So here we are, our last day in India. I woke up at a pleasant 10am thanks to Mark banging on the door. The reason for the oversleeping this morning was a long conversation on skype last night which was followed by me watching the Chelsea versus Barcelona match until 2am. It was ok though as this was our final day and we had a well earned rest day to end the trip.
Following Marks door banging, I legged it down to the restaurant in time to have breakfast and then after grabbing my things from the room, joined Mark by the pool for some R&R for a couple of hours. We both sat and read, Ipods in, totally chilling, with spells in the pool when the heat was getting to intense (every 15 minutes!).
Before going to the pool I covered myself in suntan lotion, but judging by the red patches on me now I must have done my usual trick of splashing lotion quickly and missing areas (I now have red areas on my chest, upper arm and just above the knee!). Ah well!
After a quick shower following the pool we were picked up by santosh at around 2pm. He took us to do some sightseeing. We saw the State court building, parliament building, a huge public park and an aquarium. All very impressive and we both got some great photos. We then went for some food – Mark and Santosh went for some Indian dish but I played it safe and got a subway due to visions of spending nine hours in an aeroplane toilet tomorrow!
The place we had our food was a mall owned by the owner of kingfisher airline and beer, its fair to say we were impressed. It was fantastic, the interior was incredible for a mall and Mark described it as like a palace (I cant remember the exact word he used). The amazing thing was though that it was full of all the global designer names you can think of (including rolex, apple, louis vuitton etc) but it was empty! So how they are making any money we could not figure out.
From the palace mall we went to some markets to complete our shopping and then headed back to the hotel feeling pretty tired.
After a quick dropping of backs, myself and Mark went to enjoy our daily free drinks, which were as pleasant as usual and then retired to our rooms for the night so im here typing this final blog entry. I have packed my bags, and plan to have a quick nap before waking at 12.15 to watch the mighty Manchester united (yes Mick I did say MIGHTY!) play Arsenal. I figured that the game will finish at around 2am and we have to be downstairs at 3.45am to pay the bill and leave at 4am for the airport, so I will stay awake.
Well, that’s it for this blog, its been a pleasure writing and filming for you. I hope its been informative and at least mildly interesting!!!
Talk to you again soon!!!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Day 8 – Tuesday 28th April
Today I was excited to get out of bed early for a change. The occasion – a warm shower! The club hotel offered many services, but for my room at least a warm shower wasn’t one of them unfortunately! It wasn’t a big problem, apart from the first brave leap into the cold flow of water at 8am. I would usually start with the arms, take a deep breath and then jump and hit the icy water head on.
Anyway……
From the shower and after nice buffet breakfast, we were collected by Santosh who whisked us to the first of our two scheduled appointments for the day. It was to a government all-womens college. With 3,000 students enrolled aged between 18-22 it was an impressive institute. The campus was big and seemed to be expanding or renovating everywhere.
We were in a meeting with the heads of various departments and the head of the whole institute. The meeting left myself and Mark feeling extremely positive, more so I would so then after the meetings with the two institutes in Mumbai. It turns out that the college has been eager for international partnerships and once we have sent them a letter outlining possible collaberation they will present this to the ruling body for permission to accept and then get the ball rolling. They have a Psychology department, big sports pedigree (they expressed a keen interest in the elite sports squad when we explained it to them) and also student counsellors amongst other things that we can see potential in. Again, we will explain in greater detail about the intricacies of what was discussed but we felt very encouraged by their interest, enthusiams and the opportunities that were discussed.
The meeting lasted about 2 hours and their excitement at our presence was obvious with the head of one department taking pictures of the meeting at different times and then the events that followed. They took us into classrooms to say hello to students, took more pictures of us all and introduced us to academics including the science department!
The academics from this department then took us around their labs and museum also. Their reaction to us was very kind and flattering. Mark in particular was treated like a rockstar with myself and Santosh following him and his fans! (we talked about the biggest snakes he had seen in India while walking around the labs watching Mark sign autographs!)One of the science academics then asked me if i was a student which was also amusing!
They were all extremely welcoming to us which wont be forgotten.
Summarising, we feel highly enthusiastic about a future fruitful collaberation with the institute.
