Outrageous India
Funny , because I've heard a number of Indians say this too, including myself. If anyone wants to add some other nuances of our outrageous behaviour , please go ahead. No hard feelings .
We are Indians and we know it .
Zora Vasulinova, incomplete sociologist, broadening my English vocabulary every day
Votes by Krishanu Karmakar, Vineet Menon, Carlos Amezquita, Abhimanyu Ghosh, and 419 more.
I am putting bit different things than Astha J., just according my memories. Those might not be "the biggest" shocks, but definitely not expected stuffs. Now those things are mostly funny to me, or I just understand them, but that time it was surprising.
1) Got out of airplane, got on riksha, got out, paid (local friend told me how much) driver took 50Rs and did the headshake. I was totally lost. I didn't know if I paid less, or if it is okay, when I asked, the driver again did the headshake... :-D This together with overall different body language was very confusing the communication.
2) Second week. I was able to cross the road with heavy traffic without any help. Applause! After few weeks I developed my own style how to cross any road. Feeling of a master.
3) People think I am rich and awesome just because I am pale foreigner. WTF? :D But it was certainly a pleasure to be treated like someone special. - True is, this applies especially to less educated people.
4) Cows are worshipped but they are damn skinny and eating rubbish from the streets. ?!!!! Seems like cows are really independent over there!
5) As a woman I am considered to be weaker, taken care of, endangered etc. Sometimes it made me feel like I am a kid or less developed in my mind according my male friends.
6) Kids working manually instead of being in a school. Fact that some kid washed my clothes or was brooming in my guesthouse and that they were paid for that or it was considered to be normal was bit scaring me.
7) Meeting handsome, entertaining, smart males at age 20+ who are virgins.Plus they talk about it. (First, I was shocked sex is so oppressed in this culture, second - why the hell is that even a topic to be disscused? For me it is my personal stuff, not even my parents should be interested in.
EDIT: In my country people would pity you for being a virgin in this age anyway, we would think you are too unwanted/did not grew up yet and that is why you are still a virgin.)
8) Youths hanging around the malls considering this as a fun. To me it was super pointless as well as the amount of bollywood movies watched by a regular person. I expected more creativtiy in the free time, more culture... including sports, walks, performing arts, music concerts, actuall theatre etc.
9) Lack of coffee.... but chai everywhere. Even though I was served with a coffee it was this processed "shit", the powdered one (Nescafé), I was surprised, I expected the "real" one in a country which plants it. (Now I know it is to be found rather in the south...)
10) Incredible noise. Even inside houses - the fans.
11) The huge number of students - engineers, and how many girls study this field as well.
12) Old skinny people riding rickshaws and young fat/wealthly people using this.
13) Pissing yes - kissing no "rule" for public.
14) Bribing even at the lowest level. (Coz of simple paperwork or fines from a policeman)
15) Fact that I should not be outside in the night/using tuk-tuk in the night. Or that it is dangerous to do so.
16) Many people are doing even a tiniest, non productive job. Like - it took three guys to serve me at a cash desk. One was naming the items, one was typing it in and third was putting them into a bag...
17) Once I mistakenly left the shop in a hurry without being given the cash back. I went back six hours later, there were different people, but within ten minutes they made the calls etc. and gave me my 500Rs back. WOW!
18) The way how Indians serve and help each other without knowing each other. Providing water to ANYONE who asks. Lending your phone for a call to a stranger! That is still blowing my mind.
19) Buying a SIM card - I had to fill out the form with the name and a job of my father. What?! Why? :D
20) The fact that the youth are looking forward for their arranged marriage.I was supershocked by that. (Now I wish for one too, *sigh*)
21) People consider quite common to speak three or more languages. In Europe we also speak more languages sometimes, but if we do, we consider ourselves rather special. :D
22) PC games are equal to sport and for winning them you can be awarded and recognized even at the university level. Real absurd to me.
23) Shorts are wrong to wear by girls but sari without bra and revealing tummy is okay... Please, bewray the rule to me, I don't see that! :D
( EDIT: See, if I had to make some joke on this it would be like:
I think that the Indians who put a ban on jeans and t-shirt for girls do so just because sari is far more sexier.)
I am from Czech Republic - that is the European country where Baťa shoes are from. ;) Been to Jaipur in 2011 for two months during monsoon, met mostly college students, having close NRI friends now.
Sorry for a too long list, you are too surprising country :) Comments more than welcome!
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