Morning 1 - Delhi

We left in good weather. We managed to get an upgrade to World Traveller Plus. Not quite as good as Virgin Premium Economy but quite adequate. We sat next to two young french girls going to work with young children in India over the summer. They seemed far less worried about their trip than we were. When we landed at Delhi there was, and still is a torrential downpour. The water buckets down. And the motorways clearly don't have adequate irrigation so it pours like waterfalls onto the streets below. Jaipal met us at the airport - there he was with our names on a little board and led us politely to the car park. It was then that the humidity hit us, we were suddenly drenched in sweat. Jaipal put on a chauffers cap and drove us safely on the 10 minute drive to the airport. Only once did we see a small section of real Delhi, down and outs under the flyover. Total and utter poverty is always a shock and this was no different. I suddenly felt very guilty. There were hundreds of poor sods trying to get to work in the pouring rain, all soaked to the skin. I felt for them all. I suddenly realised that we aren't here to sample the sights, we are here to work, and work we shall. There is tight security, armed guards, everywhere. As if they are waiting for something. When we arrived at the hotel they checked under the car for bombs!! and under the bonnet too. Then we were made to go through a metal security check before reception. Now in my room, it's nice. Quite palatial with a nice little desk and a massive bed, seems a world away from what we just drove past - and I suppose it is. So here we are. Someone once wrote that you 'go to India and hate it for a month then love it forever' - let's see how we will feel after 10 days. Now, some sleep before the adventure begins. We suddenly feel a very long way from home.

The India Blog

Some time ago we started this blog to post occasional controversial stories and commentary. Since then our sales training blog does that for us. So I thought it would be a good idea to re-use this blog to monitor and report on our 10 day trip to India. Tomorrow afternoon we fly out to train a client in Delhi, and by the time we come back we will have trained over 100 sales agents, trainers and sales coaches. As well as that we will have experienced, for the first time, the sub-continent. We have had many warnings about this trip and we enter it with open minds and with a bold enthusiasm. Items we definitely have: Visas, Imodium, our jabs, IPads and a lap top. When we started this business many years ago, I always wondered if we would ever make it to India. So far we have been to most countries in Western Europe, and the United States. So to make it to India, for the first time, on our own terms, is an achievement. Mind you, the biggest achievement has been actually negotiating this trip. We have been in discussion about this since March? Jeremy and I have spent days (literally) on conference calls and sent countless proposals and attended meetings and re-negotiated and finally, a last, are on our way. We decided, that whatever hoops we had to jump thorough, we would do it, to make it happen. So now we are off. I shall attempt to update this blog on a daily basis. Please let friends know about this blog if they would be interested. One thing is for certain, we will both be needing the Imodium, the only question is who first? My money is on Jeremy - Day 2.