A World of Difference

In addition to the most well known -- eating (masala, or spice, rules everything), working (6-day, 10am-7pm work weeks), valuing (family comes first, well before work), drinking (thrice daily chai is probably equivalent to your unhealthy coffee obsession), wiping (left hand), and praying (a few thousand Hindu gods = daily religious festivals) -- it's time to tell you the stuff about India you might not know so well. Enjoy:

Thanking. Although there exists a couple words for "thank you", say the words themselves and you might get scolded! Instead, the way you address a fellow Indian -- using the term bhai (brother), ben (sister), or ji after their name -- has a built in connotation of respect. So, don't go blurting thanks to everyone you see, in fact, I have been adamantly questioned why?? for doing so a few times. Too thankful perhaps?

Sharing. Picture: Indian cooks food at house the morning of (Indians do not do leftovers). Indian brings food to office in tiffin (lunchbox). Lunchtime comes. All sit around table. All take out tiffin. All tiffins passed around throughout lunch. No one asks to "pass the tiffin". You just grab, without asking. It is built in, understood, that everything there is everyone's. You may know that your aloo mutter is much better than Vijay's chana, but it doesn't matter. It's all shared. Bringing fruit to snack on at work means buying 3 oranges everyday because by the time I get 1 orange's worth of orange, 3 have been split up between my other coworkers. Orange you glad you knew that?? Ok, lame I know.

Touching. Men and women do not touch in public. Taboo central. This is a big deal. In many institutions there is major separation between men and women too. But, this does not stop men from touching each other! Walk down the street on a normal day and you'll see men with arms around each other, holding hands. This is even more common than women holding hands, but you see that as well. Note: I've heard of secret parks at night that couples can go to... even saw one myself in Baroda! Interesting.

Wondering. I am in my room, reading on my bed. It's a warm, lazy Sunday morning. All my windows are open and the breeze is coming in. Then suddenly I look to my left and there is an Indian face outside my window looking in at me! Ah I scream! This is all too common. Indians are possibly the most curious people in the world. They will stop and stare, and stare, and stare. Have an open window or door to your house? Might as well ask someone to come by and stare at you through it! There is absolutely no privacy in this country. And if you walk down the street get ready for the questioning. "What is your country?" will be asked, without exception, about every 3rd person or so. Occasionally you might get, "what is this country?", "what is country?", and simply, "what is this?". But it's always the same question, always every 3rd person, without exception. Although my country was originally America, it has been known to change to Australia, New Zealand, or UK from time to time. Once I said it was India. That threw them off.

Passing (gas). I won't lie, I saved the best for last. India is a great place. Pick your nose, fart, belch, all at your own leisure, in public, because everyone else does. And these aren't soft, under-the-breath burps too. They're earth-shattering. And I'm not just talking men. The first time I heard the 60-yr old woman who makes chai at the office let one rip, I had to struggle to hold in the laughter. It just didn't seem right. But now, it has been embraced. It's kind of like a paradise of sorts, actually. No shame or embarassment. You just do what you gotta do, it's only normal. I think everyone can appreciate that.