Exercise #8b

Cultural Dimension	Character Todd, Puro, Aisha or other	Outsourced Scene or Circumstance
Low-context culture	Todd	Class
High-context culture	Aisha	Class
Individualism	Todd	He wanted to stay lonely
Collectivism	Other	Family Pictures
Low power distance	Todd	Talking to his boss
High power distance	Puro	Asking every time he wants to talk
Uncertainty tolerance	Todd	Cursing his boss
Uncertainty avoidance	Aisha	Asking every time he wants to talk
Task orientation	Puro	Manager
Social orientation	Aisha	Good talker

1. As soon as Todd arrives, he experiences the discomfort of being disoriented in a
strange new place. What happens at the airport?

 he saw the crowed at the airport , which was an abnormal scene for him, then he  annoyed from taxi drivers because they all come around him.

2. When a friendly traveler helps him get on the train, what does he tell him to do?

He told him you should  jump into the train
3. When he gets on the train, he cannot find an empty seat. How is this problem
solved for him? How might this be a cultural solution?
The young kid offered him his seat and then sat in his lap, because of the high population in india people are used to such a solution such as sharing seats, standing and squeezing in the train cabins.
4. As any exchange student, he has a lot of experiences trying new food. His first
encounter is with an iced drink. What happens?
He got stomach ache, and got sick because of the polluted water used in the iced drink
5. First encounters with a culture can be shocking – Todd sees crowded streets with
cows, noise, and a man urinating in the street. But how does his host describe the
city?
“Bombay is terrible, but here it’s very clean”
6. Even though the host Puro speaks English, Todd uses American slang a lot
without thinking. So as not to insult Puro, what does he say the meaning of
Schmuck is?
it means like a nice guy
7. Todd wants to check in to a hotel. But Puro insists he comes to a boarding house.
What is the reason he gives Todd?
if he stays on hotel alone he will feel lonely
8. As soon as they meet, Aunti Ji starts asking very intimate questions that
Americans who have just met would never ask. What kind of things does she ask?
what’s your salary? are you married? do you have a girlfriend?
9. During his first conversation with Aunti Ji he makes two big mistakes. What are
they?
He ate with his left hand and he placed his hand again on the food .
10. The Golden Rule says do unto others as you would have them do unto you. That
means his Indian hosts and friends are trying to make him comfortable the way
they would be comfortable. How does this apply when the servant is preparing
tea for Todd?
She poured the tea for him and even put sugar just the way they do.
11. How does Todd figure out why one does not eat food with the left hand?
The owner of the boardinghouse explained to him by sign language why Indians think left hand isn’t clean to eat with

12. What is ethnocentric about his statement "You need to learn about America"?
to know how to speak with american and to be fast when they answer the question on the phone.
13. Why do they disagree on how a "native" speaks English?
Because of the way Americans pronounce some words with an American accent not proper English, they think it’s a matter of different accents which doesn’t mean their English is wrong in India at the end it is a matter of correct English , He was shocked and didn’t understand why Aysha said that. High-context culture

14. What doesn't Todd understand about the Indians' response to the "cattle brand"?
He was talking about it in an insensitive way without knowing how sensitive and holy cows are in India
15. What is Todd's reaction to "You need to learn about India"? What stage of culture
shock might it represent?

He was shocked and didn’t understand why Aysha said that. High-context culture

16. He calls home several times. Why? What stage of culture shock might provoke
calls home?
he is homesick
17. What mistakes in language usage are represented in the recording of the call about
"a rubber"?
rubber in American English mean condom , but in British it’s mean eraser
18. Why is he so eager to go to McDonnells?
because he have troubles with Indian food since he arrived and he want eat beef burger
19. Todd doesn't understand bargaining. How does the Indian respond to this?
He thought that Todd is barging and started barging back immediately without even paying attention to whats Todd’s actually saying as it’s a very common habit in india
20. What does I.N.D.I.A. stand for?

I’ll Never Do It Again.
21. What advise does his fellow American have for him?
That once he gives in and stops resisting he will do much better.
22. When Todd develops the incentive system, he has begun to adapt to India. How
has he adapted?

Once he saw improvement from the team he apologized to them and admit that he should learn more about India. He also asked for suggestions and opinions on how to create a better environment from them to work
23. When he looks at the cow in the office the second time, why is his reaction so
different?
Because he started to adjust and fit in which was shown in his second look, it was friendlier and more receptive that his first look and reaction when he just arrived to India

24. Explain the difference between American and Indian cultures when Todd and
Puro discuss how often he visits his family and why he doesn't live with them.

Indians are more attached and close to their families than Americans. They consider the family an important and number one priority in their lives and that explains why they live with their families even if they get older and what their parents mean to them. While in America people mostly move out in a very young age and get caught up in their busy lives away from their parents and they’re family and only gather when there’s an event such as weddings, Christmas and thanksgiving
25. What cultural values are involved in the exchange between Aunti Ji and Todd
about ironing his underwear?

Difference between how mother work in India and America

26. How well does Todd handle himself when he is invited over the wall to an Indian
home for a meal? He showed that he enjoy it

27. In what ways does he show he has adapted?
When he dance with employees and when he ate with the poor family and when he know that the work will replaced to China. 

28. When the call center floods and they are shut down, Todd finds an "Indian"
solution. What is it?

He asked the poor indian man from over the wall for his help with replacing the wires as he saw in his place how they all surviving on a public source of electricity by extending wires from it. And that’s an indian way as the economy is very bad and people try to survive in many ways in that was one of them

29. When Todd comes home, there are several signs that his Indian experience has
influenced him. Name three ways he has become more "Indian".