IMPACT Day - Hyderabad

Deloitte Worldwide is VERY BIG on community service. Our program is called IMPACT Day. The whole company heads out into the neighborhood to help in any way that it can. This is my second I-Day.

Danny and Om signed up for manual labor outside. They are pitching in with several large teams that will work in nearby parks and lakes.

Jon, Stephanie, Katie, Kalie and I are working with children. We headed out early to SVS Model High School (which was in the neighborhood of our driver, Kaleem) to lead classes for the day. Some of us talked to younger children, in what India calls 5th and 6th standard, about manufacturing. We showed them clips of the popular show "How It’s Made" to reinforce the concept that everything that we have comes from an industry and is part of a supply chain.

It was exciting to see the kids become intrigued while watching a video of an ice cream cone being made and then hear them explain the process they had just seen to us.

Other members of the Deloitte Impact team spoke with the older children in 9th and 10th standard about career opportunities. We used the SEEK (Skills, Education, Experience and Knowledge) and VISTA (values, interests, strengths, talents and attitude) models to show the students how they can begin assessing their interests and skills in order to think of what careers they might be interested in pursuing. The students were very involved in this session, and it was inspiring to see how many of them felt strongly about the value of the education they were receiving and their individual desires to become upwardly mobile and achieve their goals.

 

 

I'm sure that this Impact Day was most meaningful for us BTA Immersioners. Not only did we get to experience the India schooling system first hand, but we got to assist with instruction of the actual sessions, as well.

 

We weren't nearly as exhausted at the end of our day as Danny and Om were. They had built gravel pathways to local lakes! Nonetheless, we were all tired after our day of service!  

 

Deloitte's 11th annual Impact Day in India, involving over 21,000 employees, 70 projects in 8 cities, was covered in the local newspaper. For coverage in the News Wala Daily click here.

IMPACT Day in the News

Kolkata, Nov 29/2013 (IBNS): "Global professional services organization Deloitte celebrated the 11th annual edition of the 'Impact Day' which is an employee driven community service program along with the inmates of Tollygunge Home - a shelter for the elderly, here on Friday.

The young and the old sang and danced together, others sat relishing the performances, smiling and clapping now and then, as the employees of Deloitte intermingled with the inmates of Tollygunge Home.

Aloke Tagore, HR Manager, Deloitte said, "IMPACT Day represents the organization's year-round strategic community involvement initiatives and sees the entire Deloitte team in India invest an entire workday celebrating special activities on their community projects."

The 150 year old Tollygunge Home, which provides free food and health facilities to more than 30 senior citizens depends on donations to continue with its good work and is further trying to develop a dairy farm and kitchen garden to cut-down its dependence on external sources.

"We learnt from the Home authorities that they are working towards gaining self-reliance by growing fruits and vegetables within their premises. To help them in their endeavor we have donated saplings, apart from other things," Tagore revealed.

"Our corporate social responsibility initiatives go beyond monetary donations and we want our employees to be involved in the entire process, from planning to implementation," he added.

According to the officials, more than 60 percent of Deloitte's community projects focus on issues critical to the country's economy with sustainable and broad based initiatives involving skills-based volunteerism.

The 'Impact Day' witnessed the participation of over 21,000 employees in 70 plus projects across 8 cities, the officials informed."

SOURCE:  News Wala Daily by Anuradha Dutta - November 29, 2013.

Missing A Bit of History at Home

We'll celebrate at the Lemon Tree on Saturday with a special home-cooked menu prepared just for us by the chef. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

A Proclamation:

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor,

And whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 28th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be.

That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks, for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation, for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war, for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed, for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions, to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually, to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed, to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord.

To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and Us, and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789,

George Washington
President of the United States

A Literary Interlude

"The Arabian Nights, also known as Alf Layla wa-Layla, The Thousand and One Nights, and The Thousand Nights and One Night is one of the world's best-known collections of stories. Although the tales, which were orally transmitted and composed over the course of several centuries, are mainly of Asian and Arabic origin, they have become an inextricable part of the Western cultural heritage as well.

The original collection, comprised of legends, fairytales, romances, and anecdotes, stems from a number of folk traditions and contains motifs and fables from various geographical areas and historical periods. Since the eighteenth century, when it reached Western audiences, The Arabian Nights has been one of the most popular works of world literature, spawning numerous adaptations and tributes.

Although they are traditionally associated with medieval Arabic culture, the tales of The Arabian Nights are rooted in several oral traditions, containing motifs from a variety of geographic areas and historical periods, including ancient Mesopotamia, India, early medieval Persia and Iraq, and Egypt of the Middle Ages. Scholars agree that the frame story is most likely of Indian origin.

