An American in Delhi

Fixing Broken Teams

2012-02-15T03:07:00.000-08:00

I used to work for a large dotcom that wanted to increase their market share in the U.S. All of their revenues came off banner advertising on their site, 90% of which came from North America. Since the company was located in Calcutta, they had only Indian staff - I was their first foreigner to work in India full-time. The team I was to lead had 40 staff members, none of whom had any direction

Adventures in Visaland

2011-09-29T03:21:00.000-07:00

I was at the FRRO again on Tuesday. We started the visa renewal process in January, providing all the paperwork required for the visa renewal that had to be done by the company. All they had to do was print it out on stationery or stamp paper, sign it, stamp it and give it to me. That took until the third week of April. Paperwork involved: Cover letter requesting visa renewal from company

Posted via MySocialBlend

2011-06-02T20:33:00.001-07:00

An expat said, frustrated by the inability to get things done, that she "would end up being the first incident of violence in the workplace involving a foreigner". LOL. Yeah, we've all felt like we were going to "go postal" at some point. :-)

Posted via MySocialBlend

2011-06-01T21:44:00.001-07:00

Social Media Mashup Lets You Post Simultaneously to LI, FB, Twitter & Blogger. Nice. Needs more properties, though... www.socialblend.com

Posted via MySocialBlend

2011-06-01T21:37:00.001-07:00

Heading to Singapore in a few weeks. Any suggestions on places to go? Been to Clarke Quay, Low Pa Sat... Where to shop for cool stuff?

Below the Fold - E23 - Ecommerce and Sales Cycles in India

2011-05-10T03:40:00.001-07:00

Today we talked about the boom of ecommerce in India and what the challenges still are. If you want to know about the reasons, check out this business insider article. Then, as usual we drifted about sales and how it's still handled in India. The practice is changing though. Below-the-Fold-E23-EcommerceInIndia&Sales.amr Listen on Posterous

Below the Fold - E22 - Much To Do About Osama's Photos

2011-05-04T22:28:00.001-07:00

We had a special guest today on the show, Will, Jeanne's son. Below-the-Fold-E22-OsamasPhotos.amr Listen on Posterous Here's the New York Times report on the road that he was talking about in Afghanistan. And here's an article about the oil tax subsidies on Huff Post that I talked about.

Below the Fold - E21 - Osama Bin Laden is Dead

2011-05-01T21:40:00.001-07:00

As we were walking out the door this morning, we heard the news of Osama's death. Today on Below the Fold, we talk about the reprecussions, and cautions you should be taking if you're an expat living in this region. What were your reactions and what do you think would happen next? Leave us a comment with questions etc. If you'd like to hear more from us on this topic. Have a safe week.

Literary Licenses - How Far is Too Far? (E19)

2011-04-19T02:08:00.001-07:00

Today we talk about the shocking news (well, not that shocking, I had my suspicions) about Three Cups of Tea, the book we recommended to you guys in this episode. On an interesting note, you should read this article on the Forbes blog. That talks about the lessons we should learn from this. BelowtheFold-E19-LiteraryLicenses.amr Listen on Posterous

Below the Fold - E18 - HR & Management Practices for Growing Companies

2011-04-14T02:46:00.001-07:00

Below-the-Fold-E18-HRMPracticesWhenGrowing.amr Listen on Posterous Hey everyone! We're talking about the Indian IT gaint Infosys and the lawsuit they're facing on visa violations. You can read about the article we discussed on the show here. It's part of India's growing pains really. We debate whether this is due to HR practices here or whether it is there for any other company that is

Below the Fold - E16 - Dealing With Cultural Differences in the Workplace

2011-04-07T02:30:00.001-07:00

Below-the-Fold-E16-CulturalDifferencesInTheWorkplace.amr Listen on Posterous We're continuing our little rant from the last episode about dealing with cultural differences in the workplace and really different communication styles. How do you deal with it? How do you teach your staff and team to tackle this problem?

Below the Fold - E15: Starting Your Branding Process

2011-04-07T02:20:00.001-07:00

Below-the-Fold-E15-StartingTheBrandingProcess.amr Listen on Posterous In continuation with our Social Media Branding talk yesterday, we're talking about where to start your branding process. Do you define your target audience first and brand for them or do you make your brand something that you (and your company) aspire to? What are your opinions?

Below the Fold - E13 - B2B Social Media Branding

2011-04-05T03:54:00.001-07:00

Below-the-Fold-E14-B2B-SocialMediaBranding.amr Listen on Posterous Today we talk about social media branding and how newbies tend to use social media differently than the pros. What to look out for and what not to do when you're setting up your social media marketing campaign. Enjoy!

