Thanksgiving, weather, basketball and homesickness. Not necessarily in that order.

Another lazy Friday at the office. It’s awesome how nothing really ever gets done on Fridays around here. As for me, I’ll definitely be leaving the office around 2:30. I have to head to the customs office to try and pick up a package from my parents that they mailed to me almost three months ago!!! Yeah, this is the one that contains the digital camera that I’ve so desperately needed over the last four months! It’ll be nice to post pictures of the important stuff, like my apartment and the complex, my neighborhood, the monkey that breaks into Winnie’s kitchen to steal food, that kind of stuff.

Happy Thanksgiving! It was a bit of a depressing Thanksgiving. You really take family holidays for granted until you’re in Asia with only a few Americans who can really appreciate the importance of the day. Nonetheless, we found a way to make do. We made reservations at this restaurant called “The Only Place.” The place may have a strange name but it was literally the only place where we could find serving turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, pumpkin pie…they really had a very traditional Thanksgiving dinner. The food actually wasn’t too bad, but it wasn’t even the food that I missed the most. Thanksgiving is really about so much more than the extravagant dinner. It’s about sitting with your dad and football all day while your mother makes some ridiculous meal. In my house, the food was an all-day thing. There was an incredible breakfast when you woke up at 10:30 to catch the 11:05 kickoff, food and drink during both games, and then more family, dinner and drinking till the tryptophan kicks in and everyone passes out. This Thanksgiving was unique, but great because it made me really understand what I had to be thankful for. *tear*

So this weekend I will be playing in the Genie Inter-Corporate Basketball Tournament representing IndiaIT against teams from some of the other businesses in the area. Also in the league are teams from Goldman Sachs, Accenture, Siemens, General Electric, Robert Bosch and HSBC just to name a few. Really gives you an idea of the companies that have set up huge operations here in Bangalore. It should be fun. I’ve been shooting better than I have in recent memory, so I’m really looking forward to getting on the court and letting my competitive attitude rage! Matt and I are both on the team and will surely dominate. I’ll let you know what happens.

I’ve been a bit homesick lately. You’d think that it had a lot to do with Thanksgiving, or maybe the NFL season that I’ve been missing. Well, you’d be about 20% correct. But to tell you the truth, what’s really been making me miss the States has been the weather in Bangalore. It’s been cold (around 60) and slightly rainy for the past few days. You’d be surprised how well your body can recognize a familiar climate, but I’ve had this really eerie feeling that I’m actually in Chicago. My body is really quite confused, which has made me think of fall at Northwestern and how much fun everything would be. This weather is the weather that I’d walk to football games in, weather I’d walk to class in (albeit a rare occurrence), the weather I’d walk to Beta/Jake’s house in, the weather that I’d lug my saxophone in. I could go on, but you get the point.

Don’t get me wrong, I really love my time here in Bangalore and I know that it’s benefiting me in ways no other experience could. This has been the best decision of my life. But I still can’t wait to visit friends in the US and look forward to the time when I’ll be living close to my US friends on a permanent basis.

Alright, enough whining from me. Gotta go back to work, at least till 2:30.

Just hit a major low-point...

So I'm sitting here at work listening to some music from my laptop. Randomly, Miles Davis' All Blues comes on. I turned up the volume just a little bit, trying not to bother the people working around me.

Apparently I did bother someone because Neeraj, one of the guys who sits near me, came over to my computer to listen and learn. If I can make some of these Indians appreciate good music, the time I spend in India will have all been worthit. This in mind, my heart sunk when Neeraj asked this question:

"Ohhhhhhh.... Sounds good..... Nate, why are you listening to bagpipes?" (much funnier when said in an Indian accent)

I guess it shouldn't suprise me that people in India have no appreciation for America's only original artform.

Oh well, I didn't come here for the music.

Looks like we’re moving out

Quick side note: the King of Sweden, the Prince of Panama and the President of Indonesia were all visiting my campus today. Apparently this is the busy travel season for B-level dignitaries that nobody knew existed. There’s a King of Sweden? WTF?! And why is he visiting IT campuses in India?

Aaanyway...

So it would appear that many of the Americans living in Adarsh Gardens (the apartment complex where we are all put up) may finally be getting “kicked out.” Actually, we’re not getting kicked out as much as we’ve implicitly received several notices that we are no longer welcome there anymore. Our expulsion can easily be understood when the cultural differences are examined.

