My Colleagues

It has been one & half month since I am living in Sweden. I am working with Swedish as well as Indian colleagues. I have found some of the Indian colleagues are working with Swedish people since 5 years. But Swedish people doesn't know our culture. It was strange.

When I was in USA, we used to tell our American counterparts about our culture and festivity. And they were very curious to know about this. That's how we respect each others culture and know each other better.

I started sharing about our festivity with Swedish colleagues and they appreciated and informed that they were not aware of it. My managers also appreciated this informal move and termed it as a wheel for better relationship.

Coming back to my Indian colleagues, we belong to different geographies in India. Most of them are from South, 2-3 people are from North, 1-2 from West and rest are from Eastern part of India. So we all are from different cultural and educational background. What I find common about all, they provide all free unwanted advises to new person like me in this country as well in project. I am tired of such advises. I just could not figure out, how to get rid of such advises. To me there are two option either not to talk anything or just don't discuss anything with them. I do not know which one is feasible.

My internet installation delay is also owe to advise of my one the colleague, who informed that I can have it very cheap and he can help me. Though he took me to one of the shop, but he could not get one cheap. Ultimately I decided myself to go for one with the help of my manager, who is an exception.
one day, I was telling my colleague about trouble I got in finding a bank, due to one wrong turn. Oh..God I did a big mistake. I just received number of advises, which was not required at all. I just got fed up and decided not to talk any more.

The other day, an issue was raised by client...it was a critical system issue...at that point of time, we forget that we belong to different cultures or geography and all tried to resolve the issue ASAP.  At that time, only single thing was in mind ... resolution.... That's the way I like it....we were helping each other and worrying about escalations... But thank God...We were successful....it was Just In Time :)

I have volunteered to give training on a topic which is not applicable in our project. However, it would be new knowledge for the team. I have already learned that in my previous project. I asked my colleagues of previous project if they can provide necessary information so that I could prepare the training material. But my request was not  granted due to one or the other reason. These colleagues used to spent most the leisure time with me in past. However, one of my colleague understood my needs and provided me information which I needed for training. That is what I classify as exemplary help.. I think God always create one human among the crowd who crosses the line and help you out from the deep trouble.

We The Indians

In Swedish TV channel, a program is broadcasted on Australian Border Security. This program highlights about the tough job of immigration department at airport, arrival visa interviews, raid on illegal immigrants and prevent smuggling . The program shows the passengers who are caught submitting false declaration about the goods they are carrying in their baggage from their own country to Australia.

I usually watch this program, not as a choice, but as compulsion as no other program is aired in English at that time. The security personals catch many passengers and interview them. Large number of passengers are caught carrying food items. The commentator of the program, exaggerate the food items in such a way that it looks like that somebody is caught carrying a bomb with intentions to bombard Sydney.

A British woman was caught carrying one banana and three apples. The narrator of the program described those food items as very dangerous items as banana and apple can spoil the soil of beautiful Australia. The woman accepted her mistake for not declaring the food items and paid the penalty of AUD 220. However, she didn't like the way security officer behaved with her.

There are other instances where other foreign nationals were caught and ordered to pay penalties for various non declared items like food items, seeds, weapons, cigarettes etc.

Similarly an Indian couple was caught for non declaration of food items. Their baggage was full of pickles, spices, sweets , namkeen etc and the couple did not mention that in declaration form. The man started arguing with the security officer that he did not take the declaration seriously. In his arguments he also said we 'Indians' are habitual of taking such things lightly. We 'Indians' do not read the legal things carefully. While doing meaning less argument with the security team, he was saying all the bad things about Indians and Indianization. When security team did not consider his pleas, than the man declared that he is a heart surgeon in India and should be taken leniently. His wife who was standing silently, all of sudden started coughing and said she was not well and had fever. Thus security should show mercy on her. This also did not impress security officer and they confiscated all food items and imposed the penalty of AUD 220. Watch this video here ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJHbbAQmpJQ

The incident looks small, but in this process the couple has insulted the entire Indian society. Since Indians take all things casually, they are not civilized and do not observe law, that security force will see all Indians with suspicion. That couple does not know how much damage they have done to us. Such persons have no right to speak on behalf of the entire race. The couple also tried to show that they are respectable citizens in India by disclosing the professions. Do respectable citizens behave in this manner?

While watching that program, nationals from other countries did not speak any thing about their race or society or habits in general. Though they were annoyed but always admitted that it was their own mistake and not of Britishers, Chinese or Indonesian.

When will we learn to admit our mistakes and not blame our Indianization? We need to respect our own race and culture, else how the others will respect India and Indianization.