Unlikely Advice

I really do have the best job in the entire world. I never knew I could love teaching and consulting so much. I almost feel guilty for getting paid. I am an Associate Professor at a management school in Academic City. It is a MBA school with 98% Indian students (check it out, www.spjaindubai.org. You can see me under 'Faculty'). The funny thing is my work has become more of an education for me. I have discovered so many things about the Indian culture and the more I learn, the more I love it.

First off, it is odd to work with people who are used to the caste system. I have never been called madame so many times in my life. Imagine also, they never sit in my office unless they are invited to do so. Who died and made me queen? I have water given to me whenever I need it, and I get to eat the most delicious Indian food in the cafeteria. In addition, I have had my palm read, given 'how to wear a sari' tips, and told I can't wear high heels when I am pregnant (who said so??? Apparently every Indian doctor).

Along with teaching, I provide resume consultations and conduct mock interviews. I am sometimes shocked by the advice I give:

"Definitely add 'Been in a Bollywood movie' to your resume, all of Southeast Asia will love you for it"

"Saying 'Hitler is someone you admire the most' probably won't make you the favorite person in the room"

"Tamil, Malayalam, Gujarati, Bengali and Urdu are all languages that won't matter so much in the business world"

"By telling me you have a wife and you are currently trying to have kids will not necessarily help you get more money"

"Give me more details about how you tried to make those from the Indian villages take their money from the gold they own and put it into your bank."

"Putting 'junkie' in your interests is probably not a good idea" (He liked to make things out of recycled 'junk'.)

The list goes on...I will add to this as things come back to my memory.

What amazes me the most about working with these great students is the fact that they are typically the person you talk to when you have a problem with your printer, computer, etc. They are on the other end of the line answering all of your technical problems back in India. I hear their stories first hand. One girl managed a manufacturing plant for GAP. She described to me a time when the plant was behind on their shipment because the dryers were not working properly. She had a large order that needed to be sent to the US for Baby GAP. She said she personally paid for the shipment to be sent priority so that it would make it there on time. And there I am (or you)...asking the sales girl in the US, when is the new season of clothes going to arrive???

One of my students worked on a shipping boat. He had travelled all over the world. I asked him to describe to me a time when he was under pressure. He said this, "One time we were dealing with treacherous weather. As a result, the crew were trying to stabilize everything on deck. Unfortunately, one of our crew-who we all knew and loved-was struck by a heavy object and died. I was the manager of the deck and so I had to ensure our other crew members were able to continue to perform and focus until we safely made it to our destination. I had to care for the body and manage the rest of the members who were distraught and saddened." Uh, yeah, that would be a good example.

I have heard so many incredible stories. It has opened a whole new world to me. I enjoy every second. However amongst all of the stories, the one time I really knew I was working in a unique environment was when I heard someone say this,

"I live for today. Life is too short. I definitely never diet. I always think, this may be the only time I am a human. In the next life, I could very well be a crocodile. Who wants to eat fish all their life?"

Not me.