Guilty as Charged
Cliques always disturb me but I've come to accept them as a part of natural human social interaction. But something has been bothering me for a while now and I thought putting it in words should clear up some of my confusion. A big confession up front though: much as I hate to admit it, I have realized a long while ago that I'm no saint and am as biased and prejudiced as the other person.
So the issue at hand: For some while now, we've started seeing a lot of contractors (read: temps/people with red badges) from Satyam at work. This is a part of out-sourcing manual testing strategy of G and is much welcome after facing such hardships finding temps to do this kind of work. "This kind of work" - there in lies my confusion and hard to accept the reality that I don't seem to be able to treat them as my peers - as fellow engineers .. because after all that is what they are!
I know my own batch mates who joined such service companies back during those campus interview era .. are still working in them .. I would never disrespect them or consider their work "unworthy". In fact, when these friends say they are going "on-site" .. to visit the client that is outsourcing work to them, I've always felt a twinge of envy at their ability to travel places. A new place every time. (And what a worthless job did I have I thought back then - no concept of clients or "on-site" when you're working in an India-branch of a product company).
But now .. I wonder if my friends felt/feel the divide too. This morning when I went to the kitchen to pick up some breakfast at work, I saw this huge bunch of Indians chattering to glory - "on a break" I guess. They fell silent as I went about washing my fruit. I tried smiling at them, hoping to look friendly. But I could sense the distance .. I was one of them .. one of those "supercilious-indian-engineers". And in an instant, I experienced a flash back to the grad school days (with the situation reversed) - the FOB-Indian-students, forming a close, well-knit group .. but always keeping away from the ABCDs .. somehow not feeling the connection.
I guess what I find most disturbing is that we are after all the same at core .. we went through similar beginnings at least .. the Satyam temps and me that is. What gives me the right to feel superior? It pains me .. that without meaning to, I've become part of a mental clique ..
So the issue at hand: For some while now, we've started seeing a lot of contractors (read: temps/people with red badges) from Satyam at work. This is a part of out-sourcing manual testing strategy of G and is much welcome after facing such hardships finding temps to do this kind of work. "This kind of work" - there in lies my confusion and hard to accept the reality that I don't seem to be able to treat them as my peers - as fellow engineers .. because after all that is what they are!
I know my own batch mates who joined such service companies back during those campus interview era .. are still working in them .. I would never disrespect them or consider their work "unworthy". In fact, when these friends say they are going "on-site" .. to visit the client that is outsourcing work to them, I've always felt a twinge of envy at their ability to travel places. A new place every time. (And what a worthless job did I have I thought back then - no concept of clients or "on-site" when you're working in an India-branch of a product company).
But now .. I wonder if my friends felt/feel the divide too. This morning when I went to the kitchen to pick up some breakfast at work, I saw this huge bunch of Indians chattering to glory - "on a break" I guess. They fell silent as I went about washing my fruit. I tried smiling at them, hoping to look friendly. But I could sense the distance .. I was one of them .. one of those "supercilious-indian-engineers". And in an instant, I experienced a flash back to the grad school days (with the situation reversed) - the FOB-Indian-students, forming a close, well-knit group .. but always keeping away from the ABCDs .. somehow not feeling the connection.
I guess what I find most disturbing is that we are after all the same at core .. we went through similar beginnings at least .. the Satyam temps and me that is. What gives me the right to feel superior? It pains me .. that without meaning to, I've become part of a mental clique ..