Watching from Afar
The internet has created many types of jobs in India, but here’s one that you may not have heard of. According to The New York Times, whenever someone enters an intensive care room in North Shore University Hospital in Long Island, a motion sensor turns on a video camera, allowing workers all the way in India to make sure doctors and nurses are washing their hands.
The ability to send video images to India to be watched by lower-paid workers could spawn other opportunities, if it hasn’t already:
Baby monitoring: Why watch your own baby when you can have someone in India do it? Yes, while you’re watching the latest episode of The Mindy Project, your cyber-nanny in Mumbai could be making sure little Arvind doesn’t roll over in his crib and hurt himself.
Beach/pool monitoring: It’s tough to hire enough lifeguards to monitor all the pools and beaches in America, but a cyber-lifeguard in India could sound an alarm if he spots an emergency. This might be a sought-after profession: Without sitting in the hot sun, you’d be getting paid to look at bikinis and muscled bodies all day.
Restaurant kitchen monitor: Ever wondered if your sandwich was accidentally dropped on the fl oor before the cook put it on your plate? Or if the cook sneezed on his hands before handling your food? Well, wonder no longer with the “MFI” (Monitored From India) designation that top restaurants will display, reassuring you that nothing untoward is happening in the kitchen.
[Comments? Contributions? We would love to hear from you about Chai Time. If you have contributions, please email us at melvin@melvindurai.com. We welcome jokes, quotes, online clips and more.]
Enjoyed reading Khabar magazine? Subscribe to Khabar and get a full digital copy of this Indian-American community magazine.