E13 - Corruption in India

2011-04-03T22:06:00.001-07:00

Below-the-Fold-E13-CorruptionInIndia.amr Listen on Posterous Hey everyone! We've updated a couple of things over the weekend, now you can listen to the show while you're on the Facebook fan page. Yes, we have a fan page!Today we rant about the corruption in India and the way people conduct business. You can read more about it on the Economic Times site here: http://

Below the Fold- E10-Social Media for Social Change

2011-04-02T10:08:00.003-07:00

Below-the-Fold-E10-SocialMediaforSocialChange.amr Listen on Posterous Today we talked about the events of social change that's going on around the world. And about life in Myanmar. Also we recommend you to read the book Three Cups of Tea by/about Greg Mortenson the man who's building schools in Pakistan. You can visit http://threecupsoftea.com for more information.

Below the Fold - E9 - Philanthropy in India

2011-04-02T10:08:00.001-07:00

Below-the-Fold-E9-PhilanthrophyInIndia Download this file Today we talked about the visits of Warren Buffet and Bill Gates and what The Economic Times said about their "philanthropy" You can read the whole article here: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-company/corporate-trends/did-india-inc-thumb-its-nose-at-bill-gates-warren-buffett/articleshow/7803244.cms We also rambled

Below the Fold - E8 - Social Media in India

2011-04-02T10:07:00.001-07:00

Below-the-Fold-E8-SocialMediainIndia.amr Listen on Posterous Morning folks! (For those of you in the west anyway.) In this episode we talk about Elizabeth Taylor, social media usage in India -- specifically for business, and the auto industry. Along with some rants and raves for side topics, of course. Hope you enjoy the show. And if you have any questions, comments, topics you want us to

Below the Fold - E7 - Third Culture Kids

2011-04-02T10:05:00.003-07:00

Below-the-Fold-E7-TCKs.amr Listen on Posterous We're talking about Third Culture Kids today. I'm involved with http://TCKid.com - Home for the TCKs and ATCKs (Adult Third Culture Kids). You should also check out: FIGT: Families in Global Transition which is a non-profit organization that gives support for expat families.We also ranted a bit about racism in India, digital natives, and

Below the Fold - E6 - Following Through

2011-04-02T10:05:00.001-07:00

Below-the-Fold-E6-FollowingThrough.amr Listen on Posterous Morning everyone! Hope you enjoy the show today, sound quality's better than normal. Here are some links to what we talked about:Chanakya is actually the guy's name: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chanakya And Chanakyapuri is the neighborhood: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ChanakyapuriI thought it was the same name. I stand corrected!

Episode 5 - Plagiarism In India

2011-04-02T10:04:00.001-07:00

Below-the-Fold-E5-PlagarismInIndia.amr Listen on Posterous Thank you for all your support and feedback for those who listened to Episode 1. We've had some production challenges with the other episodes, so we're skipping ahead. This show was produced this morning. Happy Monday!

Below the Fold - Episode 1

2011-04-02T10:02:00.001-07:00

Below-the-Fold-Episode1.amr Listen on Posterous Below the Fold is a talk show that Jeanne and I have been wanting to do for a while. We talk about a lot of things, marketing, expat life, challenges of living and working in India, management, and raising puppies. Not necessarily in any order. This was the pilot episode. Hope you enjoy it. Write in the comments below to suggest us topics or

Requiem and Reunion

2010-09-27T08:21:00.000-07:00

REQUIEM The internet is an interesting place. Earlier this year, when Bing came out, I was checking out the interface and typically try out a person's name. I decided to search for my ex-husband's name. Typically nothing comes up because he's the kind of guy who never wants to be found. Anyone who knows him can understand why. He wasn't a very nice person. On this day, however, his obituary was

I Just Had the Most Excellent Customer Service

2010-08-18T09:05:00.000-07:00

Recently, there was an article on CNN regarding travel sites. As I am rapidly approaching my very long pretty-much round-the-world trip, I am looking for information on Munich, Sao Paulo, Jakarta, Cape Town, and back to Delhi. One of those sites was: www.maiden-voyage.com. I visited the site and registered for their service. As part of the signup, you receive an automated responder email letting

TEDx Gurgaon

2010-02-27T22:45:00.000-08:00

TED India was a total waste of time. I was super excited to be watching the live streaming from the conference and was able to watch about 59 minutes of it. The guy talking discussed the miracle of the TATA Nano, a cheap car for the masses. How is that innovative? He said it would change India. I agree. If it takes off, India will become the leader in the worst infrastructure, worst air pollution

Screw the Queue

2010-02-09T01:24:00.000-08:00

A few months back, I broke my shoulder in an accident on a train heading toward Rishikesh. I've been seeing a doctor at Sitaram Bhartia Clinic every few days for physical therapy and the like. One my biggest pet peeves here in this country is personal space. As an American, I feel VERY uncomfortable if a person comes within three feet of my body. It's just the way Americans are. You can always

