My personal development during this rotation cannot be attributed to a single experience or person, but rather to the culmination of every day here in India. As I have candidly told those who have asked me about my rotation, India is not for the faint of heart. It is a chaotic and can be completely overwhelming at times.Its economic disparity smacks you in the face when a child comes and begs you for money, or when you see people sleeping in shacks made of scrap metal alongside a five star hotel. The majority of the country is still developing its infrastructure, so it is a common sight to see an older man pulling a giant cart full of bricks down the road in scorching heat. The streets flood easily with the monsoon rains. There are people everywhere, all of the time. At any hour of the day or night your ears are greeted with incessant honking. Women cannot feel safe in the evenings alone.

Amidst all of this,though, there is something truly remarkable about India: its resilience.

In India there is no notion of complaining or dwelling on the negative in life. There is an unshakable spirit that flows from the monsoon rains to the smiles on the faces of children in the slums. People in India are happy. They are genuine. They are kind. There is no me, there is only we. The collective nature of society teamed with the positive culture is a special combination that has catapulted India's society to overcome and continue to thrive even in the chaos that over one billion people and limited infrastructure can cause.

When the roads are flooded during monsoon season, locals stand and direct drivers to avoid that path. They stand in the pouring rain to ensure that others stay safe. When I became ill for the first time during my rotation, the woman working at Nielsen's front desk offered to accompany me to the doctor even though that meant she would have to stay late and find a way home. When you ask for directions in India (which you do a lot) other drivers will lead you to show you the route. When I arrived at the market in search of ingredients for a recipe in Hindi, people helped me to find each and every spice.

One prime example of India's resilience and kindness is Pradeep, the cab driver that I was paired throughout my five months in Mumbai.

Pradeep is the person with whom I spent the most time with during my rotation. He picked me up from my apartment each morning and drove me home in the evenings after work. On special occasions we would adventure to the city on Saturdays and he would patiently drive me from shop to museum to shop again as I tried to see all of the sights in Mumbai.

During the many hours that I spent in the car with Pradeep, I learned a lot about India and even more about myself. He did not speak much English and I did not speak much Hindi. Pradeep would point things out to me and teach me the Hindi word for them. He would ask me questions about what driving is like in my country and warn me that I should not be a nervous driver because that is dangerous. We shared many special moments, but I wanted to share a few of my favorites with you.

Pradeep's sister-in-law makes his tiffin box (his breakfast, lunch, and dinner) each morning for him to bring during his duty. He drives me during the day and sometimes has another cab duty after he drops me off. The drive from where he stays to where I live is over an hour without traffic, so you can imagine how long his days are. One morning he asked me what I brought for lunch and I told him fruit, yogurt, and some nuts. He turned around and insisted that I take his tiffin box because I did not have enough food to eat. It took me a few minutes of convincing him that I appreciated the gesture, but I had enough food to eat. Pradeep makes very little money and works long hours. He shares his earnings with his family. Yet, he was willing to go hungry to offer me his food.

On the way home one day, Pradeep mentioned that his birthday was May 16th. He only said it once and I made a mental note. When that day arrived I had him stop at the mall after work because I told him that I needed to do some shopping. Instead, I went inside and got him some mango donuts, a Bollywood CD for his cab, and a card. In total it cost me $15. He was moved to tears and tried to give me the gifts back. He asked me, "Why celebrate my birthday?". He explained to me that he had never celebrated his birthday because his family could not afford it. Pradeep insisted that I take half of the donuts home with me, but I jumped out of the car so that he could not give them back. That weekend he shared the donuts with his extended family and profusely thanked me the entire week that followed. The gratitude that he displayed for something as simple as a small birthday gift is something that I will never forget.

A few months into my rotation I was asking Pradeep how he manages to stay awake on the days when he works late and has to get up early to come back to get me.Driving a cab is not an esteemed profession in India, nor does it pay very well. Pradeep still picked me up each day with a "good morning!" and genuine kindness in his voice. He did not acknowledge that he was tired once throughout the five months that I was with him. Instead, one morning on the way to work he told me, "Ma'am I am very proud to drive a car." This simple sentence changed the way that I think about my own life and the opportunities that I have been given.

The final Pradeep story has left me with words that will forever echo in my memories of India. We were driving home from work and there was traffic on the other side of the road. To avoid this traffic, many rickshaws and cars just started driving on the wrong side of the road and directly into our way. I said, "Pradeep! Why are the rickshaws doing that?" and he calmly turned around and laughed, saying "Ma'am this is India."

There is always a way in India, whether that means avoiding traffic by going straight into other cars or walking your cow along the highway to get from point A to point B. The country embraces the chaos and rises each day with a smile. I can only hope that I bring that resilience and gratitude with me as I board my flight home. Until next time, India.

