Questions I have been asked and answers I have wanted to give.
“Do you have letter boxes in India?”
No, we use pigeons.
“Do you know what an icecream is? Have you ever had one?”
An icecream? Not sure what it is. Is it a kind of moisturizer?
“Do you have things like emails in India?”
No, we really really use pigeons.
“Indian huh? So you are kinda related to Pocahontas?”
Yes. She was my grandmother. These earrings I wear are from her.
“Of course you will know all about the Nez Perce tribe! You are an Indian.”
Yes, of course. I do wear feathers when I go back home every evening.
“So what is it really like to live in India?”
Verrrry different. People are green in color and they breathe through their gills.
“What do you think about the fact that India might be considered an Asian society?”
Huh? Ever considered looking at those bright colored things called maps?
“Is India a country or a continent?”
Neither. It’s actually a planet. Yes, you are being invaded!
“So you got up one morning and said ‘I gotta get out of this damn country?’ and so came to US?”
No, I got up one morning and decided to educate the world about how perfect my country is.
And an actual conversation I had:
“So how is the settling down in America going?”
“Pretty good actually, thank you. Although going to Wal-Mart is still a scary experience.”
“Oh! You don’t have big shops in India right?”
“No we do, it’s just that we’d rather do other stuff than worry about 70 different brands of toilet paper.”
P.S. I welcome all questions though because every conversation helps me teach something about India that the other person did not know. I like the opportunity that the interaction gives me. And every question has been asked with such frank curiosity and friendliness that it's been worthwhile. So everyone in India reading this post, PLEASE no America bashing. It's a warm, wonderful place to be in.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
41 comments:
Me First!
Forgetting how funny replies-in-your-head are, this...
No, I got up one morning and decided to educate the world about how perfect my country is.
BIG HUG!
ROW needs to get up and learn about us. Or tomorrow they'd ask, 'Oh, THESE are Indians eh! Pretty neat!'
Sheesh...I don't believe they actually asked if we're a country or a continent. Kinda funny a thought! :|
Must be tough to control yourself!
And hey, I love the post script!
Have you ever faced similar questions from Indians about how life is in USA? I certainly did. Either they ask such questions or pretend that they know everything about USA sitting at their home in India and browsing internet, which is even more dumb!
Really good post...a perfect start to the day...thank u!
While reading your post I was reminded of the Johny Quest cartoons which had been my favorites during my school days."Quest world logon"...used to be one of my most liked dialogs. :)
If u saw India there it was a country overrun with forests, with few settlements in between and still ruled by kings. The only means of transport seemed to be elephants and some chariots were thrown in for good measure. I think this picture of seventeenth century India is what is still in people's minds for some unknown reason....
can we have a pic of urs with feathers on ur head :D
ok jokes apart.......nice post :)
Well interestin post 'n even nicer replies to each of the queries raised to ya :) I'm sure that every question has been asked with frank curiosity and friendliness, but somwhere deep down each of these queries is also reflective of the larger issue of "inwardness" of America. i'm sure its a great place and country to be in but increasingly their lack of awareness of the world around seems to be havin' serious implications on the world at large.. So, I really appreciate that u are lookin at every such conversation as a learning and sharing opportunity and educating them tht there is another world out there beyond America..In awareness 'n respect for others lies the hope for world peace.
Gdluck gal!
lol dude I had alot of these when i was in school in Cali..
"Like have you ever seen one of these before Vir" ?
yes i am quite aware what a VCR is...
