Day One - Arrival in Salvador, Brazil

... so the flight over was actually pretty interesting... I'm pretty sure that I was sitting next to an air marshal.  Here's why I think so ... this guy was almost the last guy onto the plane and multiple flight stewards came by during the flight and whispered something to him with him nodding his head each time.  He wasn't the most communicative either - any time I tried to engage him in conversation, he was evasive and mostly responded in monosyllables!

Then, I had 2 different attendants talk to me in Portuguese thinking that I was Brazilian - not sure why.  Subsequently, they proceeded to gush about India once I told them that India is my country-of-origin!

Finally, I continued reading a very fascinating book called "The Happiness Advantage" - it's by a Harvard grad and prof named Shawn Achor.  Fascinating stuff really - here's some key takeaways so far...
1. Happiness is a prereq for success and not the other way around - several bonafide research studies prove this.
Some tips to improve mood and level of happiness
- Meditate
- Find something to look forward to (book that vacation early and enjoy the anticipation!)
- Commit conscious acts of kindness (pick one day a week and make a point of committing 5 acts of kindness - these don't need to be grand gestures)
- Infuse positivity into your surroundings (make time to go outside on a nice day, watch less TV!)
- Exercise
- Spend money on experiences, not on stuff
- Exercise a signature strength (whatever it might be)

I'll try to continue posting key takeaways from the book through this blog...

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After landing at 6am on Saturday, May 7 - headed straight to the hotel.  The customs folks insisted on talking to me in Portuguese and wanted to know what was in my bags - after some back-and-forth, I was free to go.  Headed straight to the hotel - the ride to the hotel reminded me, in many ways, of India - similar construction - existing, chaotic and new, ambitious.  Similar density of population - there are a lot of people here.  Living in Memphis, one gets used to wide open spaces and low population density - not the case in Salvador.  And finally, the heat - it's oppressive and very humid.  And to think, this is the fall season here in the Southern Hemisphere.

The rest of day 1 was spent exploring the city, meeting up with fellow program participants from around the world (Hungary, Italy, China, Japan, US, Malaysia, Germany, Russia) - such a joy to hear the different accents and learn about the different perspectives.  Makes me think that the one common thread that binds us all is that "we are all unique"!!!  I've included some pics from our Day 1 explorations of the city below.  Of course, the first picture is about food (yummy gelato at a local mall). 

The city is really beautiful - great colonial architecture - folks are extremely friendly and easy-going.  Lunch on day 1 was a traditional "kilo" buffet - load up your plate and pay-by-weight.  Also tried some yummy tropical fruit juices.  Another thing that struck me while exploring the city was how the concept of personal space is mostly a "Western" concept.  In most populous countries, personal space is non-existent - it takes some readjusting of expectations before one stops cringing (and this coming from someone who grew up in India!) - goes to show how easily one acclimates and adapts to a given culture and way-of-life.

That was about it for Day 1.  More to come...