THANKSgiving!

Since lots of Deloitte teams in the United States take the week of Thanksgiving as PTO (personal time off), work was a little slow this week. That may even be why here in Hyderabad, Impact Day was scheduled on Friday. But I digress, again.

We had a chance to sleep in this morning before beginning an afternoon of activities. After a quick lunch at KFC, of all places, we went to a local entertainment center.

 

Laser Tag was first on the agenda. We were all into the competitive spirit of the game and had a fantastic time running around in the dark, trying to "tag" the members of the opposing team. I always forget that playing is real workout. By the end of our second game, we were all panting and sweating!

Later, we were joined by Subrat, a USI senior manager, to get drinks and shoot some pool at the sports bar that was a floor below, where we also found a bowling alley. So we fit in a special match, where each frame is bowled in a different manner - first right handed, then left handed, then between the legs, then hopping on one foot, etc. You have to be there to appreciate the skill involved. NOT!

Although the Lemon Tree staff has always encouraged us to let them know if there is anything they can prepare to make our stay in India feel more like home, we had never felt the need to take them up on the offer. Last week, however, with Thanksgiving on all of our minds, we did ask the head chef if the Lemon Tree could prepare dinner for us, with some traditional American Thanksgiving favorites. They certainly did not disappoint!

We came into the dining room to see candles on the tables and champagne chilling nearby. On our menu were home style vegetables, cranberry sauce, macaroni and cheese, accompanied by an excellent polenta with mushroom ragout.

We were curious to see how the Lemon Tree would prepare a turkey for us, since we knw there was no on-site oven. Chef, Himanshu Sachdev, told us that they took the turkey to the bakery that supplies their breads and other baked items. It had been roasting there all day. It was DELICIOUS!

It was great joy to have Thanksgiving, even so far away from home. The very full day (See what I did there?) ended at the Sky Lounge with a few drinks and a little dancing. Not sure we have any pictures of the wildness. This place was indeed, another great night spot in Hyderabad.

Thanks especially, to Mr. Sachdevthe and his staff at the Lemon Tree and for all of our Deloitte friends who joined us throughout the weekend.