The purpose of this documentary was to demonstrate how you can use social media applications & Cisco technology to stay in touch while abroad and educate internal/external communities on the breadth of capabilities that can be achieved via the network as the platform.
I wanted to thank all of you for following my documentary blog series as I travelled to India. I hope that you all found the blog series worthwhile. I’d love to hear your feedback regarding the blog series and understand what you liked, what I could’ve done better, etc… Please feel free to comment on the blog/ contact me directly with suggestions.
Furthermore, I wanted to thank my management team (Kristin White, Shayne Fulford, Swati Daniel, Gabriel Negrete, and Viji Sriraman) for sponsoring my application to the GRC guest audit program and for encouraging me to apply. Without their support and flexibility, I never would’ve followed through on my application.
Lastly, I wanted to extend a big thank you to the GRC audit team (Ravi Channahalli, Swaroop Ramaswamy, Gautam Kumar, Tarun Damodaran, and Vinita Venugopal). Their support made the trip for me. The strong leadership, visibility, and collaboration from the team made the entire process seamless. We came together as a cohesive group, delivered quality results, and had a great time doing it.
I would encourage anyone who has an opportunity to apply for programs of this nature to do so. The experience not only made me a better professional, it made me a better human being.
I am truly grateful to have had this opportunity. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions/ comments that you may have.
Karl Laughton
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Hard Rock Bangalore - India Blog Series Post #5
Tuesday
Today was a great day. The team went out to lunch today at subway. I rode in my first auto rickshaw to lunch. It was dodgey to say the least. Auto rickshaws are essentially motorized bicycles with makeshift carriages welded onto them. There are no seat belts, and the drivers come within inches of accidents your entire ride.
After lunch I had the pleasure of meeting Amy Kwan -VP Finance Accounting Shared Services Organization, Mike ward – Director FASSO, and Robert Fulnecky bus ops manager onsite. Amy, Mike, and Rob are out here checking up on the status of our Fusion project. They gave a good speech on the importance of the Accenture- Cisco partnership as it relates to accounting excellence and enablement. If Accenture can drive OE, standardize, and focus on delivery, it will enable Cisco to work on our evolving business model as we enter into new market adjacencies and continue to drive top line growth through innovation. They brought it all together at the end by speaking to the importance of one Cisco, and how we view the Accenture staff as our own, 1 team, 1 Family, Cisco.
I worked the late shift this evening to finish my testing. My testing is now 100% complete. I’ll be conducting analysis, consolidation, and documenting my findings over the next few days. The team is going to the Cisco Bangalore campus tomorrow. I’m excited to finally see campus.
Wednesday
The Cisco Bangalore campus is absolutely stunning. The entire campus is run based on Cisco’s smart grid technology. Most of the campus runs on Cisco’s Smart and Connected Community platform, linking building utilities, security, and facilities maintenance to the network. Every building can be managed remotely, energy is optimized, and crisis management is integrated. The Bangalore campus is an operation model for the future of the commercial real estate industry. Every building leverages best in class green technology building practices. It’s truly one thing to hear about S+CC projects like Songdo, and another to experience them. Furthermore, the aesthetic presence of the buildings and forward thinking interior design make the Campus an absolute pleasure to visit.
After a tour in the morning, the Audit team gave a status update meeting to Amy Kwan and Mike Ward around the Fusion Audit. Immediately following the meeting, we were invited to the FABINDIA Finance all hands meeting where Amy spent 90 minutes reviewing Cisco’s FY10 financials, highlighting FY11 initiatives, and answering questions. The key takeaway I had from Amy’s presentation was that she echoed the same message as John did in the company all hands. It’s a good feeling to have a consistent message from your leadership team. Knowing that everyone is on the same page assures me that FY11 is going to be a strong year.
After work, the team went out for dinner at the Hard Rock Café. It’s clear at this point that the team has bonded very strongly. We’ve been very productive together from a deliverables perspective, and we can have a good time together outside of work. The team has made the trip seamless for me.
I’ve included some photos below from dinner and drinks. That’s right Ravi, the party didn’t stop after dinner…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53854912@N02/sets/72157625018325684/
Thursday
We partied pretty hard Wednesday, so the morning on Thursday was a bit of a struggle. After lunch I had a 2 hour Telepresence meeting with the audit management team and my counterpart on the audit. We consolidated our findings, presented our analysis and metrics, and offered recommendations to the team during the call. All of the groundwork for my piece of the audit is done, and the management team is up to speed. It’s a great feeling to be done and know that what I did while I was here made an impact on the audit.
After work I went out shopping to a place called HUM India. I would highly recommend it for anyone who visits Bangalore. It’s a designer outlet store that sells designer goods of all kinds which have been priced for India. I cleaned the store out, and have no idea how I’m going to get all this stuff home!
Tomorrow is my last day. My flight leaves at 6:30am which means that I have to leave the hotel at 3:00am. I am not looking forward to the 26 hour trip, but it’ll be good to be home.
I’ll close off the blog series with a final post when I get home, keep your eyes open for that.
