India Work Trip 2022 ✈ Kolkata Half Day Tour

In the last 2 months of 2022, I was given the opportunity to travel to India for a work secondment. I signed up to travel to India without any expectations, but the entire experienced turned out way better than I expected, all thanks to the warm hospitality I received throughout my stay in Kolkata.

30 October 2022 (Sun): Kolkata City Tour

As part of my long stay (at least 30 days) at JW Kolkata, I was entitled to a complimentary city tour. Basically I get to use the hotel car and driver for a day to travel around Kolkata, wherever I wanted. So on my first weekend in Kolkata, I decided to go on tthe tour and check out a few tourist attractions in the city. Since I have an entire van for myself, I asked my team members if they were interested to join and be my tour guides. =P Huge thanks to Saiyam, Ila, and Rupa for agreeing to join me on short notice and graciously be my 'tour guides'.

We met up at my hotel at 8am and departed together in the hotel van. Our driver, Ziaul, was already waiting for us. It was Sunday morning so traffic wasn't bad at all. 

We arrived Dakshineswar Kali Temple around 8.30am and I was surprised to see so many people there on a Sunday morning. Apparently, this temple is always crowded on weekends because many locals come here to give their offerings. Besides, I've been a hermit working from home for the past 2.5 years so it had been quite a while since I've seen so many people...lol! Entrance is free.

I was glad I visited with this temple with the locals because I would have been so lost and overwhelmed not knowing what to do. My team members had already told me the day before that I'd need to take off my shoes before entering the temple and asked me to bring along a sandals. I went prepared and wore my sandals thinking that I'd just have to take off my shoes before entering the temple, as in a building (like taking off your shoes before entering a house). What I didn't know was that we'd have to deposit our shoes and belongings (including mobile phones) at the deposit counters before entering the whole temple area. Yes, walking with just socks/barefoot outdoor as well. If I had known this, I would have left all my belongings in the van to save Saiyam the trouble of having to help me deposit my backpack. Anyway, I'm super thankful to have them helping me out and even went all the way back to the van to get me my socks coz he was worried the floor would be too hot for me to be barefoot.

We could only take photos outside (before the entrance) since photography isn't allowed and I didn't have my phone. Yes there are pretty strict about checking for mobile phones at the entrance with a pat-down, like going through airport security...lol!

We left Dakshineswar at 9.30am and arrived at Belur Math around 9.45am. Unlike Dakshineswar, Belur Math had less people and was a lot more peaceful. This place is notable for its architecture that fuses Hindu, Islamic, Buddhist, and Christian art and motifs as a symbol of unity of all religions. 

After a quick 15 minutes visit at Belur Math, we headed back into the city for more sightseeing. Snapped some random photos along the streets of Kolkata, and the iconic yellow taxi. All yellow taxis in Kolkata has the same model...the Ambassador Classic, and they are slowly vanishing from the streets due to their age and the competition from Ola and Uber. 

We arrived Victoria Memorial at 10.45am. This is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Kolkata. This iconic structure is dedicated to Queen Victoria, the Empress of India from 1876 to 1901. 

A bit of history lesson from Google...Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) was the former capital of British India.  Similar to Malaysia, India was also a former British colony, which explains why we share a lot of common in the 'British English' we use. The British ruled the Indian subcontinent for around 200 years between 1757 and 1947.

The building and surroundings are very nice, and we were lucky with the beautiful weather and blue skies because the city is usually hazy and smoggy.

Next was a quick stop at St. Paul's Cathedral at 11.30am. This white-colored cathedral was the first new-built cathedral in the overseas territory of the British Empire, and was completed in 1847.

Arrived our last stop of the day, Mother's House at 11.50am. This convent was where Mother Teresa lived and died, and is the last resting place of Mother Teresa.

Wrapped up our tour with lunch at Peter Cat on Park Street after a successful morning of sightseeing. We were lucky to get there early at 12.20pm and was able to get a table immediately as we saw people waiting in lines outside of the restaurant as we were eating. This is a popular restaurant in Kolkata.  I ordered the Chelo Kebab (kebabs served with buttered rice, mutton seekh and a sunny side up), which is their famous must-try item.

