Its been a while since I posted here. Its been a busy summer. Over the last year and a half, I am slowly morphing into a Mumbaikar from a New Yorker, although the transformation is not yet complete. Coming from NYC, where the city's streets make for a giant playground for its residents, the transition to Mumbai is tough. Mumbai's streets are overcrowded, the traffic is gnarly and the noise levels put the Who's decibel records to shame everyday. Mumbai's chaos is such is that the only way to cope with it is to embrace it and go with the flow. The city guarantees nothing, yet miraculously delivers most times while following no rational process! My first few months in India were exciting and euphoric at times as I savored my new life, discovered great new restaurants and clubs every week and caught up with friends.
As I moved out of my five star hotel and shifted to a residential apartment and began the task of setting up shop here, I hit a wall. In the west, we profit from squeezing out inefficiencies and show our intolerance for ambiguity by devaluing any situation or process where the outcome is uncertain. In India, inertia and uncertainty is a way of life. I found it really difficult to get stuff done initially as I was so polite about follow-up. Finally, I realized that everyone is operating on fire-fighting mode and I need to create 'crises' if I wanted anything to happen on time!! I also developed a system to 'check, re-check and cross-check; to ensure my work is done on time and efficiently. I will write more on that in a separate post.
For now, I seem to have made peace with the system here. I question less and accept more. I have learnt to endorse the 'Hindu' way of accepting disasters: 'There must be some good that will come out of this'!! Also, I have taken my local doctor's advice to heart: 'If you want to live long in India, don't bother to try and achieve perfection'! He's right. I have found that if you can hit 80-85% of your desired target, you should be happy. The system is not designed to deliver anything above that. Breaking your head for an additional 5-10% will cost you more than it cost you to get to the first 80%!!
If you are planning a move here, it's worth reading Gregory Trifonovitch's four stage theory of cultural adjustment, which is my next post.
Not sure if you are complaining. What is "adjusting back" such a pain? You knew this is how India is, no? Or you thought that just because you moved to NY, the world will change.
Don't you hate the dust? And the language? And the stink? And the public universal latrine that we make of mother earth?
Come on, NY stinks equally bad. Ever took a late night underground and got scared of the afro-americans looking at you (and a pool of piss all around)?
India is like this. You can't change a billion people in a lifetime.
Take it or leave it.
Posted by: Suzanna | December 31, 2007 at 02:09 PM
Sorry if I sounded rude, but this is a common phenomenon - i keep hearing the dudes who "come back" for good (FOB!) - trying to make feel they are doing a favour.
Hope you don't take it personally. This is a general rant against the FOBs (Fresh off the boat, for the un-initiated).
-Su
http://bangalorebuzzz.blogspot.com
Posted by: Suzzanna | December 31, 2007 at 02:11 PM