Circumnavigation Complete

I'm back to where it all began 82 days ago! Sitting here at JFK it's hard to believe that it has been 82 days since I left for Geneva. It's been a grand adventure that I will never forget.

Thanks must go to everyone who made this trip possible. First and foremost, the Circumnavigators Club Foundation for generously sponsoring the trip. In addition, I have to thank the people who took time out of their busy schedules to meet with me and discuss my research. Thanks also to the kind people who invited me into their homes. This trip would not have been nearly as comfortable, safe or memorable without the experiences I shared with you. Finally, thanks to my family, girlfriend and friends who were always on the other Skype line when I became lonely. Last, but certainly not least, thanks to EVERYONE I met on this trip. This trip was really about the amazing people I met. I hope that you will all stay in touch and that our paths will cross in the future.

Until next time... (who am I kidding, I'll keep blogging as long as people keep reading)

An embarrassing picture to end it all


Luck to you all!

Exit Interview

Number of Countries Visited outside US = 6 (Czech Republic, Hungary, Egypt, India, Singapore, China). If transit is included, then 8 (add Switzerland and Slovakia).
Number of Cities Visited outside of US = 15 (Prague, Budapest, Cairo, Alexandria, Mumbai, New Delhi, Agra, Chennai, Bangalore, Mysore, Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing, Dalian, Hong Kong)
Number of Different Beds I Slept In = 22 (as far as I can remember)
Number of Languages Spoken in Places I Visited (other than English) = 10 (Czech, Hungarian, Arabic, Maharastan, Hindi, Tamil, Karnatakan, Malay, Mandarin, Cantonese)
Favorite Currency: The Hungarian Forint. Feels good to take 100000 in cash out from an ATM.

Questions from Blog Readers
Aunt Paula and Uncle Bill
1. What were your observations of the quality of health care you received in China? Was it free for you? What other details could you share about your experience at the hospital?
The healthcare I received in China was far from what I believe the locals experience. I went to the urgent care center at a private hospital that was recommended by International SOS. Hong Kong, like many countries, has both public and private hospitals. Upon arrival, I had to put on a mask because of swine flu fears, but I saw a physician almost immediately. She was British-trained and spoke impeccable English. I think the hospital may be where famous people go because there was paparazzi outside when I walked in. Needless to say, they were disappointed when I walked by. All in all, it was a very painless experience, though it was quite expensive.
2. In which country did you hear music played on the streets most frequently? Was it American music? Local music?
India probably had the most music on the streets. People would often have radios sitting outside while they worked or played. There was certainly a surprising amount of American music. I would laugh in Egypt because young men would drive by with thumping bass, playing 50 Cent music. I’m pretty sure they didn’t understand the words. Somehow, I doubt that “crunk” translates well into Arabic. There was lots of local music too. In Hong Kong, they are obsessed with Cantonese pop. I heard quite a bit of that.
3. Which countries had citizens that appeared generally supportive of the U.S.? Generally oppositional?
Everywhere I went, people were very optimistic about the US. Even when a local could speak almost no English, they always were able to say “OBAMA” and give me a big thumbs up. In Egypt, they were particularly good at saying “Bush” with a tone of disgust. I was surprised how few of the common Egyptians I met had heard of Obama’s speech in Cairo. That was a bit disheartening, especially when his message was not meant just for the ears of the elites. For the most part, everyone was pretty supportive of the U.S. Obama’s honeymoon period hasn’t ended yet, but it was interesting to hear people scoff at the American healthcare system. Many people found it absurd that there was not universal coverage in such a developed country. I found myself trying to make excuses for America, but in the end, I would just say “I know, it’s shocking.”
4. What was one of your "aha" moments? What were the circumstances that led you to this insight?
Landing in Singapore to their beautiful airport, complete with friendly staff and futuristic metro made me realize how far America is falling behind in infrastructure. For example, I’m writing this right now from the San Francisco airport, where it took me an hour to make it through security. While I understand that America has more stringent processes, it seems ridiculous how inefficient much of our transportation system has become. As I said in a blog post, we could learn a lot from Asia.
5. Did you ever feel unsafe in any country? Why or why not?
No, I never felt unsafe. In retrospect, I find this pretty amazing. I thought Cairo and Mumbai would be scary places, but I never once felt in danger. There were times when I was quite lost, but I was always able to find my way either by pointing at somewhere on a map, calling a friend who spoke the local language or, worst case, using the GPS on my iPhone. Obviously, there were times when I felt less than perfectly secure, such as walking anywhere in India or Egypt. When there are no sidewalks, people don’t obey traffic laws, and most people refrain from using their headlights, the circumstances are not suited to mindless strolling. I had to tone down my texting while walking habit.
6. What did you learn that you will never forget?
I learned that education really is the most important predictor success; whether for an individual or for a nation. Obviously, infrastructure and natural resources do have a bearing, but education is really what separates those who will benefit in the global economy and those who will be left behind. I also learned that the private sector and the market can’t single-handedly end world poverty. I think I started this trip with a naïve belief that the integration of the global economy through offshoring was the panacea to global poverty. While I do still believe it is an important driver of development, there seems to be a critical mass of education/stability which must be achieved before a country can benefit. Finally, I learned that size matters. The scale of the challenges and opportunities in China and India are beyond anything I had ever seen or saw elsewhere in this trip. Demography may not be destiny, but it sure matters a lot.
7. And, of course, Bill wants to know which country had the most beautiful women.
Czech Republic. Eastern European women were very beautiful, though I obviously only admired from a distance 
Meghan McNulty
1. What country had the best beer / drinks / party scene?
Best beer was in Czech Republic… had some delicious local beers, in addition to their national beer Pilsner Urquell. Best drinks is a tough one because Egypt/India/China are at a disadvantage because I didn’t order iced drinks. Had a Singapore Sling, which I thought was going to be much more masculine than it turned out to be. Pink with umbrella and a pineapple slice. Best party scene was in Singapore. You can have a lot of fun even with all those rules!
Pat Peters
1. Where, if at all, did you feel most threatened/intimidated either because you were an American or traveling alone? Do you think it was just your perception or something actually happened to make you form that opinion?

I actually never felt threatened as an American. During the Egypt vs. USA Confederations Cup match I openly cheered for the US in a bar full of Egyptian men and they just laughed and gave me a hard time. They did make jabs at the US, but it was all in good fun. You could tell that for all of their issues with American policy, they did have a respect for the country and the people as a whole. I was intimidated to be traveling alone in Dalian and Chennai because they were two cities which didn’t get many English-speaking tourists. I learned to either have my destination written down (or on my iPhone), or to call my destination and have them guide me (or my taxi driver) there. All in all, the feeling was definitely my own perception. There was nothing more dangerous about Dalian or Chennai. In fact, I was probably safer there than other big cities where they are experienced at targeting tourists. It’s just a weird feeling to not understand ANYONE, or any of the background noise. Even KFC was written in Chinese characters… though definitely still identifiable by the Colonel.

2. Which country would you like to go back to (on your dime) and spend more time exploring and why? Which country would you never go back to and why?

I would like to go back and spend more time in India. There are so many amazing places that I didn’t get a chance to see (Darjeeling, Goa, Kerala, Jaipur, etc.) that I would love to go back and see. It’s definitely like visiting the U.S., you can’t see the whole country in a lifetime, much less a month. There are no countries I wouldn’t go back to, but I do feel like I got plenty of time in Cairo. When I go back to Egypt, I’ll probably try and do the other places (Luxor, Aswan, Dahab, Siwa). Cairo is a fascinating city, but it’s just so hot and dirty. Plus, I really don’t like the feeling of an entire city trying to rip you off. Maybe if I was always with an Arabic speaker…

3. How did your health/physical well being affect your perception of a city/country? Were you disappointed that you couldn't experience it more due to being sick? Did it depress you?

My health definitely had a significant impact on my perception of a city. I was pretty healthy (bar exhaustion) for almost the entire trip. I had two bouts with the infamous “Delhi Belly”, but nothing that a bit of Cipro and generous hospitality didn’t cure. It all came a bit unhinged in Dalian, which is unfortunate because what I saw of the city was very beautiful. You hear Manchuria and you expect frozen tundra and industrial wasteland. But it really is a beautiful city with beaches, hikes and wide roads. I think it’s inevitable that your physical condition affects your perception of a place. More than that though, I think the degree of interaction you have with other people predicts how much you like a place. It’s unsurprising to me in retrospect that the places I liked most are where I made the most friends and places I didn’t enjoy much are where I was most alone.

4. Was the media coverage of the U.S. what you expected? Did you see certain events like former President Clinton negotiating the release of journalists in N. Korea?

The media coverage was pretty fair from what I saw/understood. That said, I didn’t understand a lot of what the local press was writing/talking about so I relied on the Internet to get CNN and NYTimes. One particular memory I have is of a show on the Chinese equivalent of CNBC in which the Chinese host was very aggressively questioning the U.S.’s ability to service its debt. Without getting into a political discussion of how much I think that is true, I distinctly recall her bullying the US guest and accusing him, and the US government, of being delinquents. It was probably just a lot of posturing, but I remember that vividly.

