Somaliland Book Fair: A Cultural Celebration and Fusion

Treasures of Delhi: Part 1

When I initially thought about places to visit in India, I thought about going to Agra to see the Taj – Done!, partying at the beaches of Goa – in the works, and visiting the hill-stations of Himachal Pradesh – pending.  What I didn’t expect, however, was that Delhi, where I’m currently living, has so much to offer.

Here’s a couple of my favorite spots:

The Lotus Temple

The temple was built back in the mid 80’s and it’s shaped as…you guessed it…a Lotus Flower.  Having visited the temple, however, it is no wonder that it has won a number of architetural awards including the GlobArt Academy in the year 2000 to Fariborz Sahba, the temple’s architect.

The Parliament Hosue and India Gate

 If you visit the Parliament House then you must visit India Gate as both of these sites are near by.  The walk to India Gate on Rajpath was perhaps the most quiet and peaceful walk I've had since moving to Delhi.

Red Fort

There’s such a contrast between Old Delhi, where Red Fort is located – busy, crowded, noisy – and Red Fort – quiet, peaceful, majestic – that it enhances your visit to Red Fort; definitely worth the visit.  Also, if you’re in Old Delhi to visit Red Fort you might as well swing by the original Karim’s for some great authentic Indian food.

Nizamuddin Dargah

For those of you that have been to Nizamuddin Dargah, you know that getting there is literally half of the battle.  However, as the Qawwals begin to sing their Qawwalis you can’t help it but fall into this trance like state that just sucks you right in.  Next thing you know, an hour has gone by and you feel totally relaxed and overcomed with joy; at least that was my experience.

Next up is Qutb Minar, Old Fort, Humayun's tomb, and my all time favorite place ever: Akshardam

18 till I die....

Susi (left) with her mother Mida (right) outside their house.

I  am working with the Grameen Foundation (GF) in Jakarta, Indonesia these three months.  GF helps the world's poorest, especially women, improve their lives and escape poverty by helping to provide access to new ways to generate income, access to appropriate financial services (such as savings accounts, small loans) and important information on health, crops, and finances.  I was visiting some GF supported social enterprises in Tangerang outside Jakarta a week back. I observed that amongst all the women micro-entrepreneurs affiliated to the social enterprises, there was a young girl with quite a feisty demeanor. Her confidence and ideas intrigued me and I got talking with her.

I found that her name was Susi; she is 18 and a micro-entrepreneur who uses GF AppLab’s talktime credit app to conduct business. Essentially, she sells prepaid mobile minutes in her community and makes about IDR 15000 – 20000 ($1.6 – 2.1) everyday.

She chose to become a micro-entrepreneur about 2 years back after her father lost his job as a construction laborer. She had to give up on her education in order to rescue her family of 7 from sinking deeper into poverty. She is proud of her entrepreneurial skills and dreams to open her own grocery store. Thanks to her efforts, her father has been able to buy a motorcycle and he now operates as a motorcycle messenger.

I asked her what does she intend doing going forward…. does she want to get back to education…. does she want to stop now that her father has a stable income?

She promptly replied, “I want to be 18 till I die…. this way I can keep making good money  and I can keep supporting my family.”

Learning a new trick or two

“There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.” ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

“A traveler without observation is a bird without wings.” ~ Molish Eddin Saadi

One of the best parts about traveling is learning the ins and outs of a new culture. At first, everything feels foreign. The first few weeks I asked myself, “Why do they do things that way?” or “Wouldn’t it be better if they did things differently?” It was all part of the assimilation process. Now that I’ve adapted (mostly) to the new culture and shed some of my American habits, I am able to accept the differences that Indian culture offer. In fact, I think America could learn a thing or two from India. Here are a few that come to mind:

1. Low paper towel usage. I have been impressed, and admittedly sometimes annoyed, that Indians seem to use few paper products. Restrooms rarely have paper towels with which to our dry hands, paper napkins are hardly ever present at restaurants, and toilet paper is not used (they have a whole water system that isn’t my favorite, but does the trick). The lack of paper use may be a cost issue, but whatever the cause it has a great effect. Think about how much paper we waste in the states! Paper cups, paper plates, paper towels, paper napkins, paper, paper, paper. It’s not like paper grows on trees… oh wait, it does, and that’s the problem. We need to be more mindful of how we use our resources. 

