a not-so-proverbial case study in cultural differences

so today i was on the receiving end of some of the warmest and most detestable services offered by the people who work in the same organisation, the same building, and the same room. the crucial difference is that one of the parties is a person from another country and the other is local.

the check in process at uncle sam's embassy was smooth enough with the usual security screening and every thing. evidently they take security very seriously and it really did seem like a fortified castle wherever you went. the walls are thicker and everything is in the dullest shade of gray possible.

subject #1:
then there was the usual waiting process. and when it finally came my turn to pay the application fee and submit the documents, i walked briskly up to the counter and was told (in a very inhospitable tone) by the lady at the counter to read the instructions pasted on the window and follow them. now you could tell she was local from her accent, and all the while she didn't even bother to establish any sort of eye contact. it really made me feel like she's got better things to do than sitting there and doing her job. and then after some fumbling for documents, she returned one of those forms and asked me to sign it. when i asked her "may i know where?..." she snapped at me impatiently "flip over the page and read the instructions!" i got quite the rude shock, signed it, apologized and left hurriedly to wait again.

subject #2:
then when my turn came for the interview, the person attending to me at the counter was this cheery dude with a half-shaven beard. i guess he was in his early thirties and obviously a consulate official from the states. from the moment he said hello till i left, our conversation was so easy going and relaxed and he even managed to crack a joke. i totally forgot that it was supposed to be an "interview" and that my heart was threatening to explode and leave nasty blood stains on my shirt just minutes before i was called. you could feel the energy in his voice and that he really loved his job. in fact it took only about 5 minutes for him to give me the big grin and tell me that my visa was approved. and keeping in mind that it is i who's seeking a favour from them and not the other way around, it's surprising, by any standards, to see the kind of hospitality shown to me. he just sort of reminds you of your favourite teacher in school - funny, capable and just a joy to be around with.

it got me thinking, what made it so different the attitude between us in the east and those in the west who are in the "service" industry. somehow we think of it as something only fit for the lowest rungs of society while over in the west people do their jobs with the same kind of pride that they do everything else. and it really made all the difference in the feel-good department of your head. maybe it has also got something to do with the way they were brought up?

i gotta hand it to uncle sam for putting some of the friendliest people in their embassies across the world.

and oh, thanks for the visa again.


+listening to: isis by bob dylan