Jessica+Diary++Entries

To Jayne, my whole assignment has been submitted onto one page. I hope this doesnt cause any diffiulty. Jess.


 * TRAVEL ASSIGNMENT:**

Our group together decided that India will be the country we will visit. We came to this agreement by using consensus between each member of the group.
 * __Which country you will visit-__


 * __How you will travel-__

We will be flying from Sydney to New Delhi, via Qantas Airways.


 * __Where will you stay-__

Hotel Le Meridien


 * Step 3-**


 * Dear Diary,**

As I sit on the plane, I am thinking about all the perks and pleasures I will enjoy on my India Trip. Our team of students have used consensus to choose the location of our research trip. We have chose India, its cultural diversity and uniqueness were big pulls in our decision to go there.

I am currently aboard a Qantas Jet, flying directly to New Delhi. Out of all the places of interests or events, I have chose to visit the Taj Mahal. For years, the Taj Mahal’s beauty has excited me, and soon I will be standing in front of the magnificent statue. I have collected some extra information about the Taj Mahal, and by the moment I arrive in Agra I will understand the history of the Statue.

//Regards,// //Jess.//


 * Dear Diary,**

As I said, I have researched the history of the statue. This is the background story of how the statue was created.

The ultimate monument of love, the statue is India's gift to the monumental legacy of the world. It was built in the memory of the beautiful Arjumand Bano Begum, who won the heart of a Mughal prince. She was married at 21 to Emperor Jahangir’s third son Prince Khurram and stayed loyally by his side through good times and bad, in the luxurious royal palaces of Agra as well as the transient tents of war camps. Taj Mahal stands in the city of Agra, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, on the banks of the Yamuna River. I researched the opening and closing hours, and the costs of entry. The Taj opens at 6 am in the morning, and closes at 7 pm, and costs 970 Rs for Foreigners. The suggested best time to visit the Taj, is early morning, as one of the brochures I found described it as “The Taj is at its most alluring in the relative quiet of early morning, shrouded in mists and bathed with a soft red glow” I am now considering how I propose to get to the Taj Mahal, and other factors.

//Sincerely,// //Jess.//


 * Dear Diary,**

I am not settled into my hotel, and have had regular conversations with the concierge. He has given me a few words of advice on my visit, one is “bring the right amount of money for the entrance fee, as the ticket booth attendants rarely have change and tend to pocket the difference”. I have narrowed my transport options down to two, the bus service from New Delhi to the Taj Mahal, or by taking the rail service. The bus service offers an express (air-conditioned) bus service from Delhi, which is approximately 203 kms away from the Taj. The express bus service has been recommended by the concierge and research brochures I have collected. Or, I could take the excellent train services from Delhi to the Taj, which is referred to as the Intercity Express, although it will take 3 hours to get there. There is a choice out of four stations in which I could board the train. I will call the enquiry lines to check prices.

//Always,// //Jess.//

In the last few days, I have been wandering the city, experiencing the culture of this great city, meeting new people and doing a spot of shopping. Delhi has proven to be truly a symbol of the old and the new, a blend of ancient well preserved monuments and temples along with jam-packed burger joints and up market shopping malls. I have also gone into some tour providers who work out of the Taj, and they have suggested to take the express bus service to the Taj. It has also been suggested to me to visit the Garden Mausoleum within the Taj. It has been described as magnificent and unforgettable, so I have added that to my visit plan. All my plans are now finalized, in a couple of days I will be on my way to the Taj.
 * Dear Diary,**

//Sincerely,// //Jess.//


 * Dear Diary,**

I have just returned to my hotel room, to write my final diary entry. Before I commenced the day, I requested directions from the concierge on how to get to the bus stop, located just a short 10 minutes from my hotel. As I arrived, my paid the exact money to the operator and entered the grounds of the Taj. I was one of the first tourists that day to enter the grounds, as I got there at 6 am exactly. I walked up the path and towards to temple. As I was walking, I saw the beautiful Persian style gardens and the water ways I had been hearing about.

There were two marble canals with fountains, running through the grounds. The entire area was covered in cypress trees, as they symbolize death. The water garden divides the garden into four equal squares, and I was told they do this to create the image of Islamic paradise that has rivers of water, milk, wine and honey.

