Day 0–1: The Journey to Bangalore
My trip started with a long journey, but I got to enjoy the American Airlines lounge at the airport. It made the hour-long wait for my flight to London much easier—they served a variety of dinner options, and it was far more comfortable and quiet than the general boarding area.
When I arrived in London, I tried to find a similar lounge at Terminal 3, but we were actually at Terminal 5. Moving between terminals wasn’t possible without going back through security, and I didn’t have enough time. I also checked the British Airways lounge, but without status, I couldn’t get in. By the time I reached my gate, two hours had already passed—Heathrow was not the most pleasant experience.
Our flight to Bangalore was delayed due to a small dent on the aircraft that required inspection. The delay was about two hours, though we made up some time in the air and arrived roughly an hour late. I had middle seats on both long-haul flights, but thanks to melatonin gummies, I managed to get decent sleep. When I landed, I realized it had been exactly 24 hours since leaving DFW—definitely a long day.
Day 2: Arrival & First Impressions
I arranged an airport pickup through my hotel, which turned out to be a great decision. The drive was smooth—about 45 minutes—and gave me my first glimpse of Bangalore. The city felt like a mix of modern high-rises and more improvised, self-built structures, which reminded me a bit of my hometown.
I stayed at the Conrad, where my room on the 10th floor had a lake view—though the lake was completely dry. I learned it gets drained during the dry season for cleaning before the monsoon. The hotel itself was peaceful, spacious, and felt like a quiet escape from the busy city.
After breakfast (which had an impressive variety, including Indian, Western, and even miso soup), I booked an Ayurvedic massage at the spa. It was my first time experiencing one—they essentially covered me in oil from head to toe. The masseuse explained that this was a simplified version; authentic Ayurvedic treatment lasts several days and includes a strict vegetarian diet and cleansing process. Even so, it was a relaxing and unique experience.
Later, I visited Bangalore Palace. Despite passing through some rough-looking neighborhoods on the way, the palace itself was in decent condition—more like a medieval castle than a traditional palace. Still, it felt poorly maintained, with limited furnishings and aging artwork, so the visit was a bit underwhelming.
That evening, I met Sravya for dinner at a Kerala restaurant called Vembanad. We were the only customers, but the setting was charming. I ordered a kingfish curry with a mango-based sauce, which was delicious. We had a great conversation before heading back. I slept very well that night.
Day 3: First Day on Campus
I woke up refreshed after a solid night’s sleep and headed to the TI campus. Finding my way around was a bit confusing at first—there were multiple buildings—but I eventually got registered and started attending sessions.
The tutorials covered topics like thermal simulation, functional safety, and customer stories. For lunch, I tried a South Indian vegetarian thali at the cafeteria—it was okay, but nothing particularly memorable.
In the late afternoon, I walked to a nearby Shiva temple. It was crowded, and I later learned that Mondays are especially auspicious for Shiva. I briefly joined a line before realizing I didn’t fully understand what it was for, so I explored the temple instead. The atmosphere was vibrant and immersive.
The walk itself was an experience—busy streets filled with cars, rickshaws, motorbikes, pedestrians, cows, and dogs all sharing the road. It was chaotic but fascinating.
That evening, Sravya came over, and we had room service—mutton biryani and aloo gobi adraki, both excellent. Later, we visited a silk shop to look for saris. We picked out a few options but ran out of time to find matching pieces.
Day 4: Conference Begins
Tuesday marked the official start of the conference. I enjoyed the sessions, and Shishir invited me to lunch along with a few coworkers. We went to the Ariel building cafeteria, which was newly built and had a great atmosphere. I was impressed by the variety of food options.
In the afternoon, I attended more sessions before heading back to prepare for my presentation. Later, Sravya and I went to Karavalli for dinner. The restaurant specializes in coastal cuisine from Kerala and Goa, and both the food and the setting were excellent.
After dinner, we tried to find an astrology and palm-reading shop I had seen online. We found the sign but not the actual shop—apparently, it hadn’t been open for a while. Instead, we continued shopping for skirts to match the sari I had bought earlier. It turned into another fun evening.
Day 5: Presentation Day
Wednesday was a big day for me. After the morning sessions, I had lunch with NS, who turned out to be very friendly in person.
In the afternoon, I gave my presentation—and it went much better than I expected. I felt calm, didn’t rush, and finished right on time at 20 minutes. The questions were manageable, and I walked away feeling proud of how much I’ve improved in public speaking.
After the conference sessions ended, I returned to the hotel to rest. While heading out later, I ran into Kevin and a few coworkers in the lobby. They invited me to dinner, and Sravya and I joined them at a restaurant at the Taj on MG Road. It was my first non-Indian meal of the trip, and it was nice to connect with colleagues in a more relaxed setting.
Day 6: Wrapping Up the Conference
Thursday was a lighter day compared to the rest of the week. The conference schedule wasn’t as packed, with the closing ceremony set for the late afternoon. I invited Ganu to lunch, and we had a really enjoyable, relaxed conversation—nice change of pace after the busier days.
Later, I met up with Sravya, who took us to her Lakeview office so I could see where she works. It was interesting to get a glimpse of a different work environment. On our way out, we ran into an APP admin. I mentioned I had heard about her story of bringing mangoes to coworkers in Germany, and she immediately offered to order some for me. She came across as incredibly capable and proactive. She also asked why I didn’t have a car arranged, but I told her I had been getting around just fine with Uber.
At the closing ceremony, I saw Santosh, who looked almost like a guru—with his white beard and calm, composed demeanor. It felt like a fitting image to mark the end of the conference.
Afterward, I headed back to the hotel, checked out, and went to MG Road to look for souvenirs. The gift shop I visited was disappointing—prices were surprisingly high, with even a small wooden bracelet costing close to ₹2000. Instead of continuing the search, I decided to treat myself to a solo dinner at Ebony, a rooftop restaurant.
Dinner turned out to be a great choice. The menu featured North Indian and Parsi dishes, and I ordered butter chicken, a dahi-based appetizer, and a mango lassi. Everything was delicious, and the rooftop setting made it a relaxing way to wind down after the week.
Getting back to the hotel was a bit of an adventure. My Uber driver asked me to cross MG Road—one of the city’s main arteries—which meant going through a metro station. It turned into an unexpected opportunity to explore the station, which was clean, bright, and well organized.
I brought some leftovers back to the hotel so Sravya could join me for a late dinner. We chatted for a while, and she mentioned the mangoes weren’t very ripe, so she ordered a different variety for me—but the delivery kept getting delayed, and I never got to try them. Something to look forward to next time.
Day 7: The Journey Home
Friday started early—very early. The hotel wake-up call came at 2:15 a.m., earlier than I had requested, which made for a rough start. We left the hotel at 3:00 a.m., and I arrived at the airport gate by 4:09 a.m. for my 6:50 flight.
That left me with nearly three hours to wait, but after such an early start, I didn’t mind the quiet time. The return journey turned out to be much more comfortable than expected—I got lucky with empty seats next to me, which meant I could stretch out and get some solid rest.
After a long day of travel, I finally arrived home at 9:10 p.m., tired but grateful for the experience.
