Chapter One: India's Beginning

I couldn’t believe how jammed the plane was from Germany to India every seat was filled. I fell sound asleep and woke up to the sunrise peaking through the window. I opened the window up to see where we were and if you have never been to Bangalore, India, it is not the dessert you would think it was. Flying over all you could see was plush trees. By the time I actually landed everyone rushed off the plane to que up for the custom lines, and the rather curious process to x-ray my baggage yet again, just to get into the country. I guess it made a lot of sense put those idle people and machines to work to ensure that no great trade of guns will pass into India.

Leaving the airport building I am besieged with a human wall and numerous offers to drive me to, or to assist me with my bags. However, since a ride has been rather prudently previously arranged, I somehow manage to carry my own bags to the man waiting for me with a sign. The driver was very eager to help and start telling me about his country. I stopped the driver and said “Can I please have a cigarette?” The driver responds, “Yes, Ms Julia. Now let me tell you about Bangalore.” I sat there in the car looking around thinking about why I was here. The main purpose for this trip was to work. Our company recently opened an office located in India’s version of Silicon Valley. Of course nothing outside the office doors would lead a new visitor like me to think it could be the same as we did work back in the states. My thoughts just ran back to all the ladies still working so hard to keep their jobs in the U.S. and cringing at thought I was here to interview, hire and train this “beautiful city and wonderful people,” my driver was telling me about.

We finally arrived at the Taj West Inn. This was a gated hotel with military standing outside with the guns. As my driver pulled up to the entrance a man opens the door and says, “Welcome Ms. Julia, please come with me.” I remember thinking; “Okay, where are my bags going?” He leads me into lobby where you are greeted by three women. One woman to take your credit card information, one woman to find out what food you like, and another woman to tell you about the grounds. A gentleman walks up to me, “Ms Julia I will be taking you to your room. Have you tipped the people today?” I tried to explain that I never got a chance to exchange the US Dollar to Rupees and he just bobbled his head. So I pulled out all the ones I had the whole whopping 20 dollars and gave 5 to my driver, 1 to each lady that I met, and 2 dollars to the gentleman that was taking my bags and I to the room.
The Taj West End is full of surprises. First, it is not a cookie cutter modern hotel, but a collection of buildings and gardens with accommodations ranging from cathedral- ceilinged rooms in the old building to lavishly roomy suites peppered around the property. Fresh local fruit and local wine was placed in the room each day. My balcony door opened out onto lushly planted gardens. It was really lovely and peaceful. When I opened my door I was greeted by the musky smell of incense and the lilting conversation of the animals on the premise. The service thus far has been unbelievable with folks literally falling over themselves to help me. You could honestly do almost nothing for yourself if you desired, including changing from your shoes to your hotel provided slippers. I am not kidding, the valet offered to do this for me.
After I unpacked my bags I decided to take a walk around the property and discover the many lovely surprises, a temple hidden in the garden, a rooftop garden with monkeys chattering in nearby trees. At this point I was ready for a drink and strolled over to the Blue Bar/Blue Ginger. This bar is extremely stylish, open-air, set with amidst beautiful and lush gardens surrounded by water bodies. The architecture looks South Asian with solid teak flooring and tiled roofing with very contemporary interiors. All of the sudden I hear the cackling of Cindy Keesee.

Cindy and I, at this point knew each other for three years. Her husband Don and her are from Austin, Texas and were implants to Pennsylvania for work. Don and I played softball for years and Cindy and Don became family to me. Before I left for this tour Cindy told me that I had to meet Ashlee Walzel. “Jules, you will either love or hate her, but you have to meet her – you two are so much alike.”

I am going to have to regress a bit here. Prior to my knowledge of being told I need to go to Germany and India my friend that is a psychic, Viv, called me and asked for me to come over to dinner. She made an Indian dish and German pastries for dessert. Crazy combo, I know. I said to Viv, “Indian food is really not for me.” She put her hand on my shoulder and said, “Dear, you will like this soon enough.” As we sat outside on a warm summer day in Pennsylvania eating this lavish India meal, Viv looks at me and says, “Dear,” in her crackly voice (which is a mixture of Aussie, English, and French) “I called you over because I had a dream and vision about you last night. If you knew Viv, you knew she was always right on with her visions and to say the least I thought to myself am "I going to die?". She said, “You will be going to Germany soon and very soon after you will be going to India.” I laughed. “Don’t laugh this will happen very soon and it will change your life forever. You will meet a woman about your age, about your build, brown hair, blue eyes. You will dislike each other at first and then you will become inseparable.” Three days later I was told by my boss “we need for you to go to Germany and then India”.

Which brings me back to the Blue Bar and Cindy’s cackling; I immediately followed the sound of her voice and laugh. Where at this point I met Mark Harrison, Michelle (now Harrison), Adam Pike, Prathiba, a couple from Fidelity Investments, and Ashlee Walzel; blue eyes, brown hair, my build. I sit next to Cindy and she introduces me to the beer King Fisher. We drank, we ate, and from the moment I walked in there was tension. Cindy had told me in the bathroom that Michelle and Mark were together but Ashlee wanted to be with Mark. Well, to say the least that was the tension I felt when I walked over to this table and I IMMEDIATELY did not think fondly of Ashlee Walzel. The group at dinner decided we needed to go back to Mark’s room to have some more drinks. Unfortunately there is a strict law over in Bangalore all bars must close at 11pm every night. So one shot (B52s) after another happened and we all went to Mark’s room for more drinks. Everyone was rather relaxed at this point talking and talking but I couldn’t help myself from hearing Ashlee excessively talk about her life. Soon enough I called my driver to come get me and headed back to my hotel before the first day of work.