First of all, we are technically not allowed to have any alcohol in our apartments. Huge cultural difference #1!!!! In the US we have been completely socialized to expect the presence of alcohol at almost any gathering. A significant portion of the Indian population does not drink at all, and they expect not to be bothered by those who may decide to have a few chardonnays now and then. This would seem to be a completely reasonable request. However, here is the problem: The bars in Bangalore close around 11:30 PM. Of course this is clearly too early to end the party when it’s a Friday night and you’ve just finished a stressful week at work. The way we curtail the trend towards lameness is by having little post-party get-togethers at Adarsh Gardens. This requires a little booze. You can imagine where this is going… We come back around midnight, put on a little light music and enjoy each other’s company for a few more hours. Next thing you know, the superintendent is called in to quell the riot.

IndiaIT (what I can the company I work for) owns approximately 60 units in Adarsh Gardens. We are the only “permanent” residents; the other units are used to house employees who are only in town for a few weeks on a project. The original residents of the apartment complex would like nothing better than for IndiaIT to abandon these units, allowing them to be filled with Indian families who enjoy similar cultural values rather than the foreign business professionals that occupy a unit for only two. I can imagine it’s unsettling to have strange foreigners walking around your apartment complex amongst your small children. So they clearly want us gone ASAP.

There are other glaring differences between the Indian and American value system. The basic unit of Indian culture is the family, and this is really difficult for someone from the US to fully understand. Many of the families we live with have a few children, most of which are under the age of 12. You would think this would render the complex completely childproof and silent after dark. Not true, many Indian residents have rowdy get-togethers where music is played very loudly late into the night. Why are they allowed to be rowdy until the wee hours of the morning? Apparently it’s the presence of alcohol we bring that makes the difference. Then I ask, what difference does that make? The only way you could tell the difference between a non-alcoholic party and a fun party is by actually being present inside. The noise of the music, whether it is Bollywood or Black Eyed Peas, will sound the same from either type of party. I might even say that our music is played at a lesser volume. The conversation of the crown, whether in Hindi or slurred English, sounds the same emanating from either party. It is only the Americans, however, who receive complaints.

Here’s another significant cultural divide: In India, men are NEVER allowed in a female’s apartment. It’s just not done! In fact, it is common to see apartment complexes in India that only house women, just another way to maintain the status quo. So when two single women are living on their own and have male visitors on a consistent basis, only one conclusion can be made: the women operate a successful brothel. Apparently brothels are frowned upon in India, and Winnie and Laura’s apartment has caused several residents to complain about our lifestyle, especially when Scott and I spend so much time there. So this co-ed mingling that may seem completely normal for someone schooled in the US (unless, of course, you went to Notre Dame) is seen as living in sin here in India. Apparently it’s also an Indian value not avoid raising your children in the presence of sin. Man, the times, they are a changin’...

So with my circumstance (nowhere to hang out on weekends) and the situation of the residents (despising the presence of prostitutes) it’s safe to say that the residents will file a complaint any time they hear fun occurring after 11:00 PM. Bummer for us.

So who’s at fault here?

Nobody. The Americans hired to work here in Bangalore were assured that our living situation in India would be comparable to what we could expect in the US. This means that the men can hang out with the opposite sex, alcohol can be legally consumed, and we are given the same courtesy as any Indian family living in the complex. However, this does not seem to be the case. Yes, there is a double standard for Indians having parties and Americans having parties, but it’s merely a result of two completely opposite groups of people being forced to coexist in the same complex. Neither behavior is inappropriate.

The best decision would be to simply move to a place where we can enjoy our lifestyle of choice. Listen, it’s not like we’re crazy alcoholics who have sexy parties seven nights a week. We’re relatively calm, relatively intelligent Americans who went to some of the best schools in the US. We were all successful, so we obviously know how to handle ourselves and balance work and play. But when you get down to it, we’re all around 22 years of age. We’ve just graduated from American universities and we’re not quite ready to let go of that lifestyle, and that’s OK! It would just be a mutually beneficial arrangement for the residents and us to find a place that is conducive to our style of living.

Any parent of a teenager can tell you, those of us in the 17 – 24 age group are going to find a way to “have fun” (however you interpret this) no matter what rules are imposed. We might as well do this in a place where young, conservative families are not present. Let’s just say that we’d like to live a PG-13 existence where our neighbors are really not comfortable with anything close to PG. We’d like to fit in a curse word here and there, but our neighbors reject mildly suggestive dialogue.

