Yes, India, as we knew it, has changed. But have we Indians, as we knew them (and ourselves), changed?
K.R. DINAKAR forwards a checklist of 19 ways to spot an Indian. What’s the 20th?
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# When everything you eat is savoured with garlic, onions, coriander and chillies.
# You try and reuse gift wrappers, gift boxes, and of course, aluminum foil.
# You are standing next to the two largest suitcases at the airport.
# You arrive one or two hours late at a party, and think it’s normal.
# You peel the stamps off letters that the Postal Service missed to stamp.
# Your toilet has a plastic mug next to the commode.
# All your children have pet names, which sound nowhere close to their real names.
# You talk for an hour at the front door when leaving someone’s house.
# You load up the family car with as many people as possible.
# You use plastic to cover anything new in your house whether it’s the remote control, VCR, carpet or couch.
# You live with your parents even if you are 40 years old. (And they like it that way).
# If she is NOT your daughter, you always take an interest in knowing whose daughter has run off with whose son and feel it’s your duty to spread the word around.
# You only make long distance calls after 11 pm.
# If you stay away from home and your parents call, they ask if you’ve eaten, even if it’s midnight.
# When your parents meet any Indian (especially of your caste) for the first time and talk for a few minutes, you soon discover they are your relatives.
# Your parents still don’t realize phone connections to foreign countries have improved in the last two decades, and still scream at the top of their lungs while talking.
# You have bed sheets on your sofas to keep them off from getting dirty.
# It’s embarrassing if your wedding reception has fewer than 600 people.
# You list your daughter as “fair and slim” in the matrimonial column no matter what she looks like.
One who doesnot agree with any ofthese-20th!
Ok, what’s wrong with any of these. It only shows how inclusive we are and involve people and not being indifferent to people and issues.
# It has been proved that these things are very medicinal and good for health
# World over its expensive to use recycled paper, so its good for the world
# Large suitcases are to pack more clothes coz we are very conscious of cleanliness
# Party is after all time wasted so it doesn’t matter
# I hardly know any one who uses postal services these days
# Cleanliness is next to godliness
# It shows how close we are to children’s and how much we love them
# What’s wrong
# Its a criminal waste to have a limo for one person, more RoI better it is for the country
# Because we care
# In fact westerners are discovering the advantages of a joint cohesive family
# Its the same world over
# Its a matter of convenience
# We should be fortunate to have such parents. I can only but pity others
# We are a “Vasudiva Kutumbam”
# Its coz of the excitement and happiness
# As I said we care
# Not again we are a “Vasudiva Kutumbam”
# I very much doubt that.
I am proud to be an Indian. So it be, no matter we do.
I agree with shanks,
What is the rule that somebody should be dressed, behave and mouth the typical western culture?
If it was for a joke, then i can dishout a fairly bigger list than this for any nation for that matter.
Well, most of the points convey how sensible and caring Indians are.
20th way to spot an Indian is their ability to laugh at themselves.
I agree with shanks we belive’ charity begins at home’ so we recycle as many things as possible. We have our own culture which dates back to centuries which we follow. We aren’t ashamed of it rather we r proud. as sujatha has said yes we have the ability to laugh at ourselves .
If my thatha was around, he would have chased the creator of this list round the globe with his maDigolu( maDi kOlu).
The creator of this list doesn’t know Thiru(pay) Dayanidhi Maran or his pet One India tariff plan.
Hehe it is lot more easier to stereotype expats. :o)
Kannada Boys & Girls,
Here is an updated list of twenty, if you are an Indian. My comments in quotes.
# When everything you eat is savoured with garlic, onions, coriander and chillies. “because the West has miraculously discovered the cancer-fighting properties of these types of garnish!”
# You try and reuse gift wrappers, gift boxes, and of course, aluminum foil. “Sure. We are the World’s best recycle race.”
# You are standing next to the two largest suitcases at the airport. “Not any more–you would probably get a better deal in electronics and the ‘latesht’ in fashion and clothes in Mother India.”
# You arrive one or two hours late at a party, and think it’s normal. “Old habits die hard. Hence ‘IST'”
# You peel the stamps off letters that the Postal Service missed to stamp. “Best practices in Initiative Techniques–courtesy IIM, India.”
# Your toilet has a plastic mug next to the commode. “Wrong! These days we have hand-showers that amazing Indian invention that leaves you with a clean and refreshing feeling.”
# All your children have pet names, which sound nowhere close to their real names. “Detachment of worldly possessions begins at home!”
# You talk for an hour at the front door when leaving someone’s house. “Sure, why not?”
# You load up the family car with as many people as possible. “Nah…we have more than one car in every family now.”
# You use plastic to cover anything new in your house whether it’s the remote control, VCR, carpet or couch. “Well this list is outdated. We don’t use VCR any more. Indians being more affluent have ripped off the covers plastic off carpet and couch. Remote may still find itself in a bubble package given the number of young Indians in a typical family.”
# You live with your parents even if you are 40 years old. (And they like it that way). “Sure. Who wants to miss good home cooking?!!”
# If she is NOT your daughter, you always take an interest in knowing whose daughter has run off with whose son and feel it’s your duty to spread the word around. “Makes for a nice time pass–some gossip”
# You only make long distance calls after 11 pm. “Absolutely! You maximize your ROI.”
# If you stay away from home and your parents call, they ask if you’ve eaten, even if it’s midnight. “Parental concern knows no time zones.”
# When your parents meet any Indian (especially of your caste) for the first time and talk for a few minutes, you soon discover they are your relatives. “That’s the beauty of our caste system.”
# Your parents still don’t realize phone connections to foreign countries have improved in the last two decades, and still scream at the top of their lungs while talking. “Phone systems in foreign countries may have improved–but in India it is still the same old 100-year infrastructure.”
# You have bed sheets on your sofas to keep them off from getting dirty. “A sensible precaution in adverse circumstances.”
# It’s embarrassing if your wedding reception has fewer than 600 people. “Sure, it makes sense.”
# You list your daughter as “fair and slim” in the matrimonial column no matter what she looks like. “That is how she looks to you although she could a Janet Jackson to others. But it is their problem.”
You re-light the half burnt ‘ooodubathi’ in front of god next day !
Shanks may be right but so unfunny ! no sense of humour ?
Cheers