We moved on then to have a fantastic lunch in an Afghanistan themed restaurant. It was superb food which we thoroughly enjoyed. From there we had a quick walk through the market and then onto our final appointment with an NGO that Santosh had close contact with.
From a personal point of view, I left this meeting feeling the most positive I had after any on the trip. The guy we spoke to – Ashok (from SICHREM) was really friendly and explained what work they did. Myself and Mark immediately saw great ways in which we can collaberate to mutually benefit both parties. There are many options which I believe could raise our profile significantly and recruit students. These possibilities don’t seem to complicated either, but I will stop there before my enthusiasm for this one spills over into another 4 pages for this blog post!
From the meeting we headed back to the hotel, thanked santosh and went for swim in the pool. Later in the evening we enjoyed an hour and a half of free drinks – which is always good I admit!
And its now 12.15 here so I will finish this by slurring ‘goodnight!!’
Anyway……
From the shower and after nice buffet breakfast, we were collected by Santosh who whisked us to the first of our two scheduled appointments for the day. It was to a government all-womens college. With 3,000 students enrolled aged between 18-22 it was an impressive institute. The campus was big and seemed to be expanding or renovating everywhere.
We were in a meeting with the heads of various departments and the head of the whole institute. The meeting left myself and Mark feeling extremely positive, more so I would so then after the meetings with the two institutes in Mumbai. It turns out that the college has been eager for international partnerships and once we have sent them a letter outlining possible collaberation they will present this to the ruling body for permission to accept and then get the ball rolling. They have a Psychology department, big sports pedigree (they expressed a keen interest in the elite sports squad when we explained it to them) and also student counsellors amongst other things that we can see potential in. Again, we will explain in greater detail about the intricacies of what was discussed but we felt very encouraged by their interest, enthusiams and the opportunities that were discussed.
The meeting lasted about 2 hours and their excitement at our presence was obvious with the head of one department taking pictures of the meeting at different times and then the events that followed. They took us into classrooms to say hello to students, took more pictures of us all and introduced us to academics including the science department!
The academics from this department then took us around their labs and museum also. Their reaction to us was very kind and flattering. Mark in particular was treated like a rockstar with myself and Santosh following him and his fans! (we talked about the biggest snakes he had seen in India while walking around the labs watching Mark sign autographs!)One of the science academics then asked me if i was a student which was also amusing!
They were all extremely welcoming to us which wont be forgotten.
Summarising, we feel highly enthusiastic about a future fruitful collaberation with the institute.
We moved on then to have a fantastic lunch in an Afghanistan themed restaurant. It was superb food which we thoroughly enjoyed. From there we had a quick walk through the market and then onto our final appointment with an NGO that Santosh had close contact with.
From a personal point of view, I left this meeting feeling the most positive I had after any on the trip. The guy we spoke to – Ashok (from SICHREM) was really friendly and explained what work they did. Myself and Mark immediately saw great ways in which we can collaberate to mutually benefit both parties. There are many options which I believe could raise our profile significantly and recruit students. These possibilities don’t seem to complicated either, but I will stop there before my enthusiasm for this one spills over into another 4 pages for this blog post!
From the meeting we headed back to the hotel, thanked santosh and went for swim in the pool. Later in the evening we enjoyed an hour and a half of free drinks – which is always good I admit!
And its now 12.15 here so I will finish this by slurring ‘goodnight!!’
Day 7 – Monday 27th April
Today we woke at around 6.30am to get ready for Manoa to pick us up at 7.30am and take us to the airport for our 9am flight to Bangalore.
As I woke early I spoke to Mark on the phone and then thought I would lie in bed another 15 minutes then get up and shower. But the next thing I knew I was being woken up by a banging on the door and there was Mark ready to go saying its gone 7am and Manoa was downstairs. Ooops. I was already packed, so I had to skip a shower and leg it down to catch up.
Luckily after that early morning hold up we managed to get to the airport on time as traffic seemed a bit less crazy for once. Getting our tickets and luggage checked was also smooth. The fun began when we went through security for the departure lounge with our bags. Once through they asked Mark if he had any liquids in his bag – ‘no’ he replied, but then remembered he did have some whiskey left over (only once the security guy had taken it out of the bag and waved it infront of him!!). This was not a major problem and Mark just had to pour it away. The security guard then asked if there was anymore liquid in there, to which Mark again replied ‘no’.
