After a long day of sleepless travel, I got to the Park Sheraton in Chennai and immediately fell asleep. While the rest was needed, and it transitioned me perfectly to the time change, I will be working US hours here, so I had to spend Sunday trying to convert back. I explored the absurdly posh hotel, ate dinner at Dakshin (which included yogurt and ice-cream [read: tempting fate]), and prepared for work on Monday which helped me get back to bed.

I keep referring to work, but I don’t think many people know why I’m actually going to Chennai. My company has hired a team of eight people in our Chennai office, and I’ve come here to train them. I’ve been training them over the phones for a week, so exposure to the challenges of working within a truly globalized environment has been limited. I’m sure that the coming months will teach me a lot about business culture in India, and allow me to view globalization from the Indian perspective more lucidly. More on that later, though.

From the little that I have seen so far, one thing is immediately noticeable: the jarring volume of people. The social polarity, the punishing struggles, the unbridled happiness…all of it assaults you within a five minute rickshaw ride. India has no mercy, she immediately smacks you in the face and forces you to submit. My goal outside of work is to delve into the struggles, specifically in underserved populations, to understand the threads that are woven into the fabric of India.

No pictures for today, just exploration and words. That will change tomorrow. Another change tomorrow: no more “let me tell you about my day” posts. In all honestly, today was uneventful, and I’m trying to get back onto the US schedule (this post, a pot of coffee, and the Premier League are getting me there).

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