Thanks for following,
Karl
Today was a great day. The team went out to lunch today at subway. I rode in my first auto rickshaw to lunch. It was dodgey to say the least. Auto rickshaws are essentially motorized bicycles with makeshift carriages welded onto them. There are no seat belts, and the drivers come within inches of accidents your entire ride.
After lunch I had the pleasure of meeting Amy Kwan -VP Finance Accounting Shared Services Organization, Mike ward – Director FASSO, and Robert Fulnecky bus ops manager onsite. Amy, Mike, and Rob are out here checking up on the status of our Fusion project. They gave a good speech on the importance of the Accenture- Cisco partnership as it relates to accounting excellence and enablement. If Accenture can drive OE, standardize, and focus on delivery, it will enable Cisco to work on our evolving business model as we enter into new market adjacencies and continue to drive top line growth through innovation. They brought it all together at the end by speaking to the importance of one Cisco, and how we view the Accenture staff as our own, 1 team, 1 Family, Cisco.
I worked the late shift this evening to finish my testing. My testing is now 100% complete. I’ll be conducting analysis, consolidation, and documenting my findings over the next few days. The team is going to the Cisco Bangalore campus tomorrow. I’m excited to finally see campus.
Wednesday
The Cisco Bangalore campus is absolutely stunning. The entire campus is run based on Cisco’s smart grid technology. Most of the campus runs on Cisco’s Smart and Connected Community platform, linking building utilities, security, and facilities maintenance to the network. Every building can be managed remotely, energy is optimized, and crisis management is integrated. The Bangalore campus is an operation model for the future of the commercial real estate industry. Every building leverages best in class green technology building practices. It’s truly one thing to hear about S+CC projects like Songdo, and another to experience them. Furthermore, the aesthetic presence of the buildings and forward thinking interior design make the Campus an absolute pleasure to visit.
After a tour in the morning, the Audit team gave a status update meeting to Amy Kwan and Mike Ward around the Fusion Audit. Immediately following the meeting, we were invited to the FABINDIA Finance all hands meeting where Amy spent 90 minutes reviewing Cisco’s FY10 financials, highlighting FY11 initiatives, and answering questions. The key takeaway I had from Amy’s presentation was that she echoed the same message as John did in the company all hands. It’s a good feeling to have a consistent message from your leadership team. Knowing that everyone is on the same page assures me that FY11 is going to be a strong year.
After work, the team went out for dinner at the Hard Rock Café. It’s clear at this point that the team has bonded very strongly. We’ve been very productive together from a deliverables perspective, and we can have a good time together outside of work. The team has made the trip seamless for me.
I’ve included some photos below from dinner and drinks. That’s right Ravi, the party didn’t stop after dinner…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53854912@N02/sets/72157625018325684/
Thursday
We partied pretty hard Wednesday, so the morning on Thursday was a bit of a struggle. After lunch I had a 2 hour Telepresence meeting with the audit management team and my counterpart on the audit. We consolidated our findings, presented our analysis and metrics, and offered recommendations to the team during the call. All of the groundwork for my piece of the audit is done, and the management team is up to speed. It’s a great feeling to be done and know that what I did while I was here made an impact on the audit.
After work I went out shopping to a place called HUM India. I would highly recommend it for anyone who visits Bangalore. It’s a designer outlet store that sells designer goods of all kinds which have been priced for India. I cleaned the store out, and have no idea how I’m going to get all this stuff home!
Tomorrow is my last day. My flight leaves at 6:30am which means that I have to leave the hotel at 3:00am. I am not looking forward to the 26 hour trip, but it’ll be good to be home.
I’ll close off the blog series with a final post when I get home, keep your eyes open for that.
Thanks for following,
Karl
Monday, September 20, 2010
The beaches of Goa - India blog series Post #4
Before I get into the last 4 days, I’ve included the full photo set from my last post below:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53854912@N02/sets/72157624872159933/
Friday
The team went out for lunch today. We’re really starting to open up to each other and mesh as a team. Everyone on the team adds something different, we are good together. My flight is at 6:00am Saturday Morning so I have to leave for the airport by 4:30am the next day. After work, we stop by a local liquor store for some weekend refreshments. I spent the rest of the evening grabbing dinner, packing, and drinking some local wine (Sula). There are very few options for reasonably priced wine here. A $15 bottle of Kendall Jackson, a low-mid range wine in the states at best, is roughly 10,000 Rs or $30-40 U.S. here. There’s huge opportunity for a wine import/export business here. If any of you capitalize on it, I expect a cut!
Saturday
The wakeup call comes at 4:00am and I’m regretting drinking so much Sula the previous night. Regardless, the anticipation for my trip to Goa pushes me through the morning struggle and I manage to get checked out and in my car to the airport on time. After a short flight, I’m on the shuttle to the Taj. The drive to the Taj lasts about an hour and gives me a great opportunity to take in the scenery. Goa is a western state situated off the coast of the Arabian Sea. The countryside is similar to that of a rainforest climate and is unlike anywhere I’ve ever been before.
There are two Taj hotels within a mile from each other, the Taj Fort Aguada and the Taj Holiday village. Both Hotels sit on the south end of Baga beach, looking over the Arabian Sea. I spend the first part of the day shuttling between both resorts and walking on the private beaches they retain. Its Monsoon season so the weather is overcast and rainfall occurs intermittently throughout the day. After touring the resorts and beaches, I treat myself to a massage and get ready to go to a Goan Bazaar later that afternoon.
