India > Farewell to the team

The last day has arrived. It was a somewhat short night. I still feel a bit tired as I sit down for breakfast. Everyone seems to feel the same. Vikas, Mukesh, Manik, and Ashwini join as well. Although they stayed at the club for over an hour longer than I did, they look surprisingly fresh. Yesterday, I received a kurta as a gift. This is a traditional Indian garment. The request was to wear the kurta today. Wearing it, I drive for the last time to the Phase1 campus. By nine o’clock, everyone is present for the first presentation. People are still talking about last night. Everyone had a good time. We switch focus to the CI/CD topic. It turns out that more work is happening here than I had been aware of. During the final hour, we evaluate the visit to the team in India. Everyone agrees it was very successful and much appreciated. Special attention is given to the communication with the offshore team and the technical setup that enables good collaboration. Then comes the moment to say goodbye. On the grass in front of the building, we take a group photo. All team members are dressed in traditional attire. I say goodbye to everyone and head toward the taxi. I am on my way to Mumbai. The traffic is heavy, and it could easily come to a standstill. That’s why extra travel time was built in, and it quickly proves necessary. After about an hour, traffic comes to a complete halt. Perhaps there’s been an accident? The driver takes a side road. “This is the old road to Mumbai,” he explains. The road passes through villages, giving me a glimpse of local Indian life. The traffic continues to amaze me—every gap is used. Clearly, the law of the boldest applies. My driver often comes out on top, sometimes squeezing the car through with just centimeters to spare. I arrive at the airport well in time, even too early to check in. When the gate opens, I check my luggage. My suitcase is sent through to Amsterdam.

India - A group photo at the farewell in traditional clothing

I’m traveling with only carry-on luggage to the hotel in Dubai. I pass through customs and head to the business lounge. I have plenty of time to eat and relax in an armchair while waiting for the flight. While waiting, I notice on the display boards that the flight is delayed by half an hour. I walk calmly to the gate. Onboard, the flight attendant welcomes me and offers a drink. I place my dinner order with her and indicate that she can wake me when it’s time to eat. I recline the seat fully and quickly fall asleep. I wake to the sound of cutlery—dinner is being served. I enjoy my last Indian meal and order a glass of wine. Shortly after, the plane begins its descent into Dubai. Tonight I will stay near Dubai Airport and fly on to Amsterdam tomorrow morning. My main baggage has already been checked through. At the airport, I say goodbye to Charlotte, who will stay in Dubai for a few more days. With just my backpack, I pass through customs and am officially in the United Arab Emirates. Although the hotel is nearby, it’s not within walking distance—the road is a highway. At the information desk, I learn that we just missed the hotel shuttle. We don’t feel like waiting forty minutes, so we take a taxi. Fortunately, there is a taxi that accepts credit cards, since we have no cash—or so we think. Upon arrival at the hotel, the meter jams and payment cannot be made. We plan to charge the taxi to our hotel account and then pay the driver in cash. But before we can implement this plan, we discover that we are not booked at the same hotel. Lars is in a different hotel and returns to the taxi to go there. I check in meanwhile. On the outdoor terrace overlooking the pool, we have a drink. It’s just the two of us. I realize my phone charger is in my checked luggage and my battery is running low. Will it last long enough for the alarm tonight? To be safe, I request a wake-up call.