9th July 2010
On Friday afternoon I felt mildly offended that when I asked my only friend and organisational life line in Pune, the HR head at Amphenol, to join me for lunch at the canteen, a different experience awaited me at the end of the corridor.
Usually (or atleast the two times I have been to the general cafeteria), we climb a set of stairs and end up eating with anyone in a blue shirt or a blue salwar kameez. This time however, we stayed on the ground floor and a door swung open paving the way for what was called the Executive Dining Room! She thought I had avoided the cafe because I couldn’t bring myself to eat the food for spice or hygiene reasons. I explained myself but it didn’t work. Out came the special china and special cutlery just for me, and yes it was an embarrassing experience being served a three course meal with a “western”dessert!
I thought about it for a while and wondered if I was denying myself the truth. Was I really avoiding the canteen because they didn’t use plastic gloves while serving up the rotis or because the towel in the washroom looked like a cosy warm home to a thousand germs? Had I really been softened by the West?
I have to admit the answer is probably yes. And here is how I came up with my conclusion. My check-list to see if you have been firangi-fied. It is not exhaustive and additions are welcome.
a) You carry loo-roll in your hand bag, just in case (confident that no Indian loo will understand the purpose or meaning of toilet roll)
b) You start looking for fresh lettuce in the market, hoping to carry a salad for lunch (I mean really!)
c) The train station from where you embarked on all your summer holidays as a child has now becomes an impossible place to navigate and you dread the experience.
d) You don’t step off a bus to buy food from the indian street stalls when on a long distance bus journey. (Yes I didn’t buy any chikki or batata vadas in Lonavala, instead I sat on the bus and read the India Today.)
e) You start believing that a 6 hour journey is long, painful and one to be avoided if possible. (Clearly I seem to have forgotten the overnight, 8 hour train rides to Madras or even the 48 hour train journeys to Delhi.)
f) You are disappointed when you don’t see a taxi-rank outside the train station. (Er… why? Its central Bombay where the ruling theme is chaos!)
g) You traipse out of the house with your neat little shopping bag and completely the wrong clothes attracting some very unwanted attention.
h) This one is my favourite – you carry sunscreen to India! (Don’t remember that bottle when I was growing up in 40 degrees and spending my summers cycling around the block unprotected!)
If you have any additions, please feel free to drop me a line. I suspect there are a few more Firangi-fied people at INSEAD!