Goan Bazaars are like U.S. flea markets on Steroids. Bargaining is an art form to the locals and the minute I walk in I’m hounded by all of the local vendors, each willing to “give you good deal”. I pick out a few items from one of the vendors and spend the next 30 minutes negotiating with her. I’ve negotiated with plenty of scalpers at Giants games before, but these ladies would put them out of business! Eventually I end up talking the vendor down from $2500Rs to $300Rs and am feeling pretty good about my accomplishment. After I finish the transaction, every vendor in the bazaar surrounds me. Now that they’ve seen me purchase something, the flood gates are open and I quickly decide that it’s time to get out of there.
I leave the bazaar and go to a restaurant on the beach. Fishing is a large part of the Goan economy as it boarders the ocean. I order a smoked salmon Caesar and crab cakes for lunch in the spirit of the fresh Goan seafood that’s been highly recommended to me. The seafood lived up to its hype 110%! The fish was absolutely incredible, and I could taste how fresh it was. What an incredible meal.
After lunch I head to the hotel lounge for some drinks before dinner. Even though it’s starting to rain pretty hard, I can realize the potential these resorts have during the summer time. Each resort has a bar overlooking the ocean, poolside lounge, and their own private beach. The landscape is unique as each resort sits 50M from the beach in the front and is engulfed by forestation in the back.
I’ve included some photos below:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53854912@N02/sets/72157624996538042/
After dinner I take a shuttle to the Holiday village which has a club called Caravela. Caravela was livelier than I expected for Monsoon season and turned out to be a great time.
Sunday
I take the opportunity to sleep in Sunday and wake up just in time for lunch! I hit the hotel lounge for lunch and have some Coronas by the beach. Over a few drinks I end up meeting a group of Indian Private Equity guys. They’re all Ivy League types who did their schooling in the U.S. and have a taste for the finer things in life. After exchanging business cards, I leave the lounge and hop on the shuttle back to the airport. My flight was delayed by an hour and I don’t get back to the Hotel until 10PM that night. After unpacking again, I ordered some food and get ready for work the next day.
Monday
Today turned out to be a very productive day. I’m %85 done testing and have completed some good analysis around some of the exception types were seeing. The team went out to lunch at a vegetarian restaurant, not my favorite, but it turned out to be surprisingly good. After work I went to Brigid road, a shopping hub in Bangalore. I got most of my shopping for the trip done today. I really love the purchasing power of the dollar over here but realize that it’s not that much less expensive than the states. Any comparable shop/restaurant is considered very upscale here, and the prices reflect it. Furthermore, I don’t think that the pay cut employees take over here is parallel to the relative prices of goods, just my opinion.
I’m working late tomorrow to finish up my testing as the only Theatre I have left is Latin America and the analysts who support LATAM work the 6:30PM-3:30AM shift. It’s pretty ironic that I came all the way out here and will be working U.S. hours tomorrow. The team is going on a tour of the Cisco Bangalore campus Wednesday and then out for dinner at the Hard Rock. I’m really looking forward to that. There’s also a Jimi Hendrix inspired bar called “Purple Haze” here that we’re going to hit up on Thursday so lot’s more to come before I leave!
Stay tuned!
Thanks for following,
Karl
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53854912@N02/sets/72157624872159933/
Friday
The team went out for lunch today. We’re really starting to open up to each other and mesh as a team. Everyone on the team adds something different, we are good together. My flight is at 6:00am Saturday Morning so I have to leave for the airport by 4:30am the next day. After work, we stop by a local liquor store for some weekend refreshments. I spent the rest of the evening grabbing dinner, packing, and drinking some local wine (Sula). There are very few options for reasonably priced wine here. A $15 bottle of Kendall Jackson, a low-mid range wine in the states at best, is roughly 10,000 Rs or $30-40 U.S. here. There’s huge opportunity for a wine import/export business here. If any of you capitalize on it, I expect a cut!
Saturday
The wakeup call comes at 4:00am and I’m regretting drinking so much Sula the previous night. Regardless, the anticipation for my trip to Goa pushes me through the morning struggle and I manage to get checked out and in my car to the airport on time. After a short flight, I’m on the shuttle to the Taj. The drive to the Taj lasts about an hour and gives me a great opportunity to take in the scenery. Goa is a western state situated off the coast of the Arabian Sea. The countryside is similar to that of a rainforest climate and is unlike anywhere I’ve ever been before.
There are two Taj hotels within a mile from each other, the Taj Fort Aguada and the Taj Holiday village. Both Hotels sit on the south end of Baga beach, looking over the Arabian Sea. I spend the first part of the day shuttling between both resorts and walking on the private beaches they retain. Its Monsoon season so the weather is overcast and rainfall occurs intermittently throughout the day. After touring the resorts and beaches, I treat myself to a massage and get ready to go to a Goan Bazaar later that afternoon.
