expat – Brian AiChang's Blog

Reflections of India

It’s now August 2017. I took a few months break as my family prepared and transitioned back to Colorado after 2 ½ years living in Mumbai. It’s been a whirlwind as we said goodbye (or in Hindi “phir milenge”) to our friends. It was especially tough to say goodbye to our drivers and maid (Sarfaraz, Rafik, and Kunda) who became part of our family. As I look back, it has been an amazing journey. We were able to visit 8 countries in the region and traveled all across India with the exception of Varanasi – we just ran out of time…

I am extremely proud to graduate with my joint Executive MBA from Indian Institute of Technology Bombay and Washington University in St. Louis and had one of my best professional experiences volunteering as the board president at the American School of Bombay. However, I found the best part of India to be the richness of the people: warm, hospitable, passionate, and sometimes, a bit crazy. When I first started my blog, I created a Top 10 “Only in India” list. I want to recap that list and then share my 2 life lessons that India taught me.

Number 10 – Traffic is very congested in India and the use of the car horn is applied liberally. Actually, I believe honking is a form of echo location. Whether you are 5 ft or 50 ft away, honking is mandatory.

Number 9 – Does “yes” mean “no”? No one ever says “no”. How can I tell if “yes” means “yes”?

Number 8 – Seeing the locals’ reaction when saying “Mujhe ullu mat banao” when the situation calls for it. My Hindi teacher said to use this sparingly. I found it amusing to see the reaction I get when a foreigner says it. It added a new dimension to the term.

Number 7 – Scratching my head when my neighbor complained that the shoe rack outside of my flat caused the hallway to be dirty…I’m pretty sure my shoes are not the root cause…

Number 6 – A small city means less than 1,000,000 people.

Number 5 – A wedding attended by 400 people is considered “very small”.

Number 4 – I thought my family’s “island time” in Hawaii was relaxed…India is even more relaxed – always add at least 2 hours (or 2 days or 2 weeks) to a start/delivery time…

Number 3 – There are bad monkeys here. Lock your possessions (especially food), or they will disappear.

Number 2 – You think you are “ballin” (living a good life) until you realize you didn’t have an elephant at your wedding.

Number 1 – Everybody is a cricket coach! The US cannot compare to the passion of the fans here. In fact, when India plays Pakistan in any match, I find it is the best time to drive across the city – fastest commute ever.

Now that I’ve been back in Colorado for 3 weeks, I’ve had time to reflect a little more. I feel a sense of calm. I no longer “rush to the next thing” or complain when something minor happens (just listen to people complain in a Starbuck’s line). Work hard, play hard, and appreciate what’s around you – especially the family.

I’ve been able to look at new opportunities with a different perspective and worldly view on life based on two life lessons:

“Anything is Possible” – India is the epitome that anything can and will happen. We just do not know it yet. There is an aura that no matter what the situation is or how the odds are against you, there is always a chance/opportunity which no one gives up hope. The work ethic and desire to “push through” and overcome challenges is a testament to Indian resiliency.
“If you can live here, you can live anywhere” – While this is a cliché, this is very true. There is no predictability or a homogenous society where you can set expectations. Everything and I mean everything is different from region, state, city, and neighborhood. If you can adapt to change here, you can adapt to any situation.

We miss the friendships, my maid’s poha, and the vibe of the country. But, it is also good to be back home. I have documented my journey on a personal blog. If you are so inclined, please take a look at my other posts on www.brianaichang.com. If you have any questions, please let me know. I look forward to connecting with you.

Hiking through Simplicity

Last month, my family had the opportunity to hike in Sikkim, India located in northeast Himalayas mountain range bordering Nepal and Bhutan. We spent 4 nights exploring the countryside, residing in Home Stays, and hiking (from Pelling to Yuksam). Electrical load sharing is common in this region – available a couple of hours a day at random times. Though you can receive a 3G signal for internet through your cell phone, wifi is uncommon. But, once your phone dies, you have to wait until electricity is available which can be a while. You lose connection with the world but start to appreciate the “simple life”.

Home Stay Family

Food tastes better. Maybe it’s because hiking makes you hungrier, or it’s because you appreciate how much harder it is to cook without electricity. Your body clock aligns with sunrise and sunset – after all, you can’t do much without light, and a candle can only provide so much of it. You wake up refreshed from a good night sleep – no interruptions from the cell phone, just pure rest. Looking out of the window, you realize how amazing the mountains look instead of rushing to start your morning. You re-appreciate what you take for granted. Coming from Colorado, I saw the Rocky Mountains every day, but I didn’t really pay attention to it. After living abroad and living in a different subcontinent, I appreciate the moment.

