CultureShock! India , livre ebook

Marshall Cavendish International - Lynelle Seow

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218 pages

English

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CultureShock! India helps you understand this country that has more than 4,000 separate communities and where over 300 different languages are spoken. Learn to navigate your way through Indian society, and appreciate the traditions and values that bind the people together despite their differences. Peppered with personal anecdotes, this book gives practical advice to avoid cultural misunderstandings as well as tips to facilitate your move to the country, including information on how to find a suitable home, how to get around, what schools and facilities are available for your family and what to expect from the work environment. Complete with delightful chapters on food, entertaining, leisure activities and festivals. About the Series: CultureShock! is a comprehensive, dynamic and indispensable guide for travellers looking to truly understand the countries they are visiting, as well as expatriates settling into a new assignment in a foreign land. Each title explains the customs, traditions, social and business etiquette in a lively and informative style. CultureShock! Authors, all of whom have experienced the joys and pitfalls of cultural adaptation, provide warm and informative advice to those who seek to integrate seamlessly into diverse cultures. The books have a friendly and honest writing style and are full of personal experiences, practical advise and useful information.

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India

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Publié par	Marshall Cavendish International
Date de parution	28 février 2017
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9789814771986
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	4 Mo

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2017 Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited
Published by Marshall Cavendish Editions An imprint of Marshall Cavendish International

All rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Requests for permission should be addressed to the Publisher, Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited, 1 New Industrial Road, Singapore 536196. Tel: (65) 6213 93001.
E-mail: genref@sg.marshallcavendish.com
Website: www.marshallcavendish.com/genref
The publisher makes no representation or warranties with respect to the contents of this book, and specifically disclaims any implied warranties or merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose, and shall in no event be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damage, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.
Other Marshall Cavendish Offices:
Marshall Cavendish Corporation. 99 White Plains Road, Tarrytown NY 10591-9001, USA Marshall Cavendish International (Thailand) Co Ltd. 253 Asoke, 12th Flr, Sukhumvit 21 Road, Klongtoey Nua, Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand Marshall Cavendish (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Times Subang, Lot 46, Subang Hi-Tech Industrial Park, Batu Tiga, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Marshall Cavendish is a registered trademark of Times Publishing Limited
National Library Board, Singapore Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
Name(s): Seow, Lynelle.
Title: CultureShock! India : a survival guide to customs and etiquette / Lynelle Seow. Other title(s): India : a survival guide to customs and etiquette | Culture shock India Description: Singapore : Marshall Cavendish Editions, 2017
Identifier(s): OCN 966299239 | eISBN 978 981 47 7198 6
Subject(s): LCSH: Etiquette--India. | India--Social life and customs. | India--Description and travel.
Classification: DDC 954--dc23
Printed in Singapore by Fabulous Printers Pte Ltd
Photo Credits:
All photos by the author Cover photo by the author
All illustrations by TRIGG
ABOUT THE SERIES
Culture shock is a state of disorientation that can come over anyone who has been thrust into unknown surroundings, away from one s comfort zone. CultureShock! is a series of trusted and reputed guides which has, for decades, been helping expatriates and long-term visitors to cushion the impact of culture shock whenever they move to a new country.
Written by people who have lived in the country and experienced culture shock themselves, the authors share all the information necessary for anyone to cope with these feelings of disorientation more effectively. The guides are written in a style that is easy to read and cover a range of topics that will arm readers with enough advice, hints and tips to make their lives as normal as possible again.
Each book is structured in the same manner. It begins with the first impressions that visitors will have of that city or country. To understand a culture, one must first understand the people-where they came from, who they are, the values and traditions they live by, as well as their customs and etiquette. This is covered in the first half of the book.
Then on with the practical aspects-how to settle in with the greatest of ease. Authors walk readers through how to find accommodation, get the utilities and telecommunications up and running, enrol the children in school and keep in the pink of health. But that s not all. Once the essentials are out of the way, venture out and try the food, enjoy more of the culture and travel to other areas. Then be immersed in the language of the country before discovering more about the business side of things.
To round off, snippets of information are offered before readers are tested on customs and etiquette. Useful words and phrases, a comprehensive resource guide and list of books for further research are also included for easy reference.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I owe a debt of gratitude to Mr and Mrs Dayal for opening their home to us and providing a nurturing environment from which we could best explore India. I benefitted greatly from their insights and invaluable feedback.
I would have never thought of putting my thoughts on paper if not for the nudging of friends, who I must thank for believing in me when the nights were long and resolve was short: Ee Huang, Patricia, Priyanka, Tammy and Yumi. Thanks must also go to Amita and friends in Delhi, Mumbai and Singapore who lent their experiences and friendship. Huge thanks go to my editors Rachel Heng and She-Reen Wong for their patience and professionalism, and to my family for accommodating my strange writing hours and creative moods. Also not forgetting Chindians Andrew and Devi, as well as Murugan and Dhurga, for help with the Tamil phrases. Thanks must also go to my new colleagues for their support and love.
Lastly I have to mention three people to whom I owe a deep personal debt. I am grateful to Melvin for his kindness and encouragement, and to my best friend Shah, whose unwavering encouragement and friendship have been invaluable to the completion of this book. I am especially grateful to my husband Ben, who has held my hand for 15 years and made me smile for just as long. Ben has been my sunshine and my rock, and this book is my love song to him and a story of us.
DEDICATION

