First time in India...

From the second I got off the plane in Bangalore, I realized this was going to be a huge culture shock for me. Some of the airport workers assisted us in bringing our luggage to the bus that would take us to Mysore and demanded tips for us. We each gave some money to them but they still wanted more. I understand this is how they were brought up, but it was still hard to take in right after a strenuous traveling experience for over 25 hours.

After the bus took off, the images that I saw out of the bus window were amazing. I have never seen anything like it in my life. I felt like I was in some sort of documentary. There was a lot of poverty, but right next to those places, would be huge palaces. As learned in class today though, India is full of contradictions.
Once arriving at the Ginger hotel, I was exhausted but eager to explore India. Me and Felix took a walk around and just became familiar with the surroundings. I definitely noticed people staring and pointing at me which was uncomfortable at first, but understandable at the same time. I know its early in the trip, but one thing I already learned is to be more accommodating to foreigners in the U.S. just because it is so hard to come to a new country not knowing anyone and not being informed of the differences in culture. One example that occurred to me was that the head nod in America that signifies "no" (bob head side to side) means "yes" in the Indian culture. I asked the desk clerk at the hotel if she would give me change and she nodded her head from side to side, so I started to walk away because I thought she was saying "no". Then when I was walking away, she said "don't you want change?" This really confused me at first because my subconscious knows it as "no".

In addition, me and drew explored the streets to try to get a prepaid cell phone and it was definitely uncomfortable trying to negotiate with them because they were talking in Hindi. We didn't know who we could trust. Yesterday we went to a beautiful palace called Hotel Lalitha Mahal. Words can't describe it so I attached some pictures to give you a taste of it. Both the palace and the negotiating with the cell phone guy made me think about the book were reading Being Indian which clearly states that Indians are obsessed with power, status, and wealth. Both of these experiences, reinforced what author Pavan Varma stated. Just how the cell phone guy was so concerned about getting the highest amount of money from us and he didn't care about the means to get what he wanted which was to be wealthy. Even though he might have performed some corrupt actions, it didn't matter to him as long as he reached his desired ends. At the palace, the material that the put in the palace including top notch rugs and marble showed how obsessed Indians are with status and wealth. On a side note, the meal was excellent at the palace.

Today was the first day of school. I felt like a kindergartner getting picked up for his first day of school just because I was so nervous. The campus was beautiful and really modern. The lecture was also interesting and the SDM Institute was very accommodating. They have been great the whole time. Also, I attached some pictures of the institute.
Finally, I saved the best for last: the food. Right when we departed from the Chicago airport to Germany we boarded Air India and started tasting the spicy Indian food. It is definitely different from American food. As you know Curry is a very popular ingredient in Indian food. So if I didn't like that, I was in big trouble. But fortunately all the food I have had so far is great. For now, tata (Goodbye in Hindi)

Introduction...

Hi everyone,

My name is Dan Gillman and I am from St. Paul, Minnesota. I went to University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for my first year of college but then transferred to the Carlson School of Management because the Twin Cities is where I want to end up. I am pursuing a Bachelor of Sciences degree in accounting with a minor in communications. Currently, I work as an internal audit assistant at the U of M during the week and I am a Personal Care Attendant (PCA) on the weekends.

Something interesting about me is that I have a twin sister. I am very close with my whole family. For my 21st birthday, my dad took me and my older brother to Las Vegas which was a blast. I am a big animal lover having 3 rescue dogs. I have been dating my girlfriend for 3 years and have enjoyed every second of it. She is going for school to be a Vet Tech. We both have a love for animals.

I have never been overseas before and am really looking forward to this trip. I think India is a great choice for my first international experience because it is becoming one of the best places in the world to do business. I am looking forward to meeting everyone and just being immersed in a new culture. I think this is a once in a lifetime opportunity that will change my life immensely.