Back to Bangalore

After a whirlwind 5 days of traveling that saw me touchdown in 5 different countries and eat more meals on airplanes than I did off of airplanes  (a feat I hope I never replicate), I finally arrived in Bangalore around noon on Thursday. As I exited the airport and searched amongst the dozens of welcome sign toting drivers clad in white linen uniforms for the sign that said “Welcome Mr. Clifford Olander”, I couldn’t help but smile. It’s chaos to be sure, but familiar chaos.



I may have kept the sign....



Anyone who’s ever flown to Bangalore can attest. There are cab drivers yelling at you attempting to lure you to use their service, the million smells of the country hit you all at once, there’s the sweltering heat, there are people trying to grab your bags hoping for a tip if you allow them to assist, amongst other craziness. These things that might have overwhelmed me during my first tenure just made me smile this time around. It almost felt like India’s way of saying, “Welcome back, Mr. Cliff!”  Again, it was chaos, but a familiar chaos that automatically triggered my India survival mode that I had previously worked 8 months to build.

Finally I spot an eager young gentleman, with a moustache that would make Tom Selleck jealous, holding the sign I was looking for. I give him a smile and a head nod indicated that yes, the one white dude that got off the plane was the white dude he was looking for. 

Tom Selleck's got nothing on Mahesh's killer stache. Although Magnum P.I. didn't have to drive a mini van.

Side note: My old roommate and good friend Ryan Nintzel and I used to play a little game called: “You know you’ve made it in life if…..” and then you fill in the blank. One of his favorites was, “You know you’ve made it in life when you get picked up at the airport by someone you don’t know holding a sign with your name on it.” I definitely wouldn’t say I have it made in life, but it is a good feeling.

The drive from the airport was just as I remembered it; long, slow, and tedious. But it did give me some time to learn about my new driver, Mahesh. Mahesh is actually three years younger than me, which made me feel a little bit old. He was born on Friday the 13^th, which is very bad luck indeed, especially for Indians. Very inauspicious. He enjoys cricket and tennis, even though he’s never actually played tennis, and his favorite player is Rafael Nadal. His favorite thing to do is ride his motorcycle, which was given to him by a previous boss. He also won points with me when he asked me how often I worked out. I said I try to a few times a week. He said, “You are looking very buff. Like Hollywood hero. You remind me very much like Brad Pitt. Do you know Brad Pitt, sir?” I just had to laugh.  A ploy to get on my good side, I’m sure, but it was appreciated nonetheless. And then he talked about how much he liked Brad Pitt. It could have been much worse, because Indians love Tom Cruise. I probably wouldn’t have taken that as well as I took the Brad Pitt comparison.



According to Mahesh, Brad Pitt is my new Doppleganger. Yeah, that's right. I'll own that. Look, we even both like to stick out our tongues and make weird faces at the camera. I'm sure he wears silly hats, too.

After an hour drive or so, we arrived at my new old home, The Oakwood. The guy at the front desk remembered who I was!  I got settled, took a quick snooze, and ordered my old room service faithful, Thai Style Fried Chicken with Jalapeno Cheese Bites. The guy who delivered it also remembered who I was when I opened the door and said, “Welcome back Mr. Olander, we haven’t seen you in long time. I thought it must be you when I saw the order.” He had once given me a hard time for ordering the same thing all the time, begging me to try his favorite food, which is the biryani. But I remembered Raju as one of my favorite employees, so he got a 100 rupee tip. It’s good to feel remembered!

I called it an early night, as I had to wake up plenty early (again) to leave the next morning. And as my head hit the same familiar pillow and the same familiar bed, digesting the same familiar food, I couldn’t help but smile again. Between the airport, the traffic, the hotel, the food, and everything in between, it almost felt as though I had never left. The life I had been living the last 9 months in the US felt a million miles away......or 8000 to be exact.

Up next is a very new experience with some old friends. A wildlife safari at one of India's national parks known for Tigers! I'll give you one picture as a teaser.