"Don't go to India because ..." Prejudices and Misconceptions Collected

PeakXV · Jan 17th, 2006, 01:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by torryquine

Yeah! The one we heard most often was "Don't get religion!"

...... translated don't come back home with any strange mindset that will embarass the family name.

When in actual fact Indians are so careful not to push their religious thoughts on you .... that you must be extremely inquisitive in order
to even begin to understand the physical representations of the Gods & Goddesses one encounters in daily travels throughout India ...... gotta go the Mormons are knocking on the door again!

Sama · Jan 17th, 2006, 01:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by torryquine

Yeah! The one we heard most often was "Don't get religion!"

yeah, one of my friends told me I'm going to go "native" and never come back, but he meant it in a good way.....

Cate · Feb 8th, 2006, 14:08

i love India - its really the only place where you can get to really know yourself - its like a big mirror and all your buttons are pressed constantly

I do however want to give some of the men a labotomy

lotus blossom · Feb 8th, 2006, 22:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cate

i love India - its really the only place where you can get to really know yourself - its like a big mirror and all your buttons are pressed constantly

I do however want to give some of the men a labotomy

this sounds like a line for a comedian.

indeed it is a great big mirror, isn't it.

Nick-H · Feb 9th, 2006, 00:01

I thought that the problem with the "some men" was they had, apparently, already had a lobotomy

.

As for the commedy. OK.............

I rather have a full bottle in front of me
Than a full frontal labotomy

I Thank You.

PeakXV · May 14th, 2006, 01:15

.... you'll succumb to an addiction of IndiaMike.com upon your return home!

bijapuri · May 14th, 2006, 01:56

in all seriousness, I tell people who ask,
DON'T GO TO INDIA UNLESS YOU WANT TO GO!"
of course nowadays many are posted there for business, but if you are going for other reasons, it's simply not a place that works well for those who do not have an attraction to it beforehand.

stellap · May 14th, 2006, 03:08

Was the question from one incredulous collegue. To which I replied 'on holiday', the response to that was...

'no, no,no, india's not a holiday, there are cows shitting every where.' I think this is preferable to young Brits pissing up walls, which is the general behaviour where he went on holiday last year!

My boss, who obviously knows me a little better said 'Just make sure you come back'

Kazi · May 14th, 2006, 03:28

I think the ignorance people have about India is more about the world. I lived in Taiwan for two years and every visit home, people would ask me how Thailand was. I have lived in Vanuatu for 4 years and people always ask how Fiji is. (Great. We went there on vacation once, 3 years ago...) And I am talking about MY FAMILY. You would think they would know where I am. Can't wait to tell them we're moving to Africa-- maybe they'll think I'm in India!

And of course, the comments about going anywhere besides the good ol' USA range from the inane and stupid to the horribly racist... "They eat dog in China!" and "Are you too good for America?" are among the most benign.

BlueRose · May 14th, 2006, 03:38

Such a small vision that.... to which I responded:

I've already been there and it is not a vacation. Of all the places in the world I could have gone with the time and money I had I chose India,

Because:
there is nowhere else like it, for its diversity, its architecture, its sense of history, its dichotomies. And now I am back to the land of clean bathrooms and abundant toilet paper, in exchange for flocks of bright green parakeets, and weddings under my window at 4 am and K's stories and his firm hand pulling me through the traffic and smiles from passerbys........... the man on the loudspeaker in Pushkar, the coolness of the Kailassa temple, the many shades of blue in Jodphur....

and my inner world is now more full than I could have ever imagined and yet painfully empty after India, and I now know I shall never be the same again!

PeakXV · May 14th, 2006, 04:52

Great post BlueRose!

passingby · May 14th, 2006, 07:59

there are so many good things and bad things about India. and for all these good and bad you should still go. Life is never entirely bad nor entirely good, so India is life.

BlueRose · May 14th, 2006, 08:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeakXV

Great post BlueRose!

Thanks Peak XV, Great thread

Lugubert · May 14th, 2006, 15:42

I was warned. I tried to be careful.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeakXV

for a month Ha Ha

..it was actually only about 3 weeks - 3 days in my case

Yes, some three days. Then just 8 hours of i.v. infusion to cure it. No problem, really.

Warning two: Indians in principle drive on the left side of the road. Sis and BIL showed some road traffic video clips to prove it.
True. I took a taxi from Delhi to Mussoorie. It was quite an experience to be overtaking using the right-hand soft shoulder.