Now how do we go about finding an apartment in India? I’ll keep you updated.

Heaven on Earth

Where does true paradise exist? I suppose the answers would be infinite, as no two people could possibly have the same setting in mind. You ask: Why on earth would Nate pose such a deep, nebulous question to the simple readers of his blog who, on average, lack the mental capacity required to effectively screw in a lightbulb? The reason I bring this up is simple: I have recently discovered my own paradise. This place is Sri Lanka.

For the nearly four months that I’ve known Winnie AsianName she has spoken at great length about this magical place called Sri Lanka. Her description seemed impossible. Picturesque beaches, beautiful people, rainforest covered mountains, fulfilling relief efforts, insane party scene, peace and harmony amongst the gracious people who deal with the aftermath of the tsunami on a daily basis… how could all these things exist in the same place? I don’t know, but Winnie has never been more right in her entire life.

For the last week, I have been lounging on the beaches of Unawatuna Bay, rebuilding the schools of Boossa, hiking the palm-covered mountains of Kandy and relaxing in villages found deep in the rainforest. This was most definitely one of, if not the, greatest vacation of my life. I will do my best to recount the experience that brought me close to quitting my job and becoming a beach bum for the remainder of my existence.

Words just can't describe...

Part I: Arrival and the beaches of Unawatuna

Winnie, Juan and I arrived in Colombo around 11:00 PM on Friday the 28^th. We grabbed a taxi and drove the 40 minutes to our hotel near the beach where we checked in and immediately ventured into the city to find a cozy watering hole where we could kick off our vacation. We eventually found our way to a bar called R&B. (I have no idea what that stands for.) This turned into a normal evening out with the crew: drinking too much, dancing more than I should be allowed to dance, hitting on people I had no business hitting on, finding my way home. Definitely nothing new to my loyal readers.

The next day we found a bus to take us to Galle, which is a city along the southern cost of Sri Lanka. This bus ride was really an eye-opener. The entire drive was along the coastline where you saw the remains of countless houses, businesses, hotels, fishing shacks, etc. For the most part, all that remained were concrete foundations that you wouldn’t recognize unless you were aware of the devastation caused by the tsunami.

We arrived in Galle and grabbed a Tuk Tuk (a Sri Lankan rickshaw) that took us to our hotel near the beach called Thambupanni. Our room was amazing! It required a Swiss Family Robinson-style climb to our front door found in the tree tops, but the hike was well worth it. We met up with a few of the friends Winnie knew from her days of tsunami relief work and had a grand old time. That night, we met the bartender/waiter/manager/DJ/hippie of the Lucky Tuna, Rikas, who quickly became our best friend. We would spend the next 3 or 4 days on the beach at his restaurant eating, drinking, relaxing on the beach and playing with his dogs Pinkie and Saddam. Only pictures can accurately describe this experience. This is the best I can do:

I managed to make a few friends

This was my scenery for an entire week

Hiking behind our hotel arond Unawatuna beach

My days consisted of waking up around 11:00 AM, heading to the beach for breakfast, laying on the beach reading a book, swimming in the ocean, climbing rocks to the Buddhist temples, hanging out with Rikas, basking in the glory of this tropical paradise.

We heard some incredible stories from the tsunami. Like how Rikas was on the beach when the tsunami hit. He was beaten by the ocean but was able to maintain the state of mind to find a way to swim to find air. Once he had taken hold of the roof of a house, and was able to pull three struggling tourists dangling from a tree to safety. So he saved three lives, no big deal to him.

Or about Sunil, whose bar and restaurant was destroyed by the tsunami. Juan and I were lucky enough to stumble upon his restaurant the first day it was open since it was demolished. He gave us our first beer for free. When I refused to take the beer for free (a big beer in Sri Lanka is about $1) he explained that it was a day to celebrate and remember his mother and son who perished in the tsunami. Sunil might have been the happiest guy I met on the trip, yet possibly the one who lost the most in the last year.

Simply incredible stories.

I also spent time while on vacation helping to get a school back on its feet. We spent hours painting classroom furniture and rebuilding a wall almost destroyed by the waters. There were about 200 children around at the time and they couldn’t have been happier to have us around. What a rewarding experience that really made drinking that night all the more rewarding.