2. Energy efficient light switch designs. One of my favorite things about India is their sockets. Every socket has a corresponding switch so you can turn off whatever is plugged into it. This is great for so-called “vampire loads,” a fancy term for appliances that use energy even when they’re turned off. Plugs are also designed to fit multiple types of plugs so you don’t have to find the right adapter. Just plug and play! Pretty geeky I know, but pretty cool. Again, we need to be more mindful of how we use our resources and energy is one of the big ones!

3. Easy to use door handles. Not everyone I work with agrees with this, but I love their door handle design. Instead of a door handle that twists, you simply press down on a button with your thumb and the door opens. I’m not sure if door handles in the states cause carpal tunnel or can exacerbate arthritis, but this design would solve those problems!

4. Speedy (and cheap!) auto rickshaws. India is flooded with small, light, fuel efficient vehicles (at least the 4-stroke engine ones) that are essentially directable public transportation. They’re like cabs, but they’re cheaper, more fun, and easily accessible. They’re more expensive than buses, but then you don’t have to deal with a crowd of people. A friend of mind believes that, “a fleet of autos that could charge half the price of taxis would make a killing in NYC or other taxi-heavy cities” and I agree. Great business idea!

5. Pollution reducing driving habits. Indian drivers are taught that if they sit at a light for longer than three minutes that they should turn their engine off. I’m sure there’s an argument that the practice slowly degrades the car’s battery or ruins its engine, but it also helps to reduce air pollution. Which would you rather have: a slowly degrading car or slowly degrading lungs? Pretty easy decision I think (says the asthmatic).

6. Smaller family vehicles. You’d be surprised how many people can fit on a moped. It is very common to see a family of three or four driving on a small moped: Pop driving, one kid in front of him, mom riding behind with one more kid stuffed between mom and pop. I once saw a family of five do this and there are rumors of someone having seen a family of six! They’re a little like great white sharks though, coveted but rare to see. This practice calls into question the American “need” for SUVs or mini-mans. And if anyone argues that American families need the space to get out of the heat, try telling that to the moped family living in India where the summers can get as hot as 120 degrees Fahrenheit. 

It’s easy to come to a new culture and see all of things that you would change to make it more like home. It is far more difficult to see things in a new culture that you would want to adopt in your own. It requires an admission that my culture can be improved and, in this case, the humbling proposition that the very developed country I call home can learn something from a developing country. But I subscribe to the idea that new and better ideas can sometimes come from the unlikeliest of places and that just because something is “the way it is” doesn’t mean it’s the best way to do it. After all, America was a developing country once and we turned out just fine.

What technology, behavior, or philosophy have you seen that you think the Western world should adopt or could learn from? Post your responses below. Come on, don't be shy!

City beauty and Transport

Here are a few thoughts about life in Quito, Ecuador.  Clouds and mountains, I cannot say enough about how beautiful it is here.  It still baffles me that people built a city up here in the mountains as it looks more like a national park than an appropriate place for a city.  This is never more clear to me than when daydreaming out the window while stuck in traffic.

Transportation here is hectic.  There are three primary ways to get around town: the ecovia/trole formal buses, the informal buses, and taxis. 

The ecovia/trole formal buses are similar to what I’ve experienced in most other cities I’ve lived in.  They have a set route with fixed stops and the buses by-in-large all look the same. 

The numerous informal buses on the other hand offer a very different experience.  Firstly, especially for young men, they don’t really stop.  Rather they just slow down so that you can hop on.  Despite a number of bus entrances in this fashion, it never ceases to raise my heart rate a bit as I hope to time my jump at the right time.  My favorite part of these buses though is the personalization that goes into decorating the bus’s interior.  Furry coverings, tassels, curtains, speakers and stickers are a few of the ways  that these bus drivers/owners express themselves so the rides are never dull.

Taxis are surprisingly plentiful here, and people from all walks of life seem to utilize them.  During the day, meters (which start at $0.35 and count by the penny) are in use but at night its best to negotiate fares in advance.  However convenient the taxis are, they are not always faster than the ecovia/trole which have the benefit of a dedicated lane, and a ride from our place in the south of the city up to the La Mariscal frequently takes 40 minutes or so.  Like the informal buses, there is a great deal of creativity expressed in decorating the cabs.  Aftermarket LED lights, furry coverings and fringe abound; so every ride has a slightly different character.

Overall, considering that Quito very narrow and long, it takes awhile to get from point to point, but at least one can travel in style.