We decided to call it a day after lunch and headed back to the hotel. This tour was definitely a good way to kick-start my 2-month stay in Kolkata. Thank you again to Saiyam, Ila, and Rupa for the warm hospitality and showing me around Kolkata. Also thanks to our driver, Ziaul, for driving us all around and making it so convenient for us to visit each locations. =) 

India Work Trip 2023 ✈ 6 Weeks in India

Following my 2-month work trip to India at the end of 2022, I was given the opportunity to travel to India again this year for round 2 of secondment. This trip was slightly shorter (1.5 months) but I was excited to return and see all the familiar faces again.

1 June 2023 - 14 July 2023: Working and Living in India for 1.5 Months

After spending 10 days home with the hubby, it was time to say goodbye and hit the road again. Learning from my own experience last year, I decided to travel 'lighter' this time around and packed everything in only one 30kg, with 2 smaller luggages in the big bag. First leg of the flight was a 2-hour flight from Huntsville to Dallas on American Airlines.

My long journey to Kolkata...Huntsville - Dallas - Doha - KL - Bangkok - Kolkata

My flight landed in Dallas 30 min early so I went to check out the Capital One lounge. Didn't stay long as my transit was short and the lounge was full.

2nd & 3rd flights (Dallas - Doha - KL) on Qatar Airways

So glad to travel on Qatar Qsuites for this 14.5 hours flight! Anti-social mode on!

I didn't even wait till take off to change into the pyjamas...getting myself comfortable for this long flight.

I didn't even wait till take off to change into the pyjamas...getting myself comfortable for this long flight. Ordered the Tandoori prawns with kachumber salad, seared Atlantic salmon, and ice-cream for dinner, and corn flakes, strawberry smooth, and assorted cold cuts for breakfast.

Got a good 8 hours of sleep on this flight! Thankful for a good and well rested flight. =)

My cute neighbor was so good and did not cry (not made any noise) at all throughout the 15 hours flight! Kudos to this mom for being a pro. She was so calm and chill, and was prepared iwth milk bottles for both take off and landing. Alll while handling 2 kids. She even managed to multitask and enjoyed her chocolate while feeding the baby.Asked the flight attendant if they had any souvenirs for kids and got this lil' soft toy and pencil case.

Landed 30 min late in Doha at 6.25pm. I had only about 30 minutes before my next flight boards and was lucky my next gate was close to the lounge. It also helped that I was familiar with the location of the lounge so I was able to go there right away and even got a quick shower with just enough time for some drinks.

Time to board my next flight to KL. Boarding was a bit disorganized but it was all good.

Yayy for another Qsuite for this 7.5 hours flight from Doha to KL.

Got a nice leather pouch amenity kit...and ordered 2 champagnes to start off the flight.

I was tired so I requested the flight attendant to wake me up 2 hours before landing for my meal coz I wanted to sleep first.

After about 4 hours of sleep, it was time for food. Almost everything I ordered had prawn.

All good things must come to an end. Landed in KL at 8.10am on 3 June 2023. I asked for a cappuccino prior to landing and the flight attendant kindly put it in a paper cup and gave a cookie as we were landing soon.

Back in Malaysia for 5 hours before continuing my journey with Thai Airways in Economy. I had to check-in for this flight again so I kiasu and went to the check in counter before they were opened to make sure I get to check in as soon as they opened. I had Star Alliance Gold status so I was able to use the Thai Royal Silk counter for check-in.

4th & 5th flights on Thai Airways. 

Even though I was traveling in economy, I was able to access the Plaza Premium First lounge with my Capital One Venture X credit card. Apparently, Star Alliance Gold only gets access to Plaza Premium Lounge. I ordered Kai Si Hor Fun, herbal soup noodle, and cappucinno for breakfast via the app.

Full filght for this 2 hour flight from KL to Bangkok.

I had a 9-hour transit in Bangkok airport so it's time for Priority Pass lounging. There are so many lounges in Bangkok that I could access to with Priority Pass and Star Alliance Gold status. I wasn't planning to come to this lounge initially but saw someone getting a massage as I was walking by and quickly checked my Priority Passs app and indeed! Yes I went in just for the 15 minutes neck and shoulder massage.