We were both surprised then when the guard pulled out another bottle of whiskey (a full one this time) which switched on a lightbulb in Mark's head prompting a reply of ‘ah that’s my duty free I cant pour that away!!’ I was at this point trying desperately not to laugh as he was sent back through security to go and check the bag with the bottle in it.
Mark then returned and there is me laughing as we walked off until I opened my bag and found a full bottle of coke they had missed also!! I think its fair to say that had we been in the states we would probably be halfway on our way to Guantanamo bay right now for trying to sneak liquids on board an aircraft.
After all that hullabaloo we eventually made it through to the the flight which was fantastic, with great service and comfort. It was Kingfisher airlines which we just found out started only a couple of years ago following Kingfisher beer. Upon arrival we were met immediately by a gentleman heavily armed with a suit and a smile who took our bags to the car which brought us to the hotel.
Our immediate impressions of Bangalore were that it seems far more developed and modernised then Mumbai. There were far less (if any) signs of poverty or pollution on the 40min drive, compared to the high levels we would see driving in Mumbai. The roads were new and actually had lane markings on them (a luxury Mumbai did not have in most parts) and the traffic was far more controlled. Also, the airport is only 10months old and is very impressive indeed.
After the journey we checked in and explored the hotel which is in a different league to the club in Mumbai.
Following some chill time and a quick walk around we met Santosh from New Directions Overseas Education Company. The meeting lasted around 2 hours and we told him about the school and what we have to offer. He was very encouraging about what he can do for us in terms of recruiting students.
Again, he sees great potential in MSc Psychology and MSc Health and Nutrition. He also was very impressed with the work of TELLS and Second life. We also explained to him about the Elite Sports Squad which he believes will also attract many further students. He also has a student interested in studying MSc Sports Coaching and tried to get him here for us to talk to but the student is currently in Chennai. So we will await progress on this.
There is plenty more on this meeting to feedback on and a busy and potentially fruitful schedule for us tomorrow so I will leave that there for now.
Mark is swimming, im blogging and skyping, then we are having free cocktails at 7pm and an Indian barbecue to round of our first day in Bangalore.
Not bad eh!!!
As I woke early I spoke to Mark on the phone and then thought I would lie in bed another 15 minutes then get up and shower. But the next thing I knew I was being woken up by a banging on the door and there was Mark ready to go saying its gone 7am and Manoa was downstairs. Ooops. I was already packed, so I had to skip a shower and leg it down to catch up.
Luckily after that early morning hold up we managed to get to the airport on time as traffic seemed a bit less crazy for once. Getting our tickets and luggage checked was also smooth. The fun began when we went through security for the departure lounge with our bags. Once through they asked Mark if he had any liquids in his bag – ‘no’ he replied, but then remembered he did have some whiskey left over (only once the security guy had taken it out of the bag and waved it infront of him!!). This was not a major problem and Mark just had to pour it away. The security guard then asked if there was anymore liquid in there, to which Mark again replied ‘no’.
We were both surprised then when the guard pulled out another bottle of whiskey (a full one this time) which switched on a lightbulb in Mark's head prompting a reply of ‘ah that’s my duty free I cant pour that away!!’ I was at this point trying desperately not to laugh as he was sent back through security to go and check the bag with the bottle in it.
Mark then returned and there is me laughing as we walked off until I opened my bag and found a full bottle of coke they had missed also!! I think its fair to say that had we been in the states we would probably be halfway on our way to Guantanamo bay right now for trying to sneak liquids on board an aircraft.
After all that hullabaloo we eventually made it through to the the flight which was fantastic, with great service and comfort. It was Kingfisher airlines which we just found out started only a couple of years ago following Kingfisher beer. Upon arrival we were met immediately by a gentleman heavily armed with a suit and a smile who took our bags to the car which brought us to the hotel.
