I know I'll be a white girl in a small village, but...

lightmoment

I'm traveling to Andhra Pradesh India in October and will being staying with an Indian friend of mine in a very small village in the Mahbubnagar district. I had a very positive experience my last trip to India but I was with 8 other Americans in a town. This time I will be by myself in a small rural village. I have a lot of respect for people of different nationalities and always follow the code of conduct to what country it may be. How do you think the people will take me? Do you think they will be welcoming, orrr just want me to go back to America?

gaurav1441

No-One would want you to go back...Rather they would like to know more about you..

Nick-H

I've never been anywhere that small and far away from a metro, I don't think... but I would expect, essentially, friendliness. Perhaps not a lot of English language, which might be a problem, but India often pulls surprises on the linguistic-ability front!

I'd take earlier, rather than later, advice from the how-to-dress threads, and be pretty conservative. I'd be very alert for body language, and the chances of misunderstanding. I'd take a lot of advice from your hosts --- but also beware of letting them be over-protective.

On the whole, I think I'd expect to have a great time!

(And this city dweller has been getting the yearnings for somewhere rural, recently...)

Haylo

My view is that you'd be seen as someone interesting. I've only ever once been to really tiny villages, when we were hiking in Rajasthan, but despite not speaking a shared language we were still made to feel most welcome!

Embarrassingly so, in fact; children rushed to a nearby house to borrow a couple of plastic chairs, which they proudly dusted off for us to sit on - I don't think I'd ever met a family before who didn't own a chair.

Whether language will be an issue for you depends largely, I think, on how long you intend to stay. Sign language is fine for a day or two, the basics would keep you going for a bit longer, but if you're there for any length of time, speaking only to your friend would no doubt soon become rather limiting and possibly frustrating for you both.

__________________
The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful - E.E. Cummings, poet (1894-1962)

Eastern Mind

I think there's an excellent chance you'll be treated as a Goddess, (curiousity) and it'll be somewhat embarrassing. Have a great time and don't worry about it.

Hyderabadi

What area of Mahbubnagar district, if I may ask?

__________________
"There’s nothing common about common sense." - Internets.

Aishah

I think members have pretty well summed up for you how it will be - curiosity will be a big factor here, and you will find yourself being oberved at many times. Even if there is a language problem your friend can help out as interpreter, and in that way you can start, and carry on conversations.

Conservative, covered-up sort of dress is the norm in most rural villages out our way, so this may be the case where you are going. Light cotton shirt with short sleeves, jeans (if not too hot) or loose cotton trousers/longish skirt would do the trick. There is a lot of sitting at ground level, but you may be given a chair (as Haylo says not many own these) or a charpoy to sit on. The villages I have been to out our way, have most activities occurring on the ground - sitting and cooking etc. Furniture which you might find in a city house is completely lacking.

__________________
"Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards."

jaibharatma

In my opinion, as far as clothing, the salwar kameez/ dupatta is the best cover-up, conservative and comfortable. Such a variety of colours, prints, in the current styles ( yes, they do change ) to fit right in anywhere in India.

edwardseco

They will be hugely welcoming you. Expect a huge tamasha, roughly an extravaganza. You should ascertain the womens' section of the fields early on for the usual functions. Early morn there is no embarrasment..

Ignite

I agree with all the other posts that were made before mine. The people will be very curious about you, and they will want to know what you are doing in their village and such things, and they will be very hospitable.

As far as clothing goes, I really think you should buy some cheap indian clothes in Hyderabad before you go off to the village. If you stick to salwar's and chudidar's you should be fine.

Andhra villages are very conservative, and I don't think I have ever seen a woman in modern attire in a village.

I visited about about 3 or 4 villages last summer in the Prakasam district and while a lot of the men wore western clothes, the majority of the women wore sarees and the younger women that were home from colleges wore salwars.

__________________
“Nothing is so aggravating than calmness.” Oscar Wilde

Shivani Skydancer

Light Moment! You will feel like a Star! Everyone will want to meet you. It will be difficult to have enough privacy...You will probably be worrying about causing offence, but don't worry, they will eventually understand that us foreigners have 'unusual' needs, such as being left alone occasionally!

Have a great time :-)

lightmoment

Thank you all for your replys. I really wouldn't think I would feel unwelcome in a small village. Last time I was in India I didn't feel unwelcome anywhere. Oh yeah, and for the person who wanted to know what area...um, the village I believe is Amaravai.

Nick-H

Clothes, one more hint...

Buy nighties* to wear around the house --- that is the ankle-length dress-type nightie. It is loose and comfortable, and many Indian women wear it as a house dress. My wife does, every day, and she has some very pretty ones that do not look like the usual 1950's British, frilly nightie.

Whether you wear it out of the house will depend on how "villagey" the lace is. It would have been frowned on where we used to live; where we live now, for (eg) a quick trip to the shops, it is fine, but wear a dupatta with it, and maybe a sari skirt under it. This is something you can discuss with the ladies of the house. Just because they do not wear them inside doesn't mean it is not ok; there are still Indian women that sleep in their sari, get up, bathe, put on new sari, it is just the only thing that they wear! Outside, however, they might feel you are letting the side down if you wear a nightie.


*Afterthought.... I mean Indian nighties, of course. Just had a moment of thinking of you floating around the house in some skimpy, American, flimsy thing!!!!

Aishah

Indian nighties are my salvation for the heat - the most comfortable, dressy looking loose cotton affair you can get. I wear them all the time - I have nighties for day dresses, which I never wear as a nightdress for night! But I never wear them out in the street or to market. It's always a salwar kameez for these areas.

Edwardseco - your comment re ascertaining 'the women's section of the fields' gave me my first loud burst of laughter for the day!

rushie82

If the Indian friend that you mention of is an old friend that you know well in the real world then it's ok. Otherwise if he is just an internet friend or someone that you don't know too well then you really shouldn't go to stay in what is essentially a stranger's house.

In that case villagers really wouldn't want her to leave then.