I know I haven't posted in forever - I am truly embrassed about that. Pointing to the lack of internet connectivity is actually a good excuse, but I also returned to London a few weeks ago and still haven't udpated. I want to document my trip from the beginning, and so will have to take it step by step. Here is a picture with my amazing family whom I spent 3 weeks with: Harish Masar, Savita Masi, Raghav, and Radhika. We stayed at the ITC Maurya in Delhi where this picture was taken, a beautiful hotel in the heart of the city. Each morning, a new floral sculpture is designed and created in the lobby which you can see here. Keep a lookout for more updates!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Still in London...
I know I haven't posted in forever - I am truly embrassed about that. Pointing to the lack of internet connectivity is actually a good excuse, but I also returned to London a few weeks ago and still haven't udpated. I want to document my trip from the beginning, and so will have to take it step by step. Here is a picture with my amazing family whom I spent 3 weeks with: Harish Masar, Savita Masi, Raghav, and Radhika. We stayed at the ITC Maurya in Delhi where this picture was taken, a beautiful hotel in the heart of the city. Each morning, a new floral sculpture is designed and created in the lobby which you can see here. Keep a lookout for more updates!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Oh India...
Jet Airways is officially the best airline I've ever flown on...not that I am an international jetsetter, but I was quite impressed. Service was excellent, food was delicious, seats were roomy, and the personalized entertainment system was...well, entertaining! One cool aspect was the fact that you could pretty much start watching movies when you sat down (as opposed to most other airlines where you have to wait until 20 minutes after take-off). It helped pass time after the 1.5 hour delay sitting the plane on the runway while waiting to take-off. I watched an Indian movie, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi - loved it, even the songs were amazing. I decided I needed to watch more Indian movies after that point so last night, we went to the cinema and watched (or partly watched) Kumbakth Ishq - ended up leaving just after intermission because it was that bad!
Anyway, back to India. I am blown away with the progress the country has made since I last came in December 2005. It reminds me of the real estate boom of 2005 - construction everywhere! People tell me its because India (Delhi specifically) is hosting the 2010 Commonwealth Games (smaller version of the Olympics) and so are gearing up for it. A HUGE new airport is under construction, office buildings, condos...you name it. Most notable is the elevated highway they are building circling the city, and the underground subway they are construction. They have opened up a part of the subway system, and people say it surpasses the NYC and London systems by-far (not that its that hard anyway). Hopefully I'll be able to go for a test run before I head back. Being a real estate geek myself, I couldn't help but see the opportunity available for mixed-use developments in India. Delhi (like most Indian cities) face 2 major problems when it comes to living conditions. 1. Unreliable utilities: it doesn't matter where you are, everyone is gauranteed power outages, phone line disruptions, poor water conditions, and no storm water systems. 2. Pollution: unfortunately, while India's GDP is still chugging at 5%, it is taking a toll on its carbon emission and green house gas levels. Furthermore, many of India's transportation vehicles still use leaded-gas engines making emissions even worse! Mixed-use developments using green technology would solve both problems: solar panels, storm-water recycling, and effecient water usage would make utilities reliable while residents wouldn't have to travel across the city for work, entertainment, and shopping. With over 1.2 billion people in a country 1/3 the size of the United States, residential and commerical growth will have to go vertical, not horizontal. Hmmm...the possibilities :)
I leave for Srinagar tomorrow, exploring the Kashmiri Valley and Amarnath in the Himalayan Mountains. The past couple days have been non-stop shopping with my Masi (aunt) and the family - for Sari's and Punjabi suits. We had dinner last night at Jaiprakashji's home; he is the founder and owner for Surya Roshni, the largest private manufacturer of light bulbs in the country, and 2nd only to Philips. They also export to many other countries and have experienced signficant growth as India as experienced. It was humbling to listen to his tips on success. I really took away two principles: 1. ALWAYS be grateful. Wake-up grateful for what you have and sleep every night grateful with what you have. Show gratitude to everyone around you and it will change your life. 2. Be positive and have faith. Definitely the harder of the two, cultivating positivity and faith will bring just that into your life. "What you think is who you become", he noted. I have to agree.
Well, its past 2am here and I have an early flight to catch. I unfortunately am not able to upload pictures on this computer, but I'll try in the next few days. Here is where the adventure starts...