The first identifiable written version of The Arabian Nights is a book of Persian tales called Hazar Afsanah , written between 225 and 250, translated into Arabic around 850. The stories underwent considerable modification between the tenth and the sixteenth centuries, kept alive by professional storytellers, who would perform them in coffeehouses all over the Middle East. The title Thousand and One Nights was known in the twelfth century and likely originated from the Turkish expression bin-bir (“thousand and one”), which, like the Arabic alf, simply indicates a very large number. There is no definitive Arabic textual source of the work, but there are a number of surviving manuscripts containing many of the stories.

The first major European translation of The Arabian Nights was completed by the Frenchman Antoine Galland. The first part of his twelve-volume Les mille et une nuits appeared in 1704."

I know it’s a stretch. I wonder if it’s even politically correct? If not, I apologize in advance, BUT Disney’s new adaptation of Aladdin hits Broadway in February. Guess who already has tickets! I can’t wait to see if my experience here will deepen my appreciation of the story.

Source: Classical and Medieval Literature Criticism, ©2004 Gale Cengage.

Mumbai - Sunday

Kalie and I slept in a bit and enjoyed breakfast at the Trident before checking out and taking a cab to the Taj to meet up with Jon and Mrs. Bucheri.

She led us through the masses of weekend crowds, past the Gateway of India to a fleet of boats, one of which would take us to Elephanta Island, named for one of the many elephant statues that had been found carved into the rock caves there.

She waved good-bye at the dock, as Jon, Kalie and I settled in for an hour long boat ride to the island. The ocean breeze was especially welcomed, since it was by far the hottest day we have experienced in India. It's at least 95 today and seems hotter!

 

Once we reached the island, we had quite a climb to reach the caves, up a hill with plenty of steps. No wonder Mrs. Bucheri had decided not to come along - a wise woman indeed! Did I mention it was hot out here? We walked along a dirt path, visiting each of the five caves that were carved into the mountain on the island.

 

Some of these caves featured finely detailed sculptures that seemed to climb out from the rocks themselves. We lingered for a while to take some pictures, and managed to steer clear of the many wild monkeys in the area, before descending back down the hill.

Shopping opportunities lined the path back down to the boat. We stopped at several of the stalls and made a few purchases before starting our hour long ride back to Mumbai.

On returning to the Taj Hotel, we "soaked" in the air conditioning, while we waited for Mrs. Bucheri, who took us back to her flat for a home cooked lunch. It was delicious and was a great change from what has become a tired routine - lunches of cafeteria food and take-out dinners from restaurants.

After some tea and cookies, we packed up our things and got a cab to take us back to the airport. The trip turned out to be a more little harrowing than we planned. A wrong turn by our driver put us in the way of an armed motorcade of some sort and necessitated another drive through a massive Mumbai slum. Aside from these unscheduled "heart-pounders," our short flight home was uneventful and we returned to he Lemon Tree at a reasonable hour.

It was another successful weekend for us, due in no small part to new friends Mrs. Bucheri and Tamal. Thanks so much for your hospitality.

I can hardly believe that we only have two more weekends in India! Where has the time gone?

Mumbai - Saturday

Compared to previous excursion schedules, it was early to rise, but not quite as early as usual, for Kalie, Jon and me this morning. The three of us made our way to the airport for our last domestic flight of the program! Next time I come here, I’ll be homeward bound, by way of LONDON! But I digress.

We knew that our short weekend wouldn’t be enough to cover all of Mumbai (or Bombay as some still call it), the most populous city in India, but we were hoping that our planned Mumbai on “speed-dial” would be sufficient to provide a sufficient overview and an authentic Mumbai experience.

We landed at the Mumbai airport and were greeted by Jon’s family friend, Mrs. Bucheri. Her personal driver drove us back to her impressive flat, and we spent some time relaxing and chatting before heading out for lunch. We were treated by Mrs. Bucheri to a thali lunch, which has become one of our favorite ways to try Indian food. In Hindi, the word thali literally means plate, and in the context of a mealtime menu, it can be thought of as a sampler.

Most thalis that I’ve had in India are served on a large plate with many little dishes, each filled with different curries, vegetables or sauces. Rice or bread is often served in the middle of the small dishes as an accompaniment. Thalis are a great way to try lots of things at once, and often, servers will come around with all of the food to refill the small dishes. This way, you can get more of the things you like.

After lunch, Mrs. Bucheri and Jon dropped Kalie and me off at the Trident Hotel, one of the premiere hotels in Mumbai. Knowing that we would only be staying one night, Kalie and I decided to split the cost of a room at The Trident, It certainly did not disappoint! Our view of the ocean was magnificent! After exploring the room and trying on our complimentary robes and slippers, Kalie and I had time for a quick power-nap before meeting Tamal, Kalie’s colleague from a previous Deloitte project.

