Saturday 26 May 2012

Average Indian's Perspectives of Westerners




In the heart of the historical part of Delhi, neighbouring the Red Fort, Chandni Chowk, Jama Masjid and the colonial St. James Church, Nina Kochhar offers a genuine home-stay in quiet, green, scenic, secure, low-rise surroundings  at the elite Oberoi Apartment complex, where her only guest room ensures that YOU ARE THE VIP at any given time. 
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Average Indian’s perspectives of Westerners

Indians, by and large, tend to regard  white westerners (they wouldn’t differentiate them from Australians, New Zealanders or even Russians) as permissive, and therefore as automatic prey for sexual advances.  Indian women tend to regard foreign women with a degree of distrust .... for really no valid reason except that they are fair, often blonde and blue eyed.

Their very colouring is a thing of wonderment, and urchin children will follow Westerners like they would the Pied Piper;  urban, more sophisticated children would just stare, and possibly gape.  Fair of skin, light of eyes, and blonde of hair.....nothing, to us, could be more remarkable.  In fact, in India, fairness of skin is at a great premium, as can be seen by matrimonial advertisements which more often than not stipulate “Wanted, fair and homely (as different from “lovely”) bride for....” That is also why there is such a large market for Fairness Creams for both men and women in India.

Two particular things about Westerners give them the label of being promiscuous (as compared to Indians!).  The first is the clothes they wear.....bare shoulders, bare legs, and barely any clothes.  The second is their free behaviour among themselves, holding hands in public, constantly being in a tight clinch and even kissing!
On the other hand, almost every Westerner I’ve talked to on their first visit has always enquired, “Are all these men, holding hands in public, and with their arms about each other’s shoulders....are they all gay???”   No, certainly not, it’s just a free sign of affection and brotherhood!

As a result, Western women, including, I’m sorry to say, Japanese and those from the Far East, are often subjected to crude behaviour by our local yokels – particularly urban yokels.  Our yokels need the courage of numbers, and since foreigners cant understand the language, they are easy prey to men rubbing against them in crowded places, especially buses.  Women, particularly  if walking singly will definitely get followed, sooner or later, with men offering to be their guides, take them to places for special bargains, etc.  Men will often make  lewd gestures and crude remarks.  Indian men, are in fact, to quite an extent, sex starved and regard Western women easy prey, particularly as they often react very politely to strangers, and don’t hesitate to strike up a conversation – which is understandable, since they themselves are strangers in a very unfamiliar land.



In fact, in a funny Bollywood movie I was watching, to her plea “But I love him Daddy!”, the father of the girl tells her that “love, shove” happens only after marriage, never before .(Many brides and grooms still don’t get to meet till at the wedding’s sacred fire!). He also categorically states that in 25 years of marriage, he has never yet said “I love you” to his wife! (And he looks to his wife for approval of this fact!)
In fact there are many misconceptions I personally have had of “foreigners” i.e. that they wear a lot of make up;  that they drink a lot of alcohol – both of which I found to be very incorrect assumptions.
Well, that's all for now!


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