Don't Drink and Ask for a Recommendation on Linkedin

2010-02-08T05:39:00.000-08:00

I got an email the other day from Moez, some random person on Linkedin, asking for a recommendation. I don't know this person. Never met him. Linkedin isn't Orkut. It's for professional networking. It's for adults who want to enrich and further their careers, build their networks, etc. I was really pissed off that some idiot wanted me to use my reputation to further himself without understanding

Heading to Mobile World Congress in Barcelona

2010-01-29T05:34:00.000-08:00

Two weeks from now, I will be heading to Barcelona for Mobile World Congress, the biggest GSM conference in the world. VNL and Shyam, two of my companies, will be exhibiting across the aisle from each other in Hall 2, so I'll be supervising the building of TWO different booths this year. Exciting? Yes, but also a TON of work. The space is challenging - I'm dealing with three large columns that

How NOT to Use Linkedin for Marketing

2010-01-06T03:32:00.000-08:00

Today, I received this lovely email from a gent in Bangalore who wanted to sell me something: On 01/05/10 11:19 PM, CHAKRAVARTHI BEZAWADA B tech(biotech),MBA(IB) wrote: -------------------- dear sir i am chakravrthi from bangalore, India .i have done engineering and masters in business administration.i have started an add agency named as laser ads .which is very innovative and effective .i am an

How to Start Up a Startup

2009-12-17T23:39:00.000-08:00

Last week, I was talked into going to Startup Saturday, an ongoing initiative by Headstart that hosts a monthly, community-driven forum for entrepeneurs to help them build their businesses. I go to, perhaps, mentor. I'm beyond and far more experienced than most of the people in the room and I meet a lot of naive and idealistic short termers that don't fully understand what being an entrpreneur

India Telecom

2009-12-06T20:54:00.000-08:00

India Telecom is the largest telecom conference in India held annually in New Delhi. My marketing team attended the exhibition on Day 2, expecting to see lots of innovative telecom equipment, especially considering the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference was just around the corner. Instead, we saw a lot of Chinese component manufacturers, and nothing much new from the big multinationals that did

Indian Government Links

2009-11-06T01:28:00.000-08:00

If you've ever wondered how anything gets done in India (as I often have), this list is for you. My favorite Yahoo! group, Yuni-Net, has once again provided valuable information I would gladly pay for. This list provides links to several pages on the india.gov.in web site for all those lovely pieces of paper we all need to verify our existence here. I'm not saying any of this will work - I went

Still Waiting On My Rent Deposit - Are All Landlords Here Thieves?

2009-09-26T23:22:00.000-07:00

A good INDIAN friend said to me one day, "White skin shows the way for black money."When we first moved to Gurgaon, I was already reeling from issues with my previous landlord in Kolkata who refused to part with the 90,000 rupee deposit I had put on the place citing all sorts of "damage" to the property. I wanted to ensure that this didn't happen again. I should have seen the signs. Landlord

Just a Foul Mouthed American...

2009-09-24T09:07:00.000-07:00

Just watched the final episode of Larry David's show on HBO "Curb Your Enthusiasm" which features a cook with Tourette's Syndrome and it made me think. The reaction to the chef's foul regurgitation is surprise and then release. As a New Yorker, I swear all the time. My father, another native New Yorker does not swear much at all unless vexed, but my mum, another native New Yorker, swears like a

Real Definition of a Startup

2009-08-07T23:36:00.000-07:00

I was reading an article at TechCrunch about the real definition of a startup, and it got me thinking.Having spent the past 20 years (OMG!) taking startups to the next level, marketing-wise, here's my take on what an actual startup is:smoke & mirrorsR&D's undelivered promisesdeadlines not metconstantly shifting product specssalaries paid on ad hoc scheduleThe company can be any size, but

Delhi Restaurant Recommendations

2009-07-23T08:28:00.000-07:00

I have to help plan a foreign correspondents' tour for the company I work for that is schedule for next month. As part of that, Bridget, our PR person in the UK, asked for a list of great restaurants in the Delhi area. I contacted the Yuni-Net group and they came forward with lots of suggestions. I trust their palates - most of them are expats and local fellow foodies. Here is a compilation of

Welcome to India, Newbie.

