We love our driver Manu. He has driven us around for the biggest part of last year and knows where we like to go, what we like to do and most importantly how to get there.
But even Manu needs a day off every once in a while and that means we get a replacement driver. Today Manu needs to get his drivers license extended, and since this can easily take a whole day in India we have an other driver.
Now, I'm not feeling 100%, fighting a cold and unfortunately this reflects in my patience level... I get into the car and he starts driving (does he telepathically know where I want to go?) so I tell him where I need to go. He does not acknowledge nor asks for clarification and keeps on driving. I have been living in India long enough to KNOW that I should ask him if he knows where to go, but I decide against it. And thus we end up somewhere totally different.
He asks "is this where you wanted to go?" I tell him NO and repeat where I do want to go and give him a landmark. He starts driving again but by now has smartend up; he is calling a colleague to explain to him how to get there.
All of this could have so easily be prevented if he would have just admitted that he did not know where it was. We could have either looked it up on google maps, or I could have just directed him there. But admitting you don't know something is very difficult here, you rather act like you do know and than be wrong about it than "loose face" by not knowing. Not the greatest day to test my patience!
But even Manu needs a day off every once in a while and that means we get a replacement driver. Today Manu needs to get his drivers license extended, and since this can easily take a whole day in India we have an other driver.
Now, I'm not feeling 100%, fighting a cold and unfortunately this reflects in my patience level... I get into the car and he starts driving (does he telepathically know where I want to go?) so I tell him where I need to go. He does not acknowledge nor asks for clarification and keeps on driving. I have been living in India long enough to KNOW that I should ask him if he knows where to go, but I decide against it. And thus we end up somewhere totally different.
He asks "is this where you wanted to go?" I tell him NO and repeat where I do want to go and give him a landmark. He starts driving again but by now has smartend up; he is calling a colleague to explain to him how to get there.
All of this could have so easily be prevented if he would have just admitted that he did not know where it was. We could have either looked it up on google maps, or I could have just directed him there. But admitting you don't know something is very difficult here, you rather act like you do know and than be wrong about it than "loose face" by not knowing. Not the greatest day to test my patience!