5. Where were you when Michael Jackson died...mid June? How did that country's media coverage cover it?

I remember exactly where I was when I found out. I was sitting in a food court in a mall on Nariman Point in Mumbai eating a dosa off a banana leaf. Looking up at the television, I saw “King of Pop dead” and a picture of MJ. Tons of people were watching the TVs. Overall, the media coverage and public response was pretty tremendous. For the week I was in Delhi, all the malls in Gurgaon had his greatest hits album on a repeat loop. In my hotel in Chennai there were multiple stations covering the funeral service. So claims of his global superstardom were not overstated.

6. What was the most surprising thing you learned either culturally, economically or personally?

Oh man, this is a toughie. I’ll cheat and address all three separately. Culturally, I was surprised to see how tightly-knit the India family was, even in the 21st century. When families buy houses, they borrow from their relatives. When grandparents get old, they always live with their children. It was a social system entirely unique to me. When I said that our elderly often live in retirement homes and people often frown on borrowing from family, Indians were very surprised.
Economically, I was surprised to learn how much more developed China was than India. Comparing Mumbai and Shanghai in terms of development is an absolute joke. That said, because India lags behind, some speculate it is the greater investment opportunity in the long-run.
Personally, I was surprised to learn how much I will pay for convenience. I was willing to work hard and plan to save money on accommodation, but more often than not, I would end up getting taxis because public transportation would’ve taken forever. Also, I found haggling draining, not exciting like some people. At first I would beat myself up about getting ripped off, but then I thought about it economically and told myself that I just paid a premium for convenience. It made me a feel a bit better, until people told me the “bargain” price I had haggled for 15 minutes to get was still 3x too much.
Brian No
1. What was the most awkward/embarrassing moment of your trip?
This was really awkward and just odd. In Beijing, I was sleeping in an eight-person dorm. I was on the top bunk. At 5am on Monday morning, a small Chinese woman crept into our room and poked me with a stick saying, “Wake up call… you miss train.” Disoriented and barely remembering which city I was in, I tried to recall what I had to do that day. Turns out, I had not ordered a wake-up call and didn’t need to wake up for another 3 ½ hours. When I informed her of this, she was like “So sorry” and moved across the room to start poking other travelers.
Another embarrassing moment was when I was at dinner with my host in Bangalore. I was eating with my hands, embracing the Indian cultural norm. About five minutes into the meal he looked at me and was like “Just stop. You’re doing it all wrong. First, wipe off your face. Now, use your ring hand’s four fingers to push the food into a ball and then use the thumb to cleanly put it in your mouth.” This may not seem that embarrassing, except that I had been eating improperly with my hands for three weeks and no one had told me.
Aunt Becky
1. My question to ponder over the Pacific has to do with pollution. Do you think India, China and Egypt will start to decrease the amount of pollution produced as they gain in the global economy? How do they compare with Eastern Europe? How do both areas compare with the Western Europe and the USA?
This was a complicated issue that I thought a lot about during the trip. I think the national leaders of India, China and Egypt (particularly China) realize how much pollution is hurting the quality of life and competitiveness of their countries. At the local level though, I saw very few encouraging signs of reining in the pollution that comes with development. In Egypt there aren’t even trash cans. I had a water bottle and looked for some place to throw it away (recycling was out of the question) for 30 minutes before my friend just told me to throw in on the ground. When cooking, people often just through garbage out of their window on to the buildings next door. You better hope that you live in the tallest building! In India, so many of the trucks and buses dated back to the 70s and just spewed fumes all over the place. Sometimes, I had to hold my breath and close my eyes when walking because it would’ve burned too much. In China, Beijing is in a constant gray fog because of pollution. You can’t even compare the pollution levels to Eastern Europe. Though Eastern Europe may use more older engines than Western Europe/ USA, the level of pollution was far below what I saw in the other countries. A side note on this though is that I didn’t travel to any of the industrial cities where I’m sure the pollution levels would’ve been worse.
While most of my experiences were very disheartening, it was important to remember how the per capita waste and energy consumption of these countries was SO MUCH less than in the West. They may throw their garbage out the window, but their garbage wouldn’t require American Suburbia’s 4 foot trash can that is collected weekly. Most of the locals (from rickshaw drivers to executives) I talked with were adamant about this point. As they get more integrated into the global economy, it’s going to be hard to convince them they should hold themselves back from Western levels of consumption.

Hannah McDonald-Moniz
1. Which city could you see yourself living in for an extended period of time?
Hong Kong, Shanghai or Budapest. In the Chinese cities, you just feel like you’re right on the pulse of the next big thing. Sure they may not have the history of some of the other cities, but there is something exciting about these cities. The Indian cities have amazing cost of living, but it’s too hard to accomplish even the simplest tasks there. Maybe later in my life. Budapest is just a beautiful place.

Homeward Bound

I'm at the Hong Kong airport about to board my flight to San Francisco. It hit me about 5 minutes ago that I'm actually going home. I have goosebumps. The past two and a half months have been the biggest adventure of my life. There have been amazing highs and terrible lows. I've learned more about myself than I could have imagined. Wow... I actually have no idea what to say right now. So many emotions... nostalgia, excitement, exhaustion, and much more.

OK, I haven't missed a flight all trip and I'm not about to start (especially the longest one of the whole trip).

For the last time outside the US (sad)...

Day 73/82
Distance from NY JFK: 8061 miles. Will be a whole lot closer in 12 1/2 hours.
Current music: Mae... acoustic. So emo.
Current mood: All over the place
Only here moment: You can check-in and check your bags at the central railway station before you even come to the airport. Amazingly efficient. We could learn a lot from Asia.

Look forward to answering the questions on the plane.

See you on the other side of the Pacific!

Greetings from the Fragrant Harbour (aka Hong Kong)

My apologies for the radio silence. It's been a crazy week. I was in Dalian last week and managed to come down with what has since been diagnosed as viral gastrointenitis (spelling is up for debate). Needless to say, that put a damper on my plans. Flying to Hong Kong, I still didn't feel great and basically stayed in bed the entire weekend. At one point, I developed a fever and became paranoid that I had contracted swine flu. Nightmare scenarios of being quarantined and forbidden from travel played through my mind. Luckily, the doctor I saw here in HK was confident it was not swine flu. Now I just have to make sure the airlines believe her!

But since my recovery, I've had a chance to explore Hong Kong. I think it is probably the most beautiful city I've visited thus far. It's so different from Prague and Budapest that it is hard to compare, but walking along Tsim Sha Tsui at sunset and looking at the skyline on Hong Kong Island is unparalleled. I don't have my pictures just yet, but when I do, I'll be certain to upload them.

On Saturday, I was lucky enough to eat lunch at the prestigious Hong Kong Club. Sitting amongst the movers and shakers of Hong Kong, I felt a strange convergence of East and West. Here was a building and club that dripped in colonial heritage, but instead of being a remote outpost of the Empire, Hong Kong had become the epicenter of commerce. While it certainly has not dethroned London (pun intended), it's an impressive city serving as a gateway to an impressive region.

Sunday, I met up with a friend from Princeton who took me around town a bit. Hong Kong is funny in that it copies parts of other cities. There is a Soho and even a Times Square. I also didn't realize that the whole island is on a big hill up to the Peak. With typical Asian efficiency, they have installed escalators (or rather, travelators) which take you from the Central district up to the "mid-levels". It might sound a bit ridiculous, but when it is 34 degrees Celsius (92F) and 90% humidity, anything that reduces the amount you have to move outside of air-conditioning is wonderful. My friend then took me to the American Club of HK (clubs are a big thing here apparently... so it's not just Princeton!). On the 49th floor, I enjoyed a burger overlooking the 88-story IFC tower. You may know it better as building in Batman where he kidnaps the evil boss and then is flown away on a wire attached to the plane.

This week has been a mixture of sightseeing and research work. The fact that tomorrow is my last full day of the trip is only starting to sink in. My plan is to go to the Peak, hopefully have a famous HK dim sum lunch, see one of the local beaches (weather permitting) and then go out to dinner with some Princeton people. We have been getting some rain bands from the typhoon which devastated Taiwan, but nothing too serious. Hopefully, Mother Nature will cooperate with me on my last day!

This may be the last time I do this outside the States (sad!):

Day 71/82
Distance from NY JFK: 8062 miles
Current Music: Coldplay
Current Mood: Excited
Only here moment: Not losing reception on the subway... ever. Try doing that in New York or London. Even more impressive, wifi and free internet access terminals in the subway. Also, they sanitize the elevator buttons every 2 hours. Just in case...

A Note on Pictures

Many of you (OK, actually just my mom) have complained that the blog only has pictures from Prague, Budapest and Cairo. Here is the reasoning. It takes FOREVER to load if I put too many slideshows on the site. I'll try adding a few more, but for those of you visually-inclined readers, here is the link to my Picasa Web Album. While I'm not super professional, I think I've gotten some good shots. Keep checking back, as I need to go through and touch up the Singapore and Beijing pictures.

http://picasaweb.google.com/jmacsteele

Happy viewing!

