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Aunty Aunty .. I Hate This Word.

Discussion in 'Friends & Neighbours' started by MNR, Jan 3, 2017.

  1. pocahontas

    pocahontas Gold IL'ite

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    Once I was called aunty by my 23 year old neighbor. I kept quite because I honestly thought I looked like an aunty and she was confused (I have weight issues, I have 15 kgs to lose!).
    The second time we had a conversation - it became obvious she knew that I was only seven years her senior (this was three years back, when I moved back to India). I made her cheeks (as in pinched her cheeks) and asked her "so what does the baby want now", making silly baby faces. Both her mum and this 'kid' were shocked and looked at me like I had lost it, my mum too. I had to explain myself!
    Needless to say, she doesn't home much - fine by me!
     
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  2. anika987

    anika987 IL Hall of Fame

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    I faced it too many times :)
    Esp one gal who is six yrs younger called me aunty I got mad.Thankfully my friend intervened and corrected her.

    After some years am really going to become an aunty and then am going to stop getting hurt lol.but then I will dread the word "granny" :)
     
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  3. Vennella

    Vennella Gold IL'ite

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    Hahaha sorry OP
    I just remembered something...last month in my india trip I went out for a walk with my toddler and there were a few kids flying a kite....and they called me "akka" i was so happy i can't tell you what got me so thrilled
    I can so understand your frustration. I would tell them again and again and for repeat offenders, you should ask them " do i look so much older than you"??

    I have this problem, my husband's youngest uncle is only 12 years his senior and his wife is 8 years olders than us. He calls her pinni and i am supposed to call her aunty. I can't call her akka because of the relation. If i call her by name my mil will get a heart attack.
    So i just talk to her without addressing her
     
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  4. MNR

    MNR Gold IL'ite

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    If the right people call aunty I wont mind.

    my DD's friends, little older kid till 10 or 12. I dont see a problem.

    adults and college goers , sometime vegetable vendors older than me call aunty. :sleeping1:
     
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  5. MNR

    MNR Gold IL'ite

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    In these kind of confused relation, I call akka or avoid addressing by relation
     
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  6. momsky

    momsky Gold IL'ite

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    Have you resolved the issue your dd's teacher? Aren't teachers suppose to refer to the parents as Mr. or Mrs.?

    In my 20s, when i shop Indian teens here in Toronto refer to me as aunty... now that i'm 34, they upgraded me to maam and it made me feel old.. i miss the former, i find it sweet
     
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  7. MNR

    MNR Gold IL'ite

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    No.. Not yet, her classes are on weekends only.

    I feel madam atleast fine , its has some respect , not with aunty.
     
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  8. satyasrinivas80

    satyasrinivas80 Silver IL'ite

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    My cousins kids call me aunty and they are 5-7 years younger than me. My neighbors daughter is 24 and she calls me aunty and my kids 8 and 3 call her Akka.
     
  9. SGBV

    SGBV IL Hall of Fame

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    Ha ha ha.... Had a laugh while reading your post.

    I think this word "aunty" is overrated here. We are used to call some middle aged women, with a plump body and heavy saree as "aunty". So, whenever someone calls us "Aunty" it hurts. We react to it without even thinking anything about it.
    Ya, of course it hurts. Because you may be in your 30s, but in your mind, body and appearance you are just a college passed out. How dare someone of similar age group as you calls you "aunt". That too, knowing very well that the word "aunt" is dedicated only for those heavy middle aged women in Saree. Not fair.

    But before reacting to this, why don't you just give some thought to understand why they call you an "aunt"?

    This has happened to me a few times, and here are the details.

    1) My cousins' DD called me aunt. Of course I am an Aunt to her by relation. But I call my cousin Akka, although she is 20 years older to me. Her DD is 27 and just 5 years younger to me. So, obviously she is suppose to call me akka. But she chose to call me aunt.
    Compared to her, I look young, modern and good looking although I am married with kids, but she is just a spinster.
    I thought that she must be having some inferiority complex to look almost same as me, though she is a generation younger to me. So, she called me aunt to make it sound very clear. She wanted to feel young by making me old. Got it?

    2) My colleague's sister called me "aunt".
    This colleague and the sister were from France. The girl was in her early 20s, and I did not expect to be called as aunt by her.
    But my colleague, who is of my age looks very very younger to me. She is unmarried, skinny and very fair skinned with very stylish look. Her sister is even younger, so obviously I may have looked like an aunt in their eyes.
    Although I look good for my age in my surrounding, I must admit that I looked older in the gang when I stand with them. My fate.

    3) My son's class mate's mom called me an Aunt. Oh my... I was shocked initially. But she said, it is easier to address the moms of our kids the way how our kids are addressing them. Otherwise, it would be difficult to remember each others' name. She did not want to make any guess as to who is akka and who is thangai among this group of moms as all the moms should be in their early or late 30s.

    I don't go on to attack them or be rude with them just because they called me aunt. In fact, it is their problem. Not ours.
    When my cousin's DD called me Aunt in a wedding, almost everyone around us laughed at her, and made sarcastic comments to that young women, saying who is aunt to who. Because that day I was in full make up and looked few years younger to my age.
    So, treat it as it is.
     
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  10. Rajeni

    Rajeni Moderator Platinum IL'ite

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    LOL.. True that the word is overrated!

    But still when it comes from unexpected parties it does hurt! :D

    This woman in our neighbourhood, whose daughter is of same age or one or two years older than me calls my mom Aunt! My Mom was speechless! She did not dare to confront or ask that woman to address her differently and following suit looks like many of the other ppl who will qualify as Aunts to me is calling my Mom aunt it seems! Though she doesnt like it, she also is not ready to directly ask them to stop, so only option is to ignore them!

    In my church I used to teach in Sunday classes before marriage and all those little kids used to call me akka. One day there was this one boy who all of a sudden addressed me as Aunty. Another kid immediately confronted him and said, "why are u calling akka as Aunty? she is not old!". The explanation given by the kid was, "She is teaching know and she is working in office.. so she is Aunty!" I laughed and asked him how he addresses his class teachers? Obviously the answer was "Miss". So I asked him to call me the same. From next class he called me Akka :p

    Every Indian woman will have her own Aunt stories it seems!
     
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