I would write an individual blog post about each of these interesting phenomena I that I have come across in India, but I just don't understand them! Here's a brief explanation of my interpretation....
Which one of these is not like the other? |
1. Henna Hair –
People here think that dying your hair will make your hair fall out, so when
they go gray instead of using traditional dyes, they use henna, which turns
white or gray hair bright orange. I do not understand how orange and red hair
is more desirable than gray but everybody seems to think it looks good, even in
their beards!
2. The Dirty Shoe –
In order to balance out the karma on things people add something ugly on top of
something beautiful, most commonly the colourfully painted cargo trucks often
have a dirty shoe tied to the front grill. Another example is if your baby is
too beautiful and everybody keeps saying how cute he is, the parents will
colour a black dot on his cheek or tie a black string around his wrist so that
nothing will happen to him for being too good looking!
3. Ear plugs do not
exist here – WHY!? This is the loudest city ever! I suppose people are just
used to it now, but with all the honking and fireworks and endless festivals I
was really hoping that someone would have sold me some.
4. The Head Bobble –
what does it mean? My friend thinks it
means yes, which I can’t believe since it is rarely accompanied by a
smile. I think it means “maybe”, or at
least not “no”, or they could just be making fun of me. Either way I am
beginning to catch myself doing it!
5. Fashion – There isn't much to fashion here, but when I
asked why I keep seeing people wearing bellbottoms, I was told that there are different
fashion styles for different classes and right now the lower class is retro! I
guess that means that the higher class is western?
6. People don’t give change
– not because they don’t have it but because the next guy won’t give
change. So if I don’t have the correct amount for the taxi I am taking, I have
to run up and down the street looking for someone to break my bill.
7. Public Property –
nobody respects or contributes responsibility for communal spaces, only adds to its piles of garbage, even though
those same people use them to play or work if not to live.
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