Emirates Business Lounge - Dubai Sat 12th October 2013

I'm half way home. Relaxing in th  Emirates Business Lounge at Dubai airport.  Been up since 3:30 indian time. Was really dark and saw bats flying around my balcony! Left Mysore dead on 4:30.  Driver made good  time and was at Bangalore airport in 3 hours.  Nothing much happens in India when its dark early in the morning. Took one  pix as  it  got light. Not very good.

Had toast and marmalade and proper tea when got to airport! Heaven!  Slept on the  flight, so feel ok at the moment. Meal on plane was fish. Nice and light. Just at  the smallest fancy cheese sandwich and  some fruit.. Here is a pix  of where I am.

Been a good trip, but looking forward to returning to a more normal routine.

Last full day in Mysore - Fri 11th October 2013

I am off home tomorrow at the uncivilised hour of 4am!!

Working with the Infosys students has been wonderful.  Had some really great feedback on my teaching etc.    Last lecture at 4pm today!!  Then back to room to pack!!

Been keeping in touch with folks back in the UK and USA with that wonderful tool, Skype.

As requested, some are interested in the Floating Restaurant here in Mysore at Infosys.  So here are a few pix I took.

 Lovely setting, so basically you are dining outside.  It is never too hot

As you can see the restaurant is an island in a fish pond full of exotic fish. 

You cross the pond on stepping stones, as can be seen here. They are designed so the fish can swim under them!

Thought I should post some pix of the building I am teaching from too.  Its a different one from last time I was here a year ago.

 View of building SBT 2, from the front.  Its near the main gate to the campus

Here is the view from the back of the building. Its on a hill and I tended to walk directly instead of taking the road which goes in a big circle.

I shall miss being here.  Its a great working environment, and everyone is really friendly.  Shall miss my home made office and this room.  This is where I have been living the last week.

My bed, what a great view. Very quiet and peaceful

The bathroom is through the entry on the left

Clean bathroom and shower on the right.

My work area, where I am at the moment.

Its a life of luxury really.  A man comes in every day to change the sheets, washes all the floors, dusts everything and cleans the bathroom!!They even come in and close the curtains!!

Am just waiting for my laundry to be returned.  Sorted a weeks worth of laundry at £2.50!! And that includes ironing!!

Will add some more later.  Definitely add more when I get to Dubai. 

Infosys compound at Mysore - Sun 6th October 2013

I am back in Mysore.  My favourite Infosys location.  This is the one with the words of the company written in buildings!!

I am even in the same block as before, block 24.  But this time I am upstairs in room 108. Have a wonderful room with a balcony.  Nice.   

Wondered over to the local shop and bought some snacks etc and had a cycle around.  There are loads of bikes laying around.  The idea is to just hop on one and go where you need to go.  When you get there, just leave the bike. Its quite hilly in places as the compound is about 325 acres!! Here are some pix of the local features.

 My room is on the first floor somewhere!!

 Block 24, nice neighbourhood.  Don't think anyone else is staying there except me!!

 Its the local cinema. Honest!!

!!

 The local library, quite a bit of influence from somewhere?!! I wonder where?

Arrived Mysore - Sat 5th October 2013

Cannot believe I am already finished one week in Bangalore!! Students are really enthusiastic and have  really welcomed me.

I was up and showed in time and kept off the omelettes for breakfast!!  Taxi was due at 9:30, so I was surprised when reception called at just after nine to say he was here!!  Luckily I was ready (almost!!), so I dashed downstairs and checked out.  Had to walk to gate 6! Not that it's far, I thought it would have speeded me up if one of the golf carts had taken me there!!  Of course the taxi was not there!!

Did not have to wait long.  There was further confusion because I was given the wrong taxi number by reception when i checked out!!  The taxi was in fact early, and we were on the road by 9:25.

Taxi man said it would take three hours to get to Mysore because of increased traffic due to the Dasara Festival, which starts today and runs for 10 days. It was on the last time I was here a year ago. Its highlight is a procession of elephants celebrating good faith. The procession celebrates the goddess Chamundeshwari, a statue of which rides in a gold throne on an elephant. I did some reading and according to various sources, its a Hindu festival that celebrates the victory of good over evil.  Suppose to be lucky to start new ventures during Dasara.   I like the idea of that!! At least the religion is trying to make people feel better!!

Anyway back to the journey!!  Main thing I noticed on the road was all of the building on the outskirts of Bangalore!!  Lots of very swanky apartment complexes and communities being build. Says something about the local economy!!

Here are some bouncy pix taken on the road!!

 Roads are motorway like, and often tolls. But also end abruptly back to narrow roads!! Key feature of the roads are huge pot holes!!  Lots of fuss made about them to the state government!!

 This one is for Chris,  Leyland is alive and well in India!!

 Paddy fields (rice in other words)

The countryside is a mixture of forest/jungle with palm trees, and cleared agricultural land.  There is obviously no sign of organised factory farming like we would find in Europe or the USA.

Its still work!! - Thurs 3th October 2013

Its not as interesting blogging about an overseas work trip, compared with a holiday road trip!!  Not much happening here.  I get up, have breakfast in La Terrace, hop on laptop and update email and materials for my lecture.  At 3:30 head off to the boardroom in the Management Center Building 11 and do my thing.  Back to ECC to eat and head for bed!!

Here are a few pix of where I am working.

This is the entrance to B11

 Fountain etc in front of it

Local pyramid!!

What I call the "washing machine" building!!

Will write more when something of interest happens.  Have a road trip to Mysore on Saturday.  Thats 80 miles and two hours on indian roads!!!

Its work, but at a different location - Tues 2nd October 2013

Last evening's session was a success (my own impressions of course!!)  Students would not leave they were so involved in the workshop activities I gave them!!

They did a good job of it too!!  Makes me realise why I enjoy teaching so much.  I am giving my knowledge and hopefully they are enjoying the experience too.  I know I was!!

Not been out of room 424 much.  Just visits to La Terrace restaurant.  The main man there remembered me from my last visit!!! That was nice.

Here is a pix of the view from my room.  I am looking out over the campus.

Will try and take more pix as I wonder around.  Its very green.  Last week there was monsoon rain all week.  Luckily I have missed that.