SA vs INDIA in PDI (power distance index)

I have just finished reading Malcolm Gladwell's third book: Outliers.
A very interesting look at the story of success. My favourite part was about the PDI (power Distance Index) of different countries. I am going to very basically try and describe what was said in this part of the book for the sake of my point.
PDI basically describes how a person views their superior. In some cultures like America, a superior and a subordinate are seen relatively equally and if a subordinate thinks their superior is making a mistake they will generally inform them of this (low PDI), where as in other countries where a superior is revered and respected beyond ordinary levels of behaviour this will not be the case (high PDI).
From my experience of being a South African (which is third on the lists of countries with a low PDI) working in India (which has a high PDI), this section of the book was a revelation.
When I first started working here, I obviously had no idea of the cultural norms in terms of hierarchy and superior vs subordinates. I arrived behaving as I would in a South African office. This could have been a mistake on my part as I think you should try and fit in with the culture you are living in to some extent, but I now realise how long it actually takes to even have a small understanding of a culture as complex as India's.
My natural way of functioning in an ad agency is to argue the merits of something I believed in. When presenting work to a superior I would express my opinion. I even got into a couple of heated discussions with a superior when I disagreed with them.
Most of the time I was met with a look of shock. Not angry shock, but disbelieving shock.
How could this 'little girl' be questioning what her superior is saying instead of nodding in acceptance and appreciation for the opinions given. I noticed that most people around me would never argue with their boss, never mind their bosses boss.
This situation really aggravated and upset me. Until I read Outliers. It was not a personal attack, it was just my culture conflicting with theirs. I was doing something unusual.
I think that as time has gone by I have been accepted and am appreciated for my attitude and contribution just as much as I have learnt to show even more respect to superiority than I normally would.
Thanks for clearing that up for me Mr Gladwell!