Surveys and Paper-based medical records

Our survey work is going well as we are nearing our goal of 180 patients enrolled.  Having been exposed to some of the workings of the health system here for a few weeks now, I can understand the urgency expressed at the eHealth conference for South American countries to better utilize technology to improve efficiency.   Healthcare workers here in Ecuador work hard to provide the best care possible, but they are limited by still having to rely on paper based medical records.  This makes it very difficult to access patient information quickly.  Moreover, only one person can access a medical record at a time.  Information is transmitted to multiple departments for tracking purposes with handwriting (which if it is anything like mine is far from reliable) and carbon copies.  It’s impressive that so much gets done as well as reminds me how much we take for granted when using electronic medical record systems. 

However, switching to electronic medical records requires significant resources and coordination.  While the centralized public health model here provides order and consistency, it is hard to imagine the resources appearing for such an investment.  The need for low cost electronic medical records solution here is great and hopefully as electronic medical records become standard throughout more developed areas, lower cost solutions will emerge to make this possible in lower resource areas.  It would certainly make life a bit easier here in the hospitals of Quito, Ecuador.

Delhi Heat

Hallelujah, the heat streak in Delhi has broken!  At least the 100+ temperatures.  With the monsoon season coming, temperatures have dropped, but humidity has risen.  However, I am finding it much more bearable to be outdoors now.

During the month of June though, stepping outside felt like walking into an oven.  I know I am extremely fortunate to be living in an air conditioned room, get driven to work in an air conditioned car, and work in an air conditioned office.  Though ironically, when it is extremely hot out and everyone has their air conditioning on, it strains the power grid and we frequently lose electricity.  After my first week, I too became unfazed as the lights and other electronics flickered on and off, not letting it interrupt conversations. 

I did try to sightsee some in Delhi in the heat, though you could probably tell I was a bit heat weary.  At Humayun’s Tomb, Jen Hsieh and I would rest in the shaded areas or in the wonderfully cool chambers tomb before preparing ourselves to venture into the hot sun again.  We carried bottles of water, but by the end of our time at the tomb (which wasn’t long at all), the water was actually hot – not just warm, but near scalding hot.  So we skedaddled to the nearest ice cream trolley outside of the gates for some cool, refreshing mango bar.  Only 5 rupees – score!

Walking in the Delhi heat, I frequently saw stray dogs lying in the roads, on the sidewalks, or even in piles of trash.  I would try to see if their chests were moving - if they were still alive - but it was often hard to tell.  It was only because they were there day in and day out that I assumed they were still alive and just overwhelmed by the heat as well.  It saddened me to see how these stray dogs must be suffering under the harsh sun, mostly skin and bones.  Their only fault is to have been born on the streets.  After mentioning this to a friend from Delhi, he had this to say which both made me laugh and gave me comfort:

Don't feel too sorry for stray dogs, at least not all of them. Many of them are ruffians, they form packs and make merry at night barking and running around the neighbourhood, chasing cars and motorcycles. Many of them are quite happy doing this hooliganism. They get waste food from restaurants and compassionate people. Rich and poor - all types of people - take care of these dogs; you will notice that many security guards adopt and take care of these dogs and give them company at night. There are animal care hospital trusts which take care of hurt stray dogs (and cows, goats, cats, donkeys). My mother also takes care of 6-7 stray dogs in our neighbourhood (vaccinations, medical aid when they get hurt etc.) And there are many more like her. Even in slums, you'll see that these dogs know who is compassionate and hang around those houses where they are taken care of. There is no organized care but many of them get along on the basis of individual human kindness and compassion. So there is another side to the story.

Thank you, friend, for reminding me that there are dimensions at play that I do not see or cannot assume to know; that I cannot make judgments based upon the preconceived notions I bring with me.

One fort here, another fort there, here a fort, there a fort, everywhere a fort fort

There are many many forts in India. Most of these forts are castles that existed for each raja or chieftain in major capital cities in India. The British called these castles “forts” because it was the more commonly used term in Britain.

Red Fort - New Delhi

Agra Fort - Agra

Over the past two months, I’ve been able to visit several forts in Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, including the two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Red Fort in New Delhi and Agra Fort in Agra. 

