tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50980755929292102882012-01-28T09:02:39.266+05:30This is the official documented transcript of my journey to India as an expatriate with Target Corporation. *Please note: the contents in this blog are not an endorsement nor sponsored by Target Corporation and are not meant to reflect views or opinions of the company or any of its subsidiary partners. The content of this site is solely the views and opinions of the writer.Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.comBlogger491100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-44658244737757696942008-12-02T12:41:00.019+05:302008-12-16T10:26:00.235+05:30

So not only is "Incredible India!" the official slogan for the Indian tourism campaign, it also expresses my deepest sentiments about an amazing year of sights, sounds and colors. India, truly, is incredible.Now that I have arrived back in Minneapolis and I'm digging my feet back into the soil of Minnesota, I am moving my blog entries to my newest blog site: In The Zone (click and bookmark now).

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-70451711497985808252008-11-07T08:48:00.008+05:302008-11-07T09:16:49.960+05:30

My last weekend in Bangalore was the celebration of Diwali (pronounced “deevolly”), meaning the “festival of lights”—an annual holiday celebration throughout India. Much like Christmas, the tradition of Diwali is to give gifts, hang colorful lights, and light off fireworks and firecrackers… okay, so maybe it’s more like Christmas meets the 4th of July! Everyone in India knows that Diwali is a

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-80505650582257986312008-10-26T23:24:00.010+05:302009-05-14T20:41:17.565+05:30

So just when I thought my last trip while living in India would be the big 9-day long whirlwind tour of Asia, Curly and Pamelita (Michael & Pam) asked me if I'd like a short hop over to Pondicherry (also known as Puducherry) --a cozy French-Indian city on the east coast of India. Of course I went! Another Target teammate, Gail--who was visiting from corporate HQ--joined us, and the four of us had

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-87169461721476404722008-10-22T08:54:00.005+05:302008-10-22T09:53:30.957+05:30

After exploring the excitement of Bangkok and experiencing the beauty of Vietnam, it was time for the third and final country on our whirlwind tour--Cambodia. Our main objective was to visit the city of Siem Reap--the home of an amazing archeological discovery, Angkor Wat. We flew from Danang, Vietnam, to Siem Reap, got through customs and passport control (don't worry, Pam--they'll let you in! :

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-9100023665392430722008-10-12T22:45:00.007+05:302008-10-15T00:13:32.833+05:30

After Bangkok, Pam and I hopped on a quick 2 hour flight to Danang, Vietnam--a city located in the center portion of Vietnam. Will had been up in Hanoi and Paul down in Ho Chi Min City (Saigon) while we were in Thailand, so it was time to rendezvous in the middle. Luckily, Pam and I were prepared to enter Vietnam--in fact, we had to apply for visas weeks in advance, pay for them online, have the

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-63243922587839816342008-10-07T22:02:00.011+05:302008-10-07T22:56:44.758+05:30

Last week I had the opportunity to travel on an amazing journey through three countries that have been on my "list" for years--Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia. In short, Thailand for the temples and food (mmmm...); Vietnam for the history; and Cambodia for the legendary Angkor Wat. As opposed to my usual "weekend trips", this time I took 3 days in each country and made a whole week of it. I will

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-78808092930942466142008-09-24T19:07:00.016+05:302008-09-24T23:27:25.731+05:30

Last weekend I took a trip up north to explore Nepal, and most specifically, the infamous capitol city of Kathmandu. What do you say about a destination that has been touted as a "hippy hangout" since the 1960's where many came in search of tranquility and nirvana? Or a central hub for trekkers and backpackers as they seek to set down their footprints on Mount Everest? One word: interesting.I

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-502828045276204122008-09-17T21:59:00.012+05:302008-09-17T23:36:14.969+05:30

This past weekend our family of expatriates threw a few parties, had a few dinners, said our goodbyes, and put Todd on the plane back to Minnesota--his contract was completed and was time to return home. What's harder to believe than the fact that Todd has already completed his 12-month assignment for Target India is that I am only six weeks behind him! Yes, I will complete my assignment and head

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-40002056448931083812008-09-07T21:51:00.010+05:302008-09-07T22:58:20.040+05:30