I was too lazy to lounge-hop so I hung out at the Turkish Airlines lounge till my next flight. The lounge was pretty empty when I got there in the afternoon.

The reason I chose the Turkish Airlines lounge....this 15 minutes complimentary head and shoulder massage which was available between 3pm to 11pm. Glad I got my massage first coz people started coming and it was back to back reservations after I got mine.

Took a shower to freshen up.

Had tom yum with rice, some Thai beer and snacks. Was nice that this lounge didn't have a time limit so I was able to stay and chill for 8 hours while working on 'content creation'.

Final leg of my long journey to Kolkata. This was another full flight but a short 2-hour one.

Finally landed in Kolkata at 12.45am after traveling for 48 hours....lol! Glad to be back again after 6 months. Got through immigration pretty quickly and the airport was empty at midnight. Tapas, the hotel driver was already waiting for me at the arrival area.

I tred to lay low and didn't tell any of the JW Marriott staff I knew from the last trip that I would be back but I was immediately recogized by some familiar faces from the conceirge and reception as soon as I got off the car with 'Welcome Back'! Glad to be back at this 'home' in Kolkata. I was assigned room 2023....perfect...haha!

Home and view for the next 6 weeks.

Turned the hotel into my 'home office' when I wasn't in the office.

One of the main reasons I preferred this hotel is because of the weekly complimentary spa for an hour, which I definitely fully utilized. Didn't go to the gym as diligently even though all I had to do was to take the elevator to 2nd floor...lol. :P

Another perk for our corporate rate....complimentary laundry service of 4 pieces daily.

Thanks to the housekeepng staffs for all these towel animals, plants, and flowers throughout my stay. Yes I am spoilt. :P

Hotel-hopped over to the Westin on the weekend and my lay-low attempt failed again. Intentionally made my reservation only 30 minutes before arriving and tried to blend into the crowd in the lobby for check-in but got recognized by the sales guy and guest relations manager. I appreciate the fact that they still remember me after 6 months and gave me a suite upgrade again, but I guess there is no such thing as lay-low here....lol!

Thanks to the hotel drivers for the daily office drop-offs and pick-ups. I made it a point to remember the drivers' names this time around so that I could thank them later.

Our Kolkata office with my team members. The team booked a room for me but I don't mind sitting out in the open areas. I hardly get any work done in the office any way coz I end up socializing the whole day.

Our Kolkata office with my team members. The team booked a room for me but I don't mind sitting out in the open areas. I hardly get any work done in the office coz I end up socializing the whole day any way.

Received the news about my promotion from my Partner while I was in India, and was thankful that mom was there to celebrate together with me at that time. Incredibly thankful for all the people who have helped and supported me along the way to get to this milestone, especially my Partner in the COE since 2020.

As for food, I was very consistent for all 3 meals. For breakfast, I usually request for a to-go box at the JW Kitchen to pack some pastries and cappucino to take to the office. For days when I don't go to the office, I went up to the 23rd floor Executive Lounge for breakfast. There are usually not many people in the lounge so it's much more peaceful.

As for lunches, I'd usually order delivery to the office and eat in the pantry with my co-workers. There were few occassions where I ate out with other co-workers at restaurants that were within walking distance from the office...like Fenicia and Slyfox. 

As for dinners, I usually go down to the Vintage Asia restaurant on the 1st floor... and the staff knows my usual orders...salmon nigiri, stir-fried veggies, kingfisher. :P 

I was pretty consistent with my orders and but switched things up few times...like the dishes above when they had the Bombay pop-up event.  

Or when I ate with co-workers. :P Yes I prefer to eat here coz I was lazy to go elsewhere.

When the evening schedules got busy (my 'night' shift started at 7pm), I'd take my laptop up to the lounge and eat there...while enjoying some drinks. =)

When things got too hectic with back-to-back calls, I just ordered room service for dinner.

The one time I went out for dinner was to Peshwari at the ITC Royal Bengal next door for the farewell of another secondee.

