The White Tiger

When I travel I like to read novels about my destination. It's nice to be able to place the characters within the appropriate context, and I enjoy when the book mentions a village or a city where I've actually been. Novels also offer a little preview of some of the things that I might encounter during my visit.

On the plane to India, I started the Man Booker Prize winning novel _The White Tiger_ by Aravind Adiga. It reminded me of a darker version of _Remains of the Day_. Told from the perspective of an Indian servant, the author reveals the excesses of the upper class and gives voice to a group of people who are often ignored in conversations about India's economic boom. Put another way, it highlights how the poor have to live in order for the rich to live as they do.

This book has provided a backdrop for me to understand some of the luxuries that have been afforded to me here at this gorgeous university campus in Bhubaneswar. Sometimes I think of this place like a shiny, gilded watch. On the outside, everything is beautiful, golden, simple, clear. But what is masked is the messy, yet intricate dealings on the inside that makes everything work. No one seems to care a whole lot about the inside stuff unless the timing gets a little off.

The four of us have a go-to-guy named Gopal for all of our needs here on campus. He delivers us our drink preferences and biscuits twice -sometimes thrice- a day. When we need office supplies or our Internet isn't working or we have to see someone at a part of campus we haven't been to, he's the one to ask for help. And when our supervisor was off on vacation last week, it was Gopal that made sure that we got to our appointments and that everything was running like clockwork. Honestly, I'm uncomfortable with all of this attention, but as this is the way of life here, I feel like my only option is to make clear my gratitude for everything that he does.

But there is a risk here that I cannot ignore. If I were to get into some sort of mishap, I would not be held responsible. There's a reason why the warden is so strict with us. There's a reason why Gopal is so attentive. Because if the timing gets a little off, no matter whose fault it is, their jobs are on the line. And in a economically depressed place like Orissa, even a bad job is a good one.