New Side of India.

Recently we visited "SECON" in Whitefield, which gave me a COMPLETELY different perspective on India and its culture. For the first time we visited an IT firm which outsources work from the US to digitalize satelite imagery. We ended up being able to sit down with the founder/owner/CEO and ask questions. He started the company by himself in the late '80s and has since built it into a multi-million dollar coperation on the cutting edge of satelite imagery. We toured the entire complex consisting of multiple buildings.

We hear all the time of India's IT sector and how it will surpass the US in the next decade, but to actually see it was VERY cool. This was the same place where Michael Friedman got the idea for the title of his book "The World is Flat," which we all had to read in preparation for this trip.

SECON also has invented "LIDAR" (Light Detection and Radar) which is like SONAR. Planes fly over an area and then use LIDAR to "map" it, and then this company can digitalize it. This is very important for engineering and construction. An example of its use would be to survey land to see where a highway or mall could be built (much more efficient than sending a crew of land surveyors out).

Other than this things have been very relaxed. Today we took a day trip to MG Road (the MAIN shopping district) to do some shopping and see the sights. We ended up taking about an hour rickshaw ride back... Let me explain, a rickshaw is a tiny little taxi, able to sit about two of me comfortably. However, on this ride, Sam and Jensen were with me and Hayley had to sit on my lap for an hour haha. Needless to say, I only needed to have this "cultural expierence" once.

Next weekend we are taking an excursion to Mysor (I have no idea where it is or what we are seeing there). I am still loving the Indian food, and finding less spicy as time goes on... I'm not excited for bland rice in China, but perhaps by stereotypes are incorrect.

We are once again beginning to work on our scrapbooks, papers, and studying for the final (shoot me). On top of this I'm writing my "Academic Letter" home to the St. Olaf Community on the seventh of November, so stay tuned for that.

Still crossing my fingers to hook up with my cousins in New Delhi, and now it looks as if I might actually meet up with Phil Zeller (close friend from high school) in Bejing which would be sweet!

As always, good thoughts and lots of love in your multiple directions!

- CM