Success begins with the approach. There are all sorts of sports metaphors and tired cliches available on this topic, so obviously this is something that most people have run into and can identify with. It's a nice thought when you're sitting at your desk reading a training paper, or drafting notes for a conference. Approach is important. Your foundation is important.
On the other hand, a foundation is only so strong as the ground it's built on. I've read a lot of Indian literature - Salman Rushdie is one of my favorite authors, I loved Interpreter of Maladies, I loved The Life of Pi. On a plane flight home from Europe last month, I watched Ben Kingsley chew the scenery in Ghandi. My desktop now contains a telecourse, Working with India, designed to give me a primer on conducting business on another subcontinent. So far, I feel solid in the stereotypes. It's too bad that life is lived well outside these lines.
The benefit of living immersed in another culture is that it forces you to approach your surroundings in a new way. When I read Indian authors, I translate the plot into my American sensibilities. When I step out into the streets of Delhi, I won't have that luxury. I have my hockey stick ready for a game of football. (See? Sports metaphors.)
Culture shock is inevitable. It's how I prepare for the culture shock that will define my experience. I can't arrive with any assumptions; my expectations are a blank slate.
With one exception: I took a jog this morning in the first major snowstorm of the year. Two miles in, I thought to myself, "Hey! It's Himalaya practice!" I can't wait for this adventure...
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