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I’ve learned a lot in the past month and a half. I’ve realized things about America, about India, and quite a bit about myself. My roommate, Deb, has told me today that I’m becoming more and more Indian each day. I can haggle over a couple rupees with a rickshaw driver and I’m not nearly as naive as I was when I got here.

Things haven’t been easy at all. Getting a bank account here in was quite an ordeal. India requires residential proof to open a bank account. At first I tried giving the bank a letter from HR stating that they were providing me housing. However, they stated that a letter from Pune’s police commissioner was compulsory. I took a long rickshaw ride to the police commissioner and, after waiting endlessly in a line, I received the form that I was to submit in quadruplet to process the residential proof letter. What a nightmare. No online system or PDF here. After submitting the Xeroxed forms, I was told to come back in fifteen days. Home delivery? Hah, no chance.

I came back in fifteen days, but sadly, the form was not ready. This was getting aggravating, but my roommates told me this was expected since I did not bribe the official to begin with. I casually reached into my wallet and took out Rs. 200 (about $5 USD) and wrapped my arm around the counter. “Could you please help me get the form?” I was out the door in less than five minutes with the signed form in hand. I met with the bank representative the next day and after filling out some more forms, I had an ATM in hand. After a week and not one, not two, but three verifications of my documents, my account was opened. All I need is some money to put in the account, but that is a totally different story. I realized that if this process had happened in America, I probably would have had to at least pay some sort of processing fee that would have amounted to greater than $5. I guess the system works in one way or another. I could have waited and returned, but my rickshaw fees would have nearly exceeded my bribe.

There is the American way, the Indian way, and the way which gets the job done. I don’t think either India or America really has the right solutions to problems but I’m glad money still talks.