What are World Heritage Sites? These are properties all over the world that exhibit cultural and/or natural heritage and are of outstanding universal value. For more info on the criteria, go here: http://whc.unesco.org/en/criteria/ 

Heritage education is becoming integrated into the curriculum in some schools here in New Delhi. Schools will send their students on heritage walks, either through organizations like my client or conduct their own, to encourage students to become more aware of and in tune with the local heritage that surrounds them. The places range from the heritage sites, like the Red Fort, to other cultural venues, like Humayun’s Tomb or parts of Old Delhi. Much of what students get out of these walks is hands-on awareness of places that they probably didn’t know much about (history and culture) or ever consider visiting. Another benefit of these heritage walks is that it provides teachers another way to teach their students in a more interactive way.

India has over 1.2 billion people and a cultural history that spans over 4,000 years. Various languages are spoken, various religions are practiced and various cuisines are eaten all over India. There is a breadth of culture in this country and 3 months is only enough to get a glimpse of it. I’ve had my share of visiting forts in the past 2 months (probably enough for now) and there is still so much more to see!

Amber Fort (Light and Sound Show) - Jaipur

Amber Fort - Jaipur

The 20% Saves the Day... er... Week

A while back I wrote about the 80% rule, which states that you can only enjoy India 80% of the time. Well, last week was the opposite - I hated everything about India 80% of the time because I was home sick with the flu. Of course, my mind instantly ran to Malaria and other godforsaken diseases, but the doctor confirmed it was just a virus and would go away in a day or two. Which it did. Then I woke up Saturday feeling strong and healthy… only to come down with a stomach bug. Ug. 80% indeed.

The 20% that saved me from feeling truly depressed about all of this was captured in the video below. A co-worker offered to take me to the doctor. I accepted the gracious offer without realizing that we would drive there on a motorcycle. Thus ensued my first experience on the back of a motorcycle AND my first experience on the back of a motorcycle driving in Bangalore. What an experience! Despite feeling under the weather, the whole thing brought a smile to my face. The 20% saved the week!

Adjustment to life in Hargeisa: lessons learned

This is my second post about my internship in Somaliland. It has been difficult adjusting to life in Hargeisa. My close friends have moved out of Somaliland. Establishing social network has been difficult. Because of time constraints, and expectation from returnees like me, local people look at the diaspora under different light. People here expect more from guys like me. Secondly, business operations and work hours slow down in Hargeisa, Somalia (Somaliland), to stillness because of Ramadan. Before Ramadan (fasting month) all government agencies work from 8am-12pm. Only some major private businesses like the money transfer business and telecommunication return to work between 3:30-5:30pm. And most senior people in companies and ministries in the government take their yearly vacation during Ramadan. With Ramadan, people even work less per day. This has impacted my schedule in a major way. I have to do my interviews and meet people between 9am-12pm. Also I have to teach my class during that time. People in Hargeisa work less comparing to United States. So, that has been one of my main frustrations working in Hargeisa. for the last two, most people are in vacation because of the end of the month of Ramdan and the upcoming Eid celebrations.

My internship with Abaarso Tech University has not been going well. I am still teaching my course (introduction to web development), but I will be working on a different project/internship in Hargeisa. Currently, I am evaluating emergency diseases surveillance strategies in Somaliland Ministry of Health. And how health reporting data and information gathering could be improved using mobile technologies and crowdsourcing.  I am excited to work on this project because I contribute some design ideas to come with solution to overcome data reporting and gathering. My initial meeting with the head of health Information systems, Mr. Abdilahi, was informative and it exposed me to difficulties his team faces to connect with regional offices in remote areas. Currently, community clinics and health outposts use hardcopy reporting (hand written forms) to regional health authority in six main districts. Regional districts report to Abdilahi’s office at the Ministry of Health using Excel forms via email. Also main regional offices report daily major incident and observation of the previous day to “central health information system” using voice system. Abdilahi complained this system is time consuming and impractical to use to gather accurate data.

My time in Hargeisa has not been easy. Beside my work, I have spent a lot time to meet and reconnect distant family and friends. As expected in developing countries, people ask for money because I have been gone for a while in the United States. This has caused pressure for me. Some family members have even went as far to question why I went into low paying job field in media or journalism; why could not I pursue career in Engineer or medicine. It is uneasy and sometimes enlightening feeling living between countries and cultures.

My project working with the Somaliland government to increase interaction with the public using phone feedback system has been going slowly. There are different stakeholders I need to consult and inform about my project, including high officials in the Somaliland and important Somaliland journalists. Besides overcoming technological difficulties. There are times when I question myself, and the purpose of my project. Is it needed in Somaliland or is it one of these cool attractive, techy solutions to fix complicated issues. It is true people need to have direct access information about the government, especially in far away regions. However, ila Maqal application is advance and sometimes difficult to explain to people. People are busy with their daily and introduction this new form of technology might not be noticed. The adaption of the product has been slow. Mainly young and the educated class have been using the most.

