In India we go by Indian Standard Time, which means GMT+5.5. 

"GMT+5.5?!" You might be thinking. Yes, India, unlike most other places on earth, operates on a timezone that is not an even number of hours away from GMT. And this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to quirkiness of India and time.

For the past week or so one of the most noticeable things have been the difference in the perception, and flow of time. First of all, most people that I'm working with here basically works all the time. They start early in the morning and end late at night. Saturdays? Absolutely. Sundays? Yes, often. However, the work is of a very different sort than I'm used to, it's a of a very different intensity. Maybe it's due to the heat and the monsoon, maybe it's just a cultural difference or maybe it's just the project we're working on,, but life and work here feels somehow slow at times. There are frequent breaks, waiting times, naps, discussions, long lunches punctuating the day so that the effective working time probably isn't more than your average 8 hour work day (if even that some days!).

Now, don't get me wrong, I think this might even be a better way of working than the nap-free, jam-packed work weeks that I'm used to. However, it certainly does take some getting used to.