Today I decided to take another one of "muse walks" and just see what's going on in my neighborhood. I grabbed my camera and decided to walk the "100 foot, CMH loop"--a favorite walking path of the expat walkers (thank you, Todd) which takes you on a nice one-hour walk--approximately 3 miles--around some of the neighborhoods in central Banglore--Indira Nagar, Cambridge Layout, and Ulsoor. On the

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-8046330906058383552008-08-27T20:33:00.008+05:302008-08-28T16:26:59.640+05:30

This past weekend I decided to take a trip to another location I've never been but always wanted to visit--Barcelona, Spain. Ever since the 1992 Olympic Games (can you believe it was that long ago...?!), I've admired the beautiful city located along the western coast of the Mediterranean riviera--a city of art, culture, and architecture like none other.Very much like my weekend trip to Rome, I

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-76728571159079434882008-08-16T18:09:00.011+05:302008-08-28T16:25:40.779+05:30

Last weekend a group of us headed to Sri Lanka for a weekend visit. Pam, Todd, Davin and I flew over on Thursday night (a short one-hour flight) and spent the weekend relaxing by the ocean, visiting the elephants, and touring the tea plantations in the mountains. It was wonderful to visit Sri Lanka again (the only location I've visited twice in my travels this year!) and enjoy the rich tropical

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-19268822377535963172008-08-04T02:03:00.020+05:302008-08-29T14:06:38.375+05:30

Another place I visited when my friend Tom was here in July was Bannerghatta National Park and wildlife preserve in southern Bangalore. The 25,000 acre park is home to panthers,

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-42507482094337631832008-07-27T10:43:00.022+05:302008-07-29T03:54:49.627+05:30

This month my good friend Tom was visiting India from Minnesota for a few weeks and one of our touring stops was in southwest India in an area known as Kerala, referred to as "God's Own Country"--a highly populated region of India running along the southern part of the Indian peninsula. This amazing region is well-known for being one of the most literate, healthiest, and gender-equitable regions

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-83361816252250560792008-07-20T20:33:00.011+05:302008-07-21T06:54:02.778+05:30

Last weekend a group of Target expats and my friend Tom, who's been visiting in India for the past three weeks, took a trip to Singapore--time to take a break from India and experience another part of this amazing world. The trip, however, became quite different than originally expected.For starters, there was a group of us: Michael, Todd, Tom and myself, who flew on Tiger Airways--and Pam and

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-56704132297027908002008-06-23T20:19:00.011+05:302008-07-21T06:55:44.457+05:30

Last month I had the unique opportunity to go with my friend, Raghu, to his village to celebrate Ramu Naumi, a festival celebrating the birthday of Lord Rama, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. According to Hindu legend, Rama, the legendary King of Ayodhya, is considered to be the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu while his wife, Sita, was believed to be the incarnation of the Goddess Lakshmi. This

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-41810322442985641962008-06-12T18:47:00.014+05:302008-07-21T06:58:10.091+05:30

A couple of years ago I made a decision. Since I've always enjoyed the benefits of traveling (relaxation, refreshment, perspective, introspection...), I decided that every month I would devote at least one weekend to traveling somewhere new. Now, my definition of "traveling" didn't mean it needed to extravagant... or expensive... or even far from home--I just needed to get out of my element for a

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-29176568243512233592008-05-28T23:10:00.014+05:302008-07-21T06:58:31.106+05:30

This past weekend a group consisting of 10 of our Target expats decided to take a weekend trip to Kabini Park, a wildlife preserve in Southern India. Since earlier this past winter Paul had been to Banipur--another park next door--and really enjoyed the visit, he took the task of putting together a group trip to the same vicinity this spring.Since nearly all of us are living in the same apartment

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-39141892975067095442008-05-18T13:48:00.008+05:302008-07-21T07:00:36.453+05:30

As I have recently passed my six month mark in Bangalore (!!), I wanted to take the opportunity to continue highlighting Indian history, culture, and most importantly, India's people. So I decided it was time for another gallery--this time a compilation of photos depicting the children of India.Through my travels within the cities of Bangalore, Mysore, Delhi, Agra, and other areas of the country,

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-1603233045943956462008-05-14T11:15:00.016+05:302008-07-29T03:47:35.797+05:30

This past week marked an important event for Target--the first visit of Gregg Steinhafel as our new CEO! As usual, a team of our executives flew out to join Gregg during this exciting series of events. Throughout the visit we were able to tell Gregg more about Target India and the valuable progress that we've accomplished over these past three years.This visit also gave us an opportunity to