Goan Bazaars are like U.S. flea markets on Steroids. Bargaining is an art form to the locals and the minute I walk in I’m hounded by all of the local vendors, each willing to “give you good deal”. I pick out a few items from one of the vendors and spend the next 30 minutes negotiating with her. I’ve negotiated with plenty of scalpers at Giants games before, but these ladies would put them out of business! Eventually I end up talking the vendor down from $2500Rs to $300Rs and am feeling pretty good about my accomplishment. After I finish the transaction, every vendor in the bazaar surrounds me. Now that they’ve seen me purchase something, the flood gates are open and I quickly decide that it’s time to get out of there.
I leave the bazaar and go to a restaurant on the beach. Fishing is a large part of the Goan economy as it boarders the ocean. I order a smoked salmon Caesar and crab cakes for lunch in the spirit of the fresh Goan seafood that’s been highly recommended to me. The seafood lived up to its hype 110%! The fish was absolutely incredible, and I could taste how fresh it was. What an incredible meal.
After lunch I head to the hotel lounge for some drinks before dinner. Even though it’s starting to rain pretty hard, I can realize the potential these resorts have during the summer time. Each resort has a bar overlooking the ocean, poolside lounge, and their own private beach. The landscape is unique as each resort sits 50M from the beach in the front and is engulfed by forestation in the back.
I’ve included some photos below:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53854912@N02/sets/72157624996538042/
After dinner I take a shuttle to the Holiday village which has a club called Caravela. Caravela was livelier than I expected for Monsoon season and turned out to be a great time.
Sunday
I take the opportunity to sleep in Sunday and wake up just in time for lunch! I hit the hotel lounge for lunch and have some Coronas by the beach. Over a few drinks I end up meeting a group of Indian Private Equity guys. They’re all Ivy League types who did their schooling in the U.S. and have a taste for the finer things in life. After exchanging business cards, I leave the lounge and hop on the shuttle back to the airport. My flight was delayed by an hour and I don’t get back to the Hotel until 10PM that night. After unpacking again, I ordered some food and get ready for work the next day.
Monday
Today turned out to be a very productive day. I’m %85 done testing and have completed some good analysis around some of the exception types were seeing. The team went out to lunch at a vegetarian restaurant, not my favorite, but it turned out to be surprisingly good. After work I went to Brigid road, a shopping hub in Bangalore. I got most of my shopping for the trip done today. I really love the purchasing power of the dollar over here but realize that it’s not that much less expensive than the states. Any comparable shop/restaurant is considered very upscale here, and the prices reflect it. Furthermore, I don’t think that the pay cut employees take over here is parallel to the relative prices of goods, just my opinion.
I’m working late tomorrow to finish up my testing as the only Theatre I have left is Latin America and the analysts who support LATAM work the 6:30PM-3:30AM shift. It’s pretty ironic that I came all the way out here and will be working U.S. hours tomorrow. The team is going on a tour of the Cisco Bangalore campus Wednesday and then out for dinner at the Hard Rock. I’m really looking forward to that. There’s also a Jimi Hendrix inspired bar called “Purple Haze” here that we’re going to hit up on Thursday so lot’s more to come before I leave!
Stay tuned!
Thanks for following,
Karl
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Bangalore, Professionally : Post #3
Monday
I spent the remainder of my day Sunday reviewing the FY09 audit report, narratives, and existing SOX Procure to Pay control environment. After breakfast and 3 cups of coffee (I couldn’t resist!) my driver picks me up at 8am sharp. I’ve been told that the Accenture building is 60-90 minutes from my hotel depending on traffic, and that I need to be there by 9 am.
Traffic ended up being extremely light and I arrived at the Accenture building 30 minutes early. My audit manager calls me to inform me that a team member is on his way and shortly after getting off the call with my audit manager, Tarun lets me into the building.
I spent the remainder of my day Sunday reviewing the FY09 audit report, narratives, and existing SOX Procure to Pay control environment. After breakfast and 3 cups of coffee (I couldn’t resist!) my driver picks me up at 8am sharp. I’ve been told that the Accenture building is 60-90 minutes from my hotel depending on traffic, and that I need to be there by 9 am.
Traffic ended up being extremely light and I arrived at the Accenture building 30 minutes early. My audit manager calls me to inform me that a team member is on his way and shortly after getting off the call with my audit manager, Tarun lets me into the building.
Due to the fact that we’re working at the Accenture outsource building, security is very tight inside and outside of the building. Laptops are registered at the front desk, no cameras are allowed, you’re given a security badge and must scan in and out of every door in the building, and the Accenture staff doesn’t have internet access. The Accenture/ Cisco team is allowed to operate on the Intranet exclusively. They have a separate room off the network dedicated to external internet usage.
My team takes me out to lunch at an authentic biryani restaurant. They ordered me the “less spicy” biryani and I was borderline sweating the entire meal! South Indian food really means business! Day 1 is spent meeting the team, laying the foundational groundwork, learning the data repositories, and familiarizing myself with the audit process.
Paul picks me up at 5pm and we return to the hotel where I post my next blog, hit the gym, and treat myself to a big steak and glass of red wine.
