hailing Gujarat as the “Land of Entrepreneurs”.
Many of the rickshaw drivers (at least the Hindu ones) this week were very excited about “Shree” Modi’s arrival and voiced their admiration as we drove by Modi/Tata signs. I listened to Modi speak for about 10 minutes – but given that he was speaking in Hindi and I had no one to translate, I took a few pictures and left. There were well over 2,000 people seated and many more on the streets watching Modi speak on the large projection screens.
I was watching an American Idol type dance show (Naach Bailye) with my Kaka’s (Uncle’s) family the other day and one of the performing acts dressed up as Native Americans…
This team did not win the competition.
On Sunday, Ekta, Natassia and I (after some competitive and sarcastic scrabble) went to Seva Café, which is an NGO-run restaurant that employs volunteers and a “pay-it-forward” system that doesn’t require guests to pay, rather a request to contribute to the next guest’s meal or to Seva’s designated charities. The café is attached to a retail outlet, called Gramshree, which exclusively sells rural and urban artisans’ clothing and crafts. Both concepts are gaining substantial attention and Seva Café has been replicated at the University of California’s Karma Kitchen (thanks, Arathi). One of the volunteers at Seva on Sunday was Neil Jain, a fellow ’04 Georgetown grad whom after spending 4 years on Wall-Street has come to India to work with IndiCorps. Click the picture below for a link to an awareness video on Seva Café:
Seva Cafe Video.
In Chicago, a few of us threw around the idea of a “Charity Bar”. Non-profits typically host casual fund raising events at local venues but they give up a large percentage of the profits to the host bar. A Charity Bar could employ volunteers and all profits could go to the charity of the organizers choice. Obviously, the economics of rent and liquor licensees would have to make sense, but I think it’s something to look into.
Seva Café’s walls are covered with Indian history, especially that related to Gandhi. Just outside the restaurant is a giant digital advertisement for Reliance, one of India’s largest telecom companies…
"juxtaposition" everywhere.
I thought I was clear in my post that I.C.I.C.I’s liquidity issue was only a rumor, but I guess the bank didn’t interpret it that way. Somehow they found my blog and submitted the following statement of reassurance:
“October 13, 2008
Dear Sir/ Madam,
We greatly value your relationship with us. In the context of the developments in the international financial markets, we thought it pertinent to bring to you our perspective of the prevailing situation.
We would like to bring to your attention that the Indian banking system is well regulated and significantly insulated from global developments. This is because it is mandatory for all Indian Scheduled Commercial Banks to retain 34% of the deposit base in the form of Government Securities (SLR) and cash with RBI (CRR). Besides, sound policies of RBI have ensured prudent credit practices in the Indian Banking system.
The Bank is already compliant with the BASLE II requirement in respect of risk management practices and capital adequacy. At 13.4%, The Bank has one of the highest capital adequacy ratios in the Indian banking industry. Last year, The Bank raised Rs. 20,000 crores (US $ 5 billion) of equity capital, which almost doubled our equity capital base. We have a net worth of over Rs. 47,000 crores (US$ 10 billion), again one of the highest in the banking industry in India We have consolidated total assets of over Rs. 4,84,000 crores (over US $ 105 billion), which is diversified across a wide range of asset classes across retail, wholesale and rural banking.
The Bank is amongst the most profitable banks in India. In FY 08, The Bank made a profit of Rs. 4,158 crores (US$ 900 million).
The Bank has the highest credit ratings in the Indian financial sector. We have AAA ratings for our instruments, such as senior bonds, subordinated bonds, and deposits. We have the highest foreign currency bond ratings assigned to any Indian bank from Moodys and S&P.
We continue to invest in growth, indicating our confidence in the opportunities in the Indian market. In 07-08, The Bank added 650 new branches, taking the total strength to over 1400 branches.
We thank you for reposing trust in us over the years. We look forward to setting new benchmarks in service levels in India and to create a bank that you will continue to be proud of.
Sincerely,
Office of Head Service Quality”
*Shares have begun to rebound after the false news finally subsided. The Indian Reserve Department reiterated their support and similar to other institutions, the bank has lowered lending rates and increased savings rates.
finding rickshaw. 
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