Cheers,
B

Just another drive with Pradeep

The final commute

Farewell lunch with my HR team

Team farewell cake

Last day at Nielsen Mumbai

A few weeks into my rotation here in Mumbai I decided to sign up for a half marathon with Rashmi. I have always loved running and I knew it would help me focus my energy on something outside of work here. Over the past couple of months I have been running at least 4 days a week and my Saturday mornings have started with a long run. This wasn't my first rodeo because I have run three other half marathons in the U.S., so I was not concerned with my ability to complete the race. Instead, I was more unsure about what the weather had in-store on race day.

The half marathon was called the "Monsoon Madness" race because they schedule it with the anticipation of heavy rains. Normally running in the rain is not a great experience, but the heat in Mumbai makes running in the pouring rain seem like a walk in the park.

I woke up at 3:45am on race day hoping it would be raining outside. Unfortunately, it was humid and already in the 80s. Rashmi picked me up and we drove to the race site. It took place in Aarey Dairy Colony and the roads there are all dirt and the paths were dark. I was telling her how the race packet warned of milk traffic and saying that I did not know what they meant when we nearly hit a cow in the road. We swerved to avoid the big cow and continued on our way.

It was still completely dark out when we began the race. One notable difference between half marathons in India vs. half marathons in the U.S. is that here, the races are about running. There were no DJs or major events. Instead, the focus is on the open (and pothole-ridden) roads ahead of you. No one listens to music, there are no fancy water stations or markings along the course.

I spent the run being cheered on by cows, birds, crabs, goats, and dogs. It was truly an incredible experience where I was completely immersed in the nature around me. The entire course was, as I said, dirt roads. They were completely full of holes and rocks and mostly uphill. It was unlike any other course I have ever run. Additionally, the 84% humidity was brutal. The road was not closed off, so it was probably for the best that people did not listen to music. There were buses and trucks coming around turns. It definitely kept me on my toes for many reasons.

Aside from oncoming traffic and cows, another reason I was on my toes is because the path was utterly confusing. There were signs with numbers on them that I assumed were marking the distances that we had run in the race, but boy was I wrong. We were instructed to turn around at a sign that said "10.55 km". One would assume that meant that we were halfway through the race. Going that distance in that time is possible for me if the race is flat and weather is ok, so I thought maybe I was having a great day. Then, from there we were told to run back to the finish. Excited by the fact that I was half-way, I was completely energized. I ran through the finish line with a person holding medals right in front of me. She did not, to my surprise, give me a medal. Instead she told me "turn around".

That's right. I was told to turn around and keep running with no guidance as to where I would be turning back around or ending the race. For any runners out there, that is a complete brain buster. Running is more mental than it is physical and the mental portion of my run was turned upside down with that turn. After running for another half an hour I asked someone on the course how much longer and they told me 1 km. Turns out, it was 7 km. Luckily for me they had Parle G biscuits along the route and I ate a pack of those to keep me going!

Nothing was sweeter than running BACK through the finish line. Everyone in the race had a much slower time than I am accustomed to in the United States because the course was so rough. It was almost like a Tough Mudder combined with a half marathon. I found out that I came in 4th for women overall and 26th in my age group. My timing was not my personal best, but I was focused on just finishing the run once I saw the course!

Regardless of the chaos, I am so thankful that I completed the race. It was the cherry on top of an absolutely incredible rotation here and allowed me to spend time with my thoughts (some of them angry post-turnaround) and India.

Cheers,
B

Milk traffic in the flesh

Post-race

Serious side eye happening

With Rashmi after the race

On day one in Mumbai I realized that the official language of the Nielsen office (and Bollywood films) is what I like to call "Hinglish". This means that about every 10th word is English. My colleagues speak to me in English, but I decided that for my sake I would learn "a word a day" in Hindi. This quest of mine has also come in handy with my cab driver and endless shopkeepers. A store is much more willing to accept my bargain when I say in Hindi "Meh narazz ho...chello" (I am disappointed, let's go) after they tell me their price.

Each morning in the car on the way to work, Pradeep, the cab driver, will point to something new and tell me the Hindi word. He then asks me the English word. Funnily enough, with the prevalence of Hinglish, often times he will say things like, "Hindi word for that is traffic. What is the English word?" To which I say, "traffic" and it becomes a very confusing conversation for both of us!

Here are just a few of my favorite phrases that I have picked up in my five months here:
Namaste - Hello
Meh Khush ho - I am happy!
Mujhe bhookh lagi - I am hungry (this is my most used phrase)
Todu - awesome
Kipna piara kutta hay - Your dog is so cute!
Budbudhar - smelly

Although I stick out like a sore thumb, picking up some Hindi has been one way that I have chosen to immerse myself in the culture. Making the effort to learn these words has been a neat way for me to interact with people from diverse backgrounds and share laughs about my mispronunciation. Even after the laughs, everyone tells me that they appreciate my Hindi attempts. Using the language has helped me to feel as though India is a second home to me and not somewhere that I am just passing through.

Cheers,
B

My "Hindi Learnings" sheets that hang at my desk