Apart from work, I also visited a local orphanage with my team members, and we brought snacks, goodies, stationeries, and hygiene supplies for the kids. Thank you to the many staffs at JW Marriott Kolkata, especially the concierge guys for helping to move the many things I had and providing the nice paper bags for our gifts.

Farewell with the team on my last day at work. Thank you for the cake and book! :)

Also prepared some gifts for the hotel staff for the warm hospitality during my stay.

6 weeks flew by and it's a wrap for round 2 in Kolkata! Thankful for the opportunity to return to this city again and see so many familiar faces who made this place feel like home. I am incredibly grateful to my co-workers and all the JW Marriott Kolkata staff for the warm hospitality throughout my stay.

Kolkata can certainly be considered my 3rd home at this 'rate of return', to the extent that everyone was asking when I'm coming back. Honestly, I have no answer tot his question but I sure hope our paths will cross again (in person) someday.

India Work Trip 2024 ✈ 3 Weeks in India

Following my work trips in 2022 and 2023, I was given the opportunity to travel to India again this year. :) It was a hectic trip hopping through 3 cities - Kolkata, Bangalore, and Delhi in 3 weeks. Even though this trip was much shorter than the last 2 trips, I am still thankful for the opportunity to return again.

11-13 Sept 2024 (Wed-Fri): Huntsville - Dallas - Doha - Singapore - Kolkata

One week after returning from Kenya, it was time to jet off again for my work trip. Thanks hubby for dropping me off at the airport...see ya again in a month!

Flight #1: 2 hours (5.04pm - 7.12pm) from Huntsville to Dallas on American Airlines.

Hung out at the AA Flagship lounge for my 3.5 hours transit in Dallas

Flight #2: 15 hours (10.55pm - 9.45pm) from Dallas to Doha on Qatar. I usually prefer to board last but not this time. =)

This was my 6th flight on 'anti-social' Qsuite and it's amazing as always. So grateful for the opportunity to travel in one of the best business class. =)

Since we departed around 11pm US time, I decided to sleep first and requested for my meal to be served later and asked the cabin crew to help to set up my seat with the sleeping pad.

Ordered the herb-crusted tuna & seared scallop and seared chilean sea bass for my first meal, and the classic Arabic mezze (without pita bread as it was out) and Vienamese style Pho for my 2nd meal. I woke up not feeling great (probably because I had too much champagne before I went to bed...lol) so I couldn't finish my first meal. 

Landed Doha at 9pm and had to take the bus to the terminal. This was my first time taking the 'business class' bus.

After getting off the 15 hour flight, I spent my 5 hour transit at the Al Mourjan Garden Business Lounge.

Had some food, did some work, and took a shower.

Flight #3: 8 hours (2.40am - 3.45pm) from Doha to Singapore on Qatar...'business class' bus again. 

Glad to receive the nice Diptyque amenity pouch (instead of just a box).

Didn't sleep much on this 8 hour flight.

Ordered the Chicken Katsu with steamed rice for my 1st meal, and King crab congee for my 2nd meal.

Arrived Changi airport at 3.45pm and had a 5-hours transit before my next flight. My next flight was on a  different ticket on Singapore Airlines so I had to go through immigration (super efficient), lugged all mmy bags from T1 to T3 which was quite a workout, and rechecked my bags for my next flight. Bougie part of my flight is done, back to economy for the final leg.

Wanted to go to the Sats Premier lounge but it was full so went to the other Priority Pass lounge - Marhaba lounge in T3 for a light dinner. 

Flight #4: 4 hours (8.40pm - 10.15pm) from Singapore to Kolkata on Singapore Airlines. Watched 钱不够用 3 and 好好说再见 (both Singapore movies). I was 1 of the 3 non-Indians on this full flight...lol!

Finally landed at Kolkata airport at 10pm after traveling for 44 hours...phew!! Tapas, the hotel driver from JW Marriott Kolkata was already waiting for me. It was good to be back to this familiar place again after more than a year and to be welcomed by a familiar face (I met Tapas last trip). 

