Days Eleven and Twelve - 28-29 November

We left India yesterday! It was a hard day. We worked from 8am to 6 pm and then the driver picked us up to return to the hotel to eat, pack, and head for the airport for a 12:30 am flight to Kuala Lumpur. The driver wanted to take us shopping before heading back for the hotel (we finally figured out that if he took us shopping and we bought --- he would get a percentage!) . Debi kept telling him we didn't want to go shopping - he wouldn't listen - until finally we told him we couldn't shop period! Only after that did he back off and finally get us back to the hotel after probably twice as long as it should have taken. What an ordeal! We headed to the airport about 10:30 pm --- and I have never seen an airport such as Bangalore's!. There was one waiting room and it was so crowded, uncomfortable, dirty, with nothing that looked safe to eat or drink, the flight schedule intermittently shown on one portable TV sitting on a TV stand ( intermittently because someone would get up and change the channel to India news at will). The "souvenir shop" was probably 12 feet by 12 feet and only fitting about three people in at a time. I couldn't believe it was 2006 and we were waiting for a flight in such surroundings. I'll never complain about another airport ever again!! We flew all night and didn't land in Kuala Lumpur until around 7:oo am --- boarding yet another flight at 8:00 am headed for Singapore. We finally arrived at our hotel around 10:00 am --- with a shower first on the agenda!! We took it easy this afternoon since we didn't get much sleep last night and then ate dumplings tonight at Debi's favorite dumpling restaurant --- and they are very good by the way! Singapore is s0 absolutely beautiful! Gorgeous landscaping, tropical, so clean, so friendly, all decorated for Christmas --- and a shopping mall on every corner!! We're glad we're going to stay put for a while in such nice surroundings.

Pictures tonight are the last from India and the first from Singapore! The first four are the last from India --- and then various shots from our hotel windows, the wonderful bathroom this hotel has (and yes, including our own rubber ducky!!) , the dumpling restaurant --- and finally at the mall tonight --- a Christmas "tree" of blue jeans! Something different to see every time you turn around!

Day Ten - 27 November - More Photos

Day Ten - 27 November

A full day in India! The hotel grounds are beautiful and very tropical. But once you leave the hotel and hit the streets, not as beautiful or tropical --- but rather primitive. Buildings are old, a lot of sand in the curbs, and heavy foot traffic. The street traffic is unimaginable, with no lane definintions on the street. You'll go along and there will be five lanes , then three lanes, then four ... depending upon whether you have a bus, a car, three-wheeled taxi, motorcycle, scooter, bicycle, or a person walking in the street. And then, the stray dogs ... as well as the cows grazing streetside (mainly on garbage). Have never seen anyhing like it! Or, heard anything like it! I thought the China traffic was noisy ... but the Indians have them beat!! Made it to work, did my training, Debi did SAP training, and then we headed out to dinner with Gavin. After lunch in the TI cafeteria and its very spicy food, needed a western food fix! You think I sweat when I eat Mexican, you should have seen me after eating native Indian!! When we got back to the hotel, my butler brought me my laundry and even packed it in my suitcase! I could get used to this real fast!!

Day Nine - 26 November

Sunday was a very long travel day! We left Shanghai at 8:45 am --- arrived in Singapore at 2:00 pm --- and had a very long layover --- we were so excited when the 8:05 pm flight to Bangalore showed up on the flight board!! Meanwhile, we entertained ourselves with chocolate ice cream and champagne! How little it takes to be entertained! The flight to Bangalore was uneventful --- I slept most of the way --- and we arrived at the Oberoi Hotel around midnight --- having to still get up and go to work this morning! The reception at the Oberoi was so different! The reception desk was literally a desk where you sat down and checked in --- and then the receptionist actually walked you to your rooom --- where your butler ... yes, your butler ... met you to help you unpack and order breakfast!! It was time for laundry --- so I showed him what needed to be laundered --- and he separated the laundry from the dry cleaning --- and placed them all in the appropriate bags --- made sure he understood what I wanted for breakfast the next morning --- took my order --- and then bade me a good night! What service --- and what an experience!

Day Eight - 25 November

Ni hao (hello) !

We got to sleep late this morning! No work today! But, I still got up and went to the gym! I have worked out every morning so far --- except one! These hotels are nice enough to have really good gym equipment! I was so afraid of going to flab over this month away from Troy! But , if things continue as they have so far ... no problem!

Debi and I went to the Shanghai Museum this morning --- where we saw bronze sculptures, early Chinese paintings, the history of Chinese coins, Chinese sculptures, and amazing jade carvings! Afterwards, we went to the Bund district and looked around ... and then found the Portman Ritz-Carlton --- which is not too far from Malone's --- a restaurant that serves western food --- and after last night's Shanghai authentic dinner --- we needed a burger, club sandwich , fries, and an American soundtrack playing in the background! Oh, home ... do we miss you!

We then went to Yu Garden --- which is the original Shanghai city that existed before any westernization! Man --- this is what I imagined China to look like! What a trip! Debi and I stopped in at the Golden Crab for another Tsingtao --- and ... although I didn't get it on camera, we saw a Chinese wedding happening! She was dressed like an American bride ... but the limousine was something else! A Mercedes 500 series --- with this huge wedding bouquet on the hood of the car, bows and flower on each door handle, and another big bouquet on the trunk! It was so a big deal! I likened it almost to a burial in America. It's amazing what other cultures can teach you!

Tonight we went to the Epicure 45 --- on the 45th floor of our hotel --- and bid Shanghai goodbye!

Gotta go ... we have an early flight to India tomorrow ... the adventure continues!!

Thinking of you all --- and zai jian (good-bye) !!
Phillip

Day Seven - 24 November Part III

So, we had a traditional Shanghai dinner tonight!! We started out in the hotel lobby bar having Tsingtao beer --- and then Anderson took us (Amy Tang, Ken Young, Janice Harrissis, Akasha Davis, Debi and myself) to Yuan Yuan where we had this big round table with a lazy susan in the middle. Anderson did all the ordering privately to surprise us ... and surprise us he did!! We had fried tofu, a sweet beef, pan browned pork dumplings, duck, dates stuffed with sticky rice, soup with ham and mushrooms and noodles, a pork soup with noodles and bamboo, sauteed eel, jellyfish, and a whole crispy fish in sweet and sour sauce complete with the head and fins and tail!! I did pretty good ... trying everything ... and even trying to eat with chopsticks! It was a lot of fun being surprised and trying to guess what we were eating! After dinner, we hopped on the subway to go to the CJW (Cigars/Jazz/Wine) club atop the Bund tower --- on the 51st floor! We had a window table and had a spectacular view of the city! Ken brought his fancy camera and took all kind of cool shots while we were partying! We ended up staying until around 11:30 --- having a really good time!