Episode 42: December 2008
Highlights of the month:
· Neal starts his new job in Investor Relations;
· Sheorey family vacation to India.
The month started with us celebrating Neal’s promotion to a new job at Dow Chemical. He moved from the Alternative Feedstocks group to Investor Relations where he is now responsible for managing investors’ and analysts’ expectations of the company and our stock price. That’s no small challenge given the current economic environment! With Neal’s new job and me actively managing a large restructuring program, it was a very busy work month for both of us.
We escaped the cold Michigan winter for a fantastic two-week vacation to India with Neal’s parents. The primary reason for our trip was to attend the wedding of Neel (Neal’s second cousin) and Anna. I first met Neel and Anna at our wedding in Melbourne where they both live. After a wedding of their own in Melbourne, Neel and Anna were headed back to Neel’s home town of Pune to introduce Anna’s Australian family to a true Indian wedding.
Our trip started with a three-day stopover in Dubai with Neal’s mom, Surekha. Along with resting and shopping, we fit in a few of the prime tourist attractions. We visited the famous souks (markets), took a Dhow (river boat) cruise, and made a cultural visit to a local Mosque – complete with a lesson on the religious and cultural beliefs of Islam, which we all found very interesting and informative. Dubai itself was a city not unlike Houston or any modern Western city for that matter. The city is very spread out and quite westernized, with plenty of chain restaurants, Starbucks, and stores that we are used to seeing in the U.S., Europe, and Australia. The one thing that we could not help but notice was the amazing amount of construction going on in the city. It seemed like there were cranes and construction workers everywhere, with each project being something bigger and more impressive than the last. Dubai will soon be home to the tallest building in the world (the Burj), which was under construction while we were there. The tower is located a bit away from other skyscrapers, which makes it stand out that much more. One day we headed to the Palm – a man-made, palm-shaped island – to see the newly-constructed Atlantis Hotel which was impressive, but disappointing also as the hotel did not let guests inside the hotel unless you were staying there (at $600+ per night, no less). So, needless to say, we only saw the shops in the basement level of the hotel.
From Dubai, we flew to Mumbai where we met up with Neal’s dad, Ravi. We arrived somewhat late in the evening, so we stayed that night in Mumbai. After a nice rest, we were picked up from our hotel by a private driver who then took us on the four-hour journey to Pune. The drive was uneventful and relatively quiet compared to what both of us had expected based on previous trips to India. However, the city driving was exactly how we remembered it. Traffic in India is something else! The only road rule that drivers seem to obey is that if the nose of your car is in front, you get to go – coupled with a courtesy honk of the horn, of course. The only beings that get their way on the roads are the animals (yes, animals) – they get a lot more respect than the other drivers on the road. Needless to say, we had some nail biting experiences in the car! Check that…the car rides were nothing compared with the rickshaws. These tiny, three-wheeled scooters are by far an easier way to navigate through city traffic, but they make for a hair-raising experience as they weave in and out of traffic, with their occupants crammed into the back seat, “comforted” by the fact that there are no doors to protect them from falling onto the street.
The wedding was an amazing experience that covered four days. Fortunately, both Neal and I have been through an Indian wedding before (our own!), so we knew what to expect. The first day was the mehendi (henna) ceremony. This was also my first introduction to many of Neal’s relatives as well as the bride’s Australian family, so we spent the evening meeting many people and listening to some local musicians entertain us while Surekha and I got our hands painted with henna. Day two was the wedding ceremony itself. The ceremony went for a few hours, filled with beautiful Hindu rituals. After the wedding and a lunch, Neal and I got the opportunity to go with the bride and groom to four ancient temples where the couple were blessed by different gods before being allowed into the groom’s house. Upon arriving back at the house, we were welcomed with beautiful sand sculptures and rose petals that paved the entry way to the house. On the third day, we attended a nighttime reception. The groom’s family had reserved a huge open-air garden that was filled with tables and chairs and multiple buffet stations with different types of food. The bride and groom and their families were standing on a stage in one corner of the garden where onlookers could greet them and take a few pictures before mingling with the other 600-odd (!) guests. It was a perfect evening – even the weather was very nice – and we enjoyed time learning more about Neal’s extended family and spending time with them.
