April 1-3

Friday, April 1

We began the day doing a little sightseeing and shopping before we made our way to Agra. We drove through the old part of Jaipur and there you can clearly see why they call it the “pink city.” The stonework is all pink! We had a quick stop to see the beautiful wind palace and take a picture with some snake charmers:

We then headed to the most adventurous place I have ever explored: Amber Fort!

 Thankfully we did not need to walk all the way up…we took elephants!

Here is Ashley and I doing the princess wave as we enter the palace :D

We then were given an hour to explore (and get lost in) the palace. It was fun to constantly have to decide to go up, down, right, or left. It was also fun to have staff chase after us when we would accidentally stumble into a closed area. I don’t know if there is enough time in the day to fully explore this palace. 

Here is Ashley, me, and James…somewhere!  

We then took a jeep ride down to the bus, ate a nice lunch, and went shopping for the last time. 

My favorite thing I took from India was the “Indian bobble.” This is when you motion your head from side to side towards the shoulders. It is used when you are agreeing with what is being said or sometimes when you are indifferent or not sure. I noticed it the most after I asked a question to the Jaipur Rugs' staff and they would bobble when they would formulate their responses. I noticed myself using it when bargaining with stores and it worked so well! The salesperson would offer me a price and I would not say anything, just  bobble. Every time they would counter it with a lower price. (I still notice myself using it since I have been home).

We then went to the train station to catch our 4 hour ride to Agra. At that point my bag was well over 50lbs but as we approached the station, there was a lot of stairs to overcome but out of nowhere a group of men came and threw 2-3 suitcases on their head! 

That’s jugar.

Our train ride was a blast. We each had our own bunks with beds. I couldn’t sleep but had fun creating a “secret fort” with Ashley, playing cards with James, and visiting the rest of the team. I met an Indian man on his 22-hour train ride to visit his family in Calcutta and had a fun discussion on Indian perceptions of Americans and vice versa.

We arrived at our hotel in Agra, had dinner, and went to the roof top to try to get a glimpse of the Taj Mahal. We could only see its silhouette in the dark but it made me SO excited for the following day.

A group of us decided to live up our last night and find a local bar. We took a tuk tuk there and that was an experience in it of itself! 

Indian driving is very chaotic but you rarely see an accident. You are to honk constantly just to let everyone know you are there because, from what I gathered, you are to only worry about what is in front of you. That can be cars but also dogs, cows, cats, monkeys, camels, etc. But just go around!

The driver took us to “Zee Bar & Restaurant” where the staff was overly hospitable and welcoming to our group. Soon after, the Columbian students came in and we had a blast toasting, talking, and unwinding from the trip. Jesse and I then successfully got everyone up to dance (whether the liked it or not!) Needless to say, it was a GREAT night!

Saturday, April 2

Today is the day… the TAJ MAHAL!

We had a very brilliant tour guide (he is working on his Ph.D. in history) and it was fun to pick his brain. I never knew the complete story of the building but it was built by a king for his third wife who bore him his first son. She died at an early age (from having many children) and before she died, requested that he build her a legacy. This building is her tomb and is said to be the largest act of love every demonstrated.  He planned on building a black Taj Mahal behind the original for himself but his son did not approve of the idea so he is laid next to his wife here.

Of all days, I was really sick today :( I was able to maneuver around but had to take it easy.

We then began our LONG journey back home starting with a five hour bus ride back to Delhi. We stopped for lunch and dinner but had the privilege of visiting the birthplace of Krishna who is one of the most important deities to the Hindu religion. He is known for being the only deity who came in human form and had all the powers of a god.

We arrived in Delhi, half asleep, and boarded our flight to London, had a short layover, and headed to LA.

India was an experience that I have had a difficult time communicating to friends back home. It was humbling, empowering, touching, and, most of all, life changing. I know I walked off the plane with a perspective that will forever alter my view on human life and willpower. It is certain India will emerge to be a leading player in shaping our global future.

 

 

March 29-31

Tuesday, March 29

We woke up at 3am to catch our quick flight to Jaipur. What I found interesting was the airline (Kingfisher) also makes beer; that’s something you would never see in the US!