Anyway, back to India. I am blown away with the progress the country has made since I last came in December 2005. It reminds me of the real estate boom of 2005 - construction everywhere! People tell me its because India (Delhi specifically) is hosting the 2010 Commonwealth Games (smaller version of the Olympics) and so are gearing up for it. A HUGE new airport is under construction, office buildings, condos...you name it. Most notable is the elevated highway they are building circling the city, and the underground subway they are construction. They have opened up a part of the subway system, and people say it surpasses the NYC and London systems by-far (not that its that hard anyway). Hopefully I'll be able to go for a test run before I head back. Being a real estate geek myself, I couldn't help but see the opportunity available for mixed-use developments in India. Delhi (like most Indian cities) face 2 major problems when it comes to living conditions. 1. Unreliable utilities: it doesn't matter where you are, everyone is gauranteed power outages, phone line disruptions, poor water conditions, and no storm water systems. 2. Pollution: unfortunately, while India's GDP is still chugging at 5%, it is taking a toll on its carbon emission and green house gas levels. Furthermore, many of India's transportation vehicles still use leaded-gas engines making emissions even worse! Mixed-use developments using green technology would solve both problems: solar panels, storm-water recycling, and effecient water usage would make utilities reliable while residents wouldn't have to travel across the city for work, entertainment, and shopping. With over 1.2 billion people in a country 1/3 the size of the United States, residential and commerical growth will have to go vertical, not horizontal. Hmmm...the possibilities :)
I leave for Srinagar tomorrow, exploring the Kashmiri Valley and Amarnath in the Himalayan Mountains. The past couple days have been non-stop shopping with my Masi (aunt) and the family - for Sari's and Punjabi suits. We had dinner last night at Jaiprakashji's home; he is the founder and owner for Surya Roshni, the largest private manufacturer of light bulbs in the country, and 2nd only to Philips. They also export to many other countries and have experienced signficant growth as India as experienced. It was humbling to listen to his tips on success. I really took away two principles: 1. ALWAYS be grateful. Wake-up grateful for what you have and sleep every night grateful with what you have. Show gratitude to everyone around you and it will change your life. 2. Be positive and have faith. Definitely the harder of the two, cultivating positivity and faith will bring just that into your life. "What you think is who you become", he noted. I have to agree.
Well, its past 2am here and I have an early flight to catch. I unfortunately am not able to upload pictures on this computer, but I'll try in the next few days. Here is where the adventure starts...
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Waiting for my flight...
Virgin Atlantic as usual. July 4th weekend was fun, no fireworks though. Living in Orlando, fireworks become somewhat of an unappreciated commodity. I ended up leaving my cell phone in a New York City cab the night I arrived - not the best way to start the trip! Oh well, I thought about getting a new one but then decided to wait until I get back. That's right everyone, Vishaal is going mobileless for the next few weeks!
This was also my first time in Philadelphia. It's a beautiful city - I got to spend time with my closest friends and old-roomie Sanjay. While we didn't really do the tourist thing, it was great to just catch up. Uh oh - they're boarding! (I hope I have a good seatmate) I'll see you all in London or India!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Packing...
Packing has proved harder than anticipated. With temperatures ranging from 47F in Amarnath to 108F in Delhi, weather patterns including torrential rain in Darjeeling to a cool breeze in Kathmandu...I've got to pack for all seasons all in one bag! Flight is at 11:00am in the morning, and I have the opportunity to spend this weekend some of my closest friends in New York City and Philadelphia for what I hope will prove to be a memorable one :)
On another note, I felt a little bad leaving my associate Linda with all my unresolved projects. I think all she's praying for is that I come back eventually...that may prove to be difficult if life in India becomes appealing. I've always wanted to become engaged with a social enterprise project and if something appealing crosses my path...who knows ;)
Goodnight!
Monday, June 22, 2009
Here I go...
I'm leaving for India in exactly two weeks, and during a phone conversation with my good friend Harshu, he suggested I create a blog to share my adventures as I travel through northern India and Nepal. It's a trip I'm really looking forward to, both to spend some time with my cousins and to reflect on the past 4 years since I have started working. And so, here I go...!
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