Interviews

Interviews are not fun in India.  Well, they are getting fun for me, as the interviewer, but it is surely not fun for the interviewee.

I've interviewed about 12 people now for analytical and formulation positions, from "fresher" (right out of college) to group leader level.  In any case it is not a pleasant experience for the candidate.  They are invariably made to wait at least several hours for anyone to greet them.  Then they get a panel interview with usually 3 or 4 senior people.  No pleasant introductions, no giving of business cards, no facility tour.  It is more like a thesis oral defense.  We spit-fire interrogate them on what they do for work, and how much they know about basic chemistry concepts.  My fellow group leader is especially good at being harsh, digging and digging into their answers.  He has a gift for drawing out the truth from the interviewees, to show just how deep their understanding is of chemistry/regulatory/instrumentation.

At first this harshness made me uncomfortable, but now I am finding it rather fun.  I will have to hone my skills to be as good as my coworker, but I will try.

I have spoken before that the quality of scientist is just as good in India as in US.  However, from my interviews, I am now not so sure.  Basic concepts like pKa seem to be a mystery to everyone.  I feel blessed that my own group members are as smart as they are.  I just hope they don't quit after the crappy annual raises that they got yesterday...

More Omelettes

I have eaten 6 omelettes in the last 2 weeks.  I have food rut issues.  But at the market I have bought onions, tomatos, hot peppers and bell peppers, so at least it can be a different omlette every day.

I have been cooking in the dark for the last 2 weeks.  The light went out in the kitchen went out, and replacing the bulb didn't fix it.  I turn on the pantry light and open the door, giving me just enough light to cook without hurting myself.  My landlord recently moved to New Jersey, so I am not sure how to get it fixed...

Anyway, I have been salting my food in the dark while cooking.  Most of you know I am very fond of salt.  Today I finally salted something in the light, and was surprised to see it came out dark brown.  Apparently the humid season has completely rusted the inside of my salt shaker and I have been eating rust.  Gross!

RTO

Finally I decided to get my drivers license.  I asked 10 different people about the process, and got 10 different answers.  Nothing is simple here.  I decided to take a morning off work and go to the RTO (Regional Transport Office) and just see what happened.  A coworker gave me the name/number of an "agent" that could meet me there and help out.  I was hoping to get a license immediately, based on my US license, but was not at all sure that would happen.  It was possible that I'd have to get a Learner's License and return later for a driving test before a real license was granted.

This place was a chaotic madhouse.  I should have taken pics.  There were 6 lines that I had to stand in, and at least 10 other lines for other purposes.  Outside there were more lines with people taking driving tests for cars, bikes, and auto rickshaws.  No signs anywhere, in any language, about who should queue in which line for which purpose.

The "agent" charged me about 10 times what he would charge an indian for his services.  I only found this out later.  I am still a little naive in this sense.  However, his services were extremely valuable, getting me into the front of lines, and maybe granting me certain favors (I'm sure a large cut of his fees went to the government officials running the place).

In the end, I got my car license without the need for a driving test or learners license.  Usually in India, a car license automatically comes with a the right to drive a bike.  Unfortunately, the official looked at the website from the PA state website and saw that my class C license did not cover bikes.  So he made a special recommendation that my license covers car, but not bike.  Of course, I plan to ride a bike here.  So I will have to return to the RTO in a month and take a bike driving test, then my license will be updated.  However, now that I have a car license, I feel like I will be fine if I get pulled over by a traffic cop.

Cooking Dinner

As some of you know, I'm not much of a cook.  I liked to make a main dish once a week in US, like chicken cordon bleu.  During the week I had more convenient options:  veg burger with marinara sauce, Lean Cuisine, tuna torilla wrap, etc.  These things are full of preservatives, but still healthy.  Here it is more difficult.

I have been surviving on maggi and pasta for dinners in India.  Maggi is basically Ramen Noodles, and the pasta I eat is similar to Kraft Mac&Cheese.  Not healthy at all...  The problem is that the items that I desire aren't available in the grocery store.  First of all, the big grocery stores are 100% veg.  No tuna, chicken, eggs, anything (except milk and yogurt). Second, there is junk food and basic ingredients only.  There is no in-between.  Either I eat crap or I have to make entrees from scratch like a housewife (and of course I don't have the time or skills for the latter).  After my US visit, after enjoying all of my favorite tasty and quality foods, I couldn't bear to go back to pasta/maggi.  Something had to change.

After returning I bought an omlette pan and found out where to buy eggs.  The fantastic vegatable/fruit market right by my flat is a great advantage for me.  I will be able to make tasty omlettes for dinner from now on.  It is good protein for me, since my cafeteria serves only veg options.