I'm a creature of habit so it was good to be back ina (my '3rd home' again. Much shorter trip this time but still very thankful for the opportunity to return for the 3rd time. Everything felt familiar but a lil' bummed that many familiar faces have left the hotel. Nevertheless, I'm grateful that the few familiar faces in the hotel still remembers me and I was greeted with a lot of 'welcome back'. =)

13-22 Sept 2024; 1-5 Oct 2024: Weeks 1 & 3 in Kolkata

Day-in-my-life during my a work trip...

7am: Light cardio (elliptical), weights and stretching at the 2nd floor hotel gym

7.45am: Breakfast at the Executive Lounge or JW Kitchen. I prefer to go up to the lounge on the 23rd floor as it's empty in the morning.  I don't always eat breakfast so I usually have something light.

8.15am: Back to the room to shower and get ready. I usually work in my pyjamas these days so these were one of the few rare times I put on my Uniqlo work outfit...lol!

9am: Depart to the office with my co-worker in the hotel van. It usually takes about 25-30 minutes to get to our office at South City Pinnacle building.

10.30am & 1.30pm: Morning and afternoon upskilling sessions

12.30pm: Lunch was either ordered in from Swiggey/Zomato, at the hotel, or team lunch with at restaurant near to the office.

4.30pm: Connectivity events with co-workers

5.00pm: Picked up from the office by the hotel shuttle

6.00pm: Tea/coffee at the hotel lounge before '2nd shift' begins

7.30pm: Dinner at the Executive Lounge...US shift begins.

8.30pm: Happy Hour with co-workers

Weekend hotel hop to Westin Kolkata and met up with ex co-worker for dinner. 

So glad I had the chance to meet up and catch up with Saiyam and Saakshi this time around. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to work with good people like them.

当一位即将离职的同事，愿意一大早六点坐四个小时的火车，然后隔天又一大早五点坐四个小时的火车回家，就纯粹为了来见我，我知道我是个非常幸运的人。虽然我们在一起工作才短短的五个月，我很感恩能和这么认真，这么努力，这么好的同事一起工作。另一位男同事也曾经和我一起工作，去年转到了另外一个团队，但每一次我到印度他都很热心的协助我。虽然已经一年多没一起工作，但他还是非常热心地帮了我很大的（快递）忙，也邀请我们到他家拜访。

22-27 Sept 2024: Week 2 in Bangalore

After wrapping up week 1 in Kolkata, it was time to hop on to Bangalore. Visited the domestic lounge in Kolkata with my Priority Pass, which was meh.

Took a short 2.5 hours flight from Kolkata to Bangalore on Air India

Arrived Bangalore airport at 6.30pm. This was my first time in Bangalore airport's new terminal and I was impressed. 

The hotel driver picked me up from the airport and thankfully traffic wasn't bad on Sunday evening.

Made it to Renaissance Bengalure Race Course Hotel at 8pm. This was my 2nd time staying here.

Made it to the hotel in time for the Happy Hour/dinner at the club lounge from 5.30pm - 8.30pm.

Ready to conduct another week of training in Bangalore.

8.00am Buffet breakfast at the hotel restaurant. Notice my consistency...lol!

8.45am: Depart to the office with the pre-arranged vehicle and arrive at the office at 9.40am.

10.30am & 1.30pm: Morning & afternoon upskilling sessions

12.30pm: Ordered in lunch

3.00pm: Spoke at the Townhall

4.45pm: Leave the office and headed back to the hotel for dinner

6:00pm: Dinner at The Leela Palace on our last day in Bangalore

27 Sept - 1 Oct 2024: Week 3 in Delhi; Visiting Taj Mahal with Mom

Wrapped up another busy week at Bangalore and it was time to hop on to the next city - Delhi. It was my first time in Bangalore Airport T2 and the new terminal is beautiful.

Visited the Air India lounge thanks to the boss's Star Alliance Gold status.

Got to fly on Air India's new Airbus A350 Premium Economy for this 2.5 hours flight. 

Arrived New Delhi at 10pm and met up with mom who just flew in from KL on Airasia. We had planned to arrive around the same time. 