REQUEST: SEND ME YOUR QUESTIONS

I'm putting together a big "exit" interview to do on my 12 hour flight back to the US. In addition to all the normal questions (fav. food, low point, high point, etc.), I'd love to hear from all of you. Send me all those questions you've been dying to ask, but are to cheap or lazy to Skype me about. It doesn't have to be profound (favorite seat mate is likely to be on there), but deep questions are fine. Whatever you can think of, just email it to me. I'll say who came up with each question, but if you want it to be anonymous, say that in your email.

My Email:
jmacsteele@gmail.com

Now go on, send away. What else will I do for 12 hours over the Pacific? And don't say, "Oh, other people will come up with good questions." Send it in yourself. Plus, I'm curious as to who is all is still keeping up with the blog after this long.

The San Francisco of China

This post comes to you from Dalian(still behind the Great Firewall of China). I arrived on Tuesday after a seriously round-about trip. From Beijing to Dalian is actually a 50 min flight, but I had to go via Shanghai in order to preserve my Cathay Pacific reservation. Thus, instead of 50 minutes, it took me 9 hours, after you factor in the 2 1/2 hr delay due to torrential rains in Shanghai. But I made it- eventually- and have discovered that Dalian is a lovely city.

I was worried about my first trip to a "Tier 2" city in China. Beijing and Shanghai have loads of tourists, and especially after the Olympics, are very easy to navigate. Dalian certainly does have less English, but it has not been too much of a problem. Fearing travel without a Chinese speaking companion, I bought the Lonely Planet Mandarin Phrasebook for my iPhone. It's come in useful, though people roll their eyes at me as I listen to the pronunciation with one earphone in and then repeat it to them. I figure it is better to be slightly rude and at least make some semblance of an effort at communicating.

The comparison to San Francisco actually works on many levels. First, there are lots of hills here. Second, there are trams which are apparently a legacy of Japanese influence. Third, it is on the ocean. And fourth, it is a city that is heavily invested in the technology sector. All in all, I've been very impressed. Seeing Tier 2 cities is even more interesting from a development perspective. Shanghai and Beijing have been big cities for a long time, but Dalian is experiencing rapid growth. This is a place where urban planning and growth are intriguing to observe. Take for example the cities many hiking trails and parks. Instead of a concrete jungle, the city is rife with green spaces. And for those of you who have been reading my blog for a while, you'll know that I am a sucker for urban green spaces.

I fly to Hong Kong tomorrow at noon, which is my final stop outside the U.S. It's a very odd feeling to be so close to completing my travels. I cannot wait to be home and savor all the things I took for granted in America. But I also will miss the excitement of a new city. The smells, sounds, and sights here are a world apart from America, or anywhere in the Western world really. This journey has done many things for me, but one particular realization I've had is that there is still so much to see. I've only scratched the surface and I've been so lucky to see such a range of places. So, while I do feel like I've gotten a serious dose of worldliness and cosmopolitanism, I know there is so much more out there. I guess this is why people become addicted to travel- it's like knowledge. Gaining new experiences only underscores how much you have yet to experience.

And now it's time for dinner... hooray for picture menus.

Day 66/82 (wow)
Distance from NY JFK- 6862 miles (practically next door!)
Current music- The Daily Show streaming on Hulu... I hadn't heard about Bill Clinton going to N. Korea. They could have sent me, I'm much closer.
Current mood- Exhausted
Only here moment- A beach without sand, just small pebbles, in which Chinese men had taken to burying themselves in the cool rocks to escape the heat. One even had a miniature umbrella over his head to avoid the shade. Unlike in the U.S., everyone here wants lighter skin.

Mao!

 

A Picture Post!

OK, so I don't have the time to write a full post right now, but I thought I'd upload some pictures from my weekend in Beijing. I had two meetings today, one with Microsoft R&D and another with a partner at a top Chinese law firm. My second interviewee was even kind enough to give me some rare Chinese tea as a gift! Now I don't have to shop for gifts for my mom anymore.

But here are some pictures...

On the Great Wall with the Circumnavigators Club flag:


Next to the Forbidden City

The Post of Eternal Heavenly Glory

There is a bit of a theme to buildings in Beijing. I may be wrong, but I believe the Emperor had a sack of 20 tiles inscribed with adjectives including "heavenly, eternal, ever-lasting, glorious, wonderful, benevolent, and harmonious." He then reached into the sack (or perhaps the eunuchs did it), drew 3 (x,y,z) and the next building had its name: "The x, y, z Hall". After 1949, the critical word "people" was added to the mix. I'd venture a guess to say that there were probably at least 10 tiles with "people" in the sack.

So yes, for those of you who didn't know, I decided to make a weekend journey to Beijing. It was a bit spur of the moment, but I had the chance for two good interviews and a generous Microsoft Beijing employee even offered to be my tour guide for the weekend. I'm sitting in my hostel after an epic day that included Tienanmen Square, the Forbidden City, Tsinghua University and the Summer Palace. We capped the night off with a delicious dinner of Peking duck... for those of you who have seen one of my favorite movies "A Christmas Story", you will laugh to know that the duck was indeed smiling at us.

Tomorrow I head to the Great Wall and then hopefully the Lama Temple. Monday, I'm meeting with the head of Microsoft's Research Center in Beijing (one of only five worldwide) and also with a partner from a top Chinese law firm to get the details on how the Chinese regulatory environment is affecting offshoring.

On a side note, and after being pestered by my mother as to why I have been slow to update my blog, I must inform you that this is a transmission from behind the "Great Firewall of China." In addition to blocking facebook (tragic), twitter (less tragic), and Youtube (meh), they block Blogger and Picasa. I have tons of pictures to show everyone but between slow internet and a dangerous ballet of proxy servers, I haven't been able to upload them. Rest assured that when I get to HK (or at worst, Seattle), I will barrage you with more cheesy pictures than you could ever want.

Before I go to bed, I have to say that I am enormously impressed by China. No, this is not just to appease the censors after I mentioned the firewall. This country has accomplished an amazing feat by developing so quickly. You can fault the pollution (which is terrible), but the infrastructure here often puts the U.S. to shame. I was a big believer in Fareed Zakaria's theory on the "rise of the rest" even before I visited India and China. Seeing these places first hand has made me realize that this is very likely to be their century. I don't think America will fade into irrelevance any time soon, but we need to realize that these countries are a BIG deal. The more we understand and respect them, the better off we will be.

The Land of Jackhammers

One of the easiest ways to distinguish cities is by the ambient noise. Cairo it was taxi horns, Mumbai and Delhi were rickshaw horns (higher pitch), Singapore was the continuous hum of air conditioners and Shanghai it is jackhammers. They are constantly jackhammering away in this city... 6 new metro lines, dozens of new high rises, and countless renovations in order to prepare the city for "Expo 2010". In case you are as ignorant as I am, the World Expo is a chance for countries of the world to come showcase their latest and greatest accomplishments. More info can be found here http://en.expo2010.cn/ I don't have solid proof of this, but I've been told that Shanghai is spending more on preparations for the Expo than Beijing did for the Olympics. Considering that altering regional weather patterns is relatively pricey, it should give you an idea of how big of a deal this is to China.

Currently, I'm staying with a computer programmer from the U.S. who graduated from Berkeley in 2008. My first weekend in Shanghai was thoroughly expat-heavy. We went to a party hosted by a German expat, where I met Swedes and Norwegians who had come for the eclipse, and then we went to a bar in an old Cold War bomb shelter. They even played beer pong... it could have been any frat house in America, but in this case the damp odor was a natural phenomenon, not caused by the accumulation of layers of Pabst Blue Ribbon.

While my cultural immersion was lacking at first, I have learned a few important things about China before my research even officially begins. First, I met so many people who were American/British and had come to China because this is where companies were hiring. They were willing to take pay cuts because the cost of living is still much lower than Western cities, and most of them love it. This is a trend that I think is going to accelerate in the coming years. Educated Westerners could struggle to find jobs in their home country, or they could capitalize on their youth and come to the "wild west" of capitalism. A member of the Circumnavigators Club chapter in Singapore told me that China is considered implementing an urban development scheme in which cities are in clusters of 4-6 separate cities, linked by high-speed trains (to minimize the need for cars). They would utilize high-rise apartments (no sprawling California suburbia here) and each cluster would house between 30-60 million people. Think about that... more people in one cluster than in Spain. The economies of scale are mind-blowing. Advertising, product testing, professional services... all would be vastly more efficient because so many people are so close together. It's hard not to be fascinated by the prospect. When I asked if Chinese people are going to learn English or if Westerners would learn Chinese, he responded that you learn the language of your buyer. Export-led growth made China focus on English, but if we want to reap the potential of the Chinese domestic market, we better start learning Chinese. I for one have learned roughly 3 phrases. Might have to work a bit more before I can start brokering deals.

