There are many cultural differences, but it's interesting which ones trip you up as a bideshi. This is how the hospital linens are dried:
My first thought was, "What? They don't have a clothes dryer?". It's a lot of work to hang an entire hospital's linens on the line and then remove them.
Next, we marvel daily at the construction site immediately next to our flat. The foundation holes were dug by hand with mattocks by about 30 manual laborers. The dirt was carried by hand in woven jute baskets about the size of large salad bowls to piles beside the site. Rebar was cut by chisel. The concrete, mixed in small batches, was carried in the same baskets (as above) by a continuous line of workers to the foundation holes.
We've watched and thought, "A construction company doesn't have a backhoe?" and, "One cement mixer would make short work of this."
Then it was explained to us that this would put 30 deshi families out of work (and into hunger); labor is inexpensive.
In America, efficiency is an idol. Here, family and friends are the measure. You can only imagine some of the cultural differences this causes.
I followed a similar thought path while there (or rather nearby), also thinking about the dignity of the laborers. Class distinction and ranking was only imposed by those "above". The workers were focused as you say on family, friends, community.
ReplyDeleteOne of the aspects that occured to me dwelt on how many "high-powered", wealthy people I know who dream of living simply on a farm with their hands in the dirt.
At least they use clothes lines! The washerman (dohbi) in our town in India would return our clothes with an occasional leaf folded in them from where they were hung on the hedges around town.
ReplyDeleteI am so happy to see these postings from you. They not only tell us what you are doing, and the flavor of your lives, but hearing what you are thinking about it all is wonderful! Love Mopsy