Stayed 4 nights at the JW Marriott Hotel New Delhi Aerocity. 

I was able to use my Marriott Nightly Upgrade Awards for the complimentary suite upgrade.

After Kolkata last year, I am glad mom was able to join me in New Delhi this time around!

Facilities in the hotel that I didn't get a chance to use at all.

Complimentary buffet breakfast at K3 restaurant in the hotel.

Went to the Executive Lounge for dinner/happy hour. Thanks to Neha for coming all the way to my hotel to meet up! So glad to see her in person after working together for 2 years. =)

29 Sept 2024: The boss wanted to visit Taj Mahal and since mom also hasn't been there, we decided to hire a car and guide for the day to visit Taj Mahal together. 

Left the hotel at 5am and started our 3.5 hours journey to Agra. We wanted to start the day earlier before it got too hot and to avoid crowds.

It started drizzling as soon as we arrived Agra but thankfully the rain stopped when we arrived Taj Mahal at 9am after a quick coffee stop at Radisson hotel in Agra.

Certainly did not expect to revisit Taj Mahal but here I am again for the 2nd time within 2 years.

As always, Taj Mahal is filled with people. This is arleady considered less crowded.

Spent 2.5 hours visiting with our guide, Subhash, who also helped us take a bunch of photos.

So glad the weather cleared up and we had beautiful blue skies for photos.

The entrance was very crowded when we left at 11am. So glad we went earlier.

Had lunch at Pinch of Spice in Agra after visiting Taj Mahal

Quick stop at a marble shop before we started our journey back to Delhi. 

Japanese dinner with mom and the boss at Adrift Kaya restaurant at the hotel before sending mom off to the airport.

Time to send mom off to the airport to fly back to Malaysia. This was a short trip for mom but glad she got to visit another 7 wonders of the world on this trip! 

Delhi was a short 2-day visit. Met our team members who are based out of Delhi for connectivity and upskilling sessions in the Gurgaon office. 

1-5 Oct 2024: Delhi to Kolkata

After spending the weekend and 2 days meeting eam members in Delhi, it was time to return to Kolkata for our final stop on this trip. Flew Vistara for this short 2-hour flight and arrived at 6.20pm. 

After 2 full weeks of teaching training sessions and 1.5 weeks of 'chaperoning' the Partner around India, it was time to wrap up our 3-week whirlwind trip hopping around India. Gave some small appreciation farewell gifts for the hotel staffs for the warm hospitality throughout my stay.

5-6 Oct 2024 (Sat-Sun): Kolkata - Singapore - Penang

Departed the hotel at 7.30pm and made it to the airport at 8.25pm. Thanks Bipul for helping with my heavy luggages and Zia for the ride to the airport. The city was lit up in preparation for Durga Puja celebrations. Thankfully, no hiccups at the airport this time around. 

Quick stop at the lounge in Kolkata airport before catching my 11.30pm flight.

4 hours red-eye flight from Kolkata - Singapore on SIA Airbus A350-900 that comes with the nicer version of business class on this route. 

Had Singapore Sling, smoked turkey wrapped asparagus, braised sea bass in garlic ginger sauce. Not a good idea eating at 2am coz I got only 2 hours of sleep before arriving Singpaore at 6.20am.

Went to the Silverkris lounge for my 3.5 hours transit in Changi. Plenty of time to enjoy all the asian food and Singapore Laksa.

Short 1.5 hours flight from Singapore to Penang at 9.45am. =)

That's a wrap for my 3rd India work trip! I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity to return for the 3rd time. Even though all 3 trips had been for work, it's the people and their warm hospitality that brings me back time and again. People come and go, but I am happy to see all the familiar faces who made this place feel like home. There's an Indian saying, "Atithi Devo Bhava", which means "The Guest is God". While I certainly do not expect to be treated like one, I have always felt genuinely welcomed by co-workers in each ity and the JW Marriott Kolkata hotel staffs. The warmth and generosity I have experienced are unmatched, making every stay a memorable one. I am not sure if or when I'll have the opportunity to return, but I truly hope our paths will cross again. Until then, Shukriya, India, for another fulfilling and memorable trip!