For Ben and our Indian family -
the Dayals, Madhu and Santosh
CONTENTS
Preface
Map of India
A Note to the Reader
Chapter 1
First Impressions
Culture Shock
Chapter 2
Geography and History
The Land
Climate
Flora and Fauna
History
City Portraits
Chapter 3
Indians
Ethnic Groups
Defining Indian Identity
The Joint Family
The Indian Worldview
Hindu Society
Hindu Spiritual Practice
Defining Traits
Chapter 4
Fitting In
Greetings
Communicating
Dress and Modesty
Social Etiquette
Personal Space
Making Friends
Chapter 5
Practicalities
What to Bring
Visas and Residential Permits
Accommodation
Setting Up Home
Domestic Help
Workmen
Getting Around
Shopping
Schools
Money
Health and Healthcare
Food Poisoning and Diarrhoea
Water
Air Pollution
Eye Pollution
Toilets
Poverty
Women s Safety
Chapter 6
Food
Regional Food
Street Food
Typical Indian Meals
How to Beat the Heat and a Cold
Eating In an Indian Home
Eating Out
Hosting a Party
Chapter 7
Enjoying India
Travel
Festivals
The Arts
Bollywood and Indian Cinema
Literature and Reading
Chess
Cricket
Nature
Nightlife
Clubs and Gyms
Yoga
Volunteering
Chapter 8
Learning the Language
English and India
Learning Indian Languages
Chapter 9
Doing Business in India
Indian Working Culture
Managing Indian Staff
Business Etiquette
The Art and Tumble of Getting to Yes!
The Business Environment
Chapter 10
At a Glance
Famous Indians
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
City Rankings
Culture Quiz
Dos and Don ts
Glossary
Resource Guide
Further Reading
About the Author
Index
PREFACE

I sat pondering in my seat as the lights came on and the credits rolled. I had just watched The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel , a story about seven people who had left the life they had always known in order to continue it in India. As the movie-goers around me walked away from the fiction back to their comfortable lives, I lingered amid the discomfort of what my life may soon become.
My husband Ben had received word that his job would bring us to New Delhi and we had just enough time to let it sink in and watch a movie, the latter being my only effort at cultural preparation (I m glad you re doing more, such as reading this book). As fear-driven well-wishers plied me with an immodest supply of medicines and packaged food to stave off death by diarrhoea, I knew I had to adopt a better mental model than doom. Death by close-mindedness would be far more tragic. So I changed my starting point from dread and fear (although caution is useful) and decided my time in India would be not merely to survive, but to thrive , in the words of Maya Angelou. And to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humour, and some style .
I believe that this is the perfect mantra for anyone embarking on their personal passage to India; not merely to survive but to thrive. Only then can you get the best out of your Indian experience with all its exotic and marigold-fringed possibilities.
It is not difficult at all to see why Incredible India was adopted as the slogan for the country that lies beyond the edge of singular description. Nowhere on earth is there a country older, more colourful, more intriguing, more exasperating than India, this grand old dame with a million facets and a billion characters who has seen the tide of times. Having given birth to four world religions and the oldest living civilisation, she now nurtures the world s largest democracy whilst keeping to age-old traditions in an unparalleled example of cultural continuity. Nowhere else can the past and present intertwine like it can in India. She robes herself with complexity and contradictions and wears diversity like a crown. To understand her is to have to piece together a multitude of encounters, views, odes, rants, experiences, fables and stories. This book shares mine.
MAP OF INDIA
A NOTE TO THE READER
I have tried my best to provide a pan-India perspective but my account comes mainly from my experiences living in New Delhi and Mumbai, and my travels to other Indian cities, such as Amritsar, Bengaluru, Chennai, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Visakhapatnam.
Where generalisations are made, I have tried my best from falling into stereotypes. India is a diverse culture so if I have inadvertently crossed that line and offended anyone, I apologise in advance.
Some terms used in the book are colloquial