River

Fast forward two weeks later, and I’m back in Mumbai setting up a panel discussion in an event hosted by Washington University in St. Louis and Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. We invited speakers from both universities, with collaboration from the American School of Bombay, to moderate and bring industry expertise from their global community to expound upon leadership and educational needs under the context of India’s initiative “Make In India” as the country evolves from a developing nation. I reflected and marveled how in just a short time ago, I was hiking in the Himalayas with limited communication to being in the center of global dialog – examining India’s educational culture of risk aversion to developing leaders who can address unknown unknowns.

IIT-WashU-ASB Panelists

The panel discussion was a huge success stimulating intellectual curiosity on how the country’s educational foundation should transition to meet leadership challenges as India advances to an industrial economy.

With so many complexities, I definitely appreciate simplicity. I just know to never take it for granted.

Hillside

The Quest for the Dengue Fever Vaccination

Last month, I took my kids on an African safari in Kenya where we had the time of our lives. Who can imagine the beauty of the nature at her finest. We saw the Big 5 (buffalo, elephant, lion, rhinoceros, and leopard) and even had a friendly encounter with a giraffe. At ~17 feet tall, you realize how insignificant you become pretty quick.

Kenya

Though Kenya was truly an epic adventure, the adventure began as I didn’t realize vaccination requirements – not to enter Kenya but to re-enter India! India requires individuals coming from Kenya to be vaccinated against Dengue Fever/Yellow Fever. With less than a week to our departure, I was worried not about the shots but the fact I needed to go to an Indian government-run hospital to obtain the vaccination certificate for the family.
The Adventure Begins
Calling the medical center for additional details was of no use. No one answered or the phone number listed on the website was incorrect. Either way, the only way to get answers was to travel to the center. Upon arrival, I was greeted by a guard and administrator who promptly told me that they were done for the day (at 2 PM) and to come back at 8:30 AM on the next day for registration followed by vaccination starting at 10 AM. I prepped the kids for the upcoming day (e.g. no complaining) and proceeded to show up the next morning to find a long line already formed. It turns out that at 8:30 AM, the line forms to sequentially register at 10 AM with vaccinations beginning at 11 AM. This begs a lot of questions that begin with why… If I asked why, I would go crazy so I stopped asking why in India which my local friends confirmed is the only way to survive in India’s bureaucracy.

Waiting
It’s a good thing we were #29, 30, and 31 since we were able to sit down on some cushioned chairs. The rest were standing and wandering in and out. Luckily there was a “line officer” keeping track of the sequential order or it would have been Armageddon. At 10, the registration begins where we had to fill out a paper ledger – name, passport number, birth date, etc. No such thing as electronic registration prior. One person to write the info, one person to collect money, and one other to keep an eye of what’s going on…I’m just happy to register at this point as I know we will get vaccinated sometime that day…

Shots!
At 11 AM, a queue was formed to take the first 30 patients for vaccinations. As luck would have it, my son is #31. Thankfully, the officials counted him as 30 ½ and let him come up. We go up a set a stairs to another waiting room and proceed to fill out an Indian vaccination form. They didn’t trust us to register but trust us to fill out the vaccination certification… Ladies were called first in assembly line fashion. Then the men. Like a car assembly plant, we walked up to the doctor, raised our sleeve, cleaned the arm, and then got stuck – the most efficient process of the day (15 in about a min).
Aftermath
So after almost 4 hours and wondering what was going on most of the time, we got our vaccination certificates and can be allowed to re-enter India from our safari. The irony? The only time we were asked to present vaccination proof was at the Kenyan Airline counter as we were leaving Kenya. India immigration didn’t even ask…big sigh…
What did I learn?
• There is no sense of urgency to create an efficient system – patients are stuck to the whims of bureaucracy.
• Patience is really a virtue.
• Equality – It doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor, the system treats everybody equally. Note: There is LOTS of room for improvement.
• After currency conversion, the cost of the vaccination was $5 per shot. Hmmm…maybe Government run hospitals are a good idea.
• After enduring 4 hours for a vaccination that should take no more than 30 min (from entry to exit), I think not.