Vir do you ride elephants in India instead of cars ?
yes i am a Mahoot by birth and I have monkeys as my slaves to do my bidding ...
lol i loved the questions man they are so random.. no wonder they come to india and they are like wow where are all the monkeys and elephants and the flying carpets hahaha
hey s.. nice post.. actually you should have asked the elephant question too .. on my behalf!!
by the way: this is for "dipthought".. which country do you belong to?? you sound like you have a real dislike for India! i just think that India/Indians are just not as ignorant for the most part also most conscious Americans would agree.. i also think that Indians hesitate asking silly questions just cause they dont want to sound stupid.. so im really surprised that you came across so many silly questions.. also browsing the net does tell you alot.. it may not be exact but its pretty darned close!
i hope you dont take this badly.. and S you too.. this not intended for any kind of community bashing.. just a odd feeling i got from reading 'dipthought''s comment!
can we talk about this...
let me make some serious fun of things !!!
This was a nice post. :)
(And this comment is not supposed to sound cold and impersonal. I just mean to say that much. :))
Btw, do keep educating them. It's a nice thought.
Well, I don't know whether Americans generally are more inward looking than us, but they do know less about us than we do about them.We're getting re-colonised via satellite tv!
I believe that media is to blame to some extent for the way they see us too, as is our very own tourism board which markets "mystical India" as a tourist destination.
My favourite question: All Indians don't practice yoga?
GRRREAT post sayan10e !
I love your way of expression and more than that the wits !
Keep it up dear :)
For Manasi
Right now, I belong to this country. And which country do "you" belong to? And if Google gave you every darn answer, then why you are in the country full of ignorant people?!
That's not the real point. None doubts that Americans have a very limited worldview, and they often ask naive questions. And similarly do Indians. And I am sure everyone else in the world. I faced questions like, does every American undergo divorce or even worse, is sex the only thing one "does" when meeting a girl. I would however argue that these questions come because they have a genuine interest about other cultures and its a way of welcoming us and keeping the conversation going. We like it or not, this is one of the most successful countries in modern world, in spite of all the ignorant people around and we are the ones who are jumping in.
Every argument does not necessarily have to end in whether one loves India or not.
AWESOME AWESOME POST....reminded me so much about my old call centre days...I love those Americans truly but sometimes I honestly feel they need to stand up and notice India. I remember this call in which this woman asked me..."Wow...you are an Indian and you speak such good english! Must have taken evening classes!" And when I replied that most of the Indians do speak fluent english she was spell bound and asked..."REALLY?"
Man....I love them for being so naive at times...and I am prouder by the minute of the fact that I am an Indian!!! Vande Mataram!
the first thing that flashed across my mind after reading this post was: 'strange but true' - this is the title of a book i read long back. in fact, it is a children's book on world famous odd facts and quips.
the sort of questions u faced are not surprising in the least bit, they just seem a bit odd.
i agree with 'dipthought' that each one of us asks some naive questions out of curiosity. but its ok.
and as u rightly said, its gives us an opportunity to interact and learn more thru our interactions.
@ Rohit
Big hug to you too.
Thank you for liking the post and the post script.
@ dipthought
Actually I havent. Most of my friends and family are rather well-travelled, or well read/informed at least. So I have not encountered the kind of questions you are talking about here. But I detect a trace of condescence and superiority in your comment vis-a-vis these Indians and their questions. And since this post was written with the intent of evoking fun and not poking fun at any country or people, I am not sure what to make of your tone. Just as I am unsure of whether your being an Indian in the US as opposed to being an Indian in India gives you an edge over the latter.
@ Rajarshi
Glad to have started your day on a good note. Let me try and do that often enough. :) Theek aachhe JL?
Was never a big fan of Johnny Quest but I know what you mean.
@ D
:D
Next post will have that.
@ Anonymous
Thank you for coming here. And an even bigger thank you for commenting. But why choose to be anonymous?
@ Vir
Monkeys to do your bidding? How come I never saw one in my 18 months in Chandi?
@ Manasi
You betcha. I am saving that elephant question for another, better post.
And you are entitled to your opinion and are absolutely free to take any stand and ask any question. The blog is the space for that anyway.
@ Prashant
Yup. We can. We shall.
@ BASTM
Ok ji. I shall do as you say. As always. :)
@ Etincelle
They don't?
As in we don't?
