If you drink the waters of Hyderabad, you not only stay on but absorb the traits of a Hyderabadi!
Recently a young lady entrepreneur badly in need of contacts in Hyderabad requested an old Hyderabadi to connect her professionally with much needed contacts. After setting up the date, the poor bloke himself contacted 8 other people who all set up meetings, the young lady coolly cancelled at the last minute making all the old Hyderabadis get up and murmur “unprofessional” and say things like Just like a Hyderabadi.
On someone explaining that she has just set up practice in Hyderabad and is a new comer, pat came the answer ‘she has drunk the waters of Hyderabad after all.”
Why do we not think of respect for anyone else’s time but ours. Probably we don’t respect any time even ours Do the 98 hour week test and see for your self
This is under the assumption that we all have 98 hours in the week. Did you just question my maths and say in a week there are 168 hours? Yes but I have graciously deducted 10 hours for sleeping and all the other things that one does for oneself!
So where do the 98 hours go? Check it out and then decide whether you have time for yourself/ exercise/yoga/ gym/ walk or just to sit and stare (very meditative/ therapeutic).
It’s not just Hyderabad but India that has earned a bad name for punctuality. It may have stemmed from the fact that in ancient times between getting up and going to bed there was not much to do and so it was better not to do anything in a hurry but keep things pending so that one always had the luxury to do something when you felt like doing.
One has heard of two Indian businessmen who travelled to an European country to attend a much sought after meeting but arrived 25 minutes late for a 30-minute meeting. They were received very graciously and were told that since there was only 5 minutes left there was no point in meeting and the two gentlemen had to return to India empty handed. Fortunately for them they were not private employees but their own masters. Of course, even if they had been Government ‘servants’, nothing would have happened to them.
This is not to be mistaken for deliberate late coming, a VIP does not come on time even to the dais, lest people think him jobless. As for Hyderabadi dinner parties, of course you should not show up till after 11 pm.
It may be good for our Hyderabadi souls to remember the 12 ZEN things:
1. Do one thing at a time.
2. Do it slowly and deliberately.
3. Do it completely
4. Do less
5. Put space between things
6. Develop rituals
7. Designate time for certain things
8. Devote time for sitting
9. Smile and serve others
10. Make cleaning and cooking become meditation
11. Think about what is necessary
12. Live simply
(Santha John is founder, director Coachlife. Email: santha.john@coachlife.asia)
