This is India
Five months ago I landed at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport exhausted and excited at the adventure that awaited me. This evening I am departing from the same airport with the same suitcases on the same flight a completely different person.
My personal development during this rotation cannot be attributed to a single experience or person, but rather to the culmination of every day here in India. As I have candidly told those who have asked me about my rotation, India is not for the faint of heart. It is a chaotic and can be completely overwhelming at times.Its economic disparity smacks you in the face when a child comes and begs you for money, or when you see people sleeping in shacks made of scrap metal alongside a five star hotel. The majority of the country is still developing its infrastructure, so it is a common sight to see an older man pulling a giant cart full of bricks down the road in scorching heat. The streets flood easily with the monsoon rains. There are people everywhere, all of the time. At any hour of the day or night your ears are greeted with incessant honking. Women cannot feel safe in the evenings alone.
Amidst all of this,though, there is something truly remarkable about India: its resilience.
In India there is no notion of complaining or dwelling on the negative in life. There is an unshakable spirit that flows from the monsoon rains to the smiles on the faces of children in the slums. People in India are happy. They are genuine. They are kind. There is no me, there is only we. The collective nature of society teamed with the positive culture is a special combination that has catapulted India's society to overcome and continue to thrive even in the chaos that over one billion people and limited infrastructure can cause.
When the roads are flooded during monsoon season, locals stand and direct drivers to avoid that path. They stand in the pouring rain to ensure that others stay safe. When I became ill for the first time during my rotation, the woman working at Nielsen's front desk offered to accompany me to the doctor even though that meant she would have to stay late and find a way home. When you ask for directions in India (which you do a lot) other drivers will lead you to show you the route. When I arrived at the market in search of ingredients for a recipe in Hindi, people helped me to find each and every spice.
One prime example of India's resilience and kindness is Pradeep, the cab driver that I was paired throughout my five months in Mumbai.
Pradeep is the person with whom I spent the most time with during my rotation. He picked me up from my apartment each morning and drove me home in the evenings after work. On special occasions we would adventure to the city on Saturdays and he would patiently drive me from shop to museum to shop again as I tried to see all of the sights in Mumbai.
During the many hours that I spent in the car with Pradeep, I learned a lot about India and even more about myself. He did not speak much English and I did not speak much Hindi. Pradeep would point things out to me and teach me the Hindi word for them. He would ask me questions about what driving is like in my country and warn me that I should not be a nervous driver because that is dangerous. We shared many special moments, but I wanted to share a few of my favorites with you.
Pradeep's sister-in-law makes his tiffin box (his breakfast, lunch, and dinner) each morning for him to bring during his duty. He drives me during the day and sometimes has another cab duty after he drops me off. The drive from where he stays to where I live is over an hour without traffic, so you can imagine how long his days are. One morning he asked me what I brought for lunch and I told him fruit, yogurt, and some nuts. He turned around and insisted that I take his tiffin box because I did not have enough food to eat. It took me a few minutes of convincing him that I appreciated the gesture, but I had enough food to eat. Pradeep makes very little money and works long hours. He shares his earnings with his family. Yet, he was willing to go hungry to offer me his food.
On the way home one day, Pradeep mentioned that his birthday was May 16th. He only said it once and I made a mental note. When that day arrived I had him stop at the mall after work because I told him that I needed to do some shopping. Instead, I went inside and got him some mango donuts, a Bollywood CD for his cab, and a card. In total it cost me $15. He was moved to tears and tried to give me the gifts back. He asked me, "Why celebrate my birthday?". He explained to me that he had never celebrated his birthday because his family could not afford it. Pradeep insisted that I take half of the donuts home with me, but I jumped out of the car so that he could not give them back. That weekend he shared the donuts with his extended family and profusely thanked me the entire week that followed. The gratitude that he displayed for something as simple as a small birthday gift is something that I will never forget.
A few months into my rotation I was asking Pradeep how he manages to stay awake on the days when he works late and has to get up early to come back to get me.Driving a cab is not an esteemed profession in India, nor does it pay very well. Pradeep still picked me up each day with a "good morning!" and genuine kindness in his voice. He did not acknowledge that he was tired once throughout the five months that I was with him. Instead, one morning on the way to work he told me, "Ma'am I am very proud to drive a car." This simple sentence changed the way that I think about my own life and the opportunities that I have been given.
The final Pradeep story has left me with words that will forever echo in my memories of India. We were driving home from work and there was traffic on the other side of the road. To avoid this traffic, many rickshaws and cars just started driving on the wrong side of the road and directly into our way. I said, "Pradeep! Why are the rickshaws doing that?" and he calmly turned around and laughed, saying "Ma'am this is India."
There is always a way in India, whether that means avoiding traffic by going straight into other cars or walking your cow along the highway to get from point A to point B. The country embraces the chaos and rises each day with a smile. I can only hope that I bring that resilience and gratitude with me as I board my flight home. Until next time, India.
Cheers,
B
Just another drive with Pradeep
The final commute
Farewell lunch with my HR team
Team farewell cake
Last day at Nielsen Mumbai