Winnie, myself and Juan after a day of relief work

Part II: Kandy and rainforest

After a few days on the beach we decided to see the rest of Sri Lanka. So we hopped on a train headed to Kandy. We spent 7 hours on the train, but the ride flew by as I sat by the window, listened to my iPod and watched the coastline go by as the sea breeze hit my face.

One of the incredible views out the window of my train

Kandy reminded me of Colorado in the summer, if Colorado had palm trees and huge Buddhist temples nestled in the mountains. Here we stayed in a guest house that cost us about $4 a night per person that had a great view of the scenery. We spent the first day hiking to a Buddhist temple on a neighboring peak. On the way we met a man who took us to the school where his brother teaches a few thousand students.

The Buddhist temple was definitely worth the hike…
…as was the view…

…as was the 12 year old monk I met.

We toured the Tooth Temple during the day. Legend has it that the Tooth Temple (or TT) houses one of Buddha’s teeth! Screwed up, eh? It’s also really cool and has the largest taxidermied animal on the face of the earth. That’s not an official record, but I can’t imagine there’s anything bigger. Has anyone ever taken a whale to a taxidermist? If it’s happened be sure to let me know.

That night we went to see Kandyan dancing, which was really cool. I finally saw people walking on fire!!! Awesome!

Maybe the coolest part of the trip was when Rikas took us by train to his family’s village in the rainforest. We visited the house where his family was gathering for Eid (the Muslim festival at the end of the holy month of Ramadan) and we drank, ate and chilled out with his mother, brother, sister, aunts, uncles, cousins and neighbors all day. His mother made us a friggin’ feast that was out of this world! It was a perfect example of how a family can have very little but maintain a level of happiness few Americans have ever experienced. Really makes you think.

Me, Rikas and Juan wearing a lungi

Eating the feast Rikas' mother made us
Chillin with Rikas' family in the 'forest
(Rikas was the only one who really spoke both English and Sinhala and we were still able to spend a whole day with his family)

Rikas' cousins dancing to Tamil music, and they were damn good.

Rikas' cousins

The trip ended much as it had begun: taking a bus to Colombo to catch our flight home. A very sad moment for all of us. This was definitely the first vacation where I felt like I could have stayed indefinitely.

If anyone else has taken a vacation where the partied as hard as I did, worked as hard as I did for a great cause, saw the most beautiful beach of their life, saw the most beautiful mountains of their life and received the true local experience, doesn’t even have to be in the rainforest, then please let me know.

You all must promise me one thing: go visit Sri Lanka in your lifetime. Believe me, you will not think the same way about the world again.

MORE PICTURES COMING SOON!!!

I'm a very naughty little blogger...

So I haven't slept in the same bed for more than 2 or 3 nights in about 2 weeks, so internet access has been a rarity. When it has been available it has not been for more than a few minutes at a time. Such is life when you're traveling through Sri Lanka partying and doing relief work and hanging out in India with a lead journalist from Fortune. There has, however, been a significant advancement in my ability to blog.

I finally got my freaking laptop!!!

It's a damn nice one too. One of the new Toshiba laptops, which is exactly what I have been hoping for. Although I still don't have internet at my apartment, I can write my entries at home in my free time and post them when I get to work. You can be sure to expect a more regular blogger in Nate Linkon!

I'm excited to be able to stay in better touch. It just goes to show, staying in touch is never an easy thing when you're a world away, no matter how advanced the technology is. I thought blogging would be such an easy, time-effective way to communicate to friends/family. While I enjoy letting everyone know what is going on in my life here in India, there are a few things that stand in my way:

• Work
• Lack of time
• Lack of a laptop/home internet
• Way too many things going on in my life that all require more than a 5-minute explanation

For you all to get an idea of the incredible experience I am having here in Asia, I need ample time to get my thoughts together. I'll be able to accomplish this with my newly available resources.

There are several entries that I am working on that will be posted in the next week. These include, but are not limited to;

• My weeklong vacation to Sri Lanka
• My travels with the journalist from Fortune to Mysore
• Some observations that I've made as I reach my 4 month anniversary of arriving here in India.

Here are a few pictures to tide you over till I post loads more in the next day or so:

The view from my spot on the beach in Sri Lanka

My 12-year old little monk buddy I met while hiking in Kandy

Always leave 'em wanting more! And more is coming the next day or so.

Peace it and release it, ya'll.