Well things are coming down to the wire. With only 2 weeks left in South Asia, there is simply not enough time to accomplish all that my heart desires to do before leaving. This includes blogging. As I have only averaged 1.155 blogs a week in the 102 weeks since I moved here, it is highly unlikely that in my final 2 weeks, with all the stress of moving, packing, and saying goodbyes, I will suddenly hit a hot streak and blog everyday till I leave. This means there are posts that will remain unwritten. There are so many times when I think to myself, this will make an awesome blog post. I have a Post-it note full of ideas that I never used. I'll be honest that some of these posts were developed more with the Anti-Blog in mind than My Daily Naan. The Anti-Blog is the less glamorous, distant cousin of the Blog. This is where the real truth about living in South Asia is posted. While most people try to put a good impression forward on their blogs, depicting everything as exciting and beautiful, the Anti-Blog is where the ordinary, annoying, and unspectacular is written. The Anti-Blog doesn't actually exist, but there were times when its creation was strongly considered. So here is a small sample of some of the post titles for blogs I didn't get around to writing. Some are ideas that I legitimately wanted to post, and others are from the reject pile. Enjoy.
Caste Lasts: While the last 60 years have seen a great deal of progress in working towards eliminating caste-based discrimination, the social-stratification or organization of classes of people from birth based on heredity is still a reality in South Asia. This is one post topic I kept meaning to write about, but I never could manage to keep it from exploding into a 7-part series. This topic is a complex one and is rooted in cultural and religious beliefs that go back hundreds of years.
South Asian Gestures. There is the continual side-to-side head bob. There is the one-time quick head flick. There is the slow, one-time, over-exaggerated sideways weave. There is the come-to-me hand motion which is always performed palm down. There is the "What-the-heck-are-you-doing?!!" whole-hand flick that seems to only be given in traffic situations. There is the magic hand that stops all oncoming traffic when pedestrians hold it out. There is the pinkie move also known as the universal sign for needing a toilet. There is the clucking of the tongue. All of these gestures and motions have meanings that I learned to decipher over time. Some of the meanings are very specific and have only one meaning, like holding up the pinkie, but others, such as the many different head bobs, can mean different things at different times. I haven't completely mastered the nod that can mean yes or no, and I do sometimes find myself wanting to scream "WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? JUST SAY SOMETHING!". I also have picked up the habit of using some of the gestures myself. Don't be alarmed if when you see me next time you notice I have some weird tics. It's just all part of communicating South Asian style.
Hey Mister, Take a Picture. It will last longer. This idea for a post came about one day when I was particularly annoyed with all the staring. Most days my "celebrity status" doesn't bother me. But there are days when I wish people could manage to be a little more subtle when they stare at the foreign girl.
Oh the Places You'll Go - The Sequel. This blog was to be written Dr. Seuss style and focus not so much on adventure, spreading one's wings, and reaching one's potential but on the difficulties of finding a suitable place "to go" when traveling across South Asia. The idea for Oh the Places You'll Go - The Sequel came after a day in the village. I had an interesting conversation with a village woman who, while standing lookout for me as I took care of some business, told me that everywhere in the village is a bathroom. It's too bad I never got around to writing this post. I think I could have had fun with the rhyming. Clearly this one was destined for the Anti-Blog.
Oh S**t! or How I Learned to Start Cursing and Culturally Appropriately Use The S Word. In this culture and context the S word is not a bad word, and I have heard it used by everyone from toddlers to grandmas.
Worms: They're Real. I'm pretty sure this one doesn't need any explanation.
Caste Lasts: While the last 60 years have seen a great deal of progress in working towards eliminating caste-based discrimination, the social-stratification or organization of classes of people from birth based on heredity is still a reality in South Asia. This is one post topic I kept meaning to write about, but I never could manage to keep it from exploding into a 7-part series. This topic is a complex one and is rooted in cultural and religious beliefs that go back hundreds of years.
South Asian Gestures. There is the continual side-to-side head bob. There is the one-time quick head flick. There is the slow, one-time, over-exaggerated sideways weave. There is the come-to-me hand motion which is always performed palm down. There is the "What-the-heck-are-you-doing?!!" whole-hand flick that seems to only be given in traffic situations. There is the magic hand that stops all oncoming traffic when pedestrians hold it out. There is the pinkie move also known as the universal sign for needing a toilet. There is the clucking of the tongue. All of these gestures and motions have meanings that I learned to decipher over time. Some of the meanings are very specific and have only one meaning, like holding up the pinkie, but others, such as the many different head bobs, can mean different things at different times. I haven't completely mastered the nod that can mean yes or no, and I do sometimes find myself wanting to scream "WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? JUST SAY SOMETHING!". I also have picked up the habit of using some of the gestures myself. Don't be alarmed if when you see me next time you notice I have some weird tics. It's just all part of communicating South Asian style.
Hey Mister, Take a Picture. It will last longer. This idea for a post came about one day when I was particularly annoyed with all the staring. Most days my "celebrity status" doesn't bother me. But there are days when I wish people could manage to be a little more subtle when they stare at the foreign girl.
Oh the Places You'll Go - The Sequel. This blog was to be written Dr. Seuss style and focus not so much on adventure, spreading one's wings, and reaching one's potential but on the difficulties of finding a suitable place "to go" when traveling across South Asia. The idea for Oh the Places You'll Go - The Sequel came after a day in the village. I had an interesting conversation with a village woman who, while standing lookout for me as I took care of some business, told me that everywhere in the village is a bathroom. It's too bad I never got around to writing this post. I think I could have had fun with the rhyming. Clearly this one was destined for the Anti-Blog.
Oh S**t! or How I Learned to Start Cursing and Culturally Appropriately Use The S Word. In this culture and context the S word is not a bad word, and I have heard it used by everyone from toddlers to grandmas.
Worms: They're Real. I'm pretty sure this one doesn't need any explanation.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.