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-29616748038199155652008-05-07T07:11:00.020+05:302008-07-29T03:47:56.222+05:30

This past week our training team visited a local NGO (Non-Government funded Organization) named Narendra Nele--local care centers/orphanages for boys and girls here in Bangalore. Established in August 2000, these centers provide food, shelter, health supervision, and formal education to children whose former ‘"home" was the streets of Bangalore. Target teams spend time with local NGOs to connect

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-28643202498238109062008-04-24T00:01:00.044+05:302008-07-21T07:01:36.705+05:30

This past week I returned from an amazing vacation with two of my best friends, Tom and Yvonne... who also just happen to be my parents! I am one of those individuals who, as an adult, has been fortunate enough to develop a fantastic relationship with my parents who remain an integral and active part of my life, and I am so grateful for that gift. Since Tom & Yvonne live in Minnesota, my home

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-81709539705465381882008-04-07T21:55:00.017+05:302008-07-21T07:01:52.668+05:30

This weekend, Michael (aka "Curly"), Paul, Will, and I took a hop flight down to Sri Lanka to see the country and check out the sites. It was absolutely amazing... I tell ya, between riding elephants, strolling along the ocean, wearing boa constrictors, visiting the over 70 elephants at the elephant orphanage (and then watching them bathe in the river), touring the spice garden, jump starting the

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-59410763286340261022008-03-30T15:43:00.021+05:302008-07-21T07:02:10.354+05:30

Well, this weekend was surely nothing less than eventful--if there isn't a holiday to celebrate, we'll just create our own! Whereas last weekend consisted of national and international holidays, this weekend was several social events creating all sorts of opportunities to connect with coworkers, charities, neighbors, and friends.Friday night was the BEC's Black & White Ball held as a benefit for

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-63644826598171846772008-03-24T07:55:00.017+05:302008-07-21T07:02:31.361+05:30

These last two weekends have been quite busy--St. Patrick's Day, Holi (an Indian holiday marking the start of spring), Good Friday, and, of course, Easter weekend. Never before do I remember St. Patrick's Day and Easter being so close in the calendar, but it's rather strange to think that it's spring anyway since in India it always feels like summer--reminds me of living in Hawaii all those

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-8200836747696290842008-03-03T22:49:00.019+05:302008-07-21T07:02:52.305+05:30

I know, I know--the title is a cheap play on words (but can't you just hear our familiar Target "Hello, Goodbye" song singing through your mind? :o)Any guess where I went this past weekend? That's right--the "City of the 22nd Century"--Dubai of the U.A.E. (United Arab Emirates)--an amazing city on the grow. Not only is Dubai the fastest growing city in the world, but it is already home to the

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-33011993959038883792008-02-27T07:25:00.020+05:302008-07-21T07:03:10.725+05:30

Last week we had the privilege of hosting Bob Ulrich, our CEO from Target, as he made his final "official" visit to Target India now that he is retiring. Bob was accompanied by the rest of the executive team consisting of Presidents, Executive Vice Presidents, and other executive officers and leaders from the company, including our EVP of HR, Jodee Kozlak. Over the two-day visit we were able to

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-11825820762740222972008-02-17T17:19:00.019+05:302008-07-21T07:03:26.509+05:30

This weekend Paul, our Sr. Group Manager for OE here at Target India, had his "official" housewarming party for our Training & Development and Six Sigma team members. Since Paul lives here in Zen Gardens (aka Expat Central or "EPC", as it's affectionately known...), I didn't have too far to travel! There was a nice turnout with members from both teams and some spouses and neighbors. There was

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-27523504241203984062008-02-10T15:51:00.002+05:302008-07-21T07:03:45.902+05:30

This weekend I went on a tour of Bangalore with Bangalore Walks, a journey through 500 years of history in 4 hours. This tour is one of the most popular among overseas visitors and expats, and is not a sightseeing tour--rather, it is an interactive introduction to Indian culture in parts of Bangalore that most expats (and even locals!) are unlikely to have visited. It includes short walks, along

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-23956508454106471752008-02-03T00:59:00.003+05:302008-07-21T07:04:02.035+05:30

As I approach my third month of living in India, I wanted to assemble a small collection of my favorite images showcasing some of the amazing colors I get to experience in this beautiful country. I used a nifty program called Color Select Studio to assist me with the b&w/coloring effects; however, all of the colors you see are the authentic colors brought back into the picture. For comparison