Tomorrow I have a meeting with the head of Microsoft China. After a great meeting with the head of Microsoft India (thanks Lisa for setting these up if you're reading), I am excited for this interview. After that, I am going to the weekly meeting of CouchSurfers in Shanghai and then catching up on sleep. This sounds terrible, but my motivation for sightseeing has diminished substantially since I began this trip. After a while, I think you learn that traveling is more about the people than it is about the sights. Maybe if I was staying in hotels my mentality would be different, but I have been fortunate to be able to avoid hotels (CouchSurfing has been one of the greatest tools of this whole trip). Also, being in Shanghai for so long, I feel like I'm getting a chance to adjust to a place a bit, instead of moving on every 4 days as in India. It's refreshing and it has taught me that my dream of living/working abroad is even more feasible than I first believed.

As I've mentioned before, this trip has taught me the importance of recognizing your own strengths and weaknesses (whether you're an individual, company or country). I might be terrible at haggling and put too much of a premium on convenience, but I have been impressed with my own ability to adapt. It's hard to change surroundings so often and I think I've been able to make the most of this breakneck pace.

Before I leave... a few pictures.


The President of the Singapore Chapter of the Circumnavigators Club, Mr. ANG Thiam-Huat and myself


Singapore's new casinos


Singapore skyline from the 72 floor

The Only Shopping Mall in with a Seat at the U.N.

Okay, okay... there's a lot more to Singapore than shopping but I love that label. It's more cheery than frequently-cited "Disneyland with the Death Penalty."

A quick confession. I could not have time my trip to Singapore more poorly! India and China, which bookend the Asia leg of my trip, are about to witness the longest solar eclipse in the 21st century. Unfortunately, I did not consult a lunar calendar when planning my itinerary and I am stuck with a remarkably common partial solar eclipse. I hardly feel it is even worth waking up early and making a pin-hole box to view the eclipse (remember those things from elementary school??). Oh well, the pollution in India and China would probably dampen the effect anyway. At least that's what I am telling myself.

Singapore has been a huge change of pace from India. Over the weekend I met with couchsurfers for a party of travelers (covered every continent but Antarctica) and then with a friend of some of my high school friends. We went to a restaurant called Black Angus, which I am told is of not relation to the American chain. It was a steakhouse though, and I did have the first steak of my entire trip. The meal was unbelievable... USDA prime cut never tasted so good. Trying to ignore the fact that my carbon footprint probably doubled by eating steak flown in from America, I savored that meal. We then went to Clarke Quay, a popular hub of restaurants, bars and clubs which is just down from where the first British explorer landed on the Singapore river. After 4 weeks of feeling awkwardly wealthy, Singapore has brought me crashing back to reality. A single drink cost as much as I spent in two days in Bangalore. Fortunately, the combination of 7-11 and liberal open container laws (I was surprised too) meant that we could avoid incurring the astronomical drink charges.

Sunday, I went to Sentosa, an island full of man-made beaches, world-class golf courses, tourist traps and even it's own mascot "Oscar... the random tropical fish." Spent the day lounging some of my newly-made friends on the beach. This was not your typical SE Asian beach. While I'm told that Bali and Phuket are nice... I'm not sure they can compete with this view.


Yes, there are ships EVERYWHERE just off the coast. The water is still safe to swim in, but the exotic atmosphere is a bit tainted.

Today I had a meeting with the Singapore Economic Development Board. What a tight ship they run! From the 28th floor of Raffles Tower, I could look out on huge number of cranes and high-rises being erected around the city. They even had a telescope, presumably so investors could track their project's progress from air-conditioned comfort. I'm not sure this is true, but someone told me that the EDB is so intense that they once took an oil company up in a helicopter, pointed at a piece of sea and said "You can build your refinery there." The executives were confused, only to return a year later and find an island in that space. Even if it is not true, I could not have been more impressed with the EDB. One of the trends I've realized in my travels is that successful governments leverage their strengths, but more importantly, acknowledge their weaknesses. The EDB conceded that Singapore had a lack of resources and an ageing population, but emphasized their openness to foreign knowledge workers and their ability to innovate through challenges. Innovation was a big theme for them, something that I found particularly interesting. They were well-aware of the pressure globalization puts on all countries to climb the value-chain and are actively taking steps to encourage an innovative and creative hub in Singapore. They are even building housing developments around certain industrial cluster areas to increase the exchange of ideas. The argument goes that you're more likely to start a business with someone you see in the elevator everyday than someone who is a complete stranger.

Off to bed for me...

Day 51/82
Distance from NY JFK: Same as before
Current mood: Contented
Current music: Cafe Del Mar Pandora Station (thank goodness for proxy servers so I can still get US websites and avoid censorship)
Only here moment: On Saturday night I had my temperature taken at 3 different night clubs. It was certainly unique to have a 300 pound Samoan man holding a little machine up to my neck. They take swine flu, VERY SERIOUSLY here. Fingers crossed I don't develop a fever, because not only will I not get into China, my Singaporean social life will be shot.

India recap and the next adventure

Landed in Singapore this morning after 22 days in India. What a contrast! When exiting my taxi from the airport, the driver kindly informed me that I had given him too much money. I had a stunned look on my face. For the past month it's been a constant battle with drivers/shopkeepers to minimize how badly I was getting ripped off. The concept of a fixed price has become alien to me. But there are some things I miss about India already. First, I miss that there aren't really any rules. You cross the street when you want/dare, you get on the bus whether or not it stops, you sit on the roof if the cabin is full (OK I didn't do this, but locals do). Basically anything goes.

Enter Singapore, where there are more signs saying what is prohibited (with a corresponding fine) than there are English tutor advertisements in Mumbai. I haven't dared cross the street without a signal yet... I'm not sure what the punishment is but it could be anything from 500 dollars to loss of feet. Despite these restrictions, it is exceedingly comfortable here. I'm staying in the residence of my girlfriend Whitney's family friends, the Skillicorns. After a week in Bangalore without reliable power, internet, transport, laundry, it is quite nice. They even have a pool! Thus, I have done two things today that I haven't done since leaving Europe: 1) Drink a beverage with ice 2) Go swimming! I'll never take ice for granted again, that's for sure.

But for all of the challenges in India, it was certainly one of the most exhilarating, eye-opening and influential experiences of my life. I was so fortunate to benefit from the kindness of local hosts in almost every city I visited. In Bangalore, I couchsurfed and my host, Leroy, took me to his weekly soccer match on Sunday. For three hours I played soccer in a vacant lot they had cleared of garbage with men/boys ranging from 10-55 years in age. My lack of cardio activity was on full display! It was probably one of the highlights of my trip though. In between games we'd walk down to the local shops and get a 6 rupee ( 12ish cents) chai tea. After the match, one of the kind local woman brought us all big glasses of buttermilk, which everyone promptly gulped down. I was hesitant at first, traditionally used to Gatorade, but eventually I drank mine down too. We then went back to Leroy's apartment and I had probably the best shower of the trip, which was amazing because it was only with a bucket of warm water. Despite the humble nature of afternoon, I felt like a local and was kindly embraced by the community. One of the local boys even cornered me to question me about dating in America because he had a girlfriend and wanted to travel after finishing high school.

From a research perspective, India was even more fascinating than I had anticipated. I was lucky to see the offshoring phenomenon from just about every perspective: the local start up, the huge multinational, the traditional call center, the high-end financial office (made me wonder why they even hire Princeton grads!). I talked with CEOs and new recruits, economists and NGOs, and just about everyone in between. I got my first motorcycle ride from an American Express call center employee who bragged about the time he talked to Nicole Kidman. One highlight was sitting in the Microsoft office in Bangalore that Tom Friedman refers to in "The World is Flat" when he is on a golf course and says to "aim at Microsoft and IBM." Many of these companies have certainly set their sights this high, and some like Infosys and Wipro have clearly succeeded in becoming major forces in the industry.

While I heard about all the great things that offshoring has done for India, I also realized that it can't be the sole force driving Indian development and lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. The world may be flat for some segments of the Indian population, but until their education system addresses the huge urban/rural achievement discrepancy poverty will remain pervasive. One of my interviewees said, "India is a rich country with a whole lot of poor people." I'm not sure I completely agree with that assessment but it emphasizes the inequality that characterizes modern India. The government's favorite phrase is now "inclusive growth", but that's much easier said than done. One of my interviewees, an economist, scoffed at the trickle-down argument as a solution in itself. I think of it like this... there is the wealth pyramid with a few extremely rich at the top, a growing middle class (but still very small), and then a vast base of poor (the aptly-named "bottom of the pyramid"). The gains of offshoring are like water being poured on the top of the pyramid. But here is the catch; the gains tend to evaporate before they get to the bottom of the pyramid. The burgeoning middle class is hugely significant, but we can't hold up that momentous achievement without simultaneously acknowledging the enormous distance that is yet to be covered.

OK, enough talk about that for the moment. Most of you probably read this to hear about stories of me eating ridiculous things and not ranting about shortcomings in development policy. To satisfy those readers, I'll share one thing I tasted yesterday that I will certainly never try again. Sheep's brain. Yes, brain. What does it taste like? I honestly couldn't tell you, I was so repulsed by the concept of eating brain. The texture was the worst part, kind of rubbery *shudder*. It's not a true adventure unless you eat some weird stuff right? On the bright side, I've learned how to properly eat with my hands so I can impress the staff in Indian restaurants in the U.S. (shhh... the trick is to use the thumb).

