The jet lag has passed, but I continue to wake up between 4:30 and 6 AM which is pretty standard for me when I have a lot on my mind (for example new job, new house, new country...)
However, waking up so early allows me to get some extra work done, maybe write a little, or watch, say, Shirley MacLaine talking about the majesty of
the elk on a Hollywood talk show. Sadly, the cable went out before I could find further entertainment.
The quick update: luggage is back, we're now in Assam. I flew the fantastic Kingfisher Airlines (yes, the same company as the beer). We spent a day or so in Guwahati ("goo-hwaa-tee," but I'm
still working on where to pronounce the H). Highlights included a rip out to a silk weaving village, having met a man on the bus there who just
*happened* to have family in the silk business. So, we ended up at his house, got tea, met all his relatives, and bought the silk from his family. The consensus among my companions is that it was fun, even if we
paid an extra 5%, and besides, we all knew it was coming. On Sunday, a driver took us and the Mifos Specialist team to Tezpur, 190 km (120 miles) from Guwahati (~4-hour drive). The sceneray in Assam is very green and lush, as it's monsoon season still. the flooding has been quite intense in Assam this year.
I'm in Tezpur ("tezjh-pur") in the northeeast region of India at an MFI head office (HO). We spent yesterday getting an overview of their processes, receiving unlimited beverages, and learning a lot. In the afternoon, we went out and met a branch manager
and went to some new member meetings at some centers in the afternoon. I was VERY impressed by the MFI team. Today we head back out to the HO to get into more details about the Mifos on-boarding process.
3 years ago
