Picture this: the start of a busy workday, in the middle of a bustling office, editors calmly going about their business. All of a sudden, the power goes out. Across the office, one after the other, laptops screech as they convert to battery mode. Screech! Screech!Screech! Scree-eech! Lights flicker and are extinguished. All that is visible is dimly illuminated by computer screens.
If you’re an American, your natural reaction is to look up, maybe even jump up, turn your head in all directions, grab at your bleeping laptop to make sure it’s not damaged, turn towards the door, and possibly even make a run for it if you’ve already had your coffee.
If you’re an American who’s been working in India for a few weeks, you may not even look up anymore.
The screeching never stops being funny, though. It’s like a little laptop chorus. And don't worry - the lights come back on in a minute or two.
Update: As Fabulinus pointed out, the lights only come on because our building has a backup generator. Across Noida, businesses and residents may actually be left in the dark ... A sobering thought. (Thanks for the comment--I'm sorry I took it down because it had my real name in it and I'm keeping this blog private. I appreciate hearing from you, though!)
Update: As Fabulinus pointed out, the lights only come on because our building has a backup generator. Across Noida, businesses and residents may actually be left in the dark ... A sobering thought. (Thanks for the comment--I'm sorry I took it down because it had my real name in it and I'm keeping this blog private. I appreciate hearing from you, though!)
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