2009-07-21T22:20:00.000-07:00

I have a good online friend, a fellow blogger who chronicled her move to India and just arrived this past weekend. If you haven't had a chance to read her stuff, you're missing out: http://delhibound.blogspot.com/2009/07/disparity.htmlHer latest post discusses her initial reactions to living her western lifestyle while witnessing the India around her. This is the initial reaction everyone has

Links to Many Things Green

2009-07-15T00:13:00.000-07:00

Natural Resources and the Environment - Dot Earth Blog - NYTimes.com Laurie David The Climate Project Global

Frightening Electrical Panels in Indian Modern Homes

2009-07-13T10:10:00.000-07:00

Okay, someone in the house wanted to document the mess that we call our electrical panel. Here's the service.There is no cover, so it is exposed to all the elements, wind-borne dust, monsoon rains, etc. Nothing is labeled so figuring out what appliance or circuit is the problem becomes a mystery. You can't even tell which apartment is the problem.Circuit Breaker Panel. Notice that the panel did

Ode to the Tiffin

2009-07-12T23:52:00.000-07:00

I've been reading a lot lately about the evil that plastic does. In India, there is a traditional container called a "tiffin", made of steel, typically comprising two or three, even four separate containers, that stack above each other, encased in metal springloaded arms that also feature a handle. These containers are getting used less and less as plastic, thermos-like products emerge in the

Riots in Delhi Caused by Lack of Electricity

2009-06-26T20:13:00.000-07:00

This past week, there have been riots in parts of Delhi for two reasons - lack of electricity and lack of water. This is becoming serious. The worst power cuts were in Dwarka averaging 10-12 hour outages at a time, Krishna Nagar at 10 hours, Vasant Kunj at 8 hours and Greater Kailash, averaging 5-6 hours. No part of the city has been spared. On Thursday, the 400 KV Mandola Power station tripped

CommunicAsia 2009

2009-06-20T18:20:00.000-07:00

Revisiting Singapore after a 30+ year wait, it was like the other Singapore I remembered never existed. We did get to the Raffles' Long Bar for Singapore Slings one evening, but even that place had been upgraded. The Raffles Hotel was a dump back in the 70's. It's been refurbished and expanded a hundredfold since then. The city is impeccably clean and its residents are very friendly. The Ibis

Suntrica’s Solar Mobile Phone Chargers Save You Money and Save the Planet at the Same Time

2009-06-12T04:22:00.000-07:00

I'm just off to CommunicAsia in Singapore, a telecom conference focused on Asia. They will have a whole stream devoted to solar and other alternatively powered technologies. I am super excited to see everything that is available out there...Suntrica gave me 50 samples of their SolarStrapTM solar mobile phone chargers because VNL is exhibiting at CommunicAsia in Singapore in mid-June. We’re

Our New Place in Gurgaon

2009-06-04T08:16:00.000-07:00

I live in Gurgaon, just outside of Delhi. We now rent the ground floor of a three family house. It features two bedrooms, two baths (one with a bathtub!) a large living and dining area, kitchen, enclosed patio space in the front and back, plus a storeroom, which we may convert to an office. We’re having a lot of issues straightening out the electricity.As Americans, we use a lot more electricity

Sunday Morning in Gurgaon

2009-06-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

We have a very annoying peacock living nearby. Actually, more like three or four. I know. How can you complain about something as exotic as wild peacocks, but they are very big, very noisy, and very territorial. They are absolutely gorgeous, with brilliant blue heads and necks, tapering down into teal and green chests... long flowing tails – they are the perfect bird for the overly decorated and

Message from the American Consulate: June 2, 2009

2009-06-02T19:29:00.000-07:00

NOTE: Yesterday, there were riots in Kashmir over the rape and death of two Muslim women. The attacks were said to have been carried out by members of the Indian police. There is no mention of this in the Consulate's message - just a general warning. No wonder Americans are paranoid... "we don't know who... we don't know where... we don't know when... we don't know how... but they're trying to

VVDN’s Solar Panel Solution for Electrifying Remote Villages and Towns Worldwide.

2009-05-31T20:01:00.000-07:00

India is making huge strides in solar energy development. VVDN stands for Video Voice Data Networking, but the company is branching out into some pretty interesting solar products, based on some of the R&D they are doing for their main business.VVDN reps came to my house Saturday to install a small solar 3-light system. It consisted of a small 1’ square cube that included the solar battery and

Coming to Live in India, the F.R.R.O. and Trying to Leave the Country

2009-04-16T02:09:00.000-07:00

Funny thing. A fellow blogger asked me to confirm the address for the FRRO and I spent a half hour or so describing that exquisitely painful experience known as the FRRO. A few hours later, on an email list (Gurgaon Connection), a brilliant person had much better information for her, me (since I've trade shows to do in June), and everyone else who's trying to come in or go out requiring the

Followup Re: Book Sellers in Gurgaon

2009-04-11T20:25:00.000-07:00

At last I have found the bookstore of my dreams. :-) Actually, Will found it at the Galleria Mall. It's called Quill and Canvas Bookstore and Artmart and it is situated on the ground floor. We visited yesterday and I had my list of Indian writers with me and my attitude that I'll never find Steinbeck here in this country. Of course, they had everything, from Sufi poets, Heidegger, the Vikrams (

What Does An Average Indian Earn?

