The Art of the Sandwich and Why I'm Often Wrong

Author: Caitie Goddard
Project: National Institute of Speech and Hearing | Disability Resources Website
Year: 2014
Kerala, India

My experience in Kerala, India has certainly exposed my own cultural prejudices and given me several opportunities to think critically about my response to how I view the world. I love traveling and this trip has confirmed my belief that the more exposure I get to new cultures and experiences, the more comfortable I have to become with the realization that I don't, "get it," and that I will constantly be surprised by my ignorance. One great example was at a recent dinner with a Professor who works part time at NISH. He has never left India and yet knows more about the world than most people I know, likely due to his voracious love of reading. I have always felt that through living, working and traveling abroad, I've learned far more than I ever did in the classroom. I am a huge proponent of stepping out of your comfort zone and of living outside of the country you were born, even if it's for only 6 months. And yet, here is a man who could delve into any topic, seemed exceptionally open to different cultures and ways of life and didn't like leaving Kerala. It was a great opportunity for me to remember that education comes in many forms and just because I may have looked a bit credulously at the education process strictly out of books, the most important aspect is simply being open to new ideas and thought processes. A cultural difference that I'm still working on trying to better understand is the local business model.The Subway at Technopark demonstrates the difference between the same restaurant chain in the U.S. and the one in Kerala, India. In India, the meat and veggie stations are separated and so are the menus. Routinely (until I got so frustrated I haven't been back), there will be a between 3 and 5 staff working at the restaurant and anywhere from 0-15 customers. This ratio (in my opinion) screams, "you will receive speedy and excellent service." Not exactly. The process to have my sandwich made every.single.time. goes like this: One employee (the veggie sandwich employee) gets up from his chair and starts the laborious process of making the work of art that I only previously viewed as a moderately satisfactory meal. After asking for my preference in bread, cutting the 12" piece into 2 6" halves and then putting the other half away even though there is someone behind me who is likely going to use the other half, my cheese is hand cut (with attention to the shape of the slice and not the clock) before the veggies are placed on. Moderation seems to be key so I will ask 3-4x for a little more lettuce, green pepper, etc. I usually give up by olive time where one olive is delicately placed on top of each cucumber, therefore assuring I get 4-5 pieces of olive culminating in a grand total of 1-2 whole olives. Throughout this time, if there is anyone else in the veggie sub line (usually Kevin or Elyse), they are patiently waiting their turn as the other staff continue to watch us from their chairs. The delicately vegetabled sandwich is wrapped up and staff member 2 is called over because he is cashier staff member. He will ask me what type of sub I ordered and ring it up, perhaps checking his phone or just at that exact time, needing to check on something in the back. Meat staff member 3, stock replenisher staff member 4 and perhaps restaurant cleaning staff member 5 will still be waiting for a patron who is partial to the meat sub and will either be politely observing a growing customer line or playing on their phone. Another new insight was learning that if you just want the bread because perhaps you have avocado in your room that you'd like to use and just need something to spread it on, it will cost you 130 rupees, the same cost as buying the full sandwich because there is not a button to ring up "bread only," the rationale explained to me when I made the attempt. Initially my word for the process was "inefficient" and only because, as mentioned previously, I've proven myself ignorant many times, I tried to figure out a rationale for the process. I guess it might compare to the union model in the U.S. where everyone has a specific role and stepping outside of it can sometimes be frowned upon. Also, in many countries with problems fighting extreme poverty and joblessness, low-wage jobs for many are more important than higher wage jobs for the few. Therefore, perhaps having a top-heavy staff ratio with each person doing one job actually provides more life satisfaction and is therefore, "more efficient" in the long-term than my predisposed notion of what makes sense. Whatever it is it still drives me crazy, but it's also enjoyable to figure out why things work the way they do and try to enjoy the process along the way. :)