For the last two months, I have not had chance to explore the city and the countryside. The capital city has developed so much in a short time. Private sector is thriving. Young expatriates are returning to open small and medium size businesses. But Somaliland has a long a way to go. Still there are not quality education, healthcare or primary infrastructures. Somaliland almost resembles the Western Frontier of early America. Because of weak state, local businessmen charge higher prices for low quality items. There are no standards and regulations in most industries in the country. One scary statistic I came across that illustrates how unregulated Somalilnad is there about 779 pharmacies in the country, and there are about 9 certified pharmacists. 779 is under estimate in my opinion. Pharmacies are on every corner in Hargeisa. One does not need a license to open a pharmacy. People buy prescribed medicine over the counter. Although Somaliland weak regulation has sparked innovation and created vibrant local market, there is a need for regulation and capacity to enforce the law.   

Guilty as Charged

I admit it. I gave in. I couldn’t help it… It’s taken a few weeks to come to terms with it, but… during my third week in Bangalore I broke down and had… McDonald’s. I know, I know, you’re probably saying what that little voice in my head said, “You didn’t travel all the way around the world so that you could have McDonald’s!” But you and that little voice have the virtue of not smelling how wonderful those french fries smelled. Or how delicious the soft serve ice cream looked. It may have been the fact that I hadn’t eaten in 8 hours and I probably needed a little home comfort, but I lost all will power. So, why the guilt? Because it was damn good! But I have since sworn off American food for the remainder of my trip.*



*Claims made in this blog about swearing off any type of food are intended purely for entertainment value and not as fact. After all, the author is human and those fries are pretty delicious. Plus there’s supposedly a special type of chicken prepared at KFC that you can only get in India… I’m just saying.

Selamat datang di Indonesia!

It was approximately two months ago when I landed in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, also the city where I grew up and spent most of my teenage life. I am back in Jakarta for my 12-week WDI Internship with Endeavor, a non-profit organization that works with high-impact entrepreneurs in emerging markets and helps accelerate their businesses.

To give you a background of organization, below is a great story on Endeavor from the website:

“The story of Endeavor began fifteen years ago from a conversation between Linda Rottenberg and Peter Kellner who then wrote their vision in a tissue paper: Endeavor would be a new kind of non-profit organization dedicated to selecting and accelerating the growth of entrepreneurs in emerging countries that will create new job opportunities and improve societal welfare. People initially thought the concept of High-Impact Entrepreneurship in emerging markets was unrealistic. No one believed there were entrepreneurs in developing economies let alone mentors who would support them. However, Linda and Peter along with their small but passionate team ultimately convinced business leaders in Latin America to dedicate not only their money, but also their time and networks to Endeavor and its entrepreneurs. Endeavor then began its expansion to South Africa, followed by Turkey and a succession of countries in the Middle East. Currently, Endeavor operates in 15 countries, and has become an organization of, by, and for entrepreneurs. More than 80% of our entrepreneurs give back to their local affiliates by serving as mentors and members of worldwide boards. Over 100,000 jobs have been created with billions of dollars contributed back into local economies and hundreds of role models now exist for young people in rapidly developing economies The Endeavor Entrepreneurs continue to remind us that with the right resources, big ideas can happen and generate transformative change in economies around the world.”

When Jennifer Hsieh, my section 5 classmate at Ross and a former intern at the Endeavor office in NY, told me that Endeavor just opened its Indonesian office on February 1, 2012, I was really excited and applied immediately for a summer internship position. I talked with Sati Rasuanto, the Managing Director in Indonesia, through Skype several times to learn more about the opportunities in the Jakarta office. Our conversations confirmed my interest with Endeavor and here I am now back in my home country working with an exciting organization and great group of people!

More stories on my first several weeks at Endeavor next!

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EndeavorIndonesia

Twitter: @Endeavor_Indo

When did giving become so complicated?