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-22962287315033975462008-01-28T22:44:00.002+05:302008-07-21T07:04:22.188+05:30

This weekend I went on a weekend road trip to Mysore, India, a city south of Bangalore known for its silks, sandalwood, and beautiful palaces. The most popular attraction in Mysore is the Mysore Palace, or the Maharajah's Palace, known for its beautiful architecture, intricately designed rooms, 12 Hindu temples, and beautiful surrounding gardens. However, the most original feature of Mysore

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-69611249543451661332008-01-19T11:03:00.002+05:302008-07-21T07:04:44.773+05:30

This past week a good friend of mine, another expat from Target and another Michael, moved into Zen Gardens. He arrived from Minneapolis a few weeks ago, cleared his employment Visa, passed customs on his shipment, and his landlord just finished furnishing the apartment. His move was something I've been looking forward to since we both knew that he would be coming to India this year.Between

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-64016822009859703362008-01-13T12:36:00.002+05:302008-07-21T07:05:00.628+05:30

Recently I decided to walk around my neighborhood and take a closer look at the people, buildings, and colorful culture that surrounds me--well almost surrounds me. My apartment, which is in a gated and sheltered oasis from the realities of the neighborhood, has been built to ensure that its guests won't be surrounded too closely by the realities of Bangalore. So naturally I wanted to experience

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-75625284733076088742008-01-05T18:40:00.002+05:302008-07-21T07:05:18.377+05:30

Imagine yourself in London's Trafalgar Square surrounded by 350,000 people at the final countdown to New Year's Eve 2008 and you will be me!Often dubbed the "Times Square of Europe" on New Year's Eve, Trafalgar Square is rich in history. To this day, its southern end, Charing Cross, is still considered the heart of London, from which all distances are measured.Joining me on my trip to London was

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-70084997611167651342007-12-23T12:04:00.002+05:302008-07-21T07:05:34.866+05:30

Let there be peace on earth,and let it begin with me.Let there be peace on earth,the peace that was meant to be.With God as our Father,brothers *(and sisters) all are we,Let me walk with my *(family),in perfect harmony.Let peace begin with me,let this be the moment now.With every step I take,let this be my solemn vow,To take each moment and live each momentin peace, eternally.Let there be peace

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-75808795709626590462007-12-18T23:55:00.002+05:302008-07-21T07:05:51.332+05:30

Recently we opened our newest branch of Target India operations in Manyata, a region of northern Bangalore. The opening of the Manyata facility was greeted with the usual Indian customs--cutting the ribbon, lighting the oil lamp, cutting the cake, and touring the facility. For many of us this was our first taste of witnessing the traditional India customs involved when "blessing" a new facility,

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-49237299080992298202007-12-09T22:33:00.002+05:302008-07-21T07:06:06.563+05:30

One of the highlights of any travel to India is, of course, visiting one of the original "7 Wonders of the World", the Taj Mahal--a mausoleum in Agra, India (a few hours out of Delhi), that was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Turkish, Indian, and

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-51021910814517254922007-12-05T21:42:00.003+05:302008-07-21T07:06:21.782+05:30

Celebrate! I'm finally unpacked and set up in my new apartment. After being out of commission during the first weekend after I moved, I've finally managed to find the time and energy to set up my office, bedroom, living room, and kitchen. All of my things made it here just fine and dandy (thank you, Mohawk Movers!) so that was a relief. Time to play house.My things are here, but they're not going

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-64014975646847190912007-12-01T23:34:00.002+05:302008-07-21T07:06:36.417+05:30

Today I got the "royal" treatment. My driver, Amith, took me to see Bangalore Palace... the former home of the King & Queen. It was built in 1887 by King Chamaraja Wodeyar and is supposed to be inspired by the Windsor Castle in London. Not only did I get to look around, but I got my own personal guide and tour of the castle. It was amazing. I'd never seen a palace with so many different styles

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-52178081595630566102007-11-27T09:50:00.002+05:302008-07-21T07:06:55.938+05:30

Okay, so I'm up this morning getting ready for work and at my computer catching up on email when I hear water running in my bathroom. Since I just moved into this building last week and I'm not familiar with its distinctive "sounds" (you know how every environment has its own unique sounds and smells...?), I assume that it must be one of my neighbors taking a morning shower. So, just like the