Our immediate impressions of Bangalore were that it seems far more developed and modernised then Mumbai. There were far less (if any) signs of poverty or pollution on the 40min drive, compared to the high levels we would see driving in Mumbai. The roads were new and actually had lane markings on them (a luxury Mumbai did not have in most parts) and the traffic was far more controlled. Also, the airport is only 10months old and is very impressive indeed.
After the journey we checked in and explored the hotel which is in a different league to the club in Mumbai.
Following some chill time and a quick walk around we met Santosh from New Directions Overseas Education Company. The meeting lasted around 2 hours and we told him about the school and what we have to offer. He was very encouraging about what he can do for us in terms of recruiting students.
Again, he sees great potential in MSc Psychology and MSc Health and Nutrition. He also was very impressed with the work of TELLS and Second life. We also explained to him about the Elite Sports Squad which he believes will also attract many further students. He also has a student interested in studying MSc Sports Coaching and tried to get him here for us to talk to but the student is currently in Chennai. So we will await progress on this.
There is plenty more on this meeting to feedback on and a busy and potentially fruitful schedule for us tomorrow so I will leave that there for now.
Mark is swimming, im blogging and skyping, then we are having free cocktails at 7pm and an Indian barbecue to round of our first day in Bangalore.
Not bad eh!!!
Monday, April 27, 2009
Day 6 – Sunday 26th April
Today was our rest day and it started at about 9am with a call from Mark to see if I was awake!
Unfortunately the young Indian lady (quite a character) who had asked if she could ‘steal some of our time’ (in those exact words) for a radio interview in the morning did not contact Mark so we asked for a driver and headed out for a day of sightseeing.
The video will show the sights better, but we saw the Taj Mahal hotel which is impressive in both size and style and also the gateway to India, also equally impressive.
We were invited to buy a wide variety of things (most legal, some illegal!) by street sellers as we moved amongst the sights. The legal souvenirs on offer included giant balloons (which I would have loved had it not been for the weight allowance of our luggage and the size of the overhead compartments of course), maps, postcards etc. Amongst the stranger things I personally was asked to buy (much to Marks amusement) was a crate of baby milk for a young girls baby sister. The tattoo of ‘Charity’ has now been removed from my forehead.
Anyway….. This was the first time we were in the heat for prolonged periods having become used to hopping from air conditioned car to air conditioned meeting rooms for the majority of the trip. So a break for an air conditioned lunch was appreciated before more sightseeing.
We then visited the main relaxing park in Mumbai (there aren’t many parks), marine walk which provides great views over the water of the Mumbai skyline and we then headed back to the hotel to chill out and have dinner at TGI Fridays and an early night.
Tomorrow we head off for Bangalore, which im told has far spicier Indian food then Mumbai – yum yum, my stomach is already rumbling (or perhaps griping?) at the prospect.
Au Revoir
Unfortunately the young Indian lady (quite a character) who had asked if she could ‘steal some of our time’ (in those exact words) for a radio interview in the morning did not contact Mark so we asked for a driver and headed out for a day of sightseeing.
The video will show the sights better, but we saw the Taj Mahal hotel which is impressive in both size and style and also the gateway to India, also equally impressive.
We were invited to buy a wide variety of things (most legal, some illegal!) by street sellers as we moved amongst the sights. The legal souvenirs on offer included giant balloons (which I would have loved had it not been for the weight allowance of our luggage and the size of the overhead compartments of course), maps, postcards etc. Amongst the stranger things I personally was asked to buy (much to Marks amusement) was a crate of baby milk for a young girls baby sister. The tattoo of ‘Charity’ has now been removed from my forehead.
Anyway….. This was the first time we were in the heat for prolonged periods having become used to hopping from air conditioned car to air conditioned meeting rooms for the majority of the trip. So a break for an air conditioned lunch was appreciated before more sightseeing.
We then visited the main relaxing park in Mumbai (there aren’t many parks), marine walk which provides great views over the water of the Mumbai skyline and we then headed back to the hotel to chill out and have dinner at TGI Fridays and an early night.
Tomorrow we head off for Bangalore, which im told has far spicier Indian food then Mumbai – yum yum, my stomach is already rumbling (or perhaps griping?) at the prospect.
Au Revoir
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
