Comment posted on India Photo: You Know It’s Hot in Kerala When…. by AnotherKiranInNYC
To add to your mundu.meesha lexicon
In marathi:
Mundu: Dhotar (comes from dhoti)
Meesha: Mishi
AnotherKiranInNYC also commented
- Actually I find the soft cotton saris that women wear very comfortable and cool. If I wore one more often I am sure I would be comfortable in it enough to appreciate that it allows for airconditioning under he roomy skirt. of the sari.
The half sari that some women wear in kerela is even cooler.
- I always loved me a mundu wearing, dosa slinging, 45 idli eating, white pointy shoe wearing, dancing around a tree, high nasally voiced singing, pink makeuped Mallu hero type! Oh and he needs to have a thick luxuriant mustache. The kind that tickles me nose!
Almost as much fun as any tight speedo wearing european man … hehehehehe.
My eyes! My eyes!
I think Suits should be banned in India. Either that or all suits should be sold with a free supply of deoderant!
I need a Mundu for the NY summer sometimes. Oh no as a woman I cant quite keep readjusting it can i?
Recent comments by AnotherKiranInNYC
- Dreaming in Hindi
For Sharells doppelganger:“”"Excuses.
I was a poor college student once too. And a vegetarian throughout.
The issue for you is that you had no real reason to be a vegetarian. No ethics, no principles, no philosophy or theory behind it. So why bother?”"”I belive the issue is not defending whether/why I wanted to be/needed to be vegeterian or not. We are not debating the ethics of vegeterianism.
The discussion is rejection/acceptance of various aspects of an alien culture and language and the process of it.
I stated my process and remark that is is possible that Sharell might follow and be comfortable with a similar process.
- Dreaming in Hindi
Your dilemma is a lot like mine when I came to the US as a teen. I was a vegetarian growing up in India but college life in a dorm and later cooking for myself meant that I learnt to eat whatever was served/was cheapest. That meant MEAT… every darn kind! As a hungry and poor student, I learnt to eat it all and like it. A few years later I rejected all meat (as a natural process) and spent a couple of years as a vegetarian. If was only after this phase that I allowed myself to pick and choose what I really liked and relish it. I am happier this way… when I allow myself to like vegetables and beef and fish and likewise allow myself to think of chicken as bland and boring and so will not eat it.
Likely you will also reach a stage when you are comfortable picking and choosing for yourself. Language and accent included. - Why Do Indian Women Like White Men?
because… he is not judgemental and lets me be. That entire concept of “letting people be” is most definately a function of culture. Educated American men have it for most part. - The Worst Kind of Arranged Marriage
Julya said : This is exactely like saying “it would be so wonderful to not exist war or famine in this world, it would be so ideal”:))))))))) In realty the fact that u have crazy in laws and the dog pees on the marital bed and the husband is beated by his mommy even if he is 40 is not so “good”:)))))How is it exactly like that? Did you even read what I wrote and use reference to context? As you are an academic I would have hoped for more comprehension and logical inference.
- The Worst Kind of Arranged Marriage
I dont have much of an opinion about why the women want to marry Rahul Mahajan. That’s thier problem. And bad behaviour or his past is Rahul’s problem. Given all that, this desi style “The bachelor” show was vastly amusing to me. Apart from its absolute entertainment value I really dont think it makes a comment on social mores or niceties or is going to affect the way marriage is viewed in India. It is entertainment and that is pretty much it.However as a veteran of a long and “happyish” marriage I do have an opinion about marriage in general. Unless BOTH partners work at a marriage EVERY SINGLE DAY it is going to be a stressful relationship. In the final analysis the reason you entered into a marriage does not matter at all. Whether you were madly in love, it was arranged or you did it out of boredom. What matters is what BOTH DO IN THE MARRIAGE EVERYSINGLE DAY, and how much you are willing to work with and for. You could have crazy inlaws or a dog that pees on your marital bed every day. How ever if both partners want to fix all these issues everysingle day, it is all good. Trust me it is good.
powered by SEO Super