2009-04-07T17:55:00.001-07:00

Geoff asked me a question that became a very long comment, so I am turning it into another blog post...Geoff said...Medical care sounds pretty cheap, if somewhat sketchy. Maybe I should give up this rat race and pull a rickshaw in Delhi. I got a $75 copay just for an MRI!What can I expect to earn per year as an ... average Indian?Okay, first a disclaimer - these are my impressions and not any

Adventures in Healthcare Here in India

2009-03-22T22:39:00.000-07:00

In the past 60 days, both Will and I have had runins with the medical industry here, me with hepatitis and Will in an altercation with a faulty window, necessitating around 25 stitches.Overall, I have to say that the quality of care is quite good. Cleanliness may not be a primary concern, but the word "care" really is there. With my hepatitis, my first visit with the doctor was direct and

What I'm Up Against Part Deux

2009-03-17T12:17:00.000-07:00

Passive aggression is a huge battle wherever you go, and when another team uses this behavior, it directly affects your ability to get projects done. Business owners who don't address it and implement accountability, particularly at points where teams interact, are bound to fail. Here's an example of a project that's failing.Example IM discussing situation:[staff]: hello mamme: HI! Thanks for

Adventures in Apartment Rentals Part Deux

2009-03-15T10:31:00.000-07:00

Today we met up with Sirendar, who had read my post on Yuni-Net requesting information on any fabulous apartments in Gurgaon. He had contacted me earlier in the week to let me know that the ground floor under his apartment was available.Location is Sector 40. A little farther out than I'd expected, but with a car or scooter, fairly close to the malls and shopping. Much farther away from school.

Adventures in Apartment Rentals

2009-03-09T22:37:00.000-07:00

I gave my notice to the landlord I have at Princeton Estates. This building is an absolute disaster and my landlord is not much fun to deal with either.Here's the gist. Samiksha, the HR professional at the office who made a lot of promises that were never kept, told me she would find me a very nice place to live if I took the job offer. She also promised me a car and driver, much better tax

The May Report

2009-03-08T22:56:00.000-07:00

While reading The May Report, an online business news source focused on Chicago, I found an interesting bit of information on where Obama placed his online media campaign dollars:Top Recipients of Obama Campaign: Online Media Spending in 2008 Media Company = Estimated Amount PaidGoogle = $7,500,000Yahoo = $1,500,000Centro = $1,300,000Advertising.com = $947,000Facebook = $643,000Turner

Personal Branding

2009-02-26T14:40:00.000-08:00

I was supposed to present at BarCamp Delhi this weekend, but won't be able to, due to my health issues. I decided to add this post for those who are still interested in learning more about the topic. This is just part one, a brief overview, of the topic. More in subsequent posts. Feel free to comment - I will be glad to address your questions in a follow up post.Personal Branding is building your

My Life as a Third Culture Kid Without Leaving the States

2009-02-14T14:43:00.000-08:00

I was born in New York City to a couple of college kids and we lived in a cold water flat for the first three years of my life. My dad was accepted into Harvard Graduate School of Design, so our family moved to Cambridge. Cambridge is a hugely multicultural and diverse city - the exact opposite of Boston on the other side of the river. Every few weekends, my parents would head back to NYC (

This is What I'm Up Against..

2009-02-13T09:42:00.000-08:00

The linkers are supposed to be hired with the expectation that they can send out email templates and negotiate responses with prospective site owners. Trying to explain how important decent English is to HR is critical. This is what i deal with on a daily basis. Now I just bring my manager to all performance meetings with individuals on the team and have him translate everything into Hindi so

Something Borrowed...

2009-02-12T17:31:00.000-08:00

Stephanie will be arriving in Kolkata in early May for her first visit to this country. She's got a blog started and could use some suggestions on a new template. Please check it out and by all means send her links to templates you think would be great for her.http://stephanie.randomink.orgI liked her December post, so I'm updating this for my own...RandomnessCopy the list and highlight the ones

New Template Installed for My Blog. Whaddya Think?

2009-02-12T12:42:00.000-08:00

I just found a pretty cool template at http://blogandweb.com/templates-blogger/ . I would spend the time designing my own, but there are still quite a few decent templates out there, so really, why bother? Let me know if you see anything odd (please mention your browser!) and I'll be quick to rectify.Later. :-)

My Son Thinks Indians Can't Dis

2009-02-11T13:47:00.000-08:00

Will was in the hallway the other day at school arguing with one of the other Indian kids in his class. At one point, Will turned to him and said, "Suck my balls!"The Indian kid turned beet red and yelled, "Yeah, whip them out right now, I'll do you right here, right now!"Will gave him the big fish eye, paused, turned, and walked away shaking his head.It's similar to Indian rap. There's just

Are You Seeing Anything Weird About My Blog?