Tuesday
After breakfast Paul drives me to the Accenture office. Traffic is heavier today and it takes roughly 45 minutes to get into the office. Once I get into the office, the testing begins. My portion of the audit is a QA check on T&E Accenture analysts. Essentially, whenever an employee expense report is filed (an employee needs to file an expense report to get reimbursed for company incurred expenses) the ER is sent to our shared services team in Bangalore. They follow desktop procedures (DTP’s) to make sure that the ER falls within Cisco’s employee expense policy, the appropriate approvals are there, receipts are accurately scanned and included, etc…. I’m given a sample of 120 expense reports that have been randomly selected across each theatre world wide. I’m responsible for auditing each expense report with a T&E analyst to understand their methodology for processing expense reports and find out what’s actually happening in the Bangalore office vs. what’s supposed to be happening.
I can’t disclose any of the audit findings due to Cisco confidentiality reasons, but I’m learning a ton and am enjoying the work that I’m doing. Going through each ER is taxing and stressful, but it’s rewarding when your understanding of the entire process all of a sudden clicks together. I took some pictures of the Accenture/Cisco offices.
Paul picks me up at 5pm and we return to the hotel where I post my next blog, hit the gym, and treat myself to a big steak and glass of red wine.
Tuesday
After breakfast Paul drives me to the Accenture office. Traffic is heavier today and it takes roughly 45 minutes to get into the office. Once I get into the office, the testing begins. My portion of the audit is a QA check on T&E Accenture analysts. Essentially, whenever an employee expense report is filed (an employee needs to file an expense report to get reimbursed for company incurred expenses) the ER is sent to our shared services team in Bangalore. They follow desktop procedures (DTP’s) to make sure that the ER falls within Cisco’s employee expense policy, the appropriate approvals are there, receipts are accurately scanned and included, etc…. I’m given a sample of 120 expense reports that have been randomly selected across each theatre world wide. I’m responsible for auditing each expense report with a T&E analyst to understand their methodology for processing expense reports and find out what’s actually happening in the Bangalore office vs. what’s supposed to be happening.
I can’t disclose any of the audit findings due to Cisco confidentiality reasons, but I’m learning a ton and am enjoying the work that I’m doing. Going through each ER is taxing and stressful, but it’s rewarding when your understanding of the entire process all of a sudden clicks together. I took some pictures of the Accenture/Cisco offices.
Wednesday
"Concentration is the essence of all knowledge; nothing can be done without it. Ninety percent of thought force is wasted by the ordinary human being, and therefore he is constantly committing blunders; the trained man or mind never makes a mistake." - Swami Vivekananda
This quote was posted in the cube I was working in today; I thought I share it with you. Today was a good day.
"Concentration is the essence of all knowledge; nothing can be done without it. Ninety percent of thought force is wasted by the ordinary human being, and therefore he is constantly committing blunders; the trained man or mind never makes a mistake." - Swami Vivekananda
This quote was posted in the cube I was working in today; I thought I share it with you. Today was a good day.
I took a 6 am call with some folks from the states and then headed into the office after breakfast. I spent the entire day testing and made some major headway. We have an update meeting tomorrow with all of process owners to share preliminary audit findings, so I spend the last hour or so of the day preparing for that. I’m headed out for dinner and then to a night club with one of my coworkers. I just discovered that in the state of Karnataka, all clubs and bars close at 11:30PM (Lame!!!), at least it will ensure an early night for me. It’s a good thing that I’m planning a weekend trip!
Thursday
Last night my coworker, Tarun, and I went to City Bar located in UB city. UB stands for United Breweries, the multinational brewing corporation that owns Kingfisher (Asia’s Budweiser). Their CEO is rumored to be one of the most powerful men in Asia.
Thursday
Last night my coworker, Tarun, and I went to City Bar located in UB city. UB stands for United Breweries, the multinational brewing corporation that owns Kingfisher (Asia’s Budweiser). Their CEO is rumored to be one of the most powerful men in Asia.
City Bar was located on the 4th floor of a shopping mall. It was an outside bar and was absolutely packed for a Wednesday night. It was surprising to see the Indian nightlife in its true form. There were people of all ages at the bar, from 18-50! Techno music was playing in the background and I must say that there were some good lookin birds out and about! Unfortunately as I’m told the way it usually is, the number of European dressed Indian men far outnumbered the amount of women there. The vibe of the bar was very upbeat and I enjoyed myself. It was nice getting out of the Hotel for a night.
The team had a 9am update meeting this morning with all of our process owners. The meeting went smoothly and gave us an opportunity to share some of our preliminary findings. I spent the remainder of the day testing and have now completed 50% of my sample, putting me ahead of schedule from a testing perspective.
The team had a 9am update meeting this morning with all of our process owners. The meeting went smoothly and gave us an opportunity to share some of our preliminary findings. I spent the remainder of the day testing and have now completed 50% of my sample, putting me ahead of schedule from a testing perspective.
I just booked my flight for Goa this weekend. Even though we’re in the middle of Monsoon season, I’m hoping for good weather. Either way, I’m staying at the Taj so it’ll be 5 star accommodations and a good weekend trip. Goa is supposed to be one of the bigger tourist spots in India. It boarders the Arabian Sea and is renowned for its beautiful beaches. Also, I hear that the beaches of Goa during Monsoon season are majestic.
