V.I.P. – VERY INDIAN PEOPLE

The new day starts with the fresh Bangalore’s air. “Once upon a time in Mumbay” was our first experience in a traditional Indian cinema. Midnight was just passed and the film had finished; the same people who only few minutes before were noisily clapping their hands, laughing, screaming and whistling, now, outside the cinema, took different directions disappearing in the dark and narrow roads of the sleeping capital of Karnataka, followed by the always present rickshaw’s drivers who were asking if someone needed a lift home.

We personally said “no, thanks”; we were by car with our Indian friend, Jose.
On the way home, we decided to stop to have a cup of lime tea at the appealing price of 5 rupees. The price written on the door of the little and rotten local. Two natives who were enjoying their drink, started staring at us, with the usual curiosity that pervade most of the local population when they meet occidental people. “Take it carefully, it’s hot!” said the innkeeper giving us the small plastic glass. In that moment our eyes felt on a sleeping trump all wrapped in thick blankets and wearing the typical woollen hat. Normal glimpses of Indian life.
We than return at the college crossing the semi-desert town.

At 9.15 a.m. some of us went to attend class, Indian Retail Revolution and Corporate Social Responsibility, while a small group instead went to visit Tata BP Solar, one of the largest Solar Companies in the world.

At 10.50 a.m., almost at the end of the first hour of lesson, the good coffee’s smell make the students understand that was the time for the short coffee break between the lessons. At the same time the other excited small group were finally reaching the plant of Tata, after having had some problems finding the right entrance of the factory.



The planners from Xime in fact forgot to specify that the plant to visit was in electronic city block 1 instead of block 2, it was just across the highway. “Who invited you?” “Mr. Surya Tej..” after these magical worlds the guard let the student and tutor Matteo enter to make them fill in some personal information and give them the personal badges. After having entered that undiscovered world, they felt shocked in front such an amazing reality: technology and innovation go arm in arm with the green spirit that push the ideals and values of this well advanced company. The students followed the Marketing Manager along the passageway as children follow Willy Wonka in the Roal Dalh’s tails “The chocolate factory”; they finally reached the production place where they were able to admire the production process.
We met all together again at lunch time sharing and mixing the different morning experiences.

“Meeting time is at 2.20 p.m. in front of Xime”. In fact we had in our plan to visit Hindujan global solutions Ltd, a call centre based in Bangalore city.



We left with the expectation to have the possibility to see the way in which these famous factories works; we came back at about 5.00 pm having only listened to a long, interesting lesson but not as practical as we expected. In fact we only saw a basic conference hall where we listened at a very detailed explanation of the outsourcing process that is taking place in the last ten year. Just to summarize: a classic morning lesson at Xime, but this time kept outdoor.

Tired but not enough to follow the others in our rooms to take a rest, we decided to stroll around the village just behind our college. In such a small context we found the real Indian essence: spices’ smell, men at work, bamboo’s scaffold, children coming back from school, women dressing colourful sahari, banquets plenty of all kind of fruit, cows eating rubbish, wild dogs hanging all around were only a few particulars of an incredibly full of life village. Here pictures taken from tourists make people pleased but a bit embarrassed, let them feel the sensation of importance.













In this way we had the opportunity to meet some real V.I.P.: “very Indian people”!!!
We found out that time flows also in this village where all seems to be static and life always the same. It was time to go to the Xime auditorium to prepare our “Cultural Show” to let Indian students know Italian way of life.




This rich day full ohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.giff emotions, experiences and sensations last with a special prize. We in fact decided to order a great traditional Italian dish: PIZZA!!!



Now we can go to have a good rest satisfied and pleased to have eaten for the first time since we are at the Xime, something of good quality and in big quantity!

Silvia Santagostino e Luca Trincavelli