A highly specialized society

I don't know about you but when most of us think about India - high efficiency and high degree of speciality do not really come to mind. But more and more I am finding out - that this is really the case. I think that it became obvious to me when I went to two different salons for beauty treatments .. yes .. the torture that we must through as women. Ok - I am totally bullshitting here - cause anyone that knows me - knows that I love to go to spas.

So what was so different about the Indian experience - the high degree of efficiency and super specialization. Take for example - when I went to get my roots touched up - there were I kid you not - four different people to take care of me. Ofcourse, there was the colorist - now he is the one at the top of the food chain here since his is the time that was the most precious and needed to be optimized. There was a helper that he could shout out to mix the color, another to get me coffee (miost important) and another to wash my hair. But my colorist had to also double as a stylist so he had to blow dry my hair - so ofcourse there was another assistant to hold the hair-dryer while he worked on my tresses. I must say the result was fabulous and the time saving was mind blowing. All in all, in the one hour I was there - the color expert - had to spend no more than 10 or 15 minutes with me!

Ok .. still not convinced. I also have gone to get a facial, a pedicure and a manicure. In the US, you may have gone to one of the Chineese run salon - which are pretty efficient I must say. But this was the best. Again, my master treatment giver - never left my side - whether it be she needed a hot towel, a change of water or any other tool. She was with me the entire time - with many lackeys running around for her getting her whatever she needed. Sometimes, it can feel a bit disruptive - but boy are things fast.

I guess that there are some positives to having a lot of labor that one can have the right level of person for the right job.