2009-02-09T09:26:00.000-08:00

I had a reader state that the template I'm using is completely not working for them. I was wondering if other people were also not seeing, for example, the right column, the RSS feeds, etc., or if they were displaying over the text? I will be replacing the template as soon as possible. Sorry for any inconvenience.Thanks.

Stop Calling Yourself a Social Media Expert

2009-02-08T17:24:00.000-08:00

I've been reading up on a lot of marketing companies here in India and I keep hearing the same buzzwords but no substance. I'm not seeing goals for success shared, achieved results documented, just the individual pieces of "cool stuff". If I see "social media optimization" again or "meme mashup" or "blogosphere", I swear I'm gonna hurl. I don't really blame the marketing companies; the clients

Stream of Consciousness Because I'm Bored at Work at 5:30 in the Monring.

2009-02-06T15:12:00.000-08:00

I really hate the night shift and it's taking a serious toll on my family. I'm really not sure how much longer I can do this without losing my son to other forces here in Gurgaon. This is not a good place. I worked from home yesterday, just so I could keep an eye on him before gets himself in some serious trouble. A lot of this stems from the issues I'm having with that previous landlord in

BarCamp Delhi

2009-02-05T12:39:00.000-08:00

BarCamp is an international network of "unconferences" that focus on early-stage web applications. prototypes, open source technologies, social protocols, and open data formats. The format of BarCamp is a series of sessions that are presented by the attendees themselves.This coming Monday, February 9, 2009. BarCamp Delhi will be posting the sessions. Yu Yu Din will be presenting on "Content

Swarnab is THE MAN.

2009-02-04T15:28:00.000-08:00

Swarnab is an ex-colleague of mine from 123greetings.com, where he was our slick PR guy playing "Steve Anderson" online. His smooth, casual writing style made him really popular and just as he was leaving us, his work started to gain the results and recognition it deserved. Too bad the airline stewardess who I was pressured into hiring to replace him had the profile banned within three days on

Advertising

2009-02-04T07:44:00.000-08:00

Advertising and Marketing in general is all about getting in touch with human emotion and relationships. Here, a scene from Mad Men, and American series about the advertising industry in the 1960's shows a prime example of just perfect, on target, potential of advertising.NOTE: If you get an error message saying that this video is no longer available, welcome India. India has strict censorship.

No Wonder Americans Are Xenophobic.

2009-02-03T10:55:00.000-08:00

I get these alerts from the American Embassy on a fairly regular basis. One one hand, it's useful to know if there is a specific threat. But seriously, this is a little vague...I do have to say that both the Delhi Embassy and the Kolkata Consulate were extraordinarily conscientious in caring for my son and my welfare during a incident that happened last year (still can't discuss - still ongoing).

Wordpress-based web site launched a week ago

2009-02-02T09:34:00.000-08:00

I'm thrilled to announce that my partners and I have launched the Silver Oak Casino site. It was built using WordPress for all of its pages and we're working now on getting the word out about it. It features hundreds of RTG games, including many variations of blackjack, video poker, tons of slots, scratch cards, and lots of other specialty games. This is the site I've been busting my hump writing

I think I'm going to be screwed over by my landlord.

2009-02-01T19:58:00.000-08:00

Two, yes, two landlords so far in India, and I have th e distinct feeling that this a$$hole is going to screw me, too. First, I have no address of his, since he lives in Malaysia, and his local rep, Raj, is completely useless. No I don't have any proof of address for him either.My first landlord still owes me 90,000 rupees which I will never see. And she's trying to extort another 3.5 lakhs out

Proud to Display My Twitter Followers

2009-01-31T20:29:00.000-08:00

div.mosaic img{ padding:0px; margin:0px;}Thanks to all my twitter peeps! Come on and join me on Twitter. Follow me @jeanneleez ...Think this is cool? Get your own at: http://walterhiggins.net/projects/follower_mosaic.plEnjoy. :-)

My Son Is No Longer Innocent

2009-01-30T13:45:00.001-08:00

My son came home in hysterics this evening. He was crying - couldn't catch his breath. He started repeating over."Oh my god, oh my god, ohmygod..."Tonight, as my son was walking along M.G. Road in Gurgaon, he saw a man crossing the road. He wasn't a beggar, more like one of the walking poor, carrying a basket of stuff. Suddenly a car came out of nowhere and Will said, "He went right up over the

Events & Groups in Delhi for Bloggers

2009-01-28T10:26:00.000-08:00

Delhi Blogger Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/delhibloggersDelhi Blogger Group on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/groups/delhibloggers/Delhi Blogger Group on Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/e/gis/42110/5633581025EDDelhi Blogger Group on Orkut: http://www.orkut.com/Community.aspx?cmm=143972Delhi Blogger Group on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8176649883Delhi Blogger Group on