Third tip (Sis + BIL and Hindi teacher): bring toilet paper.
True and necessary.

Other people must have known that they didn't know, so I can't contribute to the bizarre questions/warnings collection.

New-South-Welshman · May 14th, 2006, 15:53

When I told my parents that I'm going to India in February 2007, my mum was a bit scared and my dad encouraged me. Some of my mates parents think we're just going to India to get boozed up, so they're a bit scared we might get kidnapped or ripped off or something.

May 14th, 2006, 01:56	#67
bijapuri Lord of Kalinjar Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: the real surf city Posts: 2,646	in all seriousness, I tell people who ask, DON'T GO TO INDIA UNLESS YOU WANT TO GO!" of course nowadays many are posted there for business, but if you are going for other reasons, it's simply not a place that works well for those who do not have an attraction to it beforehand. __________________ lookit me!!!: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bijapuri/ Utube fuzzy logic: http://youtube.com/profile_videos?user=bijapuri&p =r

May 14th, 2006, 03:08	#68
stellap Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: UK Posts: 122	why are you going to India? Was the question from one incredulous collegue. To which I replied 'on holiday', the response to that was... 'no, no,no, india's not a holiday, there are cows shitting every where.' I think this is preferable to young Brits pissing up walls, which is the general behaviour where he went on holiday last year! My boss, who obviously knows me a little better said 'Just make sure you come back'

May 14th, 2006, 03:38	#70
BlueRose Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: New Mexico Posts: 80	EWWW ~India, why not Hawaii or Tahiti ??? Such a small vision that.... to which I responded: I've already been there and it is not a vacation. Of all the places in the world I could have gone with the time and money I had I chose India, Because: there is nowhere else like it, for its diversity, its architecture, its sense of history, its dichotomies. And now I am back to the land of clean bathrooms and abundant toilet paper, in exchange for flocks of bright green parakeets, and weddings under my window at 4 am and K's stories and his firm hand pulling me through the traffic and smiles from passerbys........... the man on the loudspeaker in Pushkar, the coolness of the Kailassa temple, the many shades of blue in Jodphur.... and my inner world is now more full than I could have ever imagined and yet painfully empty after India, and I now know I shall never be the same again!

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Feb 8th, 2006, 14:08	#63
Cate Registered User Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: AUSTRALIA Posts: 17	i love India - its really the only place where you can get to really know yourself - its like a big mirror and all your buttons are pressed constantly I do however want to give some of the men a labotomy

Feb 9th, 2006, 00:01	#65
Nick-H This is just a cameo appearance Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 36,210	I thought that the problem with the "some men" was they had, apparently, already had a lobotomy . As for the commedy. OK............. I rather have a full bottle in front of me Than a full frontal labotomy I Thank You.

May 14th, 2006, 01:15	#66
PeakXV Naan.tering Nabob Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Abode of Glooscap Posts: 5,880	.... you'll succumb to an addiction of IndiaMike.com upon your return home!

May 14th, 2006, 03:28	#69
Kazi Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Vanuatu Posts: 8	I think the ignorance people have about India is more about the world. I lived in Taiwan for two years and every visit home, people would ask me how Thailand was. I have lived in Vanuatu for 4 years and people always ask how Fiji is. (Great. We went there on vacation once, 3 years ago...) And I am talking about MY FAMILY. You would think they would know where I am. Can't wait to tell them we're moving to Africa-- maybe they'll think I'm in India! And of course, the comments about going anywhere besides the good ol' USA range from the inane and stupid to the horribly racist... "They eat dog in China!" and "Are you too good for America?" are among the most benign.

May 14th, 2006, 04:52	#71
PeakXV Naan.tering Nabob Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Abode of Glooscap Posts: 5,880	Great post BlueRose!

May 14th, 2006, 07:59	#72
passingby Account Closed Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: New Jersey Posts: 436	there are so many good things and bad things about India. and for all these good and bad you should still go. Life is never entirely bad nor entirely good, so India is life.

May 14th, 2006, 15:53	#75
New-South-Welshman Drunk Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Sydney, NSW Posts: 1,574	When I told my parents that I'm going to India in February 2007, my mum was a bit scared and my dad encouraged me. Some of my mates parents think we're just going to India to get boozed up, so they're a bit scared we might get kidnapped or ripped off or something.