In addition, I have found small nearby restaurant nearby that will sell rotis to go (roti = thin flat bread, like a tortilla).  I can buy these and eat some with packaged subje or leftovers.  I also have taken a liking to frankies.  Most of you won't know what I'm talking about, but come to visit and I will show you.

Bon Appetite!

I hate monsoon

The monsoon started 4 days ago.  This is a different India than I have ever seen before.  Everyone claims that they love the rainy season, and are so happy the monsoon has finally arrived.  They are nuts.

Granted, the oppressive heat has let up, and it is fun to see a crazy downpour from the security of your work or flat.  But the rest is terrible.  India doesn't have sewer systems like in the US.  A downpour will result in waterlogging which means traffic jams and mud lakes everywhere.  There weren't sidewalks to start with, now I have to walk in the middle of the road unless I prefer to swim.  I have to hang my laundry inside.  My entire flat is damp since I don't have AC, so my instant coffee grounds have turned into a lump.  My hair is a frizzy mess.  Ugh.

Only 3 months of monsoon left...

Chaat (a little bit of everything)

I can't believe it has been 10 days since my return to India from my 15 days trip to Philadelphia.  I have been so busy that I haven't unpacked.  I have had boughts of homesickness since arriving here, but my recent US trips seems to have cured that.  As long as I can get back home once or twice per year, I know that my favorite people/food/activities will be waiting for me.  In 6 days I will have been in India 6 months!

Lately I have been loving the fruit here.  I thought that I had tasted every type of fruit known to man, having been a regular shopper at Whole Foods and the like.  Boy was I wrong.  Every few months there are new fruits in season that I had never heard of or seen.  No need to go to a grocery store either.  They appear on roadside carts around every corner, and for less than 100 rupees you can get a bagful of whatever, weighed using actual scales and lead weights.  My favorite so far is lychee.  This is also mango season.  I had no idea there were so many varieties, and the quality is far superior to anything that has endured shipment to the US.

(this is not my picture, it was taken in Hyderabad, but it is the same here)

Thursday I rode my bike to work.  My front tire went flat halfway there, in the middle of nowhere in rural Gujarat.  Last time it was my back tire.  It is my punishment for purchasing such an old bike.  A nice stranger helped me push the bike to a nearby shop and asked the owner if I could park it there for a few hours.  Someone from work rescued me, then one of the company drivers helped by driving to the bike, replacing the tube, and delivering to bike to work.  He did this out of kindness, and didn't charge anything (of course I gave him 50 rupees to be nice).  Once again, a bad situation was no problem because of helpful people here.

Speaking of my old bike, many people ask me why I bought such an old bike.  I make more money here than most people, plus I had a good paying job previously in the US.  They know I could afford a new bike.  I am not living like a rich person here though.  I wanted to come here with no money from the US (aside from a small sum to get settled).  I want to live on my Indian salary alone, with no help from anyone.  And I also travel a lot here, so that doesn't leave me with much.  So I make sacrifices that many people in my salary range would not.  More importantly though, I want to experience real indian life here.  Not the life of a priviledged person with a car and driver, hired help, and the newest and best of everything.  I like the hard work of life here, and surviving without the conveniences of my old life.  No one really understands that here.  I can appreciate that, as these small struggles are a novelty for me, but a fact of life for indians that the upper middle class has only recently been able to rise above.  Indians sometime seem greedy or materialistic, but I have to remind myself that I would probably be the same if I came from here.

On my way home from work Thursday, the monsoon finally started.  I was excited that I made it back for the first rain, but I was not happy that it hit while I was on my bike.  It was dark, windy, and pouring like crazy.  It was similar to being in Atlanta when a hurricane comes through.  Of course, combine that with the poor state of indian roads, haphazard traffic, and a bike headlight that is not bright enough, and it makes for a scary ride.  Thank goodness traffic was light since most others had the sense to pull off the road.  I made it home safely after 1.5 hours, after a few close calls.  I was soaked and cold, but never so happy to be home.  No more riding to work until monsoon season is done.  Now is it cooler, overcast and drizzly.  It will be like this, with occassional heavy rains, for the next 3 months.

Work is starting to go really well.  I finally am getting into my groove.  I don't want to talk about any details - since this is a public blog.  But I really enjoy interacting with all of my coworkers, we all laugh a lot at work.  Many here are looking for new jobs, as the pay hikes are not competitive with other pharma companies.  I hope that most of them stick around for a while...

I have many other things to blog about, so check back soon!