India, and Indians.

The BBQ Pit
21

My first reaction: Your first post? in the PIT? - where do you plan to go from here?

(BTW: My neighbours are Asian and although, like many people who share a party wall, there have been moderately uncomfortable episodes between us, I find it quite nice exchanging bits of culture (admittedly mostly food-related) with them - I give them produce from my allotment, they give me wonderful samosas or fried courgette flowers, I make fruit-ice lollies for my kids to share with theirs, they invite me to sample exotic fruits I’ve only ever seen in books)

22

Teelo - I know many Indian expats from all over India, from different social levels. Some of what you say is true. India has huge problems of poverty, corruption, war (Gujarat) religious, racial and social divide.

But it also produces wonderful food - and I have been amazed living here how different all the different cuisines are. In the UK there is tons of “Indian” food - it’s actually often as much Pakstani as it is Indian, according to subcontinental friends who also tell me that biryani is Indian not Pakistani. But it’s quite limited in its range, compared to what is actually out there.

I am totally hooked on Keralite cuisine: lots more fish, seafood, dry fried beef, thin flower-shaped rice “appam” pancakes, mango and coconut curries.

I had Goan food and loved it - masses of seafood, very spicy, wonderful crispy fried chicken, the best squid I have ever tasted.

I also have huge regular cravings for a Pakistani dish called Bihari kebab (very soft mutton - something I never would have thought I would have liked but loved when I was brave enough to try it), eaten with fresh roti bread, with bits of freshly chopped ginger and green chilli.

Food is just one tiny example to demonstrate how varied India is. There is no one culture, or religion, or type of person. Education is amazing in India but sadly many jobs are not there, hence a lot of expats (probably like your parents). I know several Indian people who have applied or already moved to Canada to make better lives for themselves in terms of security and good pay.

An Indian IT professional I know here (also a Canadian expat) told me yesterday that 30% of Microsoft’s staff are Indian.

You should try to be proud of your heritage, or at least not resent it. I hope very much that one day you will have the chance to visit India - as I am hoping to do - and see its wonders for yourself.

23

Wearia:

Pull your head out before you tell me to read something, okay! I never never never N E V E R, GOT THAT, NEVER! said you said that.

Look at my post again. Do you see anywhere in there where I said that? Thought not.

The post was addressed obviously to the poster who actually posted that comment. You’ll notice that yojimbo demonstrated competence in reading skills and showed that Teelo actually said:

The bit about his or her “awareness” was long before the comment just quoted. That shows that although he might be (heaven help me for using this word here) intellectually aware of it, his or her use of the comment “I still think it is a slum though” shows that he or she is just flat out prejudiced, regardless of own heritage, against India.

Again, don’t tell me to read something when you obviously were staring at the screen with your eyes closed.

24

Fierra and I would like to go there, and will someday. It was just unnerving to have my friends tell me seriously - “No - don’t go. It’s worse than you can imagine.”

True, I do worry about travel to some places because of my poor health. But I would still love to go.

25

Hmmm… Did someone forget to change their socks?

26

Hmmm, that’s what I thought at first particlewill, but the answer is in the question, so to speak.

27

You know, I almost sympathized with your OP. As an Indian myself (born and raised in the US, though), I can tell you that most first-generation ( or later) Indians have the same thoughts, and it’s understandable. Everything seems entirely alien when you visit (or if you’ve never been, see in books or on TV) India.

But then you posted this:

And you know what? You’re Indian only in your blood. Culturally speaking, you’re a Canadian kid with a year-round tan.

It’s a shame that you’ve decided to disregard what you could have as someone with two cultures. Being able to speak the language or at least being willing to learn a bit about where your family comes from (if only to recognize what they went through to get you where you are) is valuable, and something I think you’ll realize as you get older. It’s also a shame that your parents didn’t try to teach you more (as far as I can tell, since you mentioned you don’t speak whichever dialect) about where you’re (partly) from.

It’s easy to want to push it away now. I know it is. I did it myself. But don’t close your mind off forever.
And as for the rest of you, I know you mean well, but there really is more to it than food and IT professionals. Both the bad and the good.

28

:smack:
Not a Sock, two people on the same computer.
Now excuse me while I slap Teelo upside the head for using my account.

29

And how about slapping yourself upside the head for what you accused me of doing that I didn’t do?

30

Monty; Wearia didn’t accuse you, Teelo did, but he was wearing a full-body-Wearia-suit.

31

Gotcha, Mantetout.

In that case, Teelo: How about slapping yourself upside the head for the comments about India?

32

Good call ** Mangetout **

33

Or what? :wally
I can have my opinions and you can’t stop me.

34

It would be nice if they were well-founded opinions, wouldn’t they?

BTW, it’s not good form to talk bad about yourself in public.

35

should read:

36

What the hell are you talking about?

37

Ah, as the wise Buddha (a longtime resident of India) said, “to live is to suffer.” The only way to get over the suffering is to recognize and embrace it. Be proud of who you are. India is historically one of the brightest spots in Asia. They produced two religions and influenced many others.

And Apu kicks major ass.

38

Two things I’m talking about, Teelo:

  1. Your opinion about India being a slum is not well-founded. In short, it’s rank prejudice.

  2. Your comment about putz. I was implying that you’re talking to yourself with that one.

39

Monty, two things.

  1. The boy is giving us his honest feelings. He may be misinformed about a few things, but that’s why we’re here, to inform him. Not to be an arrogant prick whenever he says something that is easily correctable and inoffensive in the grand scheme of things. You wanna tell him how things really are? Then do so, like everyone else, courteously. He won’t learn a damn thing if you try to bludgeon him with your usual schtick.

Which brings me to Number 2…

After careful review, I have come to the conclusion that there is nothing that can be asked that will not elicit a response that makes you look like anything but an asshole. You always jump into a thread, you castigate someone, then when they call you on it you call them a liar or try to make them retract what they say. In fact, it happens with such alarming regularity that I think you actually search for opportunities to tear into people. Your routine is old and tired.

So, how about you give teelo an apology for suggesting that he slap himself upside the head for having an honest, albeit uninformed opinion. That would be a nice change for you.

I don’t want to presume that I speak for everyone here, but having seen the number of Pit threads where you’ve been either the topic or the antagonist throughout, I don’t think this is unjustified.

40

In the year or so I spent doing ‘serious’ work around Osaka, I had the opportunity to meet and talk with various semi-important businessmen. Most of them are running their businesses in crisis mode still, and their outlook on the future ranges from gloomy to apocalyptic (in a few rare instances).

Who are they most afraid of? The US? Nope. The EU? Chau chau. It’s India and China.

So what do they find so frightening about Indians? Their education, their manpower, their business skills and their will. In short, India has serious kick-ass potential (the good kind that is).

Also, what everyone said about the cuisine. As an avid food lover, I believe there four countries that have given us divine food cultures, and one of them is India.