It's getting late and I got 30 minutes of sleep on the red-eye from Bangalore. Tomorrow the plan is to confirm a few meetings and then spend the day typing up notes from India.

Day 46/82
Distance from NY-JFK: 9530.67 miles. Can't get much further than that.
Current mood: nostalgic for India's craziness/ relieved by Singapore's predictability
Current music: My friend Ian's home-made mix for his music composition class at Princeton. It's part of a killer playlist he made me.
Only here moment: OK this actually happened in Bangalore, but I was so struck by it that I'll put it here. It's what I've termed "The Amazing Race to School" (accepting other title suggestions). I was up early on my last day in Bangalore and witnessed children of all ages making their way to school. That may not sound exciting, at least in the states this typically involves a lot of big yellow buses, latte-wielding minivan drivers and a few bicycles. In Bangalore, they used EVERY POSSIBLE FORM OF TRANSPORT to get their kids to school. Two little girls in their school uniforms road on the back of their father's scooter, five boys crammed into the back of an autorickshaw, kids sitting on the handlebars of other kid's bicycles, kids in the back of a moving van holding their book bags, even a few on horse-drawn wagons. It was one of the most inspiring scenes I've ever glimpsed. While I'm sure Bangalore is different from rural villages, I couldn't help but smile seeing the enormous value these families placed on educating their children. They may not have potable water or reliable electricity, but they sure as hell don't miss school. Rest of the world... watch out in 20 years.

"It's Better if you Think of it as a Continenet"

That was the advice a wise couchsurfer provided me with over dinner in Chennai. It seems ridiculous, but if you think of India like you think of Europe, then whole place makes much more sense. Another favorite saying given to me my Bharat, the son of the family I was staying with in Delhi, "When traveling in India, the water changes taste every 2km and the dialect changes every 4km." I can't personally vouch for either since I try to avoid the water like the plague (it may in fact contain the plague), and I am equally ignorant of Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, etc. But unlike China, which is fairly homogeneous (fairly being key in that phrase given the recent ethnic conflict), India changes night and day as you move throughout the country. It's not just complexion, but language, religion, types of food, styles of driving, degree of annoyance with foreigners and more.

I'm currently in Mysore, which is about 85 miles southeast of Bangalore. My intention was to get the train at 11a from Bang, arrive at 1p, tour for 5 hours and then get a 7p bus back to Bang. True to form, India was not having any of that. I arrived at the train station 25 minutes early with my e-ticket number, needing somewhere to print my eticket. Silly me for thinking there would be printing facilities in the IT capital of the non-Western world. After missing my express train, I resorted to the bus, which took 3 1/2 hours. Fortunately, Mysore is gorgeous and it all was worth it after wandering through the Mysore Palace that housed the Maharaja and his family. Talk about living in luxury... the gold throne on which he was carried weighed 750kg (1650 pounds). So much luxury and here I am in a hotel room without a change of clothes. A classic Indian contradiction.

After the palace, I scoped out the Brindavan Gardens, setting for many a euphoric Bollywood dance sequence. At 7p, they light up the gardens and fountains and it turns into a twinkling wonderland. That is, until the power goes out (ironically the gardens span a hydroelectricity producing dam). Here is a pic from the gardens.



Also, I had to mention a "they outsource THAT" moment I had when in Chennai. I was meeting with a local company and the woman (the head of HR) informed me that one of their business lines was pre-media. I asked for an example and she casually replied that they do all the airbrushing for the Victoria's Secret catalog. I actually burst out laughing. No wonder they checked my bag for pen drives and cameras... they don't want me to reveal what Jiselle really looks like!

I'm going to try and get some sleep before the bus ride back to Bangalore, where I'm meeting my couchsurfing host for his soccer team's practice. I don't have proper footwear, and certainly lack proper fitness, but can't wait to knock the ball around.

Recap:
Day 40/82
Distance from NY-JFK: 8319.38 miles
Current mood: satisfied with a small adventure
Current music: None... the soundtrack of whatever is playing on Indian HBO?
Only here moment: Does a 4 lane highway have speed bumps... riddle me that.

Chennai in July

Greetings from Chennai, India, formerly known as Madras, as in the type of fabric that was hip in the 70s (according to my mom) and maintains its relevance amongst East Coast frat boys. I must confess that I am writing this from a distinctly unbackpacker-esque location, the Courtyard Marriott. But no, this isn't just your cookie-cutter Courtyard Marriott that eliminates the need for business travelers throughout America to remember what state they are in. This is a classy joint. You can tell by the 500 rupee bottles of Evian (that's 10.12USD) on the minibar. I showed up in a prepaid taxi, got out with my backpack and laptop bag and the bellman looked at me quizzically, to which I replied, "I travel light." He realized I was not about to tip him and did that amazing side-to-side, maybe yes-maybe-no Indian head gesture that I think needs to spread to other parts of the world (it's just SO versatile). The receptionists were kind enough to mask their disgust at my 2nd hand linen shirt that still retains a tint of green from my Cairo laundry adventure. Considering the air-conditioning hadn't been functioning in the plane in Delhi (it was 110 in the cabin according to my thermometer), it must've been tough for them. All that aside, I made it to my room, ventured out to find a non-overpriced meal and now am basking in central A/C.

I'm only in Chennai for 3 nights so I'll make this brief, but thought I should give a rundown of the past few days.

On Saturday, the 4th of July, I got up early and took the train to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal, jokingly referred to by some Indians as "Man's greatest erection for a woman." It was indeed stunning. The symmetry is unbelievable and, like the Pyramids, you can just imagine how it must've looked when it was completed centuries ago. Though I haven't seen Slumdog Millionaire yet (I know, I know... save the abuse), I was instructed to take this picture.



While the Taj is the main draw, Agra does have some other beautiful sights. Agra Fort is a HUGE structure down the river from the Taj in which the Indian Army still has garrisons. There is also the Baby Taj (official name is Itimad-Ud-Daulah), which I found really amazing, possibly because there were no crowds. Here is a picture of the Baby Taj, which predated the actual Taj by about 20 years.
Besides the sites, Agra is actually a pretty awful place. The roads are crowded, there is a marked lack of urban planning and much of the city derives its income from ripping of tourists. Perhaps I'm too quick to judge, but I was happy to get back to Delhi.

On Sunday, I met up with some fellow Princetonians for coffee and then we watched the Wimbledon final... unbelievable if you didn't see it. I then went with the son of my host family to one of his friend's homes where I encountered a scene so familiar it was eerie... a group of 20 somethings sitting around, watching South Park and playing drinking games. While IT may have flattened the world substantially, we cannot discount the impact of students who attend foreign universities, only to return and disseminate cultural relics such as "quarters" and "Kings". Perhaps Tom Friedman could focus an article on this phenomenon also?

Besides a few bouts with Delhi belly, I truly enjoyed my time in India's capital. Things just seemed to "work" more than they did in Mumbai.

For now, goodnight, and I'll try and be more diligent about my updates.

Day 36/82
Distance from NY-JFK: 8371 miles
Current mood: thoughtful
Current music: Usher's performance at the Michael Jackson memorial which is on CNN...
Only here moment: Hard to judge from my sanitized bubble, but in Delhi airport earlier today I had free highspeed wifi while looking out at slums only a few hundred meters away. India certainly has a long way to achieve its goal of "inclusive growth".

One Month Recap

I'm in New Delhi at the moment, staying with a a lovely family in Vasant Vihar (if you're familiar with Delhi... otherwise, it's a nice suburb about 6km from the city center). Delhi is a completely different kind of city from Mumbai. The roads are better, there is lots of green space and other nice features that come along with a nation's capital. They even have a large road that runs from the Prime Minister's office to the India Gate that reminds me of the Mall in Washington, D.C. That said, there is still amazing amounts of poverty that just breaks your heart. And at the most basic level, you can have improved infrastructure, but the chaos takes a lot longer to dissipate. As my host said, if there was just a little bit more order, people would be terribly confused because they are so accustomed to what I view as chaos.

I'm getting quite tired so I'll make this a short post, but I just wanted to recap a few highlights of the trip thus far.

High Point: Probably sunrise over Budapest, but the felucca cruise on the Nile was amazing also.

Low Point: The first night alone in Prague... when it hit me that I was really by myself. Listening to "Hey There Delilah" while eating dinner alone in an empty restaurant was rough.

Best meal: Toss up between dinner with Will in Egypt and the meal I had tonight here in Delhi. Both were authentic food that you just can't get anywhere else. We'll see if eating Indian fish comes back to haunt me...

Worst meal: The food on Egypt Air from Budapest to Cairo... disgusting.

Clothes I've lost: A pair of shorts and two pairs of underwear... don't ask me how because there is no exciting back story.

Clothes I've gained: Two pairs of Egyptian underwear, a second hand linen shirt which I tinted green by washing with my sheet, a blue polo shirt from the Hungarian answer to H&M, and a polo shirt from Leopolds, the bar in Mumbai.

Worst rip off: Definitely the infamous cologne

Best deal: 5 hours in a taxi (1 1/2 hours each way plus a two hour wait) for 16USD. That included a nice tip.

