Now I am a specialist in the Middle East

I had them change "Israel" to "Agile," but not before I snapped a photo:

Like being transported from a Romanian Orphanage to Buckingham Palace in 50 minutes

Today, I bid a conflicted (well, not really), temporary (unfortunately) adieu to Sahibabad, and was driven into Noida along roads frenzied with  bicycles, cars, children, cows, motorcycles, trucks, dogs, pedicabs, rickshaws, students, foodstands, and buses. It took 50 minutes to go from the old location to my new one, Radisson, Noida, India.

The air is bearable, breathable, and no longer, well, solid. This is progress.

My new room is pretty amazing. It's very old school, and even comes with a butler. I feel like a character in the Little Princess, only without the unbearably cute wardrobe and picnic basket full of treats. (I do, however, have a refrigerator containing a Snicker's Bar.)

Mystery uncovered, and a determination to take things in hand

I've been going on about the air here. It's truly repulsive, and I've never experienced anything like it before. Today, we decided to trek across the street to a restaurant, for a change of digs, and I discovered this. (Yes, folks, it is an open sewer running the perimeter of the hotel.) The red arrows point to it, and today, it was more exposed around the corner than when this picture was taken. Tomorrow, I am checking in to the Radisson. I would rather endure the taxi ride in the morning than the air here. Now, if I were a microbiologist or epidemiologist, this place could probably give me a dissertation, but ....

So Xine, why *are* you in India?

Good question. Today, I found out. This morning I started the first of four days teaching Agile software development methods, along with collaborative leadership and business value. Two groups from Pitney-Bowes are coming through over four days for the training, as PB works to change the way the software organization does business.

The past few days were hard enough that I'd forgotton the reason until today, when class started. Everyone - to a person - of the 45 person or so class was attentive and interesting to interact with. They are eager to learn, and unjaded, which is a kick to be around. They are all over the practical suggestions, rather than the theory, which I think is much more helpful.

Anyway, that's why I'm in India. 

Power to the people

This hotel has rolling power outages. They are probably random, but do seem eerily timed to just when I step onto a crowded elevator and the doors shut.

Sad thing is, though, even when the power goes out, the cheesy, designed-to-sooth-but-only-increases-despair music continues to play. Everywhere. I mean it folks, it just plays everywhere.

Thunder and lightning in India

The pigeons are skinny in New Delhi. But, at this hotel, the guests are all heavy - almost to a one. The air is heavy too - benzene levels look to be ten times what's healthy. Out my hotel window, on the fifth floor, I overlook a swimming pool where the skinny pigeons bathe, and then just to the other side, I look at men working. Skinny men. All day long, they have passed basket after basket of dirt up a wobbly scaffolding, where one takes the basket, balances it on his head, walks 20 feet, and casually empties it in a pile. The same assembly line to the man with the basket on his head. Hour after hour after hour. They wear scarves over their faces - to protect their lungs? They take drags on cigarettes and work in the benzene-infused air.

It's windy outside, so I'm out there, sitting in the middle of the subcontinent, on a lounge chair, outside for the first time since I arrived two days ago. It's the first time the air has been breathable. Sadly, with the wind comes the rain - and that, along with disapproving stares and worried inquiries by the pool attendants, will drive me inside.

Yes. Inside. Where every surface shine is marred by greasy smears, and all upholstery is suspiciously stained.  This is a 5-star hotel.

How spoiled am I? All I can think of is, "get me out of here." And there are hundreds and hundreds of thousands within some miles of here who would think "get me in there."

I hope that David can update my reservation to return on Thursday night. I'll need three days at home to recover from this trip - at a minimum.

I had no idea. And it could be so much worse.