As I stood in front of the state, the glassy reflection of the Taj on the water way, gave me the perfect photographic moment of the day. As I reached the Taj, i was greeted by gentlemen, who welcomed me and asked for me to take my shoes off before entering the Statue. I then walked right around the tomb, the inside to the other areas, so I could appreciate its beauty. The rest of the day was spent sitting, reading and relaxing in the gardens, On my way out of the Taj, I stopped off at the store to collect some souvenirs. All employees who worked within the store all spoke some English, which made it a lot easier to communicate. There no difficulties when I required assistance to find my t-shirt I wanted to purchase. The people there were very welcoming and polite. I then boarded the bus to take me back to the Hotel. The bus drivers provided entertainment and stories on the route to New Delhi.

//Farewell,// //Jess.//


 * Step 4:**

A negative cultural experience which I could have experienced was the confusion between what the visitors to India are allowed to wear. As a visitor to a country, I wish to follow their customs and I am unsure of what I can wear when I visit India. The traditional Sari is worn by women, and long wide pants and t-shirts for men.

A positive cultural experience could be to learn about Hinduism, and how the culture works. This culture describes how to live in every aspect of life. This culture believes that each being has an immortal soul, which will migrate to another body after death. Rebirth (reincarnation) can happen in form of any creature.


 * //REFERENCE LIST://**

Websites used:

I gathered the majority of my information from the following websites-

http://www.taj-mahal-india-travel.com/around-taj-mahal/delhi-travel-tourism.html http://www.dreamzicon.com/taj-mahal-tour/inside-taj-mahal.html http://www.islamicity.com/Culture/Taj/default.htm [|http://www.cultureofindia.net] http://www.sights-and-culture.com/India/India-reflections.html


 * PART B-**

· A potential difficult situation or cultural misunderstanding that could take place within your workplace: The Dress code in this 5 star hospitality industry could be questioned. A muslim worker may wish to wear her traditional Sari while at work, although the “Dress Code” at the establishment may state that a uniform must be worn while at the premises.
 * Putting your travel to work in Industry**


 * Other Aspects of complaint handling, and how you would use them to resolve your situation.**

- **Discuss the matter,** weigh up the positives and negatives, discuss a solution and method to resolve the problem, and place the method to use. In this situation, I would suggest that the management of the establishment meet with the employee, and discuss the options they have to resolve this issue.

- **Clarify and Empathise-** Clarify the correct dress codes in place, and empathise with the worker if needed. - **Alternative Solutions-** There possibly should be a mediator involved in this situation, so there is no confusion during discussion. Both management and the employee should come up with alternative solutions for their problems. - **Agree on the solution-** Both management and the employee should agree on which solution they can agree on. - **Implement the decision-** After the meeting has ended, attempt to begin to implement the decision they have came to.

The way individuals in the workplace address each other can vary from workplace to workplace. The way you greet individuals in India is much different to Australia. You greet people with respect. My cultural experience will change the way I greet customers on a daily basis.
 * Forms of Address**

There can be various levels of formality and informality in the workplace. My cultural experience has shown my that many things done in India within the workplace are done in a formal matter. No experience of mine in India reflected any informal behaviour.
 * Levels of formality/informality**

Work ethics are regarded as very important within Australian establishments. The same applies to establishments in India. Many hospitality establishments pride themselves on above average work ethics. My knowledge of this, and understanding will help in improving on my work ethics.
 * Work ethics**

In any Tourism or Hospitality establishment, personal grooming is of very high importance. Individuals in India regard personal grooming as an integral part of the running of establishments, as the grooming of an employee is the first line of contact the customer has to the establishment. My cultural experience has assisted me to understand why personal grooming is so important.
 * Personal Grooming**

After my cultural experience with various individuals in India, I have came to realize that family in India is their number one, along side Custom. This experience would help me in the workplace to understand if a colleague has to tend to family obligations.
 * Family Obligations**

Religious holidays have now became a way of life, and through my cultural experiences I can embrace their need to celebrate their culture. No matter what culture or background you come from, religious holidays are days of remeberence, and all employees or customers are free to enjoy that.
 * Religious holidays**

Through my cultural experience in India, I have come to accept that all individuals are different, and to respect others customs and culture when in the workplace. Colleagues or Customers with special needs should never be discriminated against. Individuals with special needs in the workplace need to be treated as equals, no matter what their social differences are to others. Whether it be a colleague or a customer they should be respected at all times. My cultural understanding and experience helped me in gaining this knowledge.
 * Customs**
 * Special needs**