Saturday, May 05, 2007

how India changes you

Living in India changed my outlook on a lot of the little things in life...

  1. You start to think of perfection as an affront to God. So many, many things in India are in need of improvement, its buildings, its roads, its social and governmental institutions, its politics, its bureaucracy... the list seems endless. But then you learn that "perfect" things, like the Taj Mahal or an intricately woven Kancheepuram saree, which look perfect to you and me, actually have been designed intentionally to have one tiny flaw. Why? Because only God is capable of creating perfection, dummy. And so it goes... you start to accept that most things associated with the human condition will never be perfect. Suddenly, the thought that you will never have the perfect house, car, spouse, kids, career and so on ceases to terrify you or make you run out for some Prozac; instead, it is utterly and amazingly liberating. That's not to say that you stop trying, it's just that you resent life's and people's imperfections a lot less.
  2. You start subscribing to crazy superstitions. If you've ever hesitated about walking under a ladder or felt cursed when you broke a mirror, you'd better not listen to any of your Indian friends' superstitions. Some superstitions are just silly, some are "based in science," and others are based in religion. I can no longer enjoy orange juice with a bowl of cereal for fear that the citric acid will curdle the milk when they combine in my stomach. Nor can I take a shower right after eating. These are matters of science, I have been told. I try to start important activities on any day but a Tuesday or a Saturday. Friday is not a good day for spending money because it is disrespectful to the goddess of wealth whose day it is (similar to Thor's day). I rarely purchase objects made of metal in any case, so Saturday is not really a problem for me.
  3. Your inner control freak starts smoking pot. The banana salesman and his dog are lying fast asleep on top of all the bananas. You realize that he probably isn't the first and only person to sleep on the produce and other consumables that he sells, and God knows who or what has beshitten all over the things you bring home from your local grocery. Power goes out at the damnedest times. Repairmen are called to fix things, they swear they will be there at a specific date and time and consistently fail to show, and when they do show, they fix one problem but the solution usually creates a different problem. Guests come one hour later than the time you tell them to come, or they just drop in out of the blue without calling first -- because calling first is cold, impersonal, formal (something that caucasians do). But, after some time, this just seems to be the natural order of things. You forget about the better business bureau.
  4. You start analyzing the veracity of directions that passersby give you, taking into account the person's general appearance and comportment. People in India do not like to say no to any question, even if the question is "do you know where the Hotel Atria is?," or "do you sell blue carpets?" Instead, they will make up directions and tell you to come back next week, they'll have some by then. So, in the case of directions, you learn to conduct straw polls and head in the direction that the majority indicates, of course, after taking into account whether they look crazy or just plain stupid. Obviously, you try to ask only police and auto drivers but sometimes they aren't around. My driver once stopped to ask a guy for directions and the crazy bastard just kept asking us for a ride to his village.
  5. You learn to handle unsolicited advice and suggestions with grace. Elders are respected in India and they feel it is their duty to constantly advise the younger generations ways to "adapt, adopt, and improve" as they grow into pukka adults, parents and middle-agers. They will give you ten homeopathic remedies all made with honey to give to your 6-month-old, and every shred of advice that your own elders may be suppressing will undoubtedly pop out of the mouths of passersby, shirttail cousins and sundry aunties and uncles. You realize that it's not just the advice itself that these people are offering, it is their care and concern for your progress.
  6. You learn how to say "how are you" and really mean it. In India, people have greater respect for each other than they do for the clock. They will linger over coffees, lunch hours, tea times to hear how their friends, colleagues and their families are really faring - the gas shortage, the unexpected medical bill, the nephew's motorbike accident, the daughter's first steps. Of course, maybe all this lingering is why they need to work a half-day on Saturday to make up for the missed work.

7 comments:

TaDa said...

Well said!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this blog! I have been looking for something like this all over. My husband may possibly get a position in India, and our whole family will move. The prospect is exciting, but I love to arm myself with information!

Anonymous said...

Hi Firangi Mama,

I manage intercultural training programs for expatriates relocating within Asia Pacific.

I wish invite someone with daily living experience in Bangalore, on Friday, 15-June-07 to come in for an informal discussion on the topic “Establishing a Home and Lifestyle in Bangalore” for 1.5 hours, ideally from 2pm – 3:30pm.

We are assisting an assignee and his fiancé who are moving from Virginia, USA to Bangalore, India. We offer an honorarium.

For more information, please email send your queries to minhua.loh@cartus.com.

Anonymous said...

This blog is making me laugh. I just moved to Gurgaon with my husband, 2 year old, and 6 week old baby about a month ago from Miami. I have developed a mantra in my head whenever something frustrating, crazy, or just plain gross happens. It goes something like...incredible India, incredible India, incredible India. Thank God I have a sense of humor or I don't think I would make it here.

Anonymous said...

Greetings!
My name is Nag , a television producer working from Singapore, i just happen to read your blog , its very intresting!. I'm currently working on a 8-part television series called Global exapts for a local television channel. It aims to examine and track the lives and livelihood of expatriates who choose to work, live and play in Asia. i would like to feature you & your Husband in our series. we would like you to share your Expat experience what kind of a cultural shock you had? like how you cope ? what are the things you like about shanghai? how is different is life away from home etc.

if you are interested pls. drop me line

we will take it fro there.my email id is nag@formations.com.sg

Regards
nag

Theresa in Mèrida said...

Hi! I just found your blog now that you are in the USA! I live in Mexico and many of the attitudes and realities are the same as you discribe. Especially the sense of time. One thing that I have learned is that manaña doesn't mean "tomorrow", it means "not today!" I love the way you opened this post regarding perfection,it is so liberating to realize that perfection is not the goal.
Good luck on your new adventure.
regards,
Theresa (in Merida)

D Naruka said...

So true! Amusement and good humour come across in the writing so clearly. Enjoyed reading the post!