Outsourced

Exercise #5

Cultural Dimension	Character Todd, Puro, Aisha or other	Outsourced Scene or Circumstance
Communication- direct/indirect	Todd & Dave	Dave was very direct when he told Todd about the outsourcing plan and his role in it
Decision-making: rules / relations	Todd & the staff	Todd let the staff have some freedom in the workplace (clothing, cubicle personal space, brining personal items, etc,.)
Context – Informal / formal	Todd & Puro	They started off being formal (In the cab and the first couple of days) with each other and grew to become more informal (when they got to know one another)
Relationship-Universal/situation	Todd & Puro	They bonded out of the workplace in the celebration of Holi (color)

Reflection

Create a reflection about the movie Outsourced using the PowerPoint I give you. Show that you really understand the above cultural concepts.

1. As soon as Todd arrives, he experiences the discomfort of being disoriented in a
strange new place. What happens at the airport?

2. When a friendly traveler helps him get on the train, what does he tell him to do?

3. When he gets on the train, he cannot find an empty seat. How is this problem
solved for him? How might this be a cultural solution?

            A young kid gave up his seat to him, and to his surprise, sat on his leg. Because kids are mentored to respect their elders and they have a very tightly inclusive society, additionally to how elders are compassionate to the children, it would be appropriate for that situation to take place, casually.

4. As any exchange student, he has a lot of experiences trying new food. His first
encounter is with an iced drink. What happens?

The iced drink disturbs his stomach, making him feel unwell after a little while.

5. First encounters with a culture can be shocking – Todd sees crowded streets with
cows, noise, and a man urinating in the street. But how does his host describe the
city?

6. Even though the host Puro speaks English, Todd uses American slang a lot
without thinking. So as not to insult Puro, what does he say the meaning of
Schmuck is?

7. Todd wants to check in to a hotel. But Puro insists he comes to a boarding house.
What is the reason he gives Todd?

That the hotel is lonely, and that they would treat him better than his own mother does in the boarding house.

8. As soon as they meet, Aunti Ji starts asking very intimate questions that
Americans who have just met would never ask. What kind of things does she ask?

What his father does for a living, how much he earns, whether he has a girlfriend and when he’s planning on getting married.