First week done!

I completed my first week of work here in Chennai. I had several meetings and I taught two classes. I have worked with and depended on many locals so far and I expect to continue that. I have found that Indians are as friendly and helpful as anybody else I have worked with. Also, they will do everything in their power to please.

There have been several instances that I now chuckle at because they point out some interesting communication opportunities between my Indian hosts and me. I think I speak very good English. What is ironic is that my hosts speak very good English also. The challenge is that my English and their English do not always allow us to communicate easily. I refer to the building where I am staying as the hoTEL (emphasis on the second syllable). They refer to that same location as the HOtel. I refer to the main mode of transportation here as a motorcycle. They refer to it as a two-wheeler. I use an elevator. They use a lift. I call certain residents of a close planet as Martians. They call them Martins. (Don't ask how we got on that discussion.) In class when I asked a yes or no question, the Indians would move their heads from side to side which to me looks like they were answering "no". In reality, that side to side motion for an Indian means "yes". Of course, most Indians talk much faster than I do but I am slowly starting to fully understand what they are saying.

One of the reasons I am here is to meet with staff of Tata Consulting Company (TCS). This company supplies people to supplement USAA employees. The TCS facility that I work in, Siruseri, is massive and still growing. It is an impressive looking steel and glass group of buildings. I heard this will become the central campus for all of TCS in Chennai. Now, there are several buildings scattered throughout the city for TCS employees. The new campus is only partially complete and houses about 2500 people. I am told that when it is fully complete, there will be 25,000 workers there. I have not been able to get a picture of the skeletons of the structures because they don’t want us taking pictures on the campus (similar to USAA). Believe it or not the structures look to me like low-to-the-ground dinosaurs. They are curved and come to points at each end. I will figure out a way to get a picture or two and publish them later.

I am working on uploading my pictures so that I can publish them in a future edition of the blog. I expect to have some of them available in the next few days. Keep checking back!