It has been one month since I arrived in India and I have to say that I have not experienced the so-called culture shock (yet). I was secretly hoping that by going to India I would finally feel unsettled in some way and was forced to deal with it, but I guess my previous stays in Taiwan, France and the Czech Republic and a good preparation prevented that. Mentally, I was also prepared for the worst, but in the end all the scenarios I was playing in my head didn't become reality. I haven't been sick once, I found a great apartment close to the university and I discovered great shops in the area to fulfill my needs.
It seems now as if I had no problems settling down at all, which is not the case. It is clear that there are many cultural, social and organisational aspects in the Indian society that are way different from the Dutch one. I had to adjust and learn to deal with these differences, which sometimes can be really frustrating if you resist to it and still want to do it the Western way. In my opinion it is better to accept these differences straight away and learn how to deal with them Indian style. There are also differences though that I find fascinating and not hard to accept at all. Below I have written different aspects from the Indian society that challenge(d) me or that I find interesting.
Bureaucracy
Apart from the biggest democracy in the world, India is in my eyes also a major contender for the biggest bureaucracy. I was already confronted by this while applying for my visa in the Netherlands. I needed to do an online application, submit many documents, bring a special size passport photo and leave fingerprints. In the end it all went pretty smoothly, compared to my fellow applicants, but this was just a taste of what I would experience here.
It already started with the large amount of information we had to write down at the hotels where we (me and the two other Euroculture students) stayed in Mumbai and Pune. With this information the hotel employee went to the local police to register us as foreigners and we received a so-called c-form. This was just a normal procedure for tourists however and foreigners staying temporarily. The big challenge is to register as a foreign resident in Pune, a process I still don't understand and I can't really recall. It went like this. An associate of our broker took some forms we filled in, including an authentic thumb print, and many photos to the local police. There he got a stamp. With these forms and a stamp he went to the city police who also put a stamp somewhere. After that we went to some local office, which looked like the chaotic archive of an obscure institute, where we would register as residents together with our landlord. This required giving some copies of documents again, making a picture with a webcam and signing some papers.
When this was done we had to go online to a national website to make an appointment with the Foreign Police for the final registration. We had to fill out a form, with the same information as always, and upload the usual documents and a photo. The files however needed to be in pdf format and below 200kb in size, a big challenge that required many online tools. The photo also needed to be less than 200kb. I kind of enjoyed making the picture with the least quality possible. In the end we managed to make an appointment and also survived the whole process there which was exemplary.
Another great bureaucratic example is getting a sim card in India. While you could purchase one straight away in the Netherlands and other European countries, India takes this to another level. It was already pretty hard to find a shop who sold sim cards, but in the end we found one. To get a sim card we needed to submit a copy of our passport, a copy of our visa, a copy of the aforementioned c-form, two photos and also mention someone who could verify us and our address. After all the forms were filled in, we left with good hopes and instructions on how to activate the sim cards. Since it was the weekend, we had to wait until the next workday. On Monday our cards were supposed to be activated, but it turned out we bought expired sim cards (3 month validity) and our reference, the hotel owner, did not want to verify us since we didn't stay in the Hotel anymore. We had to go back to the shop, got new sim cards and decided that I would verify the sim card with my other Indian number as Marc Johnson, my English alter-ego. This worked and I confirmed to the call center that I knew myself and my roommates.
These are just two examples of bureaucracy, but it is everywhere and I think you get the idea now. I would advice everyone who comes here to bring loads of passport copies, visa copies and passport size photos. You will need them. To not get frustrated, the key is to accept the system, keep smiling to everyone who is helping you and you will see that is goes faster than expected.
Punctuality
I really appreciate the Dutch punctuality. Everyone and everything is usually on time. The problem is however that anywhere I go, the society will be less punctual, which can be frustrating. This is certainly the case in India. A country where punctuality has yet to be included in the dictionary. If the internet will be installed on Thursday, you can count on browsing Google by Monday. If the landlord visits at 8, he doesn't show up or comes at 10.30. If you have to repair your phone and you can pick it up that night, better count on some extra days.
I have already experienced many situations like this and adapted to it. Where I wouldn't leave the house if someone would come at 8, now I just leave and wait for them to call me. The Indian credo seems to be, don't let the clock control your life. Another factor that makes the society not so punctual is that Indians don't like to tell bad news and always offer the best case scenario. This makes all the estimated times unrealistic and deadlines are never met. It is again a question of accepting, adapting and enjoying being late occasionally without feeling bad.
Assertiveness
The assertive and pro-active Indian attitude goes hand in hand with the non-punctuality and bureaucracy. In order to make things happen in the bureaucratic jungle you have to stand up for yourself. This includes constantly reminding people that you want something and keep calling them to see what's up. Otherwise it is not likely to happen,, at least not soon. Being assertive also means that if you want a bottle of water, you better already get some money and give it to the shopkeeper. I haven't heard the line 'who's next?' here and I regularly see people jumping the line. In fact, I haven't seen any functioning line or queue in a store.
An assertive attitude is also needed on the road. If you want to cross the road, you can wait until Christmas before a car/rickshaw/bike will stop to let you pass. It is survival of the fittest and if you don't claim your place on the road, you will never get it. In order to cross as the weakest species, the pedestrians have to observe possible traffic lights, bus stops and crossing cows which could affect the traffic in such a way that crossing is easier. If it is simply too busy and traffic won't slow down, it is smart to find a group of fellow pedestrians and form a human car and go for it. Another option would be buying a cow suit, but I haven't seen people doing that.
Curiosity & Hospitality
I enjoy the Indian pro-active attitude and I certainly enjoy their curiosity. I have a lot of small talk with random people on the street who are just interested in what I am doing here. Instead of wondering, they just ask. Also if I need something, help is immediately offered, I also get easily invited to dinners, to lunch, to have a drink and to hang out. I haven't experienced this curiosity and hospitality in any other country. Some people may respond to this as 'They just want something from you', but this is certainly not the case. I haven't encountered a situation like this and all the help and hospitality offered is genuine. I hope to experience more of it!
Gender & Traditional India
A difficult cultural aspect to accept in India is the gender inequality and the conservative values that are still present everywhere. Whereas a bureaucratic society and a not so punctual attitude are things you just have to deal with, gender inequality and limited individual freedom are things I cannot accept and I really feel the need to change this or protest against. Personally I have experienced this when neighbours complained about bachelors living together. Luckily they accept the fact that we are 'cousins'. I would like to face them and confront them with their complaints and discuss why three bachelors can't live together, but it would not be wise to do so. In another post I will write way more about this topic, how it affects me and the society.
Four months to go
I can say that by now I am settled here. In the following months I will write more about the society and interesting cultural encounters and challenges, such as the gender aspect. It was a good choice to come here and India is one of the richest sociological fields to do research in. I will keep you updated!
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