i'm updating in clumps these days.

Something about the combination of India's overpopulation, plethora of small businesses, and low wages produces an interesting phenomenon where there are always way too many employees available in a given situation. Each person has a specific and tiny task, and usually all the jobs could be combined and carried out by one person with mediocre efficiency. But no one gets paid enough, so why bother?

Sit down at a restaurant and nine times out of ten there will be more servers than diners.

Walk into a clothing store and four people will stalk you around the shop, waiting to pounce and display half their inventory if your gaze settles on anything for more than 30 milliseconds. Another two people will fold everything that the first four unfolded. A manager lurks somewhere in the background, and various peons are swabbing floors and unpacking boxes.

And just when you think that the space couldn't get any more crowded with non-customers, a chokra will arrive with chai for all involved.

So I'm used to these non-job jobs, but i still had to laugh this morning when i went down the escalator at the airport: a khaki-uniformed soldier was standing at the bottom step watching the escalator passengers intently... his hand carefully poised over the emergency stop button.

Just in case.

12:27 p.m. - 2003-12-05