Seeing America in India

After living in Mumbai for a year, you can point out obvious things that are different than back home. But, you’d be surprise to learn how similar these two countries are. Let’s start with the obvious.

Movies

Americans. Indians. It doesn’t matter who. We both love our movies and movie stars. In fact, you can see fans waiting outside Shahrukh Khan’s (Brad Pitt counterpart) house waiting to see a glimpse of him in Bandra. Here’s a couple of movie stars I met during my Executive MBA sessions with Jackie Shroff (Bruce Willis counterpart) and John Abraham (think of a young Sylvester Stallone).

John Abraham Jackie Shroff

American “can do” vs Indian “jugaad”

It’s been the fabric of the American DNA to never admit defeat and to fight against all odds to accomplish the impossible – mass transportation infrastructure, man on the moon, etc. Like the US, jugaad exemplifies the same American spirit with a slight twist – frugal innovation or hustle at work. India has sent a Mars orbiter, Mangalyaan, for a fraction of the cost of NASA’s missions to Mars.

Food, Family, and Fun

Americans love get-togethers for weekend bar-b-q, Super Bowl parties, or whatever the occasion may be. Typically, these parties range from small (2-4) to large (~40). In India, there’s always a holiday, wedding, or special occasion where the small (~40) ranges to large (1000+). For Gampati, a Hindu festival celebrating Lord Ganesh, there are countless families, friends, and communities celebrating at the same time together. American like to celebrate. Indian like to celebrate with everybody.

Diwali

Christina invited to celebrate honoring Lord Ganesh from a friendly family.

Outside of Marriott

Makar Sankranti (Hindu festival honoring Lord Shiva)

Efficiency

Who doesn’t like efficiency? America prides itself on being both efficient and effective. For the most part, that is true. However, India has America beat on this one.

Dabbawallahs: These gentlemen pick up lunch made from your house, coordinate logistics at a meeting point, and then deliver lunch to the spouse so the lunch is warm and fresh – not sitting in the bag from the night before or early in the morning. After lunch, the tiffin box (lunch container) gets picked up and returned to the house. Two amazing facts: 1) Most of these gentlemen are illiterate. 2) Of the daily 6 million deliveries, there’s only 1 mistake made. Talk about efficiency.

Dabbawallahs

Only in India

image description — Inaugural Executive MBA class between Washington University in St. Louis and Indian Institute of Technology Bombay

This is my Executive MBA class which I was fortunate to be selected. We arrived in Mumbai on Jan 7, 2014, and my joint business school interview occurred on Jan 10, 2014. In between those 4 days, we enrolled our children at an international school, spent 2 days searching for a place to live, and getting the courage to cross the street (I thought I could handle any type of traffic after living in Los Angeles, Tokyo, Seoul, and Washington DC…I was wrong). My class is dynamic and very interactive, expressing their experiences and ideas in a wide range of industries such as IT services, agriculture, manufacturing, and aerospace to name a few. For me, this is the best part of the program – learning first-hand of their business and cultural experiences which they warmly welcomed me with.

To share some Indian insights, I have borrowed from David Letterman’s Top 10 List and compiled some unique experiences that can be found “Only in India…”

Number 9 – Does “yes” mean “no”? No one ever says “no”. How can I tell if “yes” means “yes”?

Number 8 – Seeing the locals’ reaction when saying “Mujhe ullu mat banao” when the situation calls for it. Translated, it means “Don’t take me for a fool”. It’s a Mumbaikar term meant for local use. So when a foreigner says it, it adds a new dimension to the meaning.

Number 7 – Scratching my head when my neighbor complained that the shoe rack outside of my flat caused the hallway to be dirty…I’m pretty sure my shoes are not the root cause…

Number 6 – A small city means less than 1,000,000 people.

Number 5 – A wedding attended by 400 people is considered “very small”.

Number 4 – I thought my family’s “island time” in Hawaii was relaxed…India is even more relaxed -always add at least 2 hours (or 2 days) to a start/delivery time…

Number 3 – There are bad monkeys here. Lock your possessions (especially food), or they will disappear.

Number 2 – You think you are “ballin” (living a good life) until you realize you didn’t have an elephant at your wedding.

Number 1 – Everybody is a cricket coach! The US cannot compare to the passion of the fans here. In fact, when India played Pakistan in the World Cup last year, the entire country shut down.