Regan est un clown

I write during a fairly tense Sunday afternoon - butterflies are a-fluttering in the bread-basket as the tension of waiting for kick-off in the first Cup final that Spurs have got to in 8 long years kicks in. Although it is an entirely different sport, team, and level of thuggery, the England rugby result against France yesterday, augers very well indeed for the result against Chelski - I am an England rugby fan and a Spurs fan and it therefore follows that if one team wins, the other will undoubtedly follow. We will see how things progress.........

Inequality hits you in the face every day in India - I read yesterday that there are now more obese people in the world (25% of the adult population in the UK are now officially classified as obese) than undernourished, but that over 250 million people in India are still living under the poverty line. The definition of poverty is living on less than one dollar a day - 50p to you and me....... a day.

I've just got back from a trip to Kerala where the Communist Party of India rules the state. Everywhere you look the Hammer and Sickle is in your face ! Apart from the slightly nostagalic feelings of self-righteous lecturing I get when I see a poster of Che Guevara (yes, I had one in my student hovel as well), I did feel as though Communism has done some real good here in this part of India. Everyone in Kerala has a plot of land big enough to build something to keep the rain off their families, and infant mortality in the state is lower than any other across India. The Communists have been democratically elected to run the state by its own people on and off for over 50 years now - so they must be doing something right, in a political system that offers a bewildering array of options to the voter.

God's Own Country, as Kerala is sub-titled on all the road signs, is politically and geographically beautiful ! Family Dumbrell spent 4 days ogling the best bits - Lake Periyar, Thekaddy, houseboats on the backwaters, Cochin, and all seemed suitably sublime and picturesque. Conor picked up some advanced skills in swordsmanship, and I picked up some nasty mozzie bites.

Conor has turned 10 during February, and continues to grow beyond all recognition and frankly against all logic. Neither Karen nor I have ever had trouble with low beams in old country houses, or have had to stoop to talk to old people, so the fact that Conor is the second tallest kid in his class now is causing some consternation. On the one hand, I am of course delighted that a far larger number of England rugby positions are open to Conor as a result of not being a midget, on the other however, I find myself of an evening examining pictures of Andy Buller......

Talking of rugby, I must say how surprised I have been with the performances the lads have put in of late - the France result away was a pleasant surprise particularly after being rogered by the 'leekies'. This Wrigglesworth fella seems a bit of a step up from Mr. Gomersall - his pass gives Jonny Goldenballs a bit more time, which may quite literally give him a bit more time in the side at least until Cipriani stops getting all nervous.

Work continues a pace. The one other white man based in the office has just announced his departure to Dubai next month, so I will be the only official Westerner in a building of 2500 souls. Adds to the feeling of a bit of a wind down now until our departure in July, but I am sure some disaster, real or deliberately created, will keep me on my toes until my furniture leaves on the slow boat to Cape Horn.

Results out of Mumbai have been good of late, sales, quality, etc and so on are laying concerns about offshoring to rest. Other UK companies are disagreeing at the moment.... http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6353491.stm . I have been digging of late into something called 'ethnocentricity' and how it applies to doing business . Most people have a sub-conscious urge to frame everything in terms of their own culture - this results in a sub-conscious preference to interact with those from the same ethnic group. As an example, customers may assign a lower worth to service delivered by other ethnic groups, e.g. Indian call centres, than that from European based call centres - even if the outcome of the calls are the same. As you can imagine, I have clung quite strongly to this academic concept through much of my time here in India! Only now, 18 months in, do I believe that given enough effort, companies can overcome even this psychological fly-in-the-ointment.

Anyway enough of this old shiz...... Have a good March - good skiing to all those of you off to throw yourselves off mountains... you lucky b*****s.

Dumbers