I’ll check back in after the weekend.
Karl
Monday, September 13, 2010
A Weekend In Bangalore - Post #2
The last three days have been eye opening to say the least. Check out my activities over the last three days below (I’ve included some pictures and videos to supplement you’re reading experience):
Friday
10,000 miles and 26 hours of travelling later and I’ve finally arrived at my hotel in Bangalore. It’s 6am local time and I’m overwhelmed with exhaustion. The first thing that I noticed when I was checking in was the absolute hospitable nature of the people at the hotel. Everyone greets you by putting their hands together and bowing, wishing you a great day. Every door was opened for me, and my bags were taken up to my room. The hospitality is almost overwhelming and will take some getting used to. Furthermore, they employ a centralized tipping system, so you can’t individually tip any hotel staff which I’ll soon discover speaks volumes to the culture of the people.
My room is modest but comfortable and the view from my balcony overlooks the central courtyard of the hotel which is enriched with tropical vegetation (see below)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53854912@N02/sets/72157624814871025/
After a few feeble attempts of trying to get some sleep I’ve come to the realization that I’m still jet lagged and may as well make the most of my day. I take the next few hours to get accustomed to the hotel and what it has to offer. After a haircut, lunch, and some poolside relaxation I headed out on the town to run some errands. Walking outside the hotel gates into the streets of Bangalore made it very apparent that outside the gates of my 5 star hotel was a whole different world.
The streets are flooded with construction due to a metro project that is currently underway and are mostly still undeveloped around the hotel because of how fast demand for city infrastructure has grown over the last 10 years. Traffic floods the streets on a busy Friday afternoon and after a short walk I arrive at Bangalore centre. Bangalore centre is a 5 story shopping centre that houses clothing shops, grocery stores, a cinema, a small night club, and more. I purchase some toiletries, water, a few other small items and am on my way back to the hotel. On my way back to the hotel I’m heckled by some of the locals who try to offer me a ride and tell me that they work for a government business. As I was previously advised, I keep walking and after several attempts to get my attention they finally leave me alone. It’s obvious that they’ve pegged me as a tourist a mile away, and being approached by them is quite nerve racking. This is my first major business trip, first trip to a third world country, and I’m travelling alone to boot! Furthermore, for those of you who know my sense of direction, you’ll know how nervous even a small trip in a foreign area can make me. Let’s just say I was glad to make it back to the Hotel without conflict, phew!
I’ve arranged with my driver to go on a city tour early in the morning so I grab a quick bite to eat, refreshment at the Hotel bar, and call it a night.
Saturday
Breakfast at the Hotel is included with your room and has been one of my favorite perks so far. The spread of sausages, bacon, omelets, hash browns, etc… is just what I need to start my day right. After a wholesome meal I meet my driver, Paul, at the hotel lobby. Paul has been arranged to be my driver for the entirety of my stay in Bangalore and has thus far been a huge help. He’s Roman Catholic and speaks quite good English. He’s also a Bangalore native and lives a Hindu lifestyle. Paul has brought along his friend who just by chance is a Bangalore tour guide by profession. For the next several hours, Paul and my tour guide take me for an all inclusive tour of Bangalore which was one of the most informative and rewarding experiences that I’ve had on my trip thus far. I put together a video and pictures below to give you a glimpse of my tour and a taste of Bangalore:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlSqGOMInHQ
During my tour I’m told that this weekend is the weekend of both the Ganesh Chaturthi and Ramazan festivals, both major festivals in the Hindu and Muslim religions respectively. I’m fortunate as the two festivals have never fallen on the same day before so I get to see a very diverse and religious perspective to the City during my tour. The highlight of my tour was visiting the Nandi temple and receiving a blessing. Nandi is the name of Lord Shiva’ bull, any Nandi temple is regarded as a temple of Lord Shiva himself. Shiva is the Hindu God of everything and I’m told that a blessing from Shiva puts everything at ease. I’m truly grateful to have been part of the Ganesh festival and had the experience of visiting the Nandi temple. It has certainly broadened my horizon and opened my soul to the meaning of religious and spiritual dedication. (see below)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53854912@N02/sets/72157624815423587/
After my tour is over I took some time to reflect upon what I had just experienced. Among many other realizations that come to mind about what I had just witnessed, my major take away from the tour was that regardless of spiritual or religious belief, the 7 million people of Bangalore coexist with less than a 4% crime rate. Not once on my tour did I see any armed policemen, crime, or acts of hatred. The inherent kindness and accepting nature of people here is something that we can all learn from.
Later that evening I had an incredible Thai dinner at one of the Hotel restaurants. Tucked away in the royal palms scouring the hotel, this bamboo Thai restaurant was just the elegant dining experience I needed after a long day.
Sunday
I met a couple of Americans this morning in the Gym. Tom is an aeronautical engineer and air force veteran who manages a team of engineers out here. Angela works for Thomas Reuter’s and is implementing Cisco Telephony in their Bangalore call center. Hopefully I’ll be seeing more of them during my stay here. It was good to run into some friendly faces and have some good conversation. I’ve spent the last hour or so recounting my experiences thus far on the trip. I’m attending a special Hotel brunch put together for the festival in an hour or so and then spending the rest of my day preparing for the work week tomorrow.