What are you telling me?
Didn't we start our day in College by doing an hour of yoga every day in Andrew's Court?
@ Suru
Soooooooooooooooo good to see you here. :)
I appreciate nice gairls and their nicer commentz.
@ dipthought
Whoa! Who on earth asked you whether every American gets divorced??? And what's this whole spiel about not liking being in America or not acknowledging its immense success as a country. When did Manasi say that?
(I apologise if this response was only for Manasi and my comment was not solicited.)
@ Kanu
THANK YOU. Vande Mataram to you too.
Oh and btw, most Indians DO NOT speak English fluently. (And why should they anyway?) Most Indians in perhaps the circle in which you hang around, speak English fluently. Right?
@ Mayuri
Your book sounds like fun. It must be, you have remembered it so well.
And yes, amen to more interactions.
And what's this whole spiel about not liking being in America or not acknowledging its immense success as a country. When did Manasi say that?
Let me start with an unrelated observation. In those Calcutta/Kolkata communities in Orkut, you would see threads like why Kolkata is the best city in India oh so regularly. If by any chance you write something negative about Kolkata there, whether its fair assessment or not, a hundred people would jump in and bash you up, questioning your roots, intelligence and even "Bengali-ness". May be I was overreacting, but I did smell a similar attitude in Manasi's which country do you belong to?? question - either you always think Indians are right or you are not one of us.
But I detect a trace of condescence and superiority in your comment vis-a-vis these Indians and their questions. And since this post was written with the intent of evoking fun and not poking fun at any country or people, I am not sure what to make of your tone.
Again, may be I was a bit too harsh, but I felt they are as funny as we Indians look when we try to cross the road looking at the wrong direction. There are exceptions of course, but most of the times such naive questions keep the conversations going - since most of us wont participate in a conversation if they just keep talking about football or frat girls or beer brewing. I would rather give credit to them for trying to talk inspite of their narrow worldview.
Just as I am unsure of whether your being an Indian in the US as opposed to being an Indian in India gives you an edge over the latter.
About all matters American, sure it does, otherwise not. Like about college football, it does but about trip planning in Rajasthan, it doesn't.
WONDERFUL POST :D
and I love the tone in ur post ..this is actually perfect blend of sarcasms with humor ...
loved this writeup :)
you know Dipthought.. my comment wasnt really there to offend you or anyone else! it was just a thought after reading your comment.. you didnt have to come back so harshly and so defensively..
i just think .. that one doesnt belong to a country by just living there for a couple of years or more.. one has to have a sense of belonging.. maybe you feel that towards this country and its justified.. i am here to study my field in a different country to learn techniques and get exposed to the environment different from home .. not to settle down here.. i will go back as soon as i am done.. most of my family has!
so once again .. this wasnt to offend you.. your comment just gave me a odd feeling and thats why i said something about it!
so you will not hear from me again!
Nothing personal Manasi, we both have our views and convictions ...and sometimes we are so passionate about it that others may end up feeling offended.
I am always ready for a healthy conversation. :)
well...I guess but the fact remains that WE ROCK!!!! Totally!
Wait a second!? Indians dont ride around on elephants??? And you're not actually all related to Pocahontis or the Nez Perce... can you at least kill a buffalo with an arrow??? :)
I think it is important to note that most Americans would love to know about other people's customs and cultures. However, even though we live in the information age, most Americans are simply not exposed to such things.
Think about it, when I first met you you asked me how many movies with Indian actors I had seen and you pretty much already knew my answer (Bend it).
When I turn on my tv I see Grey's Anatomy not the proper order to eat an Indian meal. When I log onto the internet I see the latest deal from Walmart not an explanation for the celebration of Diwali. This is information an American and anyone that isn't Indian would have to actively seek out. AKA its not common knowledge (just as knowing the many intricacies of football is not common knowledge).
