Nov. 11, 2008
Learning the different customs of a new place by inadvertently trampling all over them can be awkward at best or be dangerous at worse. Sometimes though doing something taboo can be completely hilarious.
When I left Delhi to catch a train to the desert state of Rajasthan, I had to say good-bye to my new Kashmiri friend Rafiq. I threw my rucksack into the back of a waiting autorickshaw and turned to him to bid farewell. He put out his hand to shake mine, but instead I gave him a big hug and kiss on the cheek and then jumped into the waiting vehicle which sped off for the train station.
A few nights later while talking with a British lady I met in Jaipur, I learned that Indian men and women never show public displays of affection. They never hold hands, and they certainly never hug or kiss.
"It's like having sex," she said.
So now I'm probably being talked about back in Delhi like the whore of Babylon, and good ol' Rafiq is getting pats on the back for getting Indian lucky the other day with an American girl.
1 comment:
...and whatever you do, don't accept his offer to stay with his family at their house boat in Kashmir...unless you plan to marry Rafiq!
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