Focus India – On-Site Seminar

We started our program at 10.30am with a rickshaw trip to a indian couple in a gated community. After a warm welcome of Usha and his wife, we enjoyed a wonderful „Swadisht Cooking Experience“. He gave us a huge range of indian cooking knowledge, whereas his wife nearby showed us how to prepare some typical indian meals with fresh ingredients. She was cooking Ginger Chicken, Indian Mutton Curry, Jeera Rice and Rice Pudding (Kheer) in a improvised kitchen in their dining room. Three hours later, we were able to eat the food – it was a wonderful insight into the indian cuisine.

Later on we spent some hours in a shopping mall, before we got ready for a surprise dinner at the house of chandra’s brother. Unfortunately the bus driver hadn’t a clue of the direction, so it took us nearly one and a half hour instead of a short 15 minutes ride. After a second warm welcome on that day, we enjoyed a wonderful hospitality with delicious indian food and kingfisher beer. Thank you.

Ginger Chicken
Ingedients
Chicken 500gm
Curry leaves 5 nos.
Onion 1 no.
Green chillies 2 nos.
Vinegar 1 table spoon
Corn floor 1 table spoon
Salt to taste
Oil 2 table spoons
Ginger 2 nos.
Ginger Garlic paste 1 table spoon
Pepper ½ tea spoon
Coriander for garnishing
Lime ½ no.

1. Take medium pieces of chicken and wash them
2. Cut the onion, green chilies and curry-leaves and make fine paste
3. Mix the chicken with Soya sauce, vinegar and corn flour
4. Add salt to taste
5. Let the chicken marinate for about 20 min.
6. Take a flat pan and heat oil in it
7. Fry the chicken till it becomes golden in color
8. Add finely chopped ginger
9. Add ginger garlic paste
10. Mix it Good
11. Add onion and green chilly paste
12. Let it cook for a few minutes till the spices and onions stick to chicken
13. Sprinkle some crushed pepper on it
14. Sprinkle little bit of coriander and lemon on it

Ginger chicken is good as snacks or with white rice.

The Good Friday – Body and Soul Treatment

It has been some weeks when our organised project team asked Google if they are open on Good Friday for our company visits. Then last week they received the message that we wouldn`t be able to see Google because of the holiday. Even though we regretted that we couldn`t visit this interesting company, it also was (a) Good Friday for us. Most of the students slept in to catch up some sleep of the past nights. After having breakfast there was still some time left to enjoy the hotel pool for the first time since we arrived in Bangalore.

After lunch we head off to Orchard Fresh Company (www.orchardfresh.co.in). This is a small ice cream factory in Bangalore who produces over 150 different sorts of ice cream. All of the ingredients are natural. We learnt how ice cream was developed and how it is made in India. Orchard Fresh employs six factory workers but there is an immense number of hotels, restaurants and other retailers all over Bangalore whose are delivered by them. Now they even expanded to Pune. After the presentation and the guidance we enjoyed a variety of ice cream Orchard Fresh offered us. It was not only our first ice cream in India but also the best, if not even one of the top of the world! That was the reason why our next stop ended in an Orchard Fresh ice cream store where we ordered a delicious sundae.

In the late afternoon we were guided by our professor Chandra Holm and her sister Rhatna through a local market of Bangalore where had a glimpse of the common local products such as flours, spices, vegetables, fruits, textiles, and many other things. Then we used some time to shop for a good price. The ones who ordered a suit or a sari then went to the MG road to pick them up.

In the evening most of us met for having dinner in a recommended restaurant named Coconut Grove near the hotel where we were surprised by the spiciest food so far in India. This was probably the reason why half of the bill contained the food and the other half of it the beer pitchers. This certainly was a body and soul treatment for all of us.

Another wonderful day started in Bangalore. Today we had the honor to visit Jakob Mueller AG, IIM-B (Indian Institute of Management – Bangalore) and Parikrma School.

Early in the morning Focus India was warmly welcomed by Mr. Preetham David, the general manager, in Jakob Mueller headquarter in India. 

Over there, we had a very interesting presentation about this highly experienced enterprise in the field of developing innovative solutions for the production of ribbons, narrow fabrics and labels.

Each of us received labels with our names woven. Very special ! Thanks to Mr. Kishor Kumar, the Service Engineer who made this special gift for all of us.

Later we visited the Indian Institute of Management – Bangalore, one of the top management institutes in India. It was very impressive the self confidence and motivation of the IIM students.

The last visit of the day was a lesson for all of us, learning how it is possible to change and give opportunities to children who live in the slums. Parikrma School is a non-profit organization which is transforming education for these children and attempting to break the cycle of poverty in urban India.

 All of us were touched by the wonderful project of Parikrma School.

