American Suit in India: Working When Working is Hard

in #travel8 years ago (edited)

There are many things that can interrupt work in India.
Perhaps because there is a worker's strike, a road closure, or an office closure. Perhaps there is a power or network outage.  Sometimes because you just realized how beautiful India is, and it would be a shame to spend the day in the same old place (see above photo). 

These events are frequent enough to be troublesome, but with some planning, you can minimize them to mere inconveniences and get back to work.  

Here's you short guide to working when working is hard.

Stay Connected

You're going to want to stay in touch, and power outages are frequent, even in large office buildings. They are especially frequent in residences.

Mobile networks tend to be quite strong, so get a data plan and a phone that allows wireless tethering.

If you choose to buy a phone while in India, you'll find that many offer dual SIM options. This means that you can use two active SIM cards at one time -- great for maintaining your home phone number. Get a local voice and data plan quickly. The quickest way to do that is with a pre-paid plan (because you need special about 20 pages of special documentation to have a subscription plan or a native willing to do it in her name). Most pre-paid plans are monthly, and international calls aren't so expensive.   For me, I buy at least 8GB of high speed data and 1000 Rupees of talk time each month. This costs me about $30 USD, and allows me to be sure that I will always be able to attend important meetings.

Be Ready At Home

There will be times where you need or want to work at home, so let's prepare a space there.

Make sure the space can be free of disruption and outside noise. That may mean insisting on a bedroom that is away from the honking of main roads or investing in headset technology that filters noises as you speak on calls.

Consider purchasing an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). Plug your most important electronics into these, as the UPS will continue to provide power via battery during outages and will protect your devices from surges when the power returns.

For a more thorough guide to setting up a reliable home office in India, read God's Own Office by Indian native James Joseph, particularly the Technology section of the chapter titled, Start Your Journey to God's Own Office. 

Be Ready With Little Things

Know in advance how you will clean, dry, and press your work clothes. Don't wait until laundry day to figure this out.

Have food in your home that you can quickly prepare and eat when you don't have time to visit a restaurant or order food. That day will come.


 I've been living and working in Bangalore, India -- practicing Transcendental Meditation, leading international teams, and eating with my hands. I'm Alex Salinsky and you can see more of an American Suit in India here.  

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