On my first evening in Bangalore, I was picked up at the hotel by 3 of the Project Managers that I work with here to go out to dinner. First off it is very strange to have a working relationship with someone merely over the phone and email. But what is stranger still is when you finally meet them in person. Of course no one was as I expected, and I'm pretty sure that I was much different than they expected as well.

We went to a restaurant called Ebony. It was in the top of a hotel downtown; we got to eat out on a balcony in the pleasant night breeze, with an amazing view. There was only one other comparably tall building around, so you could see the city stretching out as far as you could imagine in every direction. The food was fantastic, we had a platter of tandoor-cooked fish, fish cakes, chicken and prawns. Pretty much nothing but meat!

These guys were great; again I am impressed with how friendly and open everyone is. They really wanted to get to know 'me' as a person, which I had not expected so much on a business trip during the crunch of our project. It was great to contrast the people, work culture and how the project has progressed from both the Seattle and Bangalore side.

One conversation in particular stuck in my head: 2 of my colleagues stepped out for a cigarette. While they were gone I was talking to the third about his family. He showed me wallet pictures of his beatiful son, daughter and wife, and shared some anecdotes. Apparently his wife is Hindu, but he is Christian. I asked him, how are you raising your children? I've certainly seen more minor religious differences cause great strain on relationships before! However his answer was refreshing. He said the kids were raised with both religions, and that ultimately it was their choice. He also described how in each home here, traditionally there is a special room set aside for the family members to pray. He said in his house "everyone is in there" meaning, Jesus, Ganesha, Moses, Shiva, Buddha. The entire family goes to both the Hindu temple and the Christian church. What a common sense approach! I am starting to see that in this ϋber-multi cultural society that is India, they have learned a few things about living together and living well that we could stand to learn from in the US.

Back in Seattle, both Laura and I have a prediliction for keeping lots of inspiring knick-knacks everywhere around the house. I have several Buddha statues, small animal carvings, even strange things like tiny guitars and musical instruments on display, small fountains, paintings, etc. Laura goes as far as to arrange small altars, with different themes. I'm sure many folks would just think we live in way too much clutter, but I believe there is a method to our madness... While we are not strictly religious, I feel a deep sense of spirituality and realized that while we do not have a room dedicated to it, we have made our entire home a place of prayer and contemplation. Tempered with our deidication to comfort and a light-hearted sense of humor, I see that this is why I feel so much at home there, and why many people that have come to visit us reflect that it really feels 'homey' and makes them comfortable there.