Getting up early is becoming more and more difficult. But still everybody is managing to get to the meeting point “on time”. In the morning we were able to visit the Microsoft Research lab. What they mainly do is fundamental research on various IT topics which could be on interest in 5-15 years. After a short introduction 3 out of about 40 researchers came to present their research field and gave us some information about the topics they are working at. 2 hours of an insight into the future of computing and a coffee-break later 2 interns came to chat with us. Although they were wearing Shorts and T-Shirts, they were really competent. They told us that if someone is interested in doing his PhD in the IT field he definitely should check out what Microsoft Research is offering. Followed by this official part we were allowed to have lunch with “the crème de la crème” of Microsoft’s IT researchers in Banglore. I was surprised to see how many young people were working as researchers.

After the offered lunch we started our one hour drive to the National Aeronautic Laboratories (NAL). Which seemed to last for ever because the bus driver didn’t know how to get there. Due to strict security control, those who still had their camera or cell phone, weren’t allowed to take it with them. After a short but intense overview of the whole laboratories we got dropped off at the Commercial Street. Most of the guys went to the bazaar. Some did the mistake and joined the women for buying Sarees…

At about 20.00 h we had the next meeting point at the UB City here we had reserved for group dinner at Shiro. As flexible as they where, it was possible for us to eat although the reservation hadn’t worked out. We spent a lot of time at the bar because of the nice view there . To extend the nice evening in the hotel we wanted to buy some drinks in our hotel. But because the bar closes at 23.15 h and we got there at 23.17 h we enjoyed ourselves until 3 o’clock in the morning with Coke. Who says that Indians aren’t punctual?

Ps: the crown wasn’t distributed…
Ps 2: there was no time for a proper April fool

Blog by Hänsu

Today, 30th March 2010, was aviation day!!! We started our day by travelling approximately one hour to the Bengaluru International Airport (BIAL) located in the north of Bangalore. Mr. Marcel Hungerbühler, the CEO of BIAL gave a very interesting speech about the planning, operating, and development of the airport. Even though many students, including the author, were quite tired, I’m sure that nobody really had trouble staying awake since it was that interesting. Mr. Hungerbühler talked openly about BIAL’s problems, like being on the opposite side of town than the industry, or the fast passenger growth. Latter can be handled by expansion, for which enough space in total 16km2 is available, which equals double the size of Zurich airport! In fact, Mr. Hungerbühler went to a meeting with architects straight after our meeting for discussions about the planning of the second terminal, which has just been approved by authorities.

Mr. Blaser from Nuance Group followed presenting after Mr. Hungerbühler and entertained the group perfectly! His insights into direct customer marketing were highly appreciated. Also his start with facts and figures about India gave a good picture of the overall Indian situation. Like, that it would, e.g. from a marketing perception, be important to know whether there are 1.1 or 1.3 billion inhabitants, since the difference equals half of the US population. Another insight was that the literacy rate is at low 64.8%, what most of us already knew. But this causes quite some problems to a company. Like that a working contract could be difficult to sign, since the opponent might be illiterate, so how to proceed on that matter? He also illustrated in a very entertaining way the peaceful struggle that exists between the shops and the airport authority. Nuance is the first company I know of that is hoping for delays, and I have worked at Zurich airport. After all, this makes sense, since what do you do when a flight is delayed? You go shopping… The intersection between the stress and the shopping line was very funny. We all were able to relate to that very fast and all agreed after Mr. Blaser explained the concept to us. It makes total sense to place the shops right after the security-check, since there is the point where the stress drops drastically and the demand for shopping increases very fast.

Following these presentations it was time for lunch, which was served to us in the canteen, close to the presentation’s building. The lunch was then followed by a tour through the airport, which included many, many, many, many security checks But also these were by far not able to smaller the very positive impression we all gained from and at the airport.

The group then got split in the city center, more or less by gender. Only Cristina followed us guys. We went to the Commercial Street to order suits, where as the rest did something else. Chris & Thomas were already able to pick up theirs and showed them to the rest. After hours of selection and looking at various colors and fabrics, we slowly and finally decided to order in total 8 custom-tailored suits. By now we all already had a fitting and hope that the suits will all be able for pick-up on Sunday, since the tailor is now running at full capacity J

We ended the day whit having of course a beer, having a snack, and reflecting on another amazing day in India.

Btw: the crown was not given to anybody this day…

I would like to quickly get hold of an extremely moving moment I had in India so far.

On Saturday we went on a day trip to Agra, which is a 2h train ride out of Delhi, to see the world known Taj Mahal and other impressing sights such as Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri. Before entering the vast Taj Mahal site our guide explained about the history of this marvellous building, its creator Emperor Shah Jahan and about many surprising features. He spoke about its unique atmosphere and that persons who see it may get moved and touched by it. Usually, I have a rather rational approach towards such statements but I shall learn my lesson on that same day. When passing the main gate, which leads towards Taj Mahal, you get your first glimpse on it. The guide was talking about the passage through this gate being the passage to paradise. Now honestly, when walking through that gate it caught me. The beauty of Taj Mahal, its size and the fact that there is only blue sky without a reference behind it made me suddenly feel so small and fleeting that it gave me the creeps. I had goosebumps on my arms although the thermometer was almost reaching 40 degree Centigrade. A moment I will not forget for a long time!