Black Lips Chased Out of India by Police

2009-01-27T14:00:00.000-08:00

Black Lips Chased out of India by Policehttp://vice.typepad.com/vice_magazine/2009/01/black-lips-indi.html <- read this for a more juvenile report of events :-)/snip"When garage-rock knuckleheads the Black Lips smash beer bottles over their guitars or piss in their own mouths onstage in the U.S., the worst that usually happens is they'll get banned from another venue. But when they bring that

Response to a Reader: Making an SEO Plan

2009-01-21T06:48:00.000-08:00

I'm assuming you're looking to increase organic search results. The way I develop a plan is start by confirming what the goals are with the stakeholders. Let's illustrate by using a simple example. The company manufactures gardening equipment: hoes, wheelbarrows, spades, lawn trim, etc. They sell in bulk to retail stores and also sell retail from the web site and ship to consumers in the U.S. The

What do I have to do to get a decent book to read?

2009-01-20T17:07:00.001-08:00

Way back in Kolkata, around two months into my life here in India, I visited Crosswords, a large book franchise found in most malls and cities here in India. As I perused the books, I noticed a number of volumes written by John Grisham, Sidney Sheldon and Danielle Steele. Eric Segal. I thought he only wrote that peice of trash that was popular in the 70's called "Jonathan Livingston Seagull", but

Another Expat Blogger in India

2009-01-20T07:01:00.000-08:00

I was doing a bit of research on a company I was interested in, the internet browser, Opera. Turns out, they have an office up in Chandigarh. If anybody knows me at all well, they know that I am the offspring of two architects - my dad being a huge fan of Corbusier.The first time I visited the city was thirty years when I was 15 and going to college at Sir J.J.'s in Mumbai as an exchange student.

What India Does Better Than Anyone Else

2009-01-16T08:21:00.000-08:00

In a word, education. The basic education called CBSE (or something like that) is very heavy with multiple classes in math and science in each grade (or standard as they call them here). Families place a premium on getting good grades and getting into the best colleges. Students may stress out completely before exams because they are told how very important they are for their future

Conversation with My Mother

2009-01-15T18:28:00.000-08:00

My parents made it very clear when they visited that they did not share my love and appreciation for this country. Perhaps it was Gurgaon's fault. They never visited Mumbai or Kolkata.One day as we were doing errands in Gurgaon, my mother turned to me and asked me why I would want to live in such a shithole. I paused. How do you explain India in one sentence? It's not possible. I looked out the

Answer to a Reader's Question

2009-01-14T13:29:00.000-08:00

I got this question for from one of my readers. "Do you see any change happening to the management mindscape in the post-Satyam, post-Wipro World Bank ban scenario in Indian companies... given the top-heavy management styles?"Here's my answer:There's a famous quotation "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink." It's only if company management wants to change (and it's a HUGE

Another American Soon-to-Be Expat Blog

2009-01-13T10:09:00.000-08:00

A married couple and their three small children are just about to leave the States and will be arriving late January. Remember what it felt like just before you left? That feeling of anticipation mixed with fear and trepidation? http://areason2write.wordpress.comCheck it out. I sent her my links to groups I know of in the Delhi area for expats. If you know of others, add a comment. I'll be sure

Management Style of Satyam

2009-01-12T10:09:00.000-08:00

I've been reading up on the debacle facing Satyam, one of the trailblazers that essentially started the outsourcing industry in India. B. Ramalinga Raju, one of the co-founders, took a big risk to get John Deere, a large American farming and construction equipment manufacturing company, on board as his first customer. Since then the company has not grown at the same pace as other outsourcing

Another Crazy American Expat in Delhi

2009-01-12T09:03:00.000-08:00

This person, originally from Wheaton, IL (just next door to Aurora where my son and I lived for four years just prior to moving to India) also has a blog. You might want to take a look. The writer posted photos of a wintry Chicago that made me homesick but happy to be free of all that snow...Read it here: http://goradesi.blogspot.com/.Enjoy :-)-- Jeanne

Gurgaon Totally Sucks

2009-01-11T01:49:00.000-08:00

I can't stand Gurgaon. It's such a wannabe Western city without any infrastructure. The only way to get a cab is to call on the phone and reserve one. There is no information on any possible public transportation, the roads all look alike and have no signage, and there are these hideous malls everywhere. I can't figure out the buses, and I'm not sure how to catch an autorickshaw. None of them

"I Want My Fifteen Minutes Back."

