Obvious Foreigner

I’m in the odd situation here where everyone knows me, even when I don’t know them. First off, I am having a difficult time remembering people’s names if I’ve only been introduced to them once. Mostly this is due to the inherent unfamiliarity with most of their names. I still don’t even know everyone’s names on my own team, much less the clients’. One of my managers said that within our building, those of us who aren’t from here are known as “the foreigners on seven” (our floor). I’m sure the buzz has now only increased now that I’m here, since I’m the first non-Indian female on the project.

Case in point: I got on the elevator at the ground floor to go to my desk on the seventh floor. I didn’t recognize the other person in the elevator with me, but he pushed seven for me without even asking. He then got off somewhere else. Ha. I’m obviously not very inconspicuous here. It’s like I have an invisible tracking device on me. No one talks to me though unless it’s someone I’ve been introduced to, and other than the usual curious stares of “wonder what that white girl is doing in the middle of Mumbai, in our office”, the only people who I’ve stopped in their tracks is a few of the cleaning or maintenance guys. At least, that’s what I think they do. On three different occasions at the office I’ve had a guy just stand there staring at me until I walked by and was out of sight. Oh well. I just smile and keep on walking. Once I start wearing some Indian clothes, it’ll be interesting to see if I get more, or less, looks.