We were invited to Bruce's bosses home to meet his family yesterday. It was a good chance to delve deep with the questions. One thing that does concern me is how I'm going to overcome my compassion toward the 'help' (maids/ drivers etc). I've not been unkind to anyone before and I'm told we cannot be too kind or the help will leave. They will go elsewhere to find work. They like to be busy and not allowed to slacken off.
I guess that's just the way. The class system is very prominent all across India as it has been hundreds of years ago.....Things just don't change. There are rules for the 'help', not governed by the wealthy of today but put in place hundreds of years ago and they are the rules. Things like 'the maid or nanny must not sit on any furniture'....therefore if the family is watching tv with the nanny or the maid, they must sit on the floor. If the nanny accompanies a family to a restaurant they must sit at another table with their chair in a certain position. If the maid is a live in maid, she must sleep on the kitchen floor if there is not provision for a maids room. (We did see a few houses with maids rooms attached) Things like that..... So I guess if you are lenient towards the maid and let's say you think what they are doing is un-necessary like cleaning the oven because they did it yesterday, perhaps they are insulted. If they are standing around, you should direct them to do something apparently because that is what they want to feel 'special' in the class system. Indians just love Westerners for some reason and we are treated like royalty... Especially in the less tourist visited cities like this one we are living in.