With Tamal as a trusted guide, we began our afternoon tour around Mumbai by walking along Marine Drive, the ocean front street, adjacent to the hotel. Deciding to be a bit adventurous, we climbed out onto the wave breakers and enjoyed the sea breeze for a while before continuing.

 

 

Next, we drove about ten minutes away to see the even more elaborate Taj Hotel.

Next on the agenda was the Gateway of India. This impressive structure was used as a landing place for the British, when India was still under British rule. Similar to Ellis Island, it would have been the first thing seen by anyone coming to Mumbai by boat. We had our own opportunity to experience this view first hand when we took a short ferry ride around the area.

 

By the time we returned to shore, the area around the gateway was unbelievably crowded. This was really the first time, since my short experience in Charminar, that I was overwhelmed by the incredible crush of crowds in India. It was almost impossible to get back to the car without bumping into someone every few steps. You really do get the feeling that it might be possible to lose your way, if not get swept up by the crowds.

After making our way through the sea of people and away from aggressive merchants, who were desperately trying to get us to buy souvenirs, we made it to the car and began our drive across the city to “the bandstand,” a seaside walkway located in one of Mumbai’s suburbs.

Tamal was hoping that we would get there before dark, but the traffic dictated otherwise. Kalie and I had thought the traffic was bad in Hyderabad, but getting to and from work every day seems like a walk in the park compared to the oppressive traffic congestion that we experienced in Mumbai!

On the way to the bandstand, we drove through neighborhoods of stark contrasts. There were streets lined with the makeshift shanties of the impoverished, followed by the posh, upscale shopping district of the Bollywood elites. We certainly witnessed the disparity between rich and poor in Mumbai that we hear about so often in the US.

 

 

  

We did finally reach the bandstand but after sunset, so the ocean view we had hoped for could not be seen. We did however, see the amazing Mumbai skyline and the Sealink Bridge in all of its glory. Kalie and I worked a little longer than usual with our cameras to make sure our nighttime pictures were just right before going to dinner at a great seafood restaurant.

 

 

Being a coastal city, Mumbai is known for its seafood. Excellensea claims to be the oldest surviving sea food restaurant in Mumbai. It was originally known as Bharat Hotel. According to reviews, its become "the rendezvous for famous, and fashionable lovers of Indian food ." We don't know about that, but the spicy grilled kingfish that we had as an appetizer was terrific!

Exhausted from the long day, no doubt exacerbated by the increased heat and humidity of Mumbai, Kalie and I were happy to be dropped off after dinner at the Trident for a full night of sleep!

Mumbai Excursion

Until I can get notes and pictures posted, enjoy this.

The City of Dreams, The City that Never Sleeps.

SOURCE: YouTube Video by Saahilsamel - 2007.

Friday Lunch Getaway

OK -- so lunch at the office cafeteria is getting a little too predicable.

We've been venturing out for an alternative or two in our final weeks, and today we found one crazy place.

It's called Nautanki Gali or "noisy streets" - a theme restaurant that brings the outside in. At first blush, not a praticularly attractive concept, but the neon lights and the novelty dining areas were very well done. Danny, Jon, Kalie and I enjoyed a fantastic meal in a new and different setting. That's us in at a rickshaw table. Nice work, Kalie.

Final Moves?

"The Group of Ministers (GoM), set up to look into the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, will meet on November 27 to finalize its report along with the draft Telangana Bill before it is submitted to the Union Cabinet sometime next week.

The GoM, headed by Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, deliberated various issues concerning the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, including distribution of assets between the two states as well as suggestions given by various stake holders.

"We will try to push the proposal as hard as possible. We have to discuss multiple options. We are in discussions. We will bring the Bill in the Winter Session (of Parliament, which begins in December)," Shinde told reporters.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy's camp is said to be seriously considering premature dissolution of the Assembly as the "final option" to thwart bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

"We have suggested to the Chief Minister that Assembly should be dissolved. We have already taken legal opinion on this and we are awaiting the final view," Minor Irrigation Minister T G Venkatesh, a strong opponent of bifurcation, told reporters here on Thursday. "If the House is dissolved, there is no issue of bifurcation," he said."

For my pervious posts, click here, here, here, here and here.

SOURCE: Deccan Chronicle, November 21, 2013.

Preparing for Re-entry

No, this is not "space talk," but personnel planning for BTA consultants.

Consultants at Deloitte are assigned to teams that work with corporate clients for a fixed number of days. As a particular task is completed or the contractual relationship between client and Deloitte ends, consultants "roll off," and are reassigned to other tasks or teams. Each consultant has a staffing manager, who surveys current corporate contracts and tries to match consultants who are looking for assignment with an existing client and team needs. Sometimes we get assigned to a project that is just about to "start up." At other times, we join a contract / team that is already in progress. It's very complicated!

