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A Series of Unfortunate Events (plus selfies and cricket) – Week 3 with the Bharti Foundation

/in , /by

Picking up from the boy’s last post, last Sunday was a busy day of walking through a creepy village, attempting to find a recommended restaurant, where we finally and miraculously ended up after getting lost between several narrow and pitch black streets. Four colourful Bihari platters later, we moved onto the Lotus Temple, where more people looked at us rather than at the actual famous attraction. At around auto numviewber five, and just on time to see the sunset, we arrived at Lodi Gardens (or prime photo-opportunity location), and felt transported into an almost mythical setting where ancient ruins interspersed the neatly kept lawns. Finally, India Gate was the last stop on our rather rigid schedule, as we had gladly taken the advice of an Indian woman who suggested it was best seen at night.

That same night we sat at another table for dinner, which was unheard of considering we had basically assigned seats from the very first evening, and we joked that we would be cursed – it apparently came true the following day.

Andy was ill, and couldn’t take part on our first day of research on the field. On our way back, our car was stranded in an ocean of rainwater – previously the Delhi roads – we were even told that Delhi traffic and road conditions turn into mayhem during monsoon season, yet we found it hard to believe how they could possibly get any more chaotic. Well, we certainly believed it when we were forced to abandon our car and wade through the disturbingly opaque waters to reach the bank of safety, after our driver had decided to risk the floods to skip traffic, causing the car to become grounded in a pothole, waking us up with a jolt. We stood on the bank helpless, except when we again assumed the role of photographers documenting the entire towing process. After the car was
exceptionally quickly towed, again reaching hard-ground, on our treacherous way back paddling through the murky waters, Chris suddenly disappeared. Half of him had been swallowed up by some sort of disguised manhole. However horrific for him, the sight of a smartly suited man drenched and shocked just made us all laugh hysterically, not helping Chris one bit. To top it all off, the journey back to the guesthouse took a staggering 4 and a half hours, at least we had time to dry.

Despite the curse, our field-day conducting primary research on the quality of education at a Delhi government boysa-school exceeded all of our expectations. Everybody we questioned responded extremely enthusiastically and we were able to gather all the results we had hoped for, through questionnaires, focus group discussions and activities designed around the students. The school staff were so welcoming to the point of even repeatedly force-feeding us with homemade Indian dishes we “just had to try”. Several samosas and plates of rice pudding later, we were invited to play cricket. A swarm of children surrounded us, their eyes focused on the ball Andy was about to throw to Chris. We played for a while, with the entire school coming out of their classes to witness Chris’ amazing first go at the game and Andy’s confident proficiency. However, when it was our turn to make a name for us female cricketers, one of us used our rounders skills impressively whilst the other, to put it nicely, failed miserably (we’ll let you guess who is who). The game came to a natural close when the children’s excitement moved from the ball to selfies, turning the pitch more into a mosh pit.

The week continued with more field-visits, ending with another government school in Delhi, this time a much larger and all-girls school. Here we had the chance to survey a larger number of children, and also to facilitate an extremely interesting discussion with teachers, regarding their opinions on the barriers to quality education. Our visits will continue for a few more days, and we look forward to more interesting insights into the Indian education system and, of course, to the inevitable ensuing selfies!

GEO Bharti Interns

Amazing Views and Questionable Foods – Week 3 in Singapore

/in , /by

Passing by all the luxury stores on the way to work is no longer as exciting as the first day. After the first week, we started getting used to our jobs. There are more conversations in the office, even though the overall environment is still very quiet compared to 13681781_10154245349331718_1898139599_omost western offices. We were able to meet more colleagues. They were very nice to us and helped us better understand the company structure and working environment. They sometime will bring in food for us as a treat for our hard work. As time goes by, we were able to take on more versatile tasks and see different sides of the business.

We helped organize the data, handle sample loans, help with the events and write press releases, assist with visual merchandising, design promotional materials… Just as what they told us, since it’s a small company, everyone is doing everything. Although the real luxury fashion is not as glamorous as we thought it would be, it’s definitely eye opening and intriguing. Even during our bus rides going back home, we will discuss about our new understandings on luxury fashion and interesting findings about Singapore. Not only did we learn from work, but we also learned a lot from each other.
13695080_10154245349456718_1542909390_nIn addition to work, we also had some good time exploring the city. During the second week, we went to Marina Bay Sands and Garden by the Bay. The view from the top floor of the most famous and luxurious hotel in SG is breathtaking.