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-46156178527929637082007-11-25T19:48:00.002+05:302008-07-21T07:07:13.087+05:30

This weekend marks my second full week in Bangalore and I can confidently say that this country is truly the "land of contrasts". Everywhere you go you see brand new buildings tucked between dilapidated structures, many of which are perpetually under construction or appear to have been destroyed by some force of nature. Amongst the busy streets, crowded sidewalks and garbage-ridden alleyways

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-78973352191404590462007-11-16T19:11:00.003+05:302008-07-21T07:07:30.127+05:30

Okay, so trust me on this one... you DO NOT drive in Bangalore, your driver does. Why, you ask? Because in Bangalore there are no rules on the road--it's every man, woman, child, auto rickshaw (the yellow-topped buggy in the picture below), motorcycle, motor scooter, moped, bicycle, dog, and cow (yes, cows roam the streets untouched... they are sacred) for him, her, or itself.The are a few

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-18556215050093784522007-11-10T15:06:00.002+05:302008-07-21T07:07:48.066+05:30

The two days of flying are over and I have arrived in Bangalore safe and sound--hooray! After flying to Chicago; then to Frankfurt, Germany; and finally on to Bangalore, I have adjusted very quickly to the time change. Thanks to Paul Dominski's words of advice (he's my excellent VP at Target--thanks, Paul!), I managed to sleep and stay awake at the right times to beat the shift. I am now 11 1/2

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-80013688333567537142007-11-07T09:09:00.002+05:302008-07-21T07:08:06.583+05:30

Since this was my last weekend in Minnesota I drove up to Bemidji to spend time with my family before I embark on my journey to India. My Mom & Dad (Tom and Yvonne) still live in Bemidji after 41 years (in our new house since our original home burned in 2004), and my sister, Becky; my brother-in-law, Jim; and my nieces Nicki and Natalie drove over from Erhard, Minnesota (a cozy little town over

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-7319393093455328442007-10-30T06:45:00.002+05:302008-07-21T07:08:27.202+05:30

Here's a picture from the Bemidji High School homepage (the same article and picture that appeared in The Pioneer, my hometown newspaper) of me presenting BHS with the September Take Charge of Education (TCOE) check from none other than, Target! It was a very cool day all around... Principal Dick Anderson, who, incidentally happens to be a good friend of mine, gave me a tour of the new high

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-24679346128667466492007-10-27T09:20:00.002+05:302008-07-21T07:08:46.194+05:30

So I just returned from Elliott Masie's Learning 2007 conference in Orlando this past week. This was my second year at the conference and it was, yet again, a tremendous success! I lead a discussion about "blended learning" strategies (the topic for which I contributed podcasts for Masie and a publication for Brandon Hall this year--which also landed me a quote in September's CLO magazine :o)

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-33814703865561829902007-10-19T06:32:00.002+05:302008-07-21T07:09:05.343+05:30

We took a team photo last week. It turned out great, but it also reminds me that we've just created a milestone... the picture of the TTS Training team before I left for India :o( It's still all so strange... cool, but strange.I'm really gonna miss working with this team... This is truly the best team I've ever been on--what a great group!

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-45635757602885440442007-10-19T06:24:00.002+05:302008-07-21T07:09:48.405+05:30

Okay, so I get a call from a friend yesterday asking when I'm leaving for India. "Ah, it's still weeks away..." I told him. As we were talking I checked my calendar and counted, "One, two,... " (turning my calendar page), "three... Yikes! I leave in only three weeks!" Suddenly everything around me shrunk into a very small space. My mind kept reviewing all of the lists I'd created that still had

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-43743709775180804592007-10-13T09:47:00.002+05:302008-07-21T07:10:06.587+05:30

I got my itinerary today. Looks like I am leaving on Wednesday, November 7th at 3:30pm. I will fly to Chicago, then to Frankfurt, and on to Bangalore. Looks like about 18 hours of flying time (not including layovers), so I'm sure glad I'm flying Business Class :o)Time to keep packing and crossing things off those lists!

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5098075592929210288.post-44507114394401937772007-10-09T07:05:00.002+05:302008-07-21T07:10:26.572+05:30

Hm... guess it's time to get all of that paperwork completed. India--here I come!5 weeks and counting.

Michael Thomas Sunnarborgnoreply@blogger.com0