We’ve all seen those pictures of Indian children in tattered clothing on the streets begging for money or food from passing cars and pedestrians.  It breaks my heart every time I see them.  There is a particular intersection on my way home from work where they swarm the cars as the light turns red, peering sadly into the windows trying to catch my eye.  Once they do, they start pleading in Hindi.  Even though I do not understand the words, I know what they are asking for.  My first instinct is of course to want to give them something, but then other thoughts flood into my head.  If I give one child something, will she share it with the others or will she keep it for herself and gloat about it?  Or will the larger boy bully her into him my offering?  Or is she, like in Slumdog Millionaire, a beggar working for gangsters?  What is my social responsibility?  In my desire to do some good, would I actually cause more harm than good?  How do I weight the negative versus the positive impacts?  Conflicted into inaction, I bow down my head and avoid their gazes.  The light turns green, my car speeds away, and I breathe a sigh of sadness. 

Sad that something as simple as giving a little bit of money to someone on the street has become so complicated.  Has it always been so or have I only now been clued in to the different dynamics at play?  I remember as a child, walking down the streets of Hong Kong holding my mom’s hand, where homeless men sitting along sidewalks were not an uncommon sight.  Those on the routes we took frequently became landmarks for me, as they seemed to always be in the same spot, reassuring me that we were on the right track.  Once in a while, my mother will press a coin or bill into my hand and nudge me towards one of them.  Giving a shy smile, I would drop the donation into his bowl.  In those innocent acts as a child, did I accidently cause a rifts between the homeless men?  Did I perpetuate his panhandling “job” because he made more money this way than with a real job?

When did giving become so complicated?

(I apologize for the lack of pictures in this post.  You need only to google “Indian street children” to see what I see.  Taking pictures of the specific ones along my route for the purposes of this blog just felt wrong.)

Work with a startup social enterprise in Bali? Yes please!

It’s been a busy few weeks, with the last 2 weeks spent making field visits to the 2 businesses we’re working with and the launch of our angel investor network coming up quickly next week.

Terraced Rice Paddies in Ubud

One of those businesses is a for-profit social enterprise that focuses on dealing with the tremendous amount of waste that is currently illegally dumped in Ubud (a mountain town popular with tourists) in Bali.  Tourism has boomed in Bali over the past years, but the infrastructure and practices to deal with it are lacking, and ingrained business practices make proper disposal of garbage even more complicated.  The norm now is for businesses to be paid for their waste by pig farmers who use the organic waste as feed, sell the recyclables, and dump the rest down the nearest ravine.  Trying to convince those businesses to switch to paying for proper disposal of their waste is an uphill battle as you can imagine.

Illegal Dump in Ubud

This 15m high illegal landfill
used to be a river bed...

Scavengers picking through the trash

My role in the visit was to help our investment partners (a social venture capital firm looking to make early stage investments to build a pipeline of deals) complete their due diligence to decide if they would invest in the company, and to identify specific areas we could address to help the business scale (decided to focus on data management and marketing).  We met with their management team, customers, and investors, and had practically every piece of garbage not in a landfill pointed out to us – I think Bali may be ruined for me forever!

The business's waste processing facility

From left to right: Representative from our
 investment partner, COO, CEO, and me

It was a great learning experience to get insight into both the entrepreneur and investor’s side of things, and to be able to voice the entrepreneur’s viewpoint in conversations that would have otherwise been internal to the investment firm.  We spent most of our time bouncing from meeting to meeting, but did manage to fit in some good food, massages, an afternoon at the beach, and drives around the most popular places in Bali – quite the tough life!  

One of our customer meetings was at a
5-star resort with this view - talk about roughing it

A nice break from one of our
trash tours...

More to come on the other part of the trip later…

Oh, the places… Part 2: Mumbai

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller

Mumbai changed the way I see India. Its cosmopolitan feel, cobbled streets, relatively tame traffic practices (relative being the operative word), skyscrapers, nightlife, and chai tea all provided a more modern perspective on what could be in store for India over the next few decades. Granted I only saw the city for two quick days, but it just felt… well… more modern.

I met up with my friend, classmate, and fellow WDI fellow Javier at the Mumbai airport and together we headed over the house of our friend, classmate, and fellow WDI Fellow (see a pattern here?) Mary Fritz. As frequent readers of the this blog know, Mary is in Mumbai working for a cool start-up called Wello, which was founded by Cynthia Koening, an alum of our program. We then proceeded to enjoy a great weekend of beers, masala chai, amazing brunches at a nearby yoga studio (seriously, we could have stayed there all weekend and I would have been happy), train rides, and visits to amazing sites including the Victoria Terminus, the Gateway of India, the yoga studio with amazing brunches, the Dhobi Ghat where the city’s clothes get washed, the yoga studio with amazing brunches, and the Haji Ali mosque at sunset. Did I mention we had amazing brunches at a yoga place? Okay, just making sure.