We arrived and went immediately to Jaipur Rugs. Before the trip, we completed an extensive case study on this company so it was great to see it. Jaipur Rugs is unique in that it empowers very impoverished rural villagers to become contracted weavers, encourages entrepreneurship, and provides competitive wages and education. Jaipur Rugs Company (JRC) is the business while Jaipur Rugs Foundation (JRF) works to employ and educate its weavers. 

We took a tour of their facility and what I found interesting was their design department. Over half of their rug designers are illiterate but JRC has trained them to use visual software so they are able to utilize the design talent present in their familial backgrounds and computerize it. Also, JRC prints life-size maps of the rugs and color samples so it is easily read and understood by illiterate villagers. This is just one example of the innovative solutions JRC and other Indian companies have to make to accommodate the unique conditions of India.  

 

Their HR manager, Dr. Yadav, then presented on the HR practices of JRC (of course I was interested in this!). Their practices are those of human focus, empowerment, empathy, decentralization, and a flat organizational structure. They refer to everyone of their 40,000 weavers and employees as a family. I was able to personally speak with Dr. Yadav about HR in the US and how HR is not seen as a strategic practice and is normally tied down with legality. He said “human resources should be about humans!” I told him he has an unreplicable competitive advantage with the loyalty and trust of his employees and contractors.

The foundation employees then presented on their work, their projects, and grants they receive from the government for supporting their work. I found it interesting that only the foundation has graduates and MBAs because JRC is all about promoting from the grassroots and empowering villagers (and women) to take on leadership roles. 

I found their operation is a remarkable process where they are able to generate profits for a sustainable way to alleviate poverty in  rural areas. 

That evening, a few of us went out for shopping and dinner. Shopping was a bust but we enjoyed a great meal complete with Kingfisher beer and some power outages! 

Wednesday, March 30

Today was a very moving experience because we visited distant rural village to see what JRC and JRF have been doing and see weavers working on their rugs.

On the way, we stopped to see the very beautiful water palace that was home to the King in the summer months. 

I'll take it!

This was a village that was about 3 hours outside of Jaipur. We were able to see the process and hear the songs they have for reading instructions. Dr. Yadav explained only men would read the instructions but they have since encouraged women to take this leadership role. We were able to ask the weavers questions and we found that many of the weavers have always been weavers but are much happier working for JRC. Traditionally, weavers’ wages are substantially low due to a large presence of middlemen who take advantage of their situation. JRC has eliminated the middleman by directly contracting weavers and managing transportation.

The second village we went to had a lot of children who were excited to meet us and wanted us to take their picture. 

This kid was so funny and picked up this goat so I could take a picture with it.

One of the weavers encouraged us to sit with her so she could show us the process. They have exceptional talent to be able to make these intricate beautiful rugs! 

In the third village, we were able to walk in on a school session sponsored by the JRF for women weavers. Here, the women were taught math, English, Hindi, and ecology. This was truly a touching experience because this education builds the confidence and ability of these women. 

Thursday, March 31

We spent most of the day back at Jaipur Rugs to learn more of their operation and make presentations on our analysis and recommendations for improvement. Dr. Gupta presented on the impact a company like Jaipur Rugs makes on the economy to a level I did not realize. Traditional charity involving donations can normally boost the economy by two times, private employment by eight times, and locally generated employment by SIXTEEN times (this is known as the multiplier effect).

This is the point I began considering the charities and “save-the-children” type programs I had supported in the past. They may help on a superficial level but the work of companies like Jaipur Rugs are truly remarkable in that they alleviate poverty in a sustainable way where villagers can help themselves to not only gain well-earned wages but they feel the empowerment that comes from productive employment. 

We then broke into small groups and spent a few hours with a department. Our group had the privilege of working with the Internet Marketing Department that is responsible for managing Jaipur Rugs’ 72 websites, 33 blogs, and all their graphic design. We thoroughly discussed their process and recommended small improvements we saw they could make on some pages and designs. 

After lunch, each group presented on their analysis and recommended how Jaipur Rugs could improve to increase the level of interest of customers, investors, and interns. The members of Jaipur Rugs were appreciative of all of our suggestions and said they would definitely implement some of our recommended changes!

This was the best business experience I have had were I was able to thoroughly study, visit, and consult a multinational company! (Definitely going on the resume) 

Afterwards, we had fun at a theme park where we got henna done, took elephant rides, and had an authentic sit-on-the-floor meal :)