Most valuable lesson: Always carry small bills... best accomplished by spending your large bills at restaurants and getting change.

Unnecessary item thus far: My inflatable clothes hanger.

Number of days since I've drunk tap water: 18... and that means 18 days since crisp salad.

Thing I took most for granted at home: The ability to exercise whenever I wanted.

Biggest reminder of home: The smell of a Bounce sheet on my last shirt that I washed at Will's embassy apartment.

That's all I can think of for now... if you have suggestions for other things to recap... leave a comment.

4 Weeks Down... 6 Weeks to Go!

I can't believe it has been 4 weeks! I vacillate between thinking that it has been 4 months and thinking that it has been 4 days since I left the U.S. Thinking back to my time in Prague, it seems like an eternity, but then I still remember packing my bag in Connecticut like it was yesterday. Funny how our perception of time is distorted.

Still in Mumbai, although I've taken to calling in Bombay, which you may say is perpetuating the terrible legacy of colonialism, but I would respond and say that all the Indians still call it Bombay. Plus, if not for colonialism, the entire outsourcing business would not exist here and would not be making its incredible contribution to Indian economic growth. Now, I am hardly endorsing colonialism (not touching that with a 30 foot pole), but if I've learned anything in my six days of research here, it is that the legacy of the British education, legal and commerce system made the outsourcing business feasible. It is the single biggest reason, bar none, that India has this industry and China does not. That said, one could easily conjure up a counterfactual where India was never under the yoke of colonialism and, thus, not so far behind in the race of economic development. But I don't like complex counterfactuals... especially not this late at night.

Another interesting fact that I learned today... Y2K may be the single most important event in the growth of Indian outsourcing. I hadn't heard this before but it makes perfect sense: American companies were overwhelmed by the amount of basic recoding needed to make their systems Y2K compliant, so they sent much of the work here to India. After the Indian companies proved themselves competent, the relationship flourished as companies realized they could send LOTS of stuff over here to be done. All because someone was too lazy to use 4 digits...

Let's see... other things that I've been pondering lately (sorry, I didn't do much today besides sit in a taxi and conference rooms, so this is a rambling post). This weekend I was down by the Taj Hotel, which you may remember was a target in the Mumbai terrorist attacks of last year. I was walking around when all of a sudden a crowd began to amass and 40-50 police / fire brigades showed up and surrounded the building. My first reaction... run (yes Mom and Dad, you trained me well), but when I didn't see anyone else in much of a hurry, I decided to ask a local. After trying three locals who were just touts looking to take me on a tour/sell me chai/sell me postcards, I found someone who said that the President of India was coming to the hotel and that there had been a short circuit in the kitchen, causing a small fire. He said this was all a big overreaction, but my paranoid "pretend I'm from New Zealand" side was kicking in so I decided to check out another part of town. As I was walking, the streets became empty (which NEVER happens), and a police officer yelled at me when I tried to cross the road. This was because 8 minutes later, a motorcade with no less than 40 cars went through, including the Indian President, in what appeared to be an armored bus. So, I've "seen" the Indian President, though the windows were tinted. Pretty intense though... so intense that I felt I deserved a treat and camped out at a pastry/dessert shop for the next hour.

Later that day, after going through a surprisingly awesome museum, I ended up at Leopolds, a bar famous for being the 3rd target of the Mumbai terrorist attack. Little naive me had no idea about this until the friendly bartender informed me and insisted on showing me the bullet holes. After a slight dip in attendance, the bar seemed to have rebounded and was packed with patrons mourning the passing of the King of Pop (the moonwalk really did transcend cultural and ethnic boundaries). I met two students who insisted that I visit their palatial estates in Jaipur, and while tempted, informed them that I was only in North India for 6 days. Saddened, they compromised by saying that my visit to the Taj was an acceptable glance at North India.

Sunday I rested a lot and then took a driving tour with the Misras. I reached an important self-realization on that tour: I'm a sucker for urban green spaces and good signage. A city can have all the history in the world, but those two things really can make or break a visit.

I'll upload some pictures when I have wifi on my own laptop. For now, my poetic descriptions will have to suffice.

Last full day in Mumbai tomorrow, complete with two different sets of interviews. Will try and post again before I head to Delhi.

A Land of Contradictions

I'm sitting in the Indian equivalent of Starbucks (called the Coffee Bean) and making use of their free wifi, along with a charming window overlooking the street. Today was apparently the first day of the "actual" monsoon... prior days had just been warm-up runs. I awoke this morning to the sound of rustling palm fronds and a heavy deluge. Walking to the balcony, I looked down to see a quite a scene. There was a taxi (like Cairo, the taxis here are circa 1960, but do have functional meters, provided you can multiply by 13 in your head... yay Rapid Math Tricks!) sliding down the hill because the river of water prevented it from gaining traction. Three Indian men were trying to push it to the side of the road, but straining against the knee deep water, they didn't make much progress. Instead, it slid down to the bottom of the hill, where traffic proceeded to slowly go around it until a larger car pushed it out of the way (whether intentionally or not remains to be determined). The whole site was quite surreal as I stood sipping my tea and eating a biscuit in the comfort of my 5th floor balcony.

Today has been very much an extension of the scene this morning... moments of ridiculous chaos countered by extravagant comfort. My first meeting was with Actis, the global emerging market private equity firm. After taking an hour to go about 3/4 of a mile in the taxi, I arrived at their offices. They were located in a brand new glass office tower, but next door was a shanty village complete with blue tarps and discarded tires. It struck me that here I was in an office of a firm that controlled billions of dollars in capital, but right next door were people whose daily income is equivalent to what I just paid for an espresso. My second interview, with the Managing Director of BCG (Boston Consulting Group) India, struck a chord with this feeling. Dr. Sinha (a Woody Woo alum... go Princeton!) talked about the failure of the government to provide many of the most basic social services to huge swaths of the population. It was a great conversation that tempered my enthusiasm for India with a sharp dose of reality. The outsourcing and software industry get so much attention (from myself included) but they employ less than 1% of the Indian labor force. Even accounting for the spillover jobs that are created (in landscaping, security, transportation, dining services, etc.) there are still over 250 million people in agriculture. 40% of this labor force is illiterate and most are under the age of 25. He did share some bits of optimism, saying that the globalization, if truly embraced, could help solve the demographic crisis facing Japan, Western Europe, and, to a lesser extent, the U.S. But continually talking about winners and losers obscures the fact that unless something is done, huge portions of India will remain in destitute poverty, and much of the developed world will grow increasingly reliant on an ever-shrinking labor and tax base.

I walked out of his office, which overlooked the squalls rolling off the Arabian Sea, with many mixed emotions. There seems to be so much potential in the world, but it seems to be matched by increasing problems. Smart people all over the world are thinking about these things, and I'm comforted by that, but I worry that politicians and economists cannot understand each other. The politician says the economist only thinks of what should be happening, and ignores that people make decisions based on their own perspective, with whatever limited information they have available. Economists think that politicians are unable to make the long-term investment that is vital to development because they are too concerned with winning reelection. I'll be a fence-sitter and say the truth is in the middle. The world works in strange ways, India certainly is showing me that, but that does not mean that we should dismiss a good idea because it is inconvenient in the short-term. Big changes are happening around us, now I believe it is up to us to figure out how we make sure that we don't leave a few billion people behind as we charge ahead into the 21st century.

OK, enough deep musings. Now to find a cab home. I'll leave you with a quote from an Emerson essay that my Syrian couchsurfing host gave me (Housni, if you're reading this, hope all is well).

"There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide..."

I think that sums up a lot of my thinking atm...

Day 25/82 (it feels like a lot longer right now)
Distance from NY JFK: 7798.93 miles
Current mood: pensive (obviously)
Current music: some Kenny G-esque jazz...
Only here moment: Having to pay an extra 100 rupees to my cabbie to turn on the A/C. While only 2USD, it seemed ridiculous since he stood to benefit from it also.

Monsooning Mumbai

Greetings from the hot and humid subcontinent. I arrived yesterday afternoon, and yes, could smell Mumbai from the second the airplane doors opened. It was quite a startling scene to see shanty towns built up to the barbed-wire fence around the airoprt. I've learned Mumbai is very much like that though, extreme poverty with some middle class havens and a few islands of the megarich. As in Cairo, the tech companies like the one I visited today, are all located well outside the city because office space is cheaper. The Infotech park I visited was quite a sight to behold with 8 towers, all on top of rail complex, so workers could easily get to and from the office. Someone asked if I was going to take the train back to the city, and I considered it briefly before he said "let me show you first." So... trains in Mumbai don't have doors. According to my kind host (a 23 yr old software developer), that is a luxury the government only splurged on in the capital, New Delhi. There was a twinkle in his eyes as he spoke with wonderment of a metro with doors. Oh the luxuries we take for granted.

