Each nationality has its defining characteristics, its quirks. What does it mean to be an Indian?
I attempted a tongue-in-cheek post for the Matador Network. It was published as ’25 signs you were born and raised in India’.
So, is there an uncomfortable silence in the room when you’re watching TV with your parents and ads for condoms/sanitary pads come up?
Or
You recently told a total stranger on the train why you were still not married at 25 and what you planned to do with your life.
Your mother cannot contemplate a life without home-cooked ‘idli-sambhar’ or ‘rajma-chaaval’ — if you’re a man, it’s part of the reason you get married. If you’re a woman, you learn to cook.
Amazon India’s ‘aur dikhao’ ad with the Sikh kid reminds you of the time when you were asked to dance for the benefit of Mr. and Mrs. Shah who were chomping on ‘gulab jamuns’ that you were not allowed to touch until the guests left.
You use the head nod to say ‘yes,’ ‘no,’ ‘maybe,’ ‘what,’ ‘whatever.’ And you expect people to know exactly what you mean.
If you’re Indian, the post might resonate with you. If you’re not, it will give you an idea of what being Indian is about.
Read the entire post here – Matador Network post by Vibha
Btw, those wondering where that cow came from – it was peeping through a window in the corridor of a hotel in Orissa, hoping to get some food.
We gave it a few chapatis, then went on our way to Chilika Lake. Here’s the post on that trip