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Telltale NRI

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by RamyaSridhar1978, Feb 12, 2012.

  1. RamyaSridhar1978

    RamyaSridhar1978 Gold IL'ite

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    The NrIS who come down for a vacation sure shot has these things
    1)big luggage
    2) tissues
    3)handsanitizer
    4)mineral water
    5)googles
    These are some of the things that almost every NRI surely carries whether he is from Australia,Canada,UK,US,Middle east .Or anywhere else
    It's actually very strange and odd how our mannerisms get moulded in the city/state that we stay For a few years.:8)
    I have been born and raised in Mumbai. I always used to carry a handkerchief,... Swipping my sweat , or wiping my hands, or using it if I had a cold .. My hanky would always be available. If I had to forget one I knows it's available in the trains .
    Drinking water from the Taps was normal and rather a way of life.buying a mineral water was the last thing on my mind.I would rather have nimbu pani/ or juice for the cost of mineral water bottle.
    D.. Never have I ever thought of washing my hands with soap or a sanitizer when eating junk food ESP the roadside food that b bay is famous for.
    Googles was something I thought only the show off kinds of people would wear :cool:little did I bother about the sun blanking me out.
    But now with just a few years of staying abroad I am not the same ...
    I no longer leave without a sunscreen and gogs...:help
    Tap water now is definitely not safe I would rather have aqua guard water carried from home or the safe Pepsi or aquafina bottle.:thumbsdown
    Hanky:eek:mg: my god how unhygienic... I just can't do without a tissue .. Use and throw... Works better for me now
    Handsanitizer is a must:exactly: ... I think how did I even survive without this. It's soo damn good and handy atleast it gives me a reprieve that some germs have been washed off.
    Hence my handbag itself looks like one mini luggage having hthese.
    But there is one thing that I can't quite give up and close my eyes to relish the roadside junk.. ( knowing that it doesnot conform to those Nri standards):biggrin2:
    When my brother sees me he says you have become pucca videshi...!! .. :boo:
    Don't forget one fine day you have to become a desi again....!!...
    I then wonder what will I do!!!....:hide::confused2:
     
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  2. kkrish

    kkrish IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Ramya
    Yeah! put it that way we do look funny to our family and friends in India, right?

    While I lived in India I used to think that NRIs were fussy and making a big issue of this hygiene thing!

    Only after becoming an NRI myself I realized that with a very short vacation time it is better to be safe than spend the precious time sick in bed.

    When my folks ask the same question your brother does, my reply is "when I return for good, there will be enough time for my body to adjust and adapt to the climatic and environmental conditions in India. I will have the luxury of going through the sickness process and develop immunity. But now I am on vacation and cannot afford to fall sick."

    So don't feel bad for being the water bottle-toting, handsanitizer-wielding NRI. Right now our priorities while visiting India are different than for our family and friends who live there.

    Take care and stay safe.
     
  3. PriyaKat

    PriyaKat Silver IL'ite

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    So true. You can smell a videshi from a mile away ! So typical is their overall presence ! And oh yes, their kiddos sport dangerous looking red splotches on their exposed parts, their badges of merit for facing desi mosquitos. Perhaps our bugs reserve serums of special potency to create those mementos on them. Our poor desi kids are dismissed with some slap dash invisible dots . Even mosquitos practise partiality, not just our hotel staff.

    But , hand sanitisers, mineral water and shades are becoming trademarks of our own desi metros too. Talk of the world becoming small and flat !
     
  4. mansimahi

    mansimahi Gold IL'ite

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    :)

    Strangely inspite of having lived away from india more than 12 years... i am yet to be bitten by the NRI bug. Infact my family and friends accuse that i must be living in some corner of india and lying to them that i live abroad.:hide: My kids- born and bred here also adapt to indian conditions (especially mumbai) quickly except for the "smell"...both my daughters say that they can even live with the mosquitoes, noise, crowd and power failures...but cant stand the smell that they say is everywhere and unique to india (i cant for the life figure out what smell)... ...so only thing i carry with me is scented tissues, sprays which i use liberally wherever i go.

    I guess indians from the western countries (US, europe, canada) exhibit the typical NRI behaviour and are generally fussy (rightfully given the fact they have to take care of their health during their vacation)...
     
  5. Ami

    Ami Silver IL'ite

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    I really dont care after had my bad experience last time when came to India. The 4th or 5th day after we stepped into India, had a dinner in the restaurant, the very next day, my daughter(8 yrs) fell sick of viral fever and started chasing her for believe me solid 10 days, I had to cancel my trip, it was a wreck..result, my folks who said that you guys are all so fussy bandha etc. they all said, aiyo rama, pls dont eat ice cream outside, take bottled water or will give you etc...one fever..everyone learnt a lesson-never make fun of any NRIs!!
     
  6. tanoshii

    tanoshii Platinum IL'ite

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    Ha ha ha..That was interesting. Thanks for sharing.. :)
     
  7. Mindian

    Mindian IL Hall of Fame

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    hahah that was a good analysis of a typical NRI, Ramya... but as kamala says better to be safe rather than sorry. I too have been away for twelve years now but guess I am quite strong:) for sugarcane juice with lemon and ginger is a MUST and so are the paani puris ,every trip.
    tissues yes... not reached the hand sanitizing part... as yet :)
     
  8. kelly1966

    kelly1966 Platinum IL'ite

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    a good one.. quite cute.. never have thought of NRI in this sense though I have a great number of friends and relatives who live abroad and do behave the way you've written..
    but in all honesty... I too carry water from home or get bottled water in restaurants / use tissues only/ hand sanitizer/ goggles if its sunny/ no sunscreen as I'm fair and love the tan...and I carry huge luggage where ever I travel.. even overnite.. so darling these are simply traits of urban Indians..
    K
     

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