Returning from abroad

Thanks to the over 8 % GDP growth rate of India, many of us are finding jobs in multinational companies. On many occasions these jobs take us abroad. Assignments in US, Europe, Malaysia, Singapore etc are no longer once in a lifetime phenomenon rather they are very much a routine affair.

I am on an assignment in Nigeria these days. Just this morning I met a Nigerian person who has recently come back from an assignment in far east. While talking to this person I could sense a sort of an unusual behavior. It was not rude or impolite but just purely synthetic.

And as usual this led me to think of many similar incidents in the past and ultimately to this blog.

So this blog is about how some of us might be prone to getting contaminated when we return from our foreign trips.

I remember an incident from my college days. Many students in those days were fortunate to find internships abroad (I was not – so this could be inspired by envy)). One such student while making a presentation on his internship project (after his return to India) seemed to magically have adopted a different accent. He just couldn’t speak straight. Annoyed by this the professor asked him why he was talking like that and in the same accent he replied that he has just returned from Germany and cannot help it. The professor asked how many months he was in Germany and he said 3 to which the professor replied - and in India? He of course did not answer as the whole class broke into peels of laughter. The answer of course was 21 years.

The Nigerian person was behaving somewhat in a similar manner. Speaking with an accent, being overtly polite, behaving at least two job levels higher than their current position. We were all trying to be friendly to this person offering our services to make them settle down easily but apparently the self assured individual did not care for any of it or were we no longer in the same league?

This happens a lot and the sad part is that we might indulge in similar behavior without ever realizing it.

Another incident I remember from my college days relates to me. I was short listed for interview by a foreign multinational. The interview lasted for couple of days with more than 5 sittings. And at the end of it when I returned to normal coffee corner chit chats with my colleagues I seemed to have developed an accent. Irritated by this one of my close friends pointed this to me. It was awkward but indeed I realized I was talking like a buffoon.

There are plenty of other examples in my own life. For instance when I returned from Netherlands to take up a position in Bangalore, I have a feeling, I must have behaved like a snob. Trying to be too gentle and polished. Treating everyone around me in a condescending manner.
Accent is not the only outward manifestation of such disorder. Dressing up is another. Suddenly changing food habits is yet another indicator. And obviously there is this whole other category of indicators that have to do with display of money. That one doesn’t necessarily need a trip abroad though.

Not everyone behaves like this. I have seen people who can seamlessly move between their stay in India and abroad. External influences don’t seem to do much damage to them. A part of this could be character but for us the lesser mortals a bit of awareness should be useful.

In my opinion to be on the safer side it is advisable to tone down a wee-bit extra than usual just in case there is a natural (undetectable) instinct trying to contaminate us and pull us in the other direction. Observing one’s behavior and seeking constant feedback could be a good idea. Another good idea could be to dress up in some of your old clothes. An extra effort to fit in may not hurt.

And for god’s sake stop believing that a trip abroad is anymore a status symbol.