I dont understand why this article has been written. I have not met anyone in US who asked me any of these questions or of any of these types. Yes when you meet people in US or anywhere in the world they normaly ask about the culture, religion, living standards. Also they talk about the disturbance in the surrounding regions of South Asia. And It shows that people are not dump about the basic informations of India as a nation. I am not about the age of the writer is it 15?? May be as a kid these types of discussions might have bappened in the school.
RE:I dont think context in this article are correct
by on Feb 29, 2008 04:04 AM Permalink
yes it does happen i am in perth people offten ask those silly question, may be people dosn't like to talk to u
RE:I dont think context in this article are correct
by brijesh grover on Mar 01, 2008 02:28 AM Permalink
I have faced these types of questions more in Indian than in US. I think u r not getting the point here, the boy who has written this article is only 15, and hence people who might have asked these silly questions are deffinitely either the students around him or may be the people who do not have much general knowledge. I am sure your surroundings are also of the same type.
I have lived more than enough time as his age mentioned in US and I have never encountered such questions or remarks.
I do not think people are so dumb here. They are curious to know about your culture and traditions but not so stupid to ask me if I was brought up in a "no tubelight" home or in a forest or such thing.
Now a days I have heard that kids and their mothers are making up stories to get into limelight. One kid wrote a letter to TV station and lied about her father to collect free ticket to a show. Mom and kid got caught in an interview for the lie and then mom publicly apologized for the behavior.
RE:I am not sure whether this is true!
by sri on Feb 29, 2008 03:51 AM Permalink
Maybe you should get out more often and interact with more people. Are you kidding me?
RE:I am not sure whether this is true!
by brijesh grover on Mar 01, 2008 02:32 AM Permalink
Are u suggesting that a 15 year old boy is not studying in us, and socialising more than the person(undersigned) who have travelled all across. And by the way what abt ur social interactions. Have u never faced these kinds of questions in different parts of India about the other parts of India. In some parts of India general public is not aware of what is happening in other part of India.
RE:I am not sure whether this is true!
by brijesh grover on Feb 29, 2008 03:33 AM Permalink
I agree, I dont see anything relevant in this article. Whatever is being written out here could be a personal experience at a certain level (I am not sure if so many queries and questions were encountered by this boy). May be in the exceptional cases where this boy encountered really a very dump guy he might have faced a situation and made an article out of it.
He is right again Mr Gandhi was not an elected official, he stood up against Britishers who discriminated Indians in South Africa...he was stubborn and Britishers had to relent some what which made him popular slowly but surely. I never even knew he was baniya and I hate for some of his acts.
Anyways Baniya dont need reservation they are already well off with their hard work.
One thing to note Mr. On my dearest friend has started saying "Mayank" instead of hurling abuses.
RE:Mr On is again correct
by Mayank Agarwal on Feb 29, 2008 02:37 AM Permalink
Bye Bye my friend Mr. On I am really sick and I need to get rest. I wont disappoint you though send me your lovely comments to me on mayank_ag@rediffmail.com
RE:Mr On is again correct
by talk fame on Feb 29, 2008 02:34 AM Permalink
hahaha..i m really enjoying this dual b/w You and Mr. On for a really long time now.rofl
I would totally agree with the author. Its strange to the extent of shocking one's wits to hear people's idea of India being the same as what it must have been in the early 19th century. I work in a London based law firm where once a partner shared his itinerary details concerning India. I was shocked at the kind of things he expected to see in the modern Indian cities and with utmost respect i had to remind him that though India was a land of extremes where people and rich stayed together, incomes of some of the rich when combined was sufficient to buy most of the London based companies.
They have the smartest and also dumbest there...search for a video on you tube abt what americans know abt their neighbouring Canada..some of them think Canadians live in iglo..
Next time you get asked an annoying Indian question, answer it likethis...read on, it's funny!
Q. What does that white dot on women's forehead mean?
A. Well, in ancient times, Indian men used to practice archery skills bytarget practicing by aiming at their wife's white dot. In fact, that is one of the reasons why they had many wives. You see, once they mastewhite the art of archery and hit the target....
Q. You're from India , aren't you? I have read so much about the country.
All the wonderful places, the forests, the snake charmers, the elephants. Do you still use elephants for transportation? [note: This one we were actually asked in August '93 by a real estate agent when house-hunting in Boston .]
A. Absolutely. In fact we used to have our own elephant in our house. But later, we started elephant-pooling with our neighbors, to save the air. You see elephants have an "emissions" problem.....
Q. Does India have cars?
A. No. We ride elephants to work. The government is trying to encourage ride-sharing schemes.
Q. Does India have TV?
A. No. We only have cable.
Q. Are all Indians vegetarian?
A. Yes. Even tigers are vegetarian in India .
Q. How come you speak English so well?
A. You see when the British were ruling India , they employed Indians as servants. It took too long for the Indians to learn English. So the British isolated an "English-language" gene and infused their servants' babies with it and since then all babies born are born speaking English.
RE:Answer like this
by Vikas on Feb 29, 2008 02:29 AM Permalink
Continuation..... A variation to the above is a compliment ---
"You speak very good English."
Response: Thanks. So do you.
Q. Are you a Hindi?
A. Yes. I am spoken everyday in Northern India .
Q. Do you speak Hindu?
A. Yes, I also speak Jewish, Islam and Christianity.
Q. Is it true that everyone there is very corrupt?
A. Yes, in fact, I had to bribe my parents so that they would let me go to school.
Q. India is very hot, isn't it?
A. It is so hot there that all the water boils spontaneously. That is why tea is such a popular drink in India .
Q. Are there any business companies in India ?
A. No. All Indians live on the Gandhian prinicples of self-sufficiency. We all make our own clothes and grow our own food. That is why you see all these thin skinny Indians -- it is a lot of hard work.
Q. Indians cannot eat beef, huh?
A. Cows provide milk which is a very essential part of Indian diet. So eating cows is forbidden. However in order to decrease the population of the country, the government is trying to encourageeveryone to eat human meat.
Q. India is such a religious place. Do you meditate regularly?
A. Yes, sometimes I meditate for weeks without food and drink. But it is difficult to keep my job, because I have to miss work when I meditate like that. But the bosses there do the same thing. That is why things are so inefficient there.
Q. I saw on TV that people there walk on burning coals. Why do they do that?
A. We don't have shoes. So we burn the botton of our
RE:all said and done...
by bombay on Feb 29, 2008 02:19 AM Permalink
theres no doubt abt it. some will be rich and famous and affluent, remaining will be poor, and backward, the rich backward class wud go ahead in govt, courtesy resevation, but the real backward wud be the same, and it these people who are featured in books relating to India , abroad and it is of these people that the tourists will take snaps and go back.
RE:all said and done...
by Mayank Agarwal on Feb 29, 2008 02:23 AM Permalink
Do you know no country apart from India, of former British Colonies, have remain democratic. They have been atleast once being under Milatary rule, there are still very good things we tend to forget when criticize about our country.
Yeah,the ignorant ones in America think like that.Everyone knows the standard of high school education in the States....they should really do something about it lest in some years it would be known as the Land of the Dunderheads!!
