Bangalore Day 1

February 11, 2009
We landed in Bangalore around 8:00 pm. Peering out the window, I noticed an airport terminal that didn’t match what we had experienced in Delhi and Kolkata. It was brightly lit, exceptionally clean and the best part, a bathroom you could put your trust in. I did.

Outside the terminal, we were met by Jerry, the Directory of Security for IJM. Jerry was cool times ten. Long, flowing feathered hair and the biggest smile in India. Brian and Jerry embraced, having met each other when Brian came here in 2008. The family atmosphere among the IJM employees is so uplifting. People in every office around the globe know and care for one another. I guess the level of work they do is a natural bond.

The drive to hotel took about 40 minutes, but they were actually somewhat peaceful. We were in a large van we later dubbed The Love Machine. It had high ceilings, could fit 10 of us and was lit with fluorescent blue lights. Groovy. We got to know this vehicle well over the next two days. I noticed a difference between Kolkata and Bangalore right away; leaving the airport, we actually drove in a designated lane on a smooth highway. It seemed as if others were doing the same. In Kolkata, it was pure offensive driving from the moment you entered your car. Here, it seemed a bit more humble. Or course, this lasted until we hit the city streets and then it was every taxi, mini car, rickshaw and Love Machine for himself.

Our hotel was called, The Royal Suites, and with a map and gps I couldn’t tell you where it was. It was off the main drag, down a dirt road and sandwiched between unfinished buildings. It was a bit on the funky side. My room wasn’t quite finished. Some sockets worked, some didn’t. The door didn’t shut without me locking it from the inside and hanging above my bed was what a appeared to be a live wire not attached to anything. It was late and I was tired. The strangeness of being in India had died down a bit and I was able to go to sleep right away.