Also, in America, a popular idea (although certainly not believed by all) is that all people (no matter their race, religion, sex, etc) are equal. One of the byproducts for an American of viewing someone as an equal is not seeing them as an Indian, African, etc but as an American also (this is usually a safe bet because most people in America are Americans :) ). Because of this "culturaly homogenous" ideal Americans may be surprised when they meet an Indian actually from India or a Japanese person actually from Japan and in cases like those they are forced to use what little knowledge they do have (from movies like Bend it and the Karate Kid for Japanese :) ) to try and create a conversation :). Ex. "So... I saw on Indiana Jones that the thugees just run around ripping out people's hearts... ummm... is there some sort of police crackdown on that yet"... lol
Anyway, that being said, ya most of those comments you've gotten are pretty ridiculous and they make me (as a quasi ambassador to my country) blush a little bit :).
Great post!
-Dan
hello!!!!
so this post basically says that Sayan di is rocking in USA too...!!
“No we do, it’s just that we’d rather do other stuff than worry about 70 different brands of toilet paper.” THAT WAS JUST TOO COOL!!!Audacious!
i`ll be regular from now on :)
Great post and a great follow up with the discussion afterwards...
It’s just that I feel that most of the times these questions arise not just out of naiveté but out of - I guess - (and note: I am just thinking abt this on a psychological level - not intending to hurt anybody's feelings) a desire to be polite over all else... I mean you are in "your" world, with "your kind" of people, doing things that you are "used to" doing etc etc...
And then suddenly there's somebody, who, while being of the same species, speaks differently, has different customs – is DIFFERENT from you…
I guess these questions are an attempt to bridge cultures or something... starting out with something that you are familiar with and comfortable with understanding (in this case - elephants, monkeys and pocahontas) and then connecting it to complex issues (like diwali and the temple of d(h)oom!!) – I have to subscribe to the anonymous comment abt American sense of insularity as well – to some extent at least… but at least these questions are an attempt to reach out… aren’t they??
don’t know if this half baked theory made any sense or not... but "we" indians do the same things right??
i would like to point out something - as a people i think indians are generally a curious lot - we love to have our fingers in every pie that ever was (or will be) - we know abt (or try to brag that we know abt) things like american states and the names of all the presidents since washington and abt thanksgiving and... umm you get the idea?
so i guess the shock factor is all the higher when you hear abt going to work on a camel everyday or something in that vein...
i am REALLY glad that sayantani has decided to educate and inform rather than sniff indignantly and snarl or do a sunny deol-esque "mera bharat mahaan" drama...
like kanu said - i have faced similar questions from people in the states, while taking calls for dell... (see - fixing a computer does take time!! and u need to talk or both u and the old lady on the other end are wont to doze off!!) ... most of the time it was innocent curiosity, some times it was a humourous jibe, there was also the rare "you bloody indians" issue as well... however there was also the rare guy who openly raved abt bangalore and the lady who loved javed akhtar's poems!!
the flood gates are open... let the waters flow...
hey, nice post..:-) have faced several of such qs when I first got here..like do you ride elephants? or do you worship stray cows? and lot more...i was pretty amused but felt good to share my experiences of India with my american friends..Some of em dont get it that there is another interesting world out there beyond America!
@ Dipthought
We did sort it out, didnt we?
@ Chitrangada
Thank you.
@ Manasi
Well, healthy discussions are always welcome aren't they?
@ Kanu
Yes we rock. Just like others rock too.
@ Dan
Fabulous response. I do hope I didn't end up offending you. Because that wasnt the aim of this post AT ALL.
"Also, in America, a popular idea (although certainly not believed by all) is that all people (no matter their race, religion, sex, etc) are equal."
I agree. And I have felt it everywhere. Right from the moment I landed in LA to everywhere on this campus. Not for a second have I been made to feel unwelcome. And I appreciate that very much. I dont know how welcoming one region of Indians are towards Indians from another region though. More on that can of worms later.
