Bangalore? Whaaaaa?

I haven't had much time to put together an explanation of what's going on, but, yes, I am going to Bangalore. Because I have spent too much time on teh [sic] internet, I have chosen to update you in the form of Frequently Asked Questions.


What?
Where's Bangalore?
When do you leave?
Why are you moving to Bangalore for 6 months?
The who with the what now?
Why India? Why Mifos?
Are you some kind of mud-hut building hippie?
What are you going to do?
Do you get paid?
So, they give you a place to stay and everything?
Have you had your shots?
What about W?
Do you still work for Atlas? Will you have a job when you come back?
Do you know anyone there?
Where will you work?
Are you traveling in India?
What language do you need to know?
It must be pretty cheap to live there, no?
Are you coming home during the 6 months?
Can we come visit?
What about your house, car, cats, et cetera?
Are you going to blog?
When did this all start?


What?
Yes, Bangalore. I will live there for 6 months.


Where's Bangalore?
Southern India.



When do you leave?
September 4th.


Why are you moving to Bangalore for 6 months?
I will be working with The Mifos Initiative.


The who with the what now?
Mifos Initiative is part of the Grameen Foundation, a non-profit that aims to propagate the successes of microfinance. The Grameen Bank was founded by Muhammad Yunus.


Why India? Why Mifos?
I know people who work for Mifos, and the timing was perfect. Plus, I have been to Bangalore for three days. I would gladly have gone to other countries, though I did enjoy my last trip to India very much.


Are you some kind of mud-hut building hippie?
Well, I've studied a bit of economics, and I believe in the work Grameen does. Also, I've been meaning to contribute in some way, and I can actually use my powers for awesome, in that I can PM and such.


What are you going to do?
I'll do work similar to what I do for Atlas Accelerator.


Do you get paid?
Yes.


So, they give you a place to stay and everything?
For the first three weeks, I'll stay in a hotel. During that time, I'll find a service (or "serviced") apartment.


Have you had your shots?
Yes, except for Hep B, which rules out IV drug use and tattoos.


What about W?
W-the-SO is all about me going. (The other W thinks India is "somewhere north of Kentucky.")


Do you still work for Atlas? Will you have a job when you come back?
MC & MC are indulging me and letting me take off, as I had finished with GridNetworks and hadn't yet started with the next client. They'll find me a client for when I get back (or maybe I just mow Mike's lawn).


Do you know anyone there?
Not really, but several people have given me contact information for family and friends. I should meet plenty of ex-pats, and I'll have a coworker there, too.


Where will you work?
I will work some at Grameen Koota, some at Mifos specialist locations, and frequently from home.


Are you traveling in India?
Yes, I'll likely go to Hyderabad and maybe Assam. I'll try to do day trips when possible. I may take a couple seeks and travel before coming home at the end of March.


What language do you need to know?
Business will generally be done in English. I'm going to learn a bit of Hindi, just to be polite. India has a lot of languages, so I'll do my best. I don't think I will have any problems in the cities.


It must be pretty cheap to live there, no?
Bangalore is more expensive than other parts of India. Rent will likely be more than you would expect, food is very inexpensive. Travel is also fairly cheap.


Are you coming home during the 6 months?
Probably not.


Can we come visit?
Yes!


What about your house, car, cats, et cetera?
Dad will be living at my place. He takes care of the cats anyway.



Are you going to blog?
I have never really been much of a blogger, but maybe I'll try.




When did this all start?
According to my IM chat history, 7/17/2007 at 5:49:59 PM PST, when one of my friends at Mifos casually mentioned they were taking resumes. Between oh-just-keep-my-resume-on-file and accepting the job, I found out I would be transitioning a client sooner than expected (don't worry--it's for good reasons!), so the timing could not have been better.