In addition to the wedding festivities, we enjoyed many meals with immediate and extended family as well as family friends of Ravi and Surekha’s. We were fortunate enough to be invited into some homes for home-cooked dinners which gave us a glimpse at how people live in Pune and allowed us to enjoy learning more about how Neal’s parents grew up in India.
With the wedding festivities over, we made a few sightseeing trips in Pune itself. The city is enormous – like any other Indian city – and I was in my element when we hit the streets to see all the craziness and chaos that makes up a normal day in India. The smells of wonderful food being prepared by the street vendors, the thousands of people walking the streets, the loud cars and rickshaws packed onto tiny street, the small street stalls and large stores, the vibrant colors – it is definitely a city that appeals to every sense.
We visited the highest point in Pune, Parvati Hill, which gave a panoramic view of the city and is also home to four famous temples: Devdeveshwar, Lord Kartikeya, Vishnu, and Vitthal. Every temple has a place in the history of the Maratha Empire and were quite a sight to see.
After a week in Pune, we continued our Indian adventure, this time only with Neal’s parents. We drove another four hours east to a city called Aurangabad, home to the famous Ellora caves. These caves were one of the most impressive things either of us have ever seen. Carved from a single piece of rock and dating back in the 4th century, the caves are home to 36 Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain temples. No longer inhabited, they are now a major tourist attraction, and impressively showcase how three religions lived in harmony alongside one another for many years. Each cave had multiple sculptures of respective gods and each was a work of art in its own right. The most impressive cave by far was the Hindu temple, Kailasanatha Temple. The temple – also carved from a single piece of rock – features hundreds of intricate carvings, some depicting ancient Hindu stories. The proportions of the temple are simply astounding, and then when one considers that it was carved by hand, from a single piece of rock, over the course of 150 years, the temple becomes awe-inspiring.
In the following two days, we visited a few more attractions around Aurangabad. One such visit was to Bibi Ka Maqbara, a tomb built in the 17th century that looks much like the Taj Mahal. In fact, it has become known as the poor man’s Taj. We also spent plenty of time with Neal’s parents, enjoying each other’s company over some delicious Indian tea, snacks, and meals. One thing was for sure on this trip: we did not have a bad meal the whole time. We ate some of the best Indian food we have ever had at some rather ordinary looking places.
From Aurangabad, we flew back to Mumbai. We arrived in Mumbai that night before we were to fly back to the U.S. To give us a place to rest, Neal’s parents booked us into their favorite airport hotel, the Leela Kempinski. Neal’s parents had stayed at the hotel when they visited India in 2004 and have been raving about it ever since. Neal and I did not quite understand their excitement until we experienced it ourselves. The hotel is magnificent – much like many of India’s finest hotels, it takes luxury to a new standard. Once inside the hotel, we had no idea we were in Mumbai. The property had a series of excellent restaurants, a wonderful pool area where Neal and I sat and read our books and magazines, and a seating area for “proper” tea. We had a very nice, relaxing time, even if it was for barely 24 hours.
The next night, at midnight, we all packed up our suitcases and headed for the airport. Neal’s dad was flying by a different route than the rest of us, so the other three of us headed to the airport first. Our flight was supposed to take us from Mumbai to Atlanta – direct. That’s right…an 18-hour flight. I say “supposed” because we did not quite make it to Atlanta. As we got to the U.S., our captain announced that there were some delays in Atlanta and our plane did not have enough fuel to be able to circle in Atlanta until we got clearance to land. So, we had to make an unscheduled landing in Washington D.C. to refuel. After an hour of refueling, we got back in the air and eventually landed in Atlanta. Of course, the three of us all hand connecting flights to take us home, so we had to run like monkeys through the airport to get to our connecting flights. In the end, we all made it back home safe and sound.
We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to India. Seeing the country now that we are older gives us a new appreciation for the country, the people, and the history. We have a lot of great pictures from the trip and we hope you enjoy them as much as we do. It was a great way to finish up a busy 2008 and get ready for a fruitful 2009. We wish all our readers a Happy New Year!
