India So Far

Wow,,,, It's been more than a month since my last post. I'm have been extremely lazy and unfaithful towards my blog. Well here I go again.

I could not find anything more to write about except my experience so far in Incredible India!! It has been almost 4 months since I arrived here. I can't say I've seen a lot, but I've seen enough to make me reach some conclusions. I'll take you on a trip through some thoughts of mine.

Lets start off with the internship itself. So far it hasn't been as I expected. Yet it made me learn something. I came here expecting to work in Java. My interview was in Java and based upon that I got accepted. I found myself allocated in a project that requires me to work with Database. That was something that I last studied and dealt with in college. I had one of two options: (1) Either to protest and ask for reallocation which might result in moving to another city (2) Accept the situation and start remembering and learning Database. I went with the 2nd option. I thought of it,, "I'm still somehow fresh in the market. I'm not like an expert in Java to really stick to it. If I don't have what I expect, let me make the best out of what I have now". I chose to be felixable and patient and make the best out of my situation. So far I've been learning more than I knew about Databases, and will continue doing that. I'm not coming back till I prove myself in the field of Databases.

Now we come to AIESEC India. Well, from what I've seen and been told so far, AIESEC in India is more of Quantity than Quality. They concentrate on bringing the biggest number of trainees, which they do, yet not servicing them properly. My experience with AIESEC, in terms of housing was as follows. They gave me a number of an realestate agent that provides accommodation for the trainees. The only thing they had available was a PG accommodation. It is a building with rooms of 2 or 3 beds with common bathroom and kitchen. I thought,, "I can't stay like that for a year. If I'm here for 2 or 3 months I wouldn't mind". Of course AIESEC Bangalore wouldn't do anything about it cuz it's only the agent that takes care of the housing. So I decided to search for an apartment on my own.

I must say I'm very lucky in terms of accommodation. One of the main reasons of this luck is my colleague, Eduardo. I mentioned him in previous posts yet again he's from Brazil and he's going through the same conditions as me in terms of the internship itself. That guy has been very understanding from the begining. I was happy that we thought like eachother in terms of the need of proper accommodation for our long stay in India. We went through a lot of ups and downs but finally we found a place. We agreed everything to be splited in half and everything shared equally. I must say I never found a problem with him in that concept at all. With some help from back home, from both sides, we managed to get a very good apartment in a very good area in Bangalore. It was worth all the searching and inquiries. Thank you Eduardo for baring with me through all this, was worth it though ;)

I can never forget the help of the trainees in this as well. On the top of the list comes Alina and Ian, former trainees in TCS and currently employees. They graciously invited us to stay in their house till we found an apartment. They gave us survivol tips and showing us around the city. I'm endlessly in debt for them. Thank you guys for everything!!!

Last and definatly not last are my parents!! Without their support I wouldn't have found accommodation on my own. They are willing to do anything to make this internship work!!

Now comes India!! What can I say?! It is incredible!! Honestly, in both bad and good ways it is incredible. It is incredibly frustrating at times, incredibly beautiful at times, incredibly hot, incredibly divers, incredibly misunderstood, incredibly educational, etc. I can go on all night. No matter what anyone tells you about India, you'll have to come and see it for yourslef. You'll see it totally different. If someone hates it, you might just love it, and vice versa. It depends on where you are, what you are here for, what did you see. India is BIG, there's a lot to experience and see!! Even two people who have been through the exact same situations would have different views!!

If you ask me I'll tell you I like India!! I'm still didn't fall in love with it totally but I must say there are things to be loved. To make it clear, I don't mind staying longer in India as long as I'm in Bangalore. YESSSS, as long as I'm in Bangalore. I'm in love with this city. I'm used to it now!! Best climate in India currently. Everywhere else is hot, humid, and raining and here it's great. I don't need to have the fan on in the night while sleeping. The raining season in Bangalore is September and October. You just can't avoid the rain in India!! It's like "You can run but you can never hide" :D I have been to a couple of cities so far. They both tell me to appreciate Bangalore. I'll be doing some more traveling to prove my point :D

A word to all AIESEC EPs no matter where you are or where you will be. You make your internship what it is!!! No one shapes it for you. Not AIESEC no matter how good or bad it is and not even the company even if it's P&G!! You shape your own experience by the choices you make!! Depends on how you deal with situations as they come, how felixable you are, how much do you want this internship to work!! Don't blame anyone for the faliure of your internship if it does. My GOD!! I could be blaming all day long if I wanted!! From the rickshaw driver that wants to rip me off to the head of the Learning and Development in TCS. Yet it's not them. It's all about me and the choices I made!! Look at the bright side of things!! Make the internship work!! Patience is a virtue!! ;)

I'm here to stay as long as it is required. I'm aiming for employment in TCS!! I'll do everything it takes for that to happen. Again, as long as I'm in Bangalore!! :D


Mee3o over and out!!