As our time in Hyderabad begins to wind down, some of us could be "be extended" with the teams and clients with whom we are now working. Others of us plan to "roll off" and begin the process of identifying a new team / client to join, as we return to the United States. The goal of course, is to find a placement that takes advantage of all the new SAP skills that we have learned as a result of our Immersion Program experience.

Because I have been working largely with an accounts payable function, I'm anxious to be re-deployed on a materials management task. I've been in touch with my staffing manager and sent my resume to several other partners and project managers with whom I have built relationships over these past ten weeks. So ... I'm hoping for an early Christmas present from my staffing manager in Philadelphia! More about this as events warrant.

Excursion Planning

Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million.

Mumbai lies on the west coast of India and has a deep natural harbor. It is also the wealthiest city in India, and has the highest GDP of any city in South, West or Central Asia.

The seven islands that came to constitute Mumbai were home to communities of fishing colonies. For centuries, the islands were under the control of successive indigenous empires before being ceded to the Portuguese and subsequently to the British East India Company. During the mid-18th century, Mumbai was reshaped by the Hornby Vellard Project, which reclaimed the area between the seven islands from the sea.

Along with construction of major roads and railways, the reclamation project, completed in 1845, transformed Bombay into a major seaport on the Arabian Sea. Bombay in the 19th century was characterized by economic and educational development and by the early 20th century it became a strong base for the Indian independence movement.

Upon India's independence in 1947, the State of Bombay was formed. In 1960, following the Samyukta Maharashtra movement, which demanded the creation of a separate Marathi-speaking state out of the then bilingual State of Bombay, the new state of Maharashtra was created. Bombay became the capital, which was renamed Mumbai in 1996.

Mumbai is the commercial and entertainment capital of India. While it has some of the country's best architecture, restaurants, and museums, it also has some of the worst slums, traffic jams, and security problems.

This weekend, we'll be hoping to see the Gateway of India, built to commemorate the visit of George V in 1911 and Mani Bhavan, Mahatma Gandhi's temporary residence (1917-1934), which houses the Gandhi museum. The memorial there is dedicated to the father of the Nation.

Thankfully, our flight is less than two hours from Hyderabad - a walk around the block compared to what had become our customary itinerary. Visiting a few temples, a Catholic church and a "little" shopping at the bazaars and markets will be on tap this weekend.

JIA Planning

Today, five "fearless" BTAs met with about 25 USI staffers to discuss plans for the trekking adventure to Goa.

We'll leave at 9:30 PM Friday, December 6th and take an overnight train to Goa. On arrival, we'll trek about 15 kilometers to the waterfall. There will be two "rooms", two tents, and a dormitory for all the Deloitte people. We're planning to sleep in an indoor area, since we don't want to purchase sleeping bags just for the trip. It's supposed to be about 50 degrees at night. The long pants and long sleeved shirt I just brought will come in very handy!

The most important detail so far is that we'll probably need to carry enough water for the entire trip, since bottled water will be scarce. Hummmmm. What to do? I could finally get to try the water purification tablets I brought along. Then again, it is awfully late in the game to be testing them out.....

From Hyderabad, the trip is about 530 miles. By train, it takes about 14 hours. We'll be coming back by overnight bus on Sunday night. I assume that will take a "little" longer. That's all we know so far. Guess we really will Jump Into Adventure!

Let's hope our camp site will look something like this!

Our Quest!

Page Views Update

The blog is now 120 days old AND we've been here for 60 DAYS!!!

Here's an update concerning readership at the Deloitte BTAs in India blogspot:

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Thanks so much for your continuing interest and support.

60 Days and Counting

Yes, it is true. We have been here for 60 days.

There are 24 days left until my departure date of December 14th.

Where has the time gone? What lies ahead as a result of this grand experience?

Busy Week Upcoming

Om, Kalie and I are moving on from training with the SAP Materials and Warehouse Management modules to Vendor Invoice Management. Rather than tracking the physical location of goods in a single location, the VIM module simplifies the process of creating, managing, monitoring and routing purchase orders and invoices. With it, invoices are processed more efficiently. Problem invoices are automatically routed for problem resolution, approval and payment. We'll be at it from 9 AM to 1 PM daily.

I have a bundle of calls this week, including one with my SAP mentor back in Philadelphia. Very exciting.

There's a planning meeting for "Jump into Adventure." Danny, Om and Jon, Kalie, and I will be getting the low down on the trekking weekend coming up in December.

Meanwhile, we have to plan our upcoming excursion to Mumbai. Just can't let any moss grow under our feet. Come to think of it, I don't think moss grows too well here. Either way, I expect week number nine to pass lickity split!