My niece dragged me to a mall in Noida to update my Indian wardrobe ;-). We took metro to go to the mall. First we hopped into a general compartment because the train was already at the platform when we reached there. It was too crowded, so we ran out on the next platform and got into a ladies compartment, which was much more comfortable. The platform and the metro was pretty clean and they had digital displays for the upcoming trains etc. Overall the ride was friendly and the experience was good and the main thing was that we did not need to wait too much even when we changed the compartments.

Next time, while going to Noida, I tried my hands on driving a stick shift after 20 years and no, I did not hit anyone. Sure, the drive was jerky and the car stalled a couple of times but I am determined to get better.

Visited an MNC office in Noida and was amazed to see the facility from inside. I couldn’t tell the difference between a US office and an India office. The office had break rooms with free beverages and snacks, nice cafeteria, Ping-Pong table (my favorite), nice décor, nice carpet and clean restrooms. One spends a large number of hours in the office, and a facility like this definitely makes it easier for the employees and I am sure it also boosts their productivity.

Saw a lot of apartments in the Noida area. The area is surprisingly green. You can see Magnolia, Kaner, Amaltas and Bougainvillea trees everywhere. The apartment complexes are pretty good with all the amenities but the rents are atrocious. I could never imagine Noida rents to be equivalent to California bay area rents. Having said that, we need to narrow down on an apartment fairly quickly as our luggage will arrive soon. The hunt is still on…