the motto to woe tourists
One of the first sites that Sheela and I witnessed upon arrival in India was a shuttle bus with Incredible India! The Motto To Woe Tourists painted boldly across the side. Like any enterprising country, extremely proud of their traditions and heritage, and interested in the tourist dollar, India actively promotes tourism. However, much like the slogan, it is often awkward and slightly rude. I have seen some of the most amazing landscapes -- while walking on the rocks in Goa, looking at tide pools full of tiny fish and lizards and following beaches littered with star fish, I kept thinking "I've only seen these things at the Omni Theater". But, of course, as soon as we climbed off the rocks we were immediately followed by people selling cheap silver rings, coconuts, massages, ear cleaning services. I've been oscillating between not wanting to be rude to them and just screaming "No!" and running away. These aren't poor little kids with flies on them begging for more lentils, they're fully grown men trying to forcefully stick something in your ear, clean it out, and have you give him 20 rupees for his service. Umm, what?
Combined with the basic fact that everyone, I mean EVERYONE, stares at me constantly, I am starting to appreciate the general sense of space and personal respect in the States. It's not the running into people, and the crowded streets, or even necessarily the persistent waft of urine in the air, that makes me tired. It's the STARING. I've tried several methods to make it stop: stare back, shake my head, widen my eyes and make a vomiting noise. Nothing works. This has got me thinking about why this doesn't happen in the States (well,at least mainly in the cities): and I realized that being surrounded by millions of people who are ALL Indians is so completely different than anything at home. Minnesota may be pretty white-bred, but there is diversity, and I find myself missing it more and more. It really does make a difference to grow up in an environment where you interact with different types of people. As more tourists come into India, I am sure that they will become much more used to the diversity. Unfortunately, there is a level that the tourists and Indians aren't interacting on, and it's got everyone stuck in a gridlock.
5 Comments:
dude! flick em off! (well, that's what i dreamed of doing while we were still there with you!)
also: remember that guys' underwear? HA!
love,
yer sista.
10:59 AM
Oh man, I wish that worked. I've taken to pushing and exaggerated hand gestures. Last night Nick mentioned that when it come to the point where he punches someone, I should hail the autorickshaw so we have a fast get away.
2:35 AM
Annoying as teh staring might be, I guess you've to take it from the reverse point of view. Due to your singularity amongst a crowd of Indians, you shall always be a target for prying eyes. The only way out of felling discomfortable is by plainly not paying attention to the staring and think as if you weren't different from the rest of the crowd.
India is not different from that perspective from most of the Asian places where firangs are still an infrequent encounter. Just consider how you might be tempted to stare when you'd see somebody over 2 meters in a normal crowd, same thing here.
Travelling is most of the times motivated by curiosity of what's foreign to you. As long as you keep in mind that the reverse applies to the people forming the cultural group you're coming to see, the staring just becomes part of the normal encounter of both curiosities (yours and theirs).
Getting excited all excited about it won't make the habit go away, it will just make you look like a fool amongst a crowd of inhabitants...
8:49 AM
Plain old staring is one thing, but creepy staring is another, as is agressive treatment that women often experience along with the staring. Also, all cultural consideration aside Pierre, I hesitate to point out that you're a dude, and you probably don't really know what it is like to be a female in this situation.
(Check that, Women's Studies majors!)
7:13 AM
Fully agree, that is also aggravated for women. And, as is rightly pointed out, i can't fully apprehend what it is like to be a woman in that situation.
The point being that violent / aggressive behaviour is still inappropriate as a response for a foreigner. It doesn't change the behaviour of the stalker (for lack of a better word) nor is understood by the rest of the crowd that can't figure out the root cause for the reaction.
India as a country from a culture perspective and from a population pressure perspective makes it on the top of the list of the places where creepy staring will take place.
This doesn't excuse it tough, just makes it a fact you'll have to be ready to face once you decide to go ahead with the trip.
And that is yet another reason why some people have difficulties coping with some Asian countries where the public privacy bubble is frequently infringed upon.
Not sure what you expected in the first place but being foreign and extra-ordinary (in the sense that you might attract even more attention) in no circumstances leads to more respect of your person. Unfortunately i would add...
1:26 PM
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