We discovered that Singapore has such a foodie culture. Talking about food is always a good way to carry a conversation. We tried a lot of local food such as Yong Tofu, salted egg yolk croissant, Durian and curry fish head. While we were enjoying all kinds of different Asian foods, we find western food, like chips (AKA French fries in American English), are somewhat overpriced.

Now we are entering the last week of this internship, we are both filled up with such bittersweet feelings.

 

 

GEO Kwang Sia Interns

Week 3 at NISM: Beaches, Banks & Beginner’s Swimming

/in , /by

Saturday

Tim’s birthday celebrations ended early on Saturday morning and the monsoon hit hard during the daytime, so we spend most of it relaxing around the guesthouse and researching things to do in Vashi, as well as our travel plans for after the internship.

Sunday

We were up early to catch one of the notoriously packed and difficult to embark Bombay trains (thanks Nandini for the help)! We had an action-packed day which included visits to the Aquarium and Planetarium, a delightful feast at BBQ Nation and a tour of Isckon Temple which is dedicated to Ganesh. However, the highlight of the day was us cautiously paddling in the choppy and suspiciously cloudy Mumbai waves whilst a few of the boys bravely/ foolishly stripped off and jumped straight in. Nandini, our supervisor, then decided to show us all up, and in true Mumbai style, waded in fully clothed.beach2

Monday

Back in the office, we spent the day researching for our projects. Having had little success running in the humidity, Nellie and Grace were keen to find another way to exercise. And so, after work, went on a mission to go swimming. After traipsing round 4 different pools and being rejected from each for various reasons (e.g. “what are you doing – this is for children only”), we decided to call it a day and returned home, dry and disappointed. Whilst some of us opted for the traditional cuisine for dinner (see picture), one of the Edinburgh interns took it upon himself to whip up a slightly ad-hoc and questionable spaghetti carbonara, much to everyone else’s amusement.

Tuesday

Things got really interesting at work when we were given our first opportunity to use NISM’s unique simulation trading lab. In the morning, we were briefed on the software, which is linked directly to the Bombay Stock Exchange in real time. We then spent the afternoon competing amongst ourselves to win our grand jackpot of 400 rupees (about £4.50). After work, following on from Monday’s debacle, Grace and Nellie finally found somewhere to swim, even though it meant accidentally crashing a ladies-only beginner swimming class with a very strict dress-code. Luckily, the swimming teacher offered to lend us caps, and was kind enough to ensure that they were colour coordinated.

Wednesday

Another fascinating day spent in the trading simulation lab, learning more about the different types of trade order and ways of hedging our bets.

Thursday

We were up early and on a bus into Mumbai to attend India’s first ever ‘Quanteminar’; a conference about Quantitative Analysis, organised by NISM in partnership with Mumbai University. We were honoured to listen to several influential speakers (such as the CEO of the Bombay Stock Exchange) present on a range of technical yet fascinating topics. The experience was enhanced by the fact that it was held at the Sofitel Hotel, and we were treated to a continental breakfast buffet and lunch, during which we were able to network with the speakers and other attendees.

Fridayquantenimar

Today we visited the Bombay Stock Exchange, where we were given a lecture on the Indian Economy from a trading perspective and the chance to stage a debate in the original outcry trading floor. Then we moved onto the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Central Office, where we were fascinated to learn more about their recent role in development, as well as traditional Central Bank functions. We had a fantastically fancy lunch at the RBI with their employees and a cameo appearance from our very own Sandeep, Director at NISM. The food was plentiful and delicious although we were all quite confused when it was followed by the traditional Indian breath-freshener ‘Paan’, which consists of areca nut wrapped in a large betel leaf, and is supposed to be chewed and then swallowed. In the afternoon, we were taken on a tour of Mumbai’s Monetary Museum by the curator, who helped us to finally understand the Indian metric system, involving lakhs and crores, as well as giving us a slightly-less riveting explanation of the 1835 Indian Coinage Act.

All in all, it’s been a hectic week, and although we are looking forward to relaxing at the weekend, we are excitedly anticipating more time spent in the trading lab at NISM and the opportunity to meet more local and interesting people.