IndianMaze

Snake charmers? Elephants for transport? Beggars everywhere? Software programmers at the entry point of airport? A lot is in our imagination based on what and where we read about India. This has been my favourite question to every foreigner when they come to India (especially the first timers). In 7 out of 10 answers I get a response that invariable means TOO MANY HUMANS I have had comments like - I never knew that so many people can work at an airport - I have never seen so many heads together - humans, humans and humans all around In 2 out of 10 I have a response that invariably means - You guys are too good at English speaking What is your first hit on hitting India?

Susan was on the verge of crying on the phone call. She is a young professional at one of the largest corporations in the country. Susan has had sterling credentials. A university ranker and skilled at things beyond her curriculum. She enjoys life and believes in burning the candle at both ends. Work hard, party harder. She is ambitious as well. She has been rated very well in her office and many people, far senior to her, come to her for advise on casual basis. She manages the communication of her boss and ghost writes for him. She was confident that with her performance she would get a double promotion from level 10 to 8. She had been handed over a letter wherein she has been rewarded with a special mention by her VP and a bonus highest in her department and an assessment of outstanding and promoted to level 9. Still she is unhappy and on the verge of breakdown. Why? Because it is lower than her expectation of being promoted to level 8.

It was a social meeting with a doctor friend, Anil, to celebrate his 50th birthday. Amy, a home maker and a school mate of the doc, was suffering from disturbed digestive system as a chronic problem and has been to many a doctors. She spent a mini fortune in getting various tests conducted but somehow no accurate diagnosis could be made. Amy brought this issue with Anil who is an ENT specialist, but a doc is a doc. Anil asked her a few general questions. To cut the long story short it emerged that Amy was not drinking enough water. She used to take about 250ml a day as drinking water. Anil suggested her to gradually increase it to 2L per day.  A few months later, Amy brought a big cake for Anil to say thanks as she was feeling fine. Gets me thinking! Why do we ignore things that are free for us for our good. A few thoughts: - water. Does not cost (much), has no calories, has no awkward taste, easily available but do we take enough of it - air. Omnipresent, no cost, no calo...

I was leisurely reading the weekend edition of newspapers. It was interesting read on a subject that I normally would not spend time during the work day despite my interest or so I think. As I finished halfway through the article my phone rang and I picked it without giving it a thought. Turned out to be soliciting call for an insurance policy. I started reading again from where I left but took me a short while to go the precise point I left reading. Another paragraph later, it was an SMS alert to which I again attended to breaking my reading. I finished reading the article but thinking now that did I do justice to my interest? Did the article not deserve my uninterrupted attention. I may have accomplished the tasks of reading, responding to a phone call and going through the SMS on my phone but did I do justice to my interest and the article?

Priya (name changed) was suffering from an ear ache post her flight. She normally does not suffer from ear ache during air journeys. On reaching home, she mentioned this to her mother. They decided to pay a visit to a doctor as it was an unusual complaint. Then onwards an interesting story started. To cut a long story short, the emphasis was to go to the best doctor in the best hospital in the neighborhood. They finally went to an ENT surgeon in a very reputed (5 star variety) hospital and came back with a great satisfaction. Doctor prescribed an antibiotic ear drop and a pain killer if required. Hospital charges were Rs 300 (US$ 5) for registration and Rs 600 (US$ 10) for specialist consultation and Rs 25 for medicines (antibiotic and pain killer). After 3 times usage of antibiotic drops she was all right and did not need any pain killers. This raises a vital question in  my mind! Why do consumers look for a specialist doctor when a normal GP would do the job at perhaps m...

The news of Prime Minister of India fasting while on a tour to USA is making headlines. People are wondering that how can he be so active despite surviving on plain hot water. It is already 4 days and he is fasting for the whole 8 days. Just like he and millions of Indians do it for year after year and years. I found it interesting that such fasting is fairly common across various followings. Hindus do it for Navratras (nine festive days coming twice a year). Jains do it during their Paryushan days. Muslims do it during Ramadan. Christians do it in their own ways. What is common is feasting follows fasting. the periods may be different. Feasting everyday after fast or feasting after long fasts. The motto to me is to gain a feast, we must sacrifice with some fast. People do it in many parts of the globe. Do we look for differences or similarities is upto us. Happy fasting. Happy feasting

I was surprised at Preety's no response to a mail following our discussion three weeks ago. She has always been very forthright with her comments and been open about sharing those even when contradictory to the common belief. I have known Preety for over a decade and shared a mutual professional respect in the department we were working. She was highly opinionated and stood her ground almost in all cases but never compromising on her commitment to decisions taken even when those decisions were not in line with her belief. With this background I was very surprised that she did not respond to a query following a discussion on a problem I was facing. Am I expecting too much? This behaviour is so unlike her! She has been exchanging messages on IM but on the mail - a silence. How do I find out what is behind this? I am sure there is an answer. But, for me. silence is not golden in this case.