Besides a great meeting with V2, a software outsourcing firm, I've been wandering around the area I'm staying, called Peddar Rd. It's one of the posh areas of town, just a few blocks down from the tower which will soon be the world's most expensive private residence http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mukesh_Ambanis_home_worlds_costliest/articleshow/3002586.cms

My hosts are the lovely Dr. and Mrs. Misra, who are the parents of one of my mother's neighbors. They have been so generous and have made the transition to India so much easier than if I had been staying in a hotel/hostel by myself. I'm probably eating more healthy food now than I have at any point in the past month.

Tomorrow I have two meetings and then the weekend to explore Mumbai. If the monsoon hasn't cancelled the boats to Elephant Island, I'm planning to go out there and see the famous caves. Other than that, I'm at the whim of my Lonely Planet guide that Nellie so kindly gave me.

Pictures to come this weekend.

Day 25/82
Distance from New York JFK: 7807 miles
Current mood: content, but drowsy, potentially from the Malarone?
Current music: the not-so-soft, but unbelievably wonderful, drone of my A/C
Only here moment: Passing thousands of billboards and posters advertising two things. First, mutual funds. Everywhere you look, they are advertising mutual funds with slogans of like "get your piece of Indian's infrastructure boom". The minimum investment requirement is quite low, so it certainly gives the middle class a chance to invest in their country's growth. Let's hope they do better than AIG. And the second, advertisements for English lessons. They are EVERYWHERE. And for software training. If you don't think there are hundreds of thousands of people gunning for "your" job, then you are terribly mistaken. They still have a long way to go, but it's going to be an incredible shift to watch.

Last thing, a sign for an English language academy called SpeakEasy that read "Learn English, improve your personality". I thought of a few people who could certainly use their services.

To Add Insult to Injury...

I had to share this because it was absolutely hysterical. The cologne that I paid 400% too much for in the market leaked all over my bag this morning. It's the mistake that I can never forget... I've certainly become a much better haggler. Oh Egypt...

And one more nice picture....

Another Side of Egypt

I just returned to Cairo after a weekend in Alexandria. The train up was 2 1/2 hours and I sprang for first class since it was only 9.50USD (much cheaper than one way on NJ Transit). On the ride up I got phone calls from two people I had messaged through CouchSurfing who offered to meet up and show me around. I met with one of them, a Syrian student studying law in Alexandria for a few months, and he offered me his couch (actually his couch cushions on the floor, but it was amazingly comfy). We had a fantastic time talking and his roommate's friend even cooked a Bahranian dish for dinner. The first night we just relaxed and had long debates about politics, philosophy, and many other topics. To my surprise, I found myself citing things I had learned in Democracy (the required Woody Woo class that everyone complains about). Although I was kind of disgusted with myself, I was happy to teach someone a few new words, such as barter (as in a barter economy), flamboyant, and onomatopoeia (which I had to rely on spell check to spell).

The second day, I woke up late and then walked around Alexandria. I ended up on the point at a restaurant called the Greek Club which overlooked the entire harbor. It was beautiful, but definitely lived up to its description as "Cannes with acne". That night, Egypt and the U.S. played in soccer to see who would go through to the semi-finals of the Confederation Cup in S. Africa. Needless to say, I was the only person cheering for America! During the game, my fellow viewers (who I met on CouchSurfing) turned out to be impromtu interview subjects. They talked to me about the impact of foreign investment on Egypt and gave me some perspectives that I had not yet encountered. While it was fun watching the game with them, I probably learned more from 2 hours with them then I could get in many interviews. They talked about how companies manipulate the tax incentives the government use and then declare bankruptcy after 5 years, only to reemerge as a different company but the same owners. While I took everything they said with a grain of salt, it was eye-opening to hear how the average Egyptian perceives the economic issues of their country. As one said "We have 70 million people, 2/3 of all the ancient monuments in the world, natural resources, the Suez canal, and much more. We should be as developed as Germany, or at least Spain/Italy, but corruption kills us." They also talked about how fear was instilled in the Egyptian population so that people were hesitant to take risks unless they had the inside connections to provide them with a safety net. Their perspectives brought a feeling to me that has been recurrent throughout this trip: pride in America and the strength of the rule of law in my country.

Now I'm back in Cairo, with one final interview with Microsoft's head of Corporate Social Responsibility tomorrow. I fly to Mumbai on Wednesday morning at 450a, arriving around noon. Will try and make one final post in Egypt, but if not, then the next you'll hear from me will be from monsooning Mumbai.

Day 21/82 (three weeks in... wooo!!!)
Distance from NY JFK: 5604.23 miles
Current mood: Sweating... it should be a mood here.
Current music: Go on and Make a Move, a euro-techno-pop song that was popular in Sydney 4 years ago... the Pottery Cafe is a bit behind the times.

and a new addition:
Crazy thing that would only happen here: I rode a minibus back from Alexandria to Cairo today because I missed my train. It was only 20EGP (or 3.50USD), for 3 1/2 hours. But, when were just leaving Alexandria, I was sitting in the van and all of a sudden about 10 men, including the driver, sprinted down the street, jumped in the van and we floored it. I have absolutely no idea what we were escaping, and I've decided it's probably one of those times when ignorance is bliss.

A few pics:

Alexandria, with the discus shaped library:

In Dire Need of Fresh Air

so I am taking off to Alexandria for the weekend. I have a noon train (9 dollars... gotta love Egypt) for the 3 hour ride. Will try and post when I get there, but my intention is to relax in a cafe, enjoy the breeze of the Med and maybe find a beach or two to do some reading. Hopefully I can recharge my batteries after the insanity of Cairo and before the likely greater insanity of Mumbai in the monsoon. My hotel is a bit of a shot in the dark, but I have my own sheets/pillowcase if necessary. It can't be worse than my ant filled freshmen year dorm right?

Today was a great day of sightseeing. Downtown Cairo verges on tolerable on Friday mornings because everyone is at Mosque. They even roll green carpets into the streets so the overflow worshipers can still pray. My friend Will and I ventured down to Islamic Cairo, the oldest part of the city, and proceeded to wander the streets looking at the different mosques. This was definitely the "real" Cairo. There were herds of goats, 10 year olds using a blowtorch at a chop shop, and a serious accident between a bus and and a car around which a crowd of angry Egyptians had gathered (we walked quickly through, though I don't think anyone even noticed us). We even found a local "guide" to show us around the mosques and palaces that aren't usually open to tourists. If I've learned anything in this city, it is that a little backsheesh (tip/bribe) really opens doors, both literal and metaphorical. I'll post some more pictures later, but we saw some awesome stuff.

After that we unwound in Cairo's jewel of urban planning, El Azhar Park. Talk about an urban oasis. This place was stunning. We sat at a cafe and sipped fresh lemon juice with mint while watching the Egyptian families picnic and the sun sink behind the Cairo skyline. After that, it was dinner at Cairo's finest Egyptian restaurant. It was a bit of a splurge, but absolutely worth it. All in all, a very "authentic" day, which was a nice contrast to the amazing, but very Americanized felucca ride of last night. I'll detail more on that later, but needless to say, 60 American students on a felucca listening to 50 cent is not true to the spirit of the Egyptian felucca. Alas.

Day 18/82
Distance from New York: same as last
Current Mood: excited for Alexandria and striking out on my own.
Current Music: None, I know boring.

Fool Me Once...

So I learned something important about myself today. I'm really, really bad at haggling. So bad in fact, that I believe a merchant in Khan Al-Khalali felt so bad for ripping me off he gave me a bit of money back. That's a bad sign. Needless to say, I learned my lesson. Walking through market further, I was so upset with myself for wasting 25USD that I haggled with a small girl selling me a bottle of water. Perhaps I took it too far. I did get a damn good deal on that water though... 3 pounds for 1.5L... that's 50 cents.

Besides my adventures in the market, I had an interesting day. I went to the Egyptian Museum and saw more sarcophagi than one could possibly need to see in a single day. It was an unbelievable place though. It really gave me an appreciation of how old this culture really is and why Egyptians are so proud of their heritage. King Tut's funeral mask was definitely the highlight... I stared straight into the eyes of the mask and was blown away by the idea that the mask had been around for thousands of years. More than that, I was amazed by the sheer amount of stuff that was placed in the tombs to accompany the pharaohs into the afterlife. There were full wardrobes, hundreds of miniature statues of servants, funeral couches, and much more.

I also went through Coptic Cairo, where the old Christian sect resides. Saw a few beautiful churches and bought some cool old postcards.

Now I'm back at my hostel, debating on what to do for dinner. 2 meetings tomorrow, and then have to figure out what to do for the weekend (which is Friday/Saturday here).

Day 16/82
Current distance from New York JFK: same as before, give or take 5 meters.
Current mood: Hungry... ok, not a mood but whatever.
Current music: None, background noise is hostel people playing FIFA on the playstation.

Pyramid Pic!

