Here 'We' means we the Indians and 'Them' means the Americans/Europeans/developed country citizens. In my 10 years stay in this country, I have learnt many things and one of them is "them" as people are far better then "we" the people - personally, spiritually, intellectually, independently:)). I will discuss that in a while.
While working, I have noticed involuntarily, I tend to ask a silly question without doing my ground work or giving proper thought. That does not mean I am incapable of thinking or doing my ground work, but rather that is the way I am groomed. And as you all know old habits die hard.
For example, in one of our common projects there is are common word docs, where a lot of the details about the project are documented. I could easily look through the doc to find the information I am seeking, but I prefer to ask that instead. Earlier on, numerous times we ask questions on the mailing forums that has already been answered, but we never go back and check. What would you call this - Lazy, Silly, Stupid? I don't know, I will call it "our attitude". This is the way we are raised and we grew up in an environment where we are overtly dependent on people for things that we can do it ourselves. For example, say in India you are going to the market and will need a ride, the first thing you would do is call to find out if someone knew a auto rikshaw driver or a taxi driver, rather than going out and venturing it herself to find one. I would say this as "familiarity" syndrome, where we are afraid to delve into unfamiliar terrain.
Similarly, there are numerous other examples when you are seeking directions to some place. We don't hesitate and ask anyone and everyone about it and are non-apologetic about it. We take it for granted that, the person we are asking this information is at our service and we are entitled to get an answer. This happens in every sphere of our lives. So, as a result till now we feel helpless if we have to go somewhere, find directions and other stuff by ourselves. We wish somebody tells us how to go there and what to find there.
On the other hand "them" are amazing people. They do their home work first. They invariably get the information brochures from the front desk, browse through and try to figure out first what they want to do and how they would do it. Once, I attended Plant and Animal Genome meeting at San Diego. I shared my room with an Israel woman scientist. Towards the end of the meeting she suggested we go and see the zoo, which happens to be very famous. I shrugged my shoulder and was wondering "what, how, don't know etc.". But, looking at her I realized that she means it and is equipped with all the "information" that is required. For example, from the front desk, she has grabbed a few information brochures and she had train/bus schedule brochure. The next question popping on my head was how to use these to really travel? But thankfully, I did not ask. She smartly led me to the bus stop and started reading the map and schedule and charted a plan on how to get to the zoo. Viola! I was bowled over. You ask me to do that - aa aa - I can't do it. In any case, I learnt there is a big difference between "we" the people and "them" the people. The "them" people are more independent, open minded, driven then "we" the people.
I will be very wrong to say that I am alone like that. It is quite evident from the way most of Indians act. For example, I had a friend who asked me few technical questions and the answers of which are buried in a paper that I gave her for reading. Now she is mad at me that I did not read and summarize and give the her content. Now what should I say, she is most certainly "we" the people and one like me. Now I wonder is there a transition possible from "we" the people to "them" the people?:)
While working, I have noticed involuntarily, I tend to ask a silly question without doing my ground work or giving proper thought. That does not mean I am incapable of thinking or doing my ground work, but rather that is the way I am groomed. And as you all know old habits die hard.
For example, in one of our common projects there is are common word docs, where a lot of the details about the project are documented. I could easily look through the doc to find the information I am seeking, but I prefer to ask that instead. Earlier on, numerous times we ask questions on the mailing forums that has already been answered, but we never go back and check. What would you call this - Lazy, Silly, Stupid? I don't know, I will call it "our attitude". This is the way we are raised and we grew up in an environment where we are overtly dependent on people for things that we can do it ourselves. For example, say in India you are going to the market and will need a ride, the first thing you would do is call to find out if someone knew a auto rikshaw driver or a taxi driver, rather than going out and venturing it herself to find one. I would say this as "familiarity" syndrome, where we are afraid to delve into unfamiliar terrain.
Similarly, there are numerous other examples when you are seeking directions to some place. We don't hesitate and ask anyone and everyone about it and are non-apologetic about it. We take it for granted that, the person we are asking this information is at our service and we are entitled to get an answer. This happens in every sphere of our lives. So, as a result till now we feel helpless if we have to go somewhere, find directions and other stuff by ourselves. We wish somebody tells us how to go there and what to find there.
On the other hand "them" are amazing people. They do their home work first. They invariably get the information brochures from the front desk, browse through and try to figure out first what they want to do and how they would do it. Once, I attended Plant and Animal Genome meeting at San Diego. I shared my room with an Israel woman scientist. Towards the end of the meeting she suggested we go and see the zoo, which happens to be very famous. I shrugged my shoulder and was wondering "what, how, don't know etc.". But, looking at her I realized that she means it and is equipped with all the "information" that is required. For example, from the front desk, she has grabbed a few information brochures and she had train/bus schedule brochure. The next question popping on my head was how to use these to really travel? But thankfully, I did not ask. She smartly led me to the bus stop and started reading the map and schedule and charted a plan on how to get to the zoo. Viola! I was bowled over. You ask me to do that - aa aa - I can't do it. In any case, I learnt there is a big difference between "we" the people and "them" the people. The "them" people are more independent, open minded, driven then "we" the people.
I will be very wrong to say that I am alone like that. It is quite evident from the way most of Indians act. For example, I had a friend who asked me few technical questions and the answers of which are buried in a paper that I gave her for reading. Now she is mad at me that I did not read and summarize and give the her content. Now what should I say, she is most certainly "we" the people and one like me. Now I wonder is there a transition possible from "we" the people to "them" the people?:)
