A loss in '052

Sometimes you don't know how much something means to you until it is no longer there. Sitting at the farm on Christmas Day and looking out the window towards the rubble that was the big barn, it is impossible to describe to you how different it looks and how the farm doesn't quite seem like the farm without that barn.
We don't know for sure what started the fire, all we know is that when Jimmer (Jim Myers) showed up at 4:30 a.m. on Christmas Eve morning to take the salt truck out to work, the barn was on fire and he called 911. 16 minutes later the fire trucks were here, South County, Athens, Leonidas and East Leroy Fire Departments came, and worked hard on Christmas Eve Day to save our other barns from catching fire. At one point when the doors blew off the barn, the fireball was so huge it burned up the firefighters hoses, and even parts of the firetruck itself.
While the firefighters fought the flames, the whole town showed up, many friends and relatives stopped by with well wishes, food, coffee and hugs and help.
I'm sure we will never remember every little thing that was lost in the fire, but we know some things that are irreplaceable like the planter that Trevor built when he was young, our bikes and tricycles from our childhood, our pedal John Deere Tractor and wagon and dad's toolbox his parents got him for graduation.
Mainly though, the loss is in the barn itself, it was a part of the farm, built into the side of the hill where over t the years it housed cattle, sheep, chickens, kittens and many memories.

Shopping Malls

Some things in India are not all that different from the US. Take malls for example, they have Baskin Robbins, Ruby Tuesdays, Pizza Hut and even McDonald's (Lamb burger, not hamburger - a number 1 is still a Big Mac, but it is w/ lamb meat). The clothes in these malls are all American clothes, the pricing on some things is slightly less than we would pay in the U.S., but some things cost more. There were huge stores like Macy's with clothes, jewelry, shoes, children's toys, and even cookware. There were also many stores that sold more authentic Indian dresses and we did find one store in the mall that sold authentic Indian souvenirs... No bartering required :-)

Wedding in India

One unexpected thing I was able to experience in India was a wedding. Weddings in India go on for a few days to a week, there are different celebrations and rituals each day. One lucky bride and groom choose the hotel I was staying in for a few days of their wedding celebration.

The wedding was in courtyard at the hotel, my room was right above this so I was able to see much of the celebration.This is in the street, as we were walking back from dinner, the street was filled with people dancing and singing. Children were carrying those lamps and the groom was in the carriage.
They didn't mind me taking pictures, in fact most of them posed so I would take their picture!I don't have a picture of it, but a few of the people wanted us to come dance w/ them, so I danced a little in the streets on the way back to the hotel... very cool!

Shopping

After work last night we decided to go to Delhi and do some shopping... wow did I learn lot. First of all, Delhi is not that far away but it took us hours to get there and back because it was peak travel time and the traffic was crazy.... then we get to the shopping place and it was unlike any shopping you can do in Michigan... you barter for everything which as you know I am not good at. Lucky for me Harneet loves to shop and offered to go help us... she is GREAT at bargaining and we figured out a system. If I was with her, I have to pay about 3x as much so I gave her money and said this is what I want and she would get it for 1/3 of the price that I could get. The shop keepers would ask her why she was helping us and give her a hard time, telling her that we could afford it (this was all in Hindi of course an I couldn't understand) It was quite an experience.

SGTC

For the last 2 days I have been working at our Stryker Office - SGTC Stryker Gurgaon Technology Center. Here are some pics of the team and the building...

The team

The offices are called cabins... and the walls are all glass... its very cool

Lunch with some of the team at a Chinese restaurant across from the Stryker building...

The data center for my Kalamazoo Stryker friends to seeThis is the road - right outside of the Stryker office... note the cows, motorcycles cars and bikes all sharing the road... unbelievable

Harneet and Vaibhav outside of the building - I got in trouble by the security guards for taking this picture... oops

The Palms Hotel

Hey everyone, the trip is going well, the last 2 days have been very busy I have been going to work at our office here called SGTC - Stryker Gurgaon Technology Center. It has been great to meet everyone that we normally just get to talk on the phone with. They days have been packed with trying to get as much done as possible...
The hotel I am staying in is very nice... wanted to give you some pictures of the outside. I heard it is snowing there so I thought some pictures of flowers would cheer you up.

Taj Mahal

The main entrance to the grounds
My first look at the Taj
The pictures don't show the true colors of the jeweled inlays, the building sparkles when the sun hits it and they say is even more beautiful in the moonlight.

Looking back to the main entrance from the Taj. There are 22 pillars on top, representing the 22 years it took to build the Taj.

A different angle

The gardens, they have to keep replanting them as they once were orchards and obstructed the views of the Taj. There are 16 gardens and 53 fountains representing the year of completion 1653.

Looking across the river from the back of the Taj, this is where Shah Jahan planned to build the black Taj.

Visiting the Taj Mahal was unbelievable. The building is so amazing and beautiful that you just want to sit and stare at its magnificence. At the first glimpse of the Taj I knew why people travel from the four corners to see this wonder of the world. The pictures do not do it justice. The marble is so pure when you hold a flashlight up to it the entire marble glows because of its translucence. The jeweled inlays (jewels from many countries) and immaculate stonework are so beautiful and detailed you cannot imagine how talented the master craftsman were or how it was all completed in 22 years.
We had a guide with us at the Taj who has been guiding visits there for 18 years. We couldn't have visited without him because to get there you had to walk down a road that was filled with beggars, and all ages of children trying to sell you trinkets, post cards, t-shirts, books etc. You have to walk straight down the road without making eye contact or taking anything from their hands. I don't think I would not have been able to make it down the road without the guide. He showed us all around the grounds of the Taj and all the magnificent views from each of the sides (he had us close our eyes and stand in the perfect spot for the first view of the Taj), we also were able to see some of the inside of the Taj (you are not able to take pictures)... during the entire visit he told us the story of the Taj....

The Taj Mahal story is about Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. Shah Jahan, initially named Prince Khurram, fell in love with Muslim Persian princess, when he was 14 years old. After meeting her, Shah Jahan went back to his father and declared that he wanted to marry her.
They were married in 1612 and Shah Jahan became the Emperor in the year 1628 and entrusted Arjumand Banu with the royal seal. He also bestowed her with the tile of Mumtaz Mahal, meaning the "Jewel of the Palace". In the year 1631, when Mumtaz Mahal was giving birth to their 14th child, she died due to some complications.
It is said that Shah Mahal was so heartbroken after her death that he ordered the court into morning for two years. Some time after her death, Shah Jahan undertook the task of erecting the world's most beautiful monument in the memory of his beloved. It took 22 years and the labor of 22,000 workers to construct the monument, which is also said to be the last wish of Mumtaz Mahal. This magnificent monument came to be known as "Taj Mahal" and now counts amongst the Seven Wonders of the World.
Shah Jahan fell ill in September 1657 and taking advantage of this opportunity, one of his son's, Aurangzeb, took over the throne and imprisoned him. Shah Jahan died in 1666 in captivity (he was able to see the Taj from his prison cell) and was entombed, along with his favorite wife, inside the Taj Mahal. It was said that Shah Jahan was planning to build another Taj - the black Taj (out of black marble) across the river from the original Taj Mahal but he was never able to complete it.