Shopping in Mysore always seems to be a miss.

Drew and I tried to venture out and buy simple souvenirs to bring back to friends and family and maybe buy a little something for ourselves along the way. The markets and open stores were frustrating because there weren't finished goods available to buy off the shelves. Shops had raw materials like fabric displayed to purchase by the meter and have fitted accordingly. Which by the way is not fair. I am only 28.5 inches tall from the hip down, I shouldn't be charged a full meter for fabric. Having fitted tailored clothes is nice but let's get real, I am American. I like tangible, immediate, finished goods now. Frankly, we should have had Shopping in India 101 as a course before touching down in Bangalore.

Waiting time is the bottleneck according to my standards.

Our class discussion focused on India's efficient logistics and supply chain management (SCM). Our visit to the Axel Automotive Limited. manufacturing plant was indeed unforgettable. Tire tracks of Castrol grease, beads of sweat drip down your profile, deafening sounds of heavy machinery pounding on steel put the plant in to perspective.

The success of AAL is based on their ability to take advantage of low labor costs and conveniently adopt efficiency methods to increase product output along with satisfying and exceeding customer preferences. The CFO made a comment stating how AAL uses lean manufacturing as a process of meeting consumer preferences; however, after I asked how they do it without overproducing and increasing costs he stated AAL uses "Just in Case, not Just in Time."

AAL's success measure is partly due to the fact they only use 3% of their costs of operating on labor and 70% on raw materials whereas in the US it would be the opposite. It may explain the cultural norm of India versus the US. America places a high value on the individual rather than the collection of individuals. In India, the norm of collectivism is partly true. India prides itself on being socially aware and philanthropic but there are some individuals who pride themselves on their wealth according to Varma ie. establishment of palaces. All in all, I commend AAI's ability to outperform competitors while taking into account the multi dimensional market India integrates.

me in india is like oil in ice.

India is a place of many wonders and contradictions.

India's landscape is a wonder all on its own. When I woke up during my flight from Frankfurt to Banglore, I was surprised to see the mountains floured with snow. The palm trees blossom and willow accordingly to the brisk of the breeze. The palaces glow in the night demanding attention by all who look. With beauty comes a price. The cities are bombarded with people rushing in piled buses, on motor bikes with 3-4 Indians, and more. The taxis are loud motorized like bikes on three wheels without rollable windows, seatbelts, or doors. Drivers honk at anyone or anything on the road or that happen to stumble upon their path to alert them of the danger of who lurks behind them. Not to forget, every driver whips inches from whatever vehicle of transportation you choose to use; whether you are walking, biking, driving a full-size SUV, you should pay attention. Drivers veer as close to pedestrians as possible. Billboards are so massive in size that staring could cause an accident. Indians get as close as possible to you without wonder of spacial proximity. The air is smoggier than Los Angeles. Being from Minnesota where clean water, ventihilation is readily available, I am expecting my world to be rocked. As a visitor, I definitely feel my bubble of comfort will be challenged throughout my journey here.

The Ginger Mysore Hotel is a diamond in the rough. Driving through Mysore and looking out of my window I saw cows relaxing on the side of the street and many more wandering. Buildings looked as if they were built in the 19th century and then blown up by cannons during a war and vines sprouted along the remains of the cinderblocks. Gated communities have glass shards aligned the top of the cinderblock gating to prevent trespassing with a guard in a uniform. The 'sidewalks' are molten rock like rectangular blocks which cover irrigated ditches smelling of all types of dung, urine, and water running through them.

The hotel's hosts were very hospitable to our needs. They allowed us to set our belongings in the meeting room; who knows if it was going to be used or not. room overlooks a convenient oil changing service shop called SERVO. Beyond the service shop are palm trees draping the scenery, two military like trucks with tarp wrapped over the truck beds, a police station, and a main road leading to our hotel.

Last night we had dinner at the Lilith Mahal Palace in Mysore. Our host Amit accomodated our group with overwhelming hospitality. There was plenty of food ranging from garlic spaghetti pasta to fire curry with vegetables. As everyone rushed to sit with their ready made buddy to a table, I was escorted to a round table with only professors. To express how underprepared I was doesn't even explain how uncomfortable I felt. My mind was running 900m sprints trying to come up with random questions which would be of interest to these trying Indian professors. There was one MBA professor who gawked at me as if I were pointless and lackluster. I wished I would have stayed in the bathroom for the entire time. The tour helped my understanding of the history of India and power hierarchy.

Indians are far more hospitable than expected. Amit, our host, was holding the keys to the rooms in the palace. By curiousity, I asked to see them and then if I could have a skeleton key because I collect them. Amit, being as accomodating as possible, said he would look into obtaining a key or fob for me. I didn't think to much of it because of Varma's Being Indian book. Varma emphasized on how subserviant Indians can be if they are challenged with a request or question that they will automatically agree or follow their superior's motion. By the end of the dinner, Amit approached me with an envelope with the palace's gold plated fob. How awesome is that; the Holiday Inn could never beat that.