Standing on the Great Pyramid looking up

Walk Like an Egyptian

and by that, I mean dart across 5 "lanes" of traffic that may or may not include the following: a taxi with no mirrors or seat belts and a ridiculous "meter" that hasn't functioned in 25 years (because you SHOULD know the price... and if not, be ready to negotiate), a camel, a horse-drawn wagon, and an exhaust-spewing bus with Egyptian men hanging on to the side. Needless to say, moving around this city is interesting. Driving is madness, but as one of my interviewees described, it's "ordered chaos." Apparently there is an unwritten code that minimizes the number of fatalities. My outsider perspective has deemed this about the code: hand signals out the window are crucial, the horn is absolutely invaluable (3 quick burst honks is a polite move, then there is the "get the f*%$ out of the way" honk), and the headlights are only used to indicate aggravation or that you are about to pass someone (leaving them on at other times wastes battery power, which is in short supply on a 1976 Peugeot. The rest of the code remains indecipherable, perhaps to be lost to the sands of time like the hieroglyphics on a temple wall.


But enough about the driving and walking in Cairo. I arrived on Sunday night and my is Africa a change from Europe. My ride from the airport showed up an hour late because EgyptAir switched its flights to a new terminal that day and didn't let anyone know. Once we found each other, we had a good ride from the airport into Zamalek, an island in the Nile that is known as one of Cairo's posh suburbs. The hotel I was at was on a nice tree-lined street just down from the main drag. I asked for the cheapest room, and yes, you get what you pay for. I had no A/C (it was 83 at midnight), a single bed, a towel (a nice luxury), and a shared bathroom in which the shower was a faucet over the toilet. I can't complain TOO much because there was hot water, it was just kind of odd to see it warmed next to your head by two open bunsen burner-like contraptions. But then again, I didn't even really need hot water because I was sweating so much! I went to bed after buying a big water bottle to brush my teeth... luckily, I squeezed the bottle I got out of the fridge because it had been slit and probably filled with tap water. I kindly grabbed another intact bottle and the shopkeeper looked at me sheepishly.

Day 1 in Cairo was spent wandering Zamalek and getting my bearings. I bought a massive map (what better way to advertise my tourist-ness) and had some drama getting an Egyptian SIM card. I also found a new hostel to stay at because I was tired of being overcharged for staying in a nice suburb when I was melting and having terribly unsatisfying showers. That night, I met up with a bunch of Princeton and AUC kids who are studying here for the summer. We went to a cafe/bar that serves Egypt's finest brew... Stella. No, not Artois. Just Stella. At 9.50EGP for 0.5L, one can't complain, but it did make me miss the nice Czech brews of a few weeks ago. The AUC kids were a bit late to arrive so I sat down and made friends with two Egyptian guys: Mohammad and Mohammad (easy enough). We had a very interesting conversation about politics and why Americans don't like Arabs. I told them that they don't understand the differences in the Arab world, but that many people don't understand the differences in America either. The ignorance goes both ways. It was a conversation that would have made my anti-Americanism professor proud!

Today I had a meeting outside of Cairo at Microsoft. It's located in a place called SmartVillage, which is one of the nicest office parks I've ever seen! It had glass pyramids (the Lourve is probably upset about that) and manicured lawns. Apparently the Egyptian government subsidized development in the hopes of creating a huge IT/telecom cluster. Very interesting just to walk around and appreciate the steps taken by policymakers to invest in their future competitiveness.

After my meeting, my gracious host even dropped me at the Pyramids. Upon stepping foot outside the car I was immediately assailed by men who posed as workers and were going to sell me a ticket. Luckily, my host warned me of this, and I kept my head low, waved my hands and repeated "La Shukran" (no thank you in Arabic). I didn't have to bust out "imshi" which apparently is a much more forceful way of saying back off (to those Arabic speakers out there, I apologize if that is a rude word). After buying my ticket, I walked through the gates and was greeted by the MASSIVE pyramids. Everyone probably says this, but they are freaking enormous. One brick comes up to about my chest/shoulders. I climbed up a bit of the way, but it was about 105 degrees out so climbing wasn't the best activity in my interview attire. After strolling around the pyramids and dodging offers for camel rides (though I was tempted), postcards, and other made-in-China trinkets, I got to the Sphinx. Now, it is gorgeous, but a lot smaller than I expected. It was kind of link the Mona Lisa; you admire the artistic feat but are still feeling underwhelmed. Regardless, it was an awesome site to behold. To the first Europeans to set eyes on them, I can't imagine what they thought. They really do rise out of nowhere.

Dinner was with a friend from Princeton who is working for the American Embassy in Egypt (which is the largest permanently staffed American embassy in the world... who knew). It's so nice to hang out with people who speak Arabic! I've learned a few words, but realize that my European mantra (know how to say thank you and cheers) is insufficient.

Off to sleep for me. I've never appreciated air conditioning so much. Hopefully my clothes are dry by tomorrow morning otherwise the day could prove a bit of an adventure.

Oh and I wanted to start doing this in all of my posts:
Day: 15/72
Distance from New York JFK: 5603.96 miles
Current mood: exhausted but exhilarated
Current music: Royksopp

Goodbye Europe...

My flight is in 3 1/2 hours and my bag is packed. I've had an absolutely incredible time in Budapest. The people I met through interviews were fascinating, and I only wish I could stay longer since there are so many more people to meet! The hostel I stayed in was fantastic, and the people I met were all so fun. It's weird to stay in one hostel for a week. I think I went through about 3 distinct sets of friends. Imagine how it is for the owners! Social interactions are funny when you're only around people for 48 hours. Luckily, with the proliferation of Facebook and such, it is much easier to stay in touch. Still, it's very odd to think that I will probably never see the people I have spent so much time with in the last 48 hours.

Budapest highlights included the Turkish baths, the Terror House (dedicated to the memory of the suffering under the Hungarian Nazis and the Communists), and sunrise from the Citadel. I'll try and post pictures of the sunrise when my hostel mate sends me the pictures. Let me say, it was probably one of the most beautiful sites I've ever seen. The Blue Danube was glistening and a few stray clouds turned gradually from purple to red to orange to white. We walked home and even caught the opening of Budapest's massive farmer's market. Picked up some fresh produce and pastries, which made the sleep deprivation much more tolerable.

All in all, Europe has been a delight. It's going to be a huge change to get to Egypt (and then India, etc.), and I'm sure it will be much more difficult. Besides the language, Prague and Budapest are not all that different from Western Europe and America for tourists. I'll post when I get to Egypt (the hotel/hostel has wifi... always critical), and enjoy my single room. As fun as dormitory style sleeping is, I'm excited to have my own room and just catch up on sleep.

And so I bid you farewell and I'll catch you in 8 hours.

Hungry for more Hungary

OK, I know, that pun has probably been used about 10000x by various backpackers, but I could not help myself. I apologize for the delay since my last post, but things have been very busy here in Budapest. I arrived on Sunday after an 8 hour train ride from Prague. There was apparently air conditioning, but I certainly did not feel it. Along with 60 kids from Miami University (in Ohio), I went through Bratislava and then finally on to Budapest. It was rainy and dark when I arrived and someone on the street tried to exchange my currency, saying Western Union was ripping me off. While he was certainly right about Western Union, I didn't have too much faith in him not just taking my remaining Czech crowns and taking off into the darkness. I also faced my first Hungarian geography challenge as my printed directions had been cut off and it didn't say which metro stop to get off at. Luckily, the hostel I'm at is on one of the busiest streets in Budapest, so it was easy to find. Upon arriving at Tiger Tim's place in Budapest I met a bunch of Americans, Danes, Australians and other backpackers. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming and my stay here has been extended from 2 days to probably the entirety of my visit to Budapest.

The next morning I woke up to a beautiful day in Budapest. I grabbed a langos (a pastry, fried with sour cream, cheese and ham... aka heart attack for 3USD) and while waiting met a group of Americans from University of Georgia. I proceeded to hang out with them for the next few hours. Some had been in town for over a month so we wandered around Margaret Island (thought of you mom) and I had people to take pictures for me! I've attached one here that was taken from the Margaret Bridge looking north towards the Parliament building (on the left) and Castle District (on the right). After that, I returned to the hostel to join a group of people going caving under Budapest. Best 18USD I've ever spent! We explored the caves for 3 hours, including some intense crawling sections and even saw a few seashell fossils. I didn't have my camera down there, but will upload some pictures when they are tagged on facebook.

Tuesday I had my first interview, with a venture capitalist. We had a great discussion of the business environment in Hungary and he put me in touch with quite a few other contacts. After that, I met up with someone from Couchsurfing and had a pleasant evening listening to a gypsy band and sipping local beer on an outdoor terrace.

Today I woke up and did a few errands (bought sunglasses, bought more phone credit, etc.) and then went to my 2nd interview, with the chief editor of HVG Online (the Hungarian equivalent of the Economist). He had some great views on the situation in Hungary and gave me some insight into the political parties here. Apparently, the Socialists are like the American Republicans and Young Democrats are more like America's Democrats. I chuckled to myself that Socialists and American Republicans were being equated... what would Rush Limbaugh say! Conveniently, his brother also worked for the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency. I had tried to get in touch with them a few months ago, but had no luck. Amazing how much easier it is when you're actually in the city!

For now, I'm off to a cafe to listen to some jazz and then meet up with the crowd from Georgia. The weather is supposed to take a turn for the worse at some point, but that'll give me a good excuse to explore all the museums that I've been neglecting.

Hope everyone is doing well!