On Thursday 28 Dec 2006 9:38 am, Srini Ramakrishnan wrote: > Any method in which I can deal with the > uncertainities and stupidity that India throws at me will certainly > help.
Rule number ONE: Time schedules are almost meaningless. "two minutes" means 10 to 30 minutes "Ten minutes" means one to four hours. "Today" means in the next two or three days "Tomorrow" means - Nothing has been done about it and the person who has to do something about it is currently unavailable and there is bugger-all that you can do about it even if you have an apoplectic fit and surprise your wife yet again with your temper. 10 AM means 11 AM If your mother and father have not lost touch, try to take their help and look at the Hindu calendar for good days and bad days, auspicious days and festivals. A lot big things will never start on bad days. Festivals like Dussera and Diwali are a disaster. Work will generally not get done. Many people do work Sundays and they do work after hours - up to 7 or 8 PM if need be. Only the IT industry and Seventh Day adventists think Saturday is a holiday. Do not get ready with bribes unless you want to be hoodwinked and shown up as a sucker. Speak in Kannada if possible - failing that Telugu or Tamil may work, Hindi less often. English means you are a sucker. Take a course from a reputed person (if possible) in doing pranayama (Yogic breathing) and shavasana. Shavasana literally means "dead-body-posture" and is incredibly relaxing and can be done sitting in your car in a traffic jam and in front of your dead DSL modem. I actually learned these from a book by a French guy - can't recall the name. Let India grow into you. In India if you are frustrated you are totally alone. Like birth and death. All alone. If you are calm, relaxed and accepting of things you cannot help - you survive. Remember that when you can't change people and circumstances around you to fit your timescales, you can still change yourself. shiv