I’ll catch you all up to speed after a few of my first workdays.
Thanks again for following.
Karl
Friday
10,000 miles and 26 hours of travelling later and I’ve finally arrived at my hotel in Bangalore. It’s 6am local time and I’m overwhelmed with exhaustion. The first thing that I noticed when I was checking in was the absolute hospitable nature of the people at the hotel. Everyone greets you by putting their hands together and bowing, wishing you a great day. Every door was opened for me, and my bags were taken up to my room. The hospitality is almost overwhelming and will take some getting used to. Furthermore, they employ a centralized tipping system, so you can’t individually tip any hotel staff which I’ll soon discover speaks volumes to the culture of the people.
My room is modest but comfortable and the view from my balcony overlooks the central courtyard of the hotel which is enriched with tropical vegetation (see below)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53854912@N02/sets/72157624814871025/
After a few feeble attempts of trying to get some sleep I’ve come to the realization that I’m still jet lagged and may as well make the most of my day. I take the next few hours to get accustomed to the hotel and what it has to offer. After a haircut, lunch, and some poolside relaxation I headed out on the town to run some errands. Walking outside the hotel gates into the streets of Bangalore made it very apparent that outside the gates of my 5 star hotel was a whole different world.
The streets are flooded with construction due to a metro project that is currently underway and are mostly still undeveloped around the hotel because of how fast demand for city infrastructure has grown over the last 10 years. Traffic floods the streets on a busy Friday afternoon and after a short walk I arrive at Bangalore centre. Bangalore centre is a 5 story shopping centre that houses clothing shops, grocery stores, a cinema, a small night club, and more. I purchase some toiletries, water, a few other small items and am on my way back to the hotel. On my way back to the hotel I’m heckled by some of the locals who try to offer me a ride and tell me that they work for a government business. As I was previously advised, I keep walking and after several attempts to get my attention they finally leave me alone. It’s obvious that they’ve pegged me as a tourist a mile away, and being approached by them is quite nerve racking. This is my first major business trip, first trip to a third world country, and I’m travelling alone to boot! Furthermore, for those of you who know my sense of direction, you’ll know how nervous even a small trip in a foreign area can make me. Let’s just say I was glad to make it back to the Hotel without conflict, phew!
I’ve arranged with my driver to go on a city tour early in the morning so I grab a quick bite to eat, refreshment at the Hotel bar, and call it a night.
Saturday
Breakfast at the Hotel is included with your room and has been one of my favorite perks so far. The spread of sausages, bacon, omelets, hash browns, etc… is just what I need to start my day right. After a wholesome meal I meet my driver, Paul, at the hotel lobby. Paul has been arranged to be my driver for the entirety of my stay in Bangalore and has thus far been a huge help. He’s Roman Catholic and speaks quite good English. He’s also a Bangalore native and lives a Hindu lifestyle. Paul has brought along his friend who just by chance is a Bangalore tour guide by profession. For the next several hours, Paul and my tour guide take me for an all inclusive tour of Bangalore which was one of the most informative and rewarding experiences that I’ve had on my trip thus far. I put together a video and pictures below to give you a glimpse of my tour and a taste of Bangalore:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlSqGOMInHQ
During my tour I’m told that this weekend is the weekend of both the Ganesh Chaturthi and Ramazan festivals, both major festivals in the Hindu and Muslim religions respectively. I’m fortunate as the two festivals have never fallen on the same day before so I get to see a very diverse and religious perspective to the City during my tour. The highlight of my tour was visiting the Nandi temple and receiving a blessing. Nandi is the name of Lord Shiva’ bull, any Nandi temple is regarded as a temple of Lord Shiva himself. Shiva is the Hindu God of everything and I’m told that a blessing from Shiva puts everything at ease. I’m truly grateful to have been part of the Ganesh festival and had the experience of visiting the Nandi temple. It has certainly broadened my horizon and opened my soul to the meaning of religious and spiritual dedication. (see below)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53854912@N02/sets/72157624815423587/
After my tour is over I took some time to reflect upon what I had just experienced. Among many other realizations that come to mind about what I had just witnessed, my major take away from the tour was that regardless of spiritual or religious belief, the 7 million people of Bangalore coexist with less than a 4% crime rate. Not once on my tour did I see any armed policemen, crime, or acts of hatred. The inherent kindness and accepting nature of people here is something that we can all learn from.
Later that evening I had an incredible Thai dinner at one of the Hotel restaurants. Tucked away in the royal palms scouring the hotel, this bamboo Thai restaurant was just the elegant dining experience I needed after a long day.
Sunday
I met a couple of Americans this morning in the Gym. Tom is an aeronautical engineer and air force veteran who manages a team of engineers out here. Angela works for Thomas Reuter’s and is implementing Cisco Telephony in their Bangalore call center. Hopefully I’ll be seeing more of them during my stay here. It was good to run into some friendly faces and have some good conversation. I’ve spent the last hour or so recounting my experiences thus far on the trip. I’m attending a special Hotel brunch put together for the festival in an hour or so and then spending the rest of my day preparing for the work week tomorrow.