2009-01-10T14:30:00.000-08:00

I was always interviewing people at my first position in India and also here, when I was working the day shift. I was always disappointed in the quality of staff HR was coming in with. I warned my managers that I was going to ask for my 15 minutes back if they wasted my time with a stupid interview.If you want to work for me, these are the things I look for in an Internet Marketer. 1. You need to

How to Maintain Your American Management Ideals When They Conflict With Your Indian Workforce

2009-01-09T12:53:00.000-08:00

OR HOW TO SUCCEED IF YOUR BOSS IS AN AMERICAN WORKING IN INDIAI didn't do it here in Gurgaon... the types of things I did in Kolkata to evaulate my team and understand the people and their motivations. Perhaps that's why the team isn't as solid as my base to the East.When I first got there, everyone was intimidated by me. They wouldn't look me in the eye, they'd barely talk to me, and they'd call

Making a Living as a Blogger

2009-01-07T10:24:00.000-08:00

Making a living blogging is a reality, but the idea of "full-time" is a misnomer. Blogging is an activity that cannot be monetized, i.e., generate revenue. What can be monetized, however, is the traffic that comes to your blog. The issue with every person putting something on-line is the expectation that if you write it, they will come, and you will make money off it. To make money, you are

Part One of Our Trip in North India

2008-12-31T17:09:00.000-08:00

Dharmsala and Other Points NorthI hadn’t seen my parents in a few years and was looking forward to picking them up at the Indira Gandhi International Airport. I called my driver and made sure he wouldn’t be late. Will was in school. I arrived a little before schedule which allowed me to push my way through the crowds loitering outside with their signs, touts, con artists trying to push expensive

American Internet Marketing in an Indian Office

2008-12-30T14:27:00.000-08:00

Since moving to Gurgaon, I have had challenges with my work. Here are 8 web sites, get all their search engines rankings to #1 and increase traffic 1000-fold. Okay. What did I have to start with? Nothing, old sites with no meta tags, no content, no backlinks, site structures with no usability, no navigation... and on top of that, blacklisting and warnings from authority sites in the industry.Then

I Found A Kindred Spirit Blogger - Another American Expat in Gurgaon!

2008-12-29T15:17:00.000-08:00

I found another blogger who's American and lives in Gurgaon. Yay! A lot of what they talk about on their blog is different from mine and I seem to have only gottten my feet wet here while they've really spent some time roaming around Gurgaon and finding the more "Indian" parts of the city... the parts that remind me of Kolkata. It was great reading for me - someone living, but unfamiliar with

Mumbai Terrorism & India's Idea of Security

2008-12-26T12:47:00.001-08:00

I am an American woman living and working in India. At the time of the attacks I was in Pathankot, about as close as you can get to Islamabad and still be on Indian soil. There is an Army base there. We had only just arrived by the 6+ hour toy train from Kangra after visiting with Tibetan government-in-exile in Dharmsala and Mcleodganj and had no idea what was going on in Mumbai. Pathankot is

R.I.P. Lancelot

2008-12-26T11:21:00.000-08:00

We bought him the spiked collar to butch him up a bit...August 18th, 2008Lance ? - August 17, 2008We've had Lance, a creampoint Siamese cat in our lives since 2002. Lance was adopted. When we told him, he didn't take the news well. He was a bitchy, whiny cat who was always mouthing off, as anyone who has ever owned a Siamese cat will know. He was also the most affectionate and loving cat. He

My Parents Are Coming to India in Two Days!

2008-11-15T09:05:00.000-08:00

My parents are doing a major trip around the world that started back in September, I believe. It's the trip of a lifetime. A few years ago during a visit they made to my house outside Chicago, my father was talking about doing a road trip to a few places in the states, but he wouldn't set a date. He was semi-retired, and I asked him why he was putting it off. He said that he didn't have the time

Mona Lisa Smile

2008-10-24T07:52:00.000-07:00

I never watch chick flicks. I hate them actually, but because my son was on the computer, and nothing else was on television, I watched the last half of the movie. I realized something about myself. It's weird. I've always walked my own path. Divorced my husband because he didn't want kids, and found someone who would have one with me. I traveled wherever and whenever I could. I read voraciously

Visa extensions (Otherwise Known as the Seventh Circle of Hell

2008-09-14T21:20:00.000-07:00

This process can be unbelievably complicated or very, very simple. :-)YOU NEED TO START THIS PROCESS 60 DAYS PRIOR TO VISA EXPIRATION.In Delhi, you need to go to the Foreigner's Regional Registration Office downtown (Ministry of Home Affairs, Foreigners' Division, Jaisalmer House, 26, Man Singh Road New Delhi). Don't bother to print and fill out the forms you find on-line because they'll refuse

First Time Post

2008-06-02T02:37:00.000-07:00

My name is Jeanne and I am an American working in Kolkata (formerly known as Calcutta). I have been working at a dotcom here for nearly a year. I am in the process of leaving the company I work for and moving to Delhi. This is my story.To read about my adventures picking up and moving from Chicago, Illinois, with a teenage son, rescued greyhound and siamese cat, click here: American in Calcutta.