Indian inefficiency and ambiguous headbobs

The most difficult part of my internship so far has no doubt been the different style of working here. Don't get me wrong--everyone at Veerni seems to work pretty hard, and the programs I've read about in the Annual Report do actually seem to take place in the capacity they mention. BUT everything seems to be done in the least efficient manner possible (and this is not an exaggeration). This does not seem to be unique to Veerni (other international interns I've met in Jodhpur mention this regularly) and it does not seem to be unique to the workplace (Take for instance local samosa stands: they divide the labor required for even the simplest task and you must pay one person the 5 rupees for your samosa, get a receipt, and walk half a foot to the guy who takes your receipt and puts it in a bag...I think Adam Smith would be rolling in his grave witnessing this). It's all in the name of efficiency, but really, it can be extremely slow and frustrating.

For someone who is perhaps too high-strung in her life and work at home, I have been trying to use this as a learning opportunity--I should slow down a bit whenever I can. But for now, it still "offends" my sensibilities (as an American? as a Shulman? I'm not entirely sure...)

I've also recently mastered the ambiguous Indian head nod, something I still find incredibly frustrating when I am asking my boss an important question. It resembles the little head tilt a la Night at the Roxbury and it neither means yes or no...though it usually seems to mean yes (?) That said, I've started doing it, and even though I've picked it up, I have trouble interpreting it (I'm not even sure what it means when I myself do it).

I've also picked up saying "ha" (the Hindi term for "yes"). What's great about it is that it is said with an inflection that makes it sound like you are having a revelation every time you say "yes." It's adorable and, given that positive reinforcement simply doesn't exist here (no one will ever say "this report is great" or "good job"), it's nice to get a revelatory "ha" every once in a while when I hand in completed work.

My apologies for all of the blabbering about my frustrations with the way things seem to work here. I promised myself I would talk about the issues (the drought and famine are two that I've unexpectedly encountered, which not surprisingly have a HUGE impact on the way in which women's rights operate here), but that will have to wait until next time.