Therefore, Taj Mahal is an absolute MUST when being in Delhi!

After a very long and impressive day in Agra, the program on Sunday started a bit later. We spent the day with sightseeing and shopping in Delhi.

The tour bus took us to Humayun’s Tomb, India Gate, and Red Fort. While sightseeing, we always had the pleasure to be accompanied by our Delhi tour guide Mahendra who made the sights become alive in our eyes. Humayun’s tomb was the inspiration for the construction of Taj Mahal and therefore dates back even further and lets us understand why the two sights look so similar. While Taj Mahal was built under Mughal Emperor Sha Jahan for his beloved wife after her young death, Humayun’s tomb was initiated by his wife in memory of her deceased husband.

Afterwards, we drove passed the India Gate in New Delhi, which looks nearly like Arc de Triomphe (Champs-Élysées) in Paris. It was very interesting to see this modern area. For lunch we had some Indian food at the Red Fort in Old Delhi. From there we were allowed to walk around on our own and we got the task to get to the Indian restaurant “Legends of India” by 8 pm by ourselves.

Most of us had a look around Chandni Chowk, a street with many shops on each side, where we felt to be the only tourists. Many Indians starred and smiled at us when we walked passed and there was a lot of garbage lying on the floor. The street was incredibly crowded and noisy; we were so busy watching what was all happening that we didn’t even feel like going into the shops. Before it started to get dark we caught a cycle-rickshaw back to the Red Fort and from there onwards on a motor-rickshaw.

The rides were an experience on their own – bargaining with the driver, surviving the traffic, and finding the right destination. As Delhi is such a huge city, often drivers don’t know the exact way and have to ask for directions. Finally we were all relieved when we arrived at the restaurant where we had delicious food. Before going back to our hotel we had a drink at a very fancy roof top bar overlooking Connaught Place. It was a day full of contrasts – on the one hand seeing the very poor people, many colors, traffic, and waste, and on the other hand the clean, air-conditioned restaurants with western music and rich, well-dressed Indians. What an experience!

Finally we made it. We arrived in Delhi! It is still around 25 degrees when we exit the airport around 2.30 a.m.. On the way to the hotel I can watch the streets go by and look at the traffic. The cars here don’t seem to mind red lights and constantly use their horns. There are many Motor-Rickshaws which dangerously pass the busses and cars. I am amazed by how well the traffic works under these circumstances. With these first impressions I go to bed only to wake up 4 hours later for our first exploration tour in Delhi…

Already in Switzerland I wondered what they serve for breakfast in India and this I could finally find out at our first breakfast. The hotel offers a wide range of different food, from toast over scrambled eggs to Indian spicy food. I try most of the unknown food and must admit it is delicious even though it’s a bit strange to eat curry-like food at 8 o’clock in the morning.

We start our India experience with a sightseeing tour to Qutab Minar, a World Heritage Monument built in 1193 AD. It’s the world’s tallest brick minaret and one of India’s oldest Indo-Islamic monuments. The heat is almost unbearable as it’s nearly 40 degrees and most of us are wearing long trousers due to our formal visit to the Swiss Embassy later that day. As we are walking around the site we start to realize that we are being observed by the Indian visitors. We have been told that this is quite common and that they will take pictures of us. And indeed, only after a short time looking at the ruins the first Indian tourist approached me and asked me to take a picture of me with him. I thought it was quite amusing, especially when I found out that they pretended to take pictures of each other where they actually shot a photo of us standing in the background. And so we did the same with them, as there were women wearing the most beautiful and colourful saris I have ever seen before.

Later that day, after having a Lebanese lunch in a beautiful decorated restaurant at the entrance of Lodi Garden, we headed towards the Swiss Embassy. We were warmly welcomed by Mr. Mattia Celio which held an interesting presentation about the Embassy’s work. It was only a pity that the conference room was air conditioned down to a freezing level. Though this seems to be normal in India as the busses, restaurants and hotels all are cooled down to uncomfortably cold temperatures that I have to carry a scarf with me all the time.

Then the fun part started: in order to cool off from the heat we were allowed to jump into the Embassy’s swimming pool. What a nice offer! The surrounding lights and the dusk made the pool area even more inviting. Our first Indian dinner was offered by Mr. Celio right next to the pool, guess what they served? A traditional Swiss Raclette!

Lonely Planet is serving us as a great source for our trip planning with many tipps on restaurants, sights and other addresses. As coincidence would have it, the cover of the current Lonely Planet Magazine issue is featuring a picture of the Taj Mahal. I found a little video telling how this beautiful shot was done.

The countdown has started…
Now there’s just a little less than a week to go before we’ll be sitting in the plane on our way to Delhi! Slowly but surely getting nervous and excited!