I’ll catch you all up to speed after a few of my first workdays.
Thanks again for following.
Karl
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Bangalore Series Post #1
As I get ready to leave for India on a 3 week Governance, Risk, and Control audit I’d like to share some words given to me by one of the most intelligent Men I know, my Father:
“I am just sitting here thinking about your trip to India. I wish you the best experience possible.India is an ancient culture which is based in spirituality more than materialism. The essence of its deep spiritual knowledge is the Bhagavad Gita. Many westerners, including your old man, have been captivated by the Gita. These westerners include some of the top genius intellectuals that we westerners can produce. The Gita is serious business.
I will leave you with a few quotes from the Gita:
“Man is made by his belief. As he believes, so he is.”
“The mind is restless and difficult to restrain, but it is subdued by practice.”
“Delusion arises from anger. The mind is bewildered by delusion. Reasoning is destroyed when the mind is bewildered. One falls down when reasoning is destroyed.”
“There has never been a time when you and I have not existed, nor will there be a time when we will cease to exist. As the same person inhabits the body through childhood, youth, and old age, so too at the time of death he attains another body. The wise are not deluded by these changes.”
Karl, if you want to understand India, I suggest that you read the Gita. It is a short poem, and very profound. If a white western guy like you shows some basic understanding of the Gita, you will be seen in a much more inviting way in India. More importantly, you will open your soul to god."
The Bhagavad Gita (Sanskrit भगवद्गीता, Bhagavad Gītā, "Song of God"), also more simply known as Gita, is a sacred Hindu scripture, considered among the most important texts in the history of literature and philosophy. The Bhagavad Gita comprises roughly 700 verses, and is a part of the Mahabharata. The teacher of the Bhagavad Gita is Lord Krishna, who is revered by Hindus as a manifestation of God (Parabrahman) himself,[3] and is referred to within as Bhagavan, the Divine One.
I’m going into this trip with an open mind and heart and have been told that by doing so, the people of India are gracious hosts.
Scope of the Audit
The audit is an integrated audit focused on Fusion Invoice-to-Pay processes covering Financial, Operational and IT areas. Bangalore India has emerged as a world Technology Hub for IT services and outsourcing models. Many of the Major Technology leaders have outsourced high touch financial processes to India to maximize cost effectiveness and leverage the technology infrastructure that has been growing in India over the last 10 years. I wanted to share my experiences with you over the next several weeks to give you an understanding of how a large scale Technology company conducts travel, QA, and Internal Audit activities.
Please follow my mini blog series over the next 3 weeks if you’d like to get a first hand perspective of an end to end Bangalore visit. I’ll make sure to include photos, videos, and more to keep you all in the loop as accurately as possible.
Thanks for following,
Karl Laughton
“I am just sitting here thinking about your trip to India. I wish you the best experience possible.India is an ancient culture which is based in spirituality more than materialism. The essence of its deep spiritual knowledge is the Bhagavad Gita. Many westerners, including your old man, have been captivated by the Gita. These westerners include some of the top genius intellectuals that we westerners can produce. The Gita is serious business.
I will leave you with a few quotes from the Gita:
“Man is made by his belief. As he believes, so he is.”
“The mind is restless and difficult to restrain, but it is subdued by practice.”
“Delusion arises from anger. The mind is bewildered by delusion. Reasoning is destroyed when the mind is bewildered. One falls down when reasoning is destroyed.”
“There has never been a time when you and I have not existed, nor will there be a time when we will cease to exist. As the same person inhabits the body through childhood, youth, and old age, so too at the time of death he attains another body. The wise are not deluded by these changes.”
Karl, if you want to understand India, I suggest that you read the Gita. It is a short poem, and very profound. If a white western guy like you shows some basic understanding of the Gita, you will be seen in a much more inviting way in India. More importantly, you will open your soul to god."
The Bhagavad Gita (Sanskrit भगवद्गीता, Bhagavad Gītā, "Song of God"), also more simply known as Gita, is a sacred Hindu scripture, considered among the most important texts in the history of literature and philosophy. The Bhagavad Gita comprises roughly 700 verses, and is a part of the Mahabharata. The teacher of the Bhagavad Gita is Lord Krishna, who is revered by Hindus as a manifestation of God (Parabrahman) himself,[3] and is referred to within as Bhagavan, the Divine One.
I’m going into this trip with an open mind and heart and have been told that by doing so, the people of India are gracious hosts.
Scope of the Audit
The audit is an integrated audit focused on Fusion Invoice-to-Pay processes covering Financial, Operational and IT areas. Bangalore India has emerged as a world Technology Hub for IT services and outsourcing models. Many of the Major Technology leaders have outsourced high touch financial processes to India to maximize cost effectiveness and leverage the technology infrastructure that has been growing in India over the last 10 years. I wanted to share my experiences with you over the next several weeks to give you an understanding of how a large scale Technology company conducts travel, QA, and Internal Audit activities.
Please follow my mini blog series over the next 3 weeks if you’d like to get a first hand perspective of an end to end Bangalore visit. I’ll make sure to include photos, videos, and more to keep you all in the loop as accurately as possible.
Thanks for following,
Karl Laughton
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