Below are some photos of the trip. This set of photos highlight how fun it is to ride the train. The guy’s face on the upper right really says it all. Apparently they play old black and white videos on the train. One of my favorite memories from India will forever be sharing a laugh with the man next to me over a Charlie Chaplin movie. Laughter truly is a universal languages. I posted a video below this post to show what it’s like to take a train ride in Mumbai. I chose this video in particular because of how it ends – I didn’t see the train coming and scared myself to death! Ha!

After the train ride we visited some great sites, including the Victoria Terminus and the Gateway to India. See if you can spot a very popular Mary Fritz surrounded by eager locals taking advantage of a photo-op.

This last set of photos includes our visit to Dhobi Ghat, the Haji Ali, as well as, a picture of a door (sometimes the best sites to see are the ones few notice…) and my new favorite place in the world: Laughter Heaven. See? Universal language.

Wedding Traditions in Uganda

I guess I missed the boat on not getting married in Uganda…

Today at lunch, Edward, the program officer at the PATH Uganda office, explained the marriage/wedding system here. Men have to pay the woman's family to marry her (a dowry of sorts). There is an elaborate negotiation and "market research" process that takes place to determine how much she is worth. Edward apparently paid 5 cows and 10 goats for his wife plus small gifts for all of the bride's aunts and uncles! This is the "customary wedding". Once the payment is accepted by the family, the two are technically married.

They also have "white weddings" after the customary wedding that are just like American weddings with dinner, dancing and drinking. But, instead of the bride and groom and their families paying for the wedding, the bride and groom bring together all of their friends and family into what they call a "planning committee". The couple receives donations from all of these people to pay for the wedding! Why couldn't I do that for my wedding back in the states??

Working Conditions

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Among the many benefits of being a dual-degree student is the chance at 2 internships. Most people’s progression follows some sort of clear logic, but given my wide range of interests and tendency toward experimentation, my internships seem like polar opposites (read about this summer here). I spent last summer in a sparse highrise office at World Headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan, evaluating the sustainability of Ford Motor Company’s immensely complex supply chain. My days were filled with careful manipulation of monstrous amounts of data regarding (primarily) working conditions in first tier factories. Did Ford suppliers provide proper ventilation, enforce the use of safety equipment, paint yellow lines around designated work areas, post proper signage? Moreover, did Ford suppliers ever show the merest trace of forced or child labor? Were workers averaging total hours in accordance with local law, and were they given at least one day off per week?

Last year, I understood these concepts only abstractly. Ford contracted several global companies to conduct supplier working conditions audits and training sessions, and I received their data in the epicenter of the failed American dream, sifting through spreadsheets to figure out what it all meant. I picked out differences between Thai and Nicaraguan and Turkish and Indian and South African suppliers, analyzed the success of Ford’s training program, and dreamed up recommendations to further strengthen human rights in the automotive supply chain.

rotational molding

I flew from Bombay to Ahmedabad Saturday morning to nail down some manufacturing numbers for Wello, and ended up spending the weekend interrupting workflow at plastics factories (redheads are a much rarer sight than camels and buffalo). Owners bade us into their air conditioned offices (Saturday reached 115F), plied us with chai (I am a firm proponent of this tradition), and toured us through the manufacturing floors. The facilities were spotless, well-lit, and highly organized, albeit horrendously hot. As production stopped in favor of staring, I wondered what the workers thought of us. Had they received foreign clipboards before? Had they been interviewed about their contracts and working hours? Did someone tell them they should probably wear shoes around heavy equipment?


I tried to avoid inhaling plastic fumes too deeply and my mind wandered to BPA, phthalates, PFCs, and all the other horrible scary chemical ingredients we’re just starting to wonder about in our endless quest for more, better, cheaper products. One manager showed us an injection-molded part destined for a Cummins engine, and I realized my personal pieces are linked. In a nonrandom, still roundabout way that I’ll have to work to pitch convincingly to interviewers in the fall, all of the projects I’ve worked on in grad school are connected. It’s not nirvana, but it’s a gratifying feeling nonetheless.

Read more about my toxic chemicals reduction project with REI here, and more about Ford's working conditions program here. Get in touch with more specific questions - I’m allowed to share.