""So... I saw on Indiana Jones that the thugees just run around ripping out people's hearts... ummm... is there some sort of police crackdown on that yet"."
Lol indeed. And this is why you are one of my most favorite people in this country...nah, make it the world.
@ Komal
You better be regular! Pit jayegi nahin to!!
:D
@ Keka
And you tell me again and again that you can't write?!!!
I loved your response. Yes, more than anything else, I love the frank curiosity with which all these questions were asked. They were intended to make me tell them more about where I came from so that they could be themselves yet in no way end up offending me. They are definitely making an attempt to reach out. I wonder how many times or how readily we do that to the foreigners that come to our shores.
@ Laks
Keep up the good work. We'll learn too, about them as well as ourselves, thanks to this cultural exchange.
Hey nice to find u in the similar situation :D
remember what i was telling about the questions on elephants and trains the other day?
TC n good luck !(Im sure theres lots more coming)
:)
Iram
I'm posting one of my personal experiences in a market in calcutta
American: how much does the bananas cost?
Vendor: Rs 20 per piece.
American to his mate: so cheap!
need i say more.
@ Iram
There actually was an elephant question. Maybe I will write about it later. :)
@ Kalyan
Well, that is not ignorance is it?
You are attacking a different train of thought.
Hehe. That was an awesome. and you seem to be enjoying answering all these droll questions. May you spread the truth : ) . no offence meant , but den they r so ignorant when it comes to anything that is not american, one feels pity for them
Things i love about United Statians in no particular order:
1)Their ability to laugh at their own culture, there celebs and above all their el presidente..i mean isnt Jon Stewart awesome or what!!
2)Their non-partisan attitude about foreigners.(applies to about 90% of USA i have been to, and i have been to 37 out of 48 states).
3)Their cuisine...and i don't care what you think...double burgers and cheese fries is gourmet food.
4)Their ability to cut slack for foreigners..given that many non-tourist foreigners don't try at all to fit in.
5)Their individualism..something i lacked till i came to this country.
6)Okay so there's five points and i am sleepy ...so go figure the rest.
Next up : A Hundred things i love about India(even hundred aren't enough) and Three and half things i don't like about Antartica.
god almighty,don't i have better things to do than write sidey posts.................................................................................obviously i dont!!
Hi didi....Great post...extremely funny...
1 thing if u dont mind...I kind of appreciate what Dipthought said about Indians. Yes your frineds and family might be well versed in the geography of America, but when you look at India overall then.....
Also I beleive that America is a nation which makes more news than most others do , it deserves it or not! So we know a lot about her. But how much do Indians know about say Argentina or Kazakhstan?
@ Ajay
Thanks for reading the post.
No, pity is an emotion I don't feel for anyone's ignorance. As I said before I see it as an opportunity to talk about India, and in that way dissolve some of the homesickness.
@ Shardul
WHOA! WELCOME! :D
Big hug.
Lol at point 3.
And complete agreement with point 4. We know who such people are. dont we?
SIDEY POSTS? You are so dead when I see you this weekend.
@ Aritro
I see you so rarely here that it's spectacularly awesome to get your comment. So without fighting about this with you, I will meekly agree.
Hilarious!
I really couldn't believe at first that those were real questions people asked you. They sound more like the stereotypically funny questions a "typical American" would be made to mouth in movies, and questions that you're sure wouldn't be put to you "in this day & age" coz of course we're big now & oooh India's nukes are in the newspapers.... guess we're still the land of snake charmers. You go do your job of telling people about India, and keep at it :)
And the Wal-mart bit was HILARIOUS!!!
@ Ash
Thanks.
@ Amiya
I will. :)
hi, great post!!! but seriously, is india another planet? because my girlfriend from kolkata barely thinks like humans!!!
an italian alien!
@ Italian Alien
Hi. That's interesting to know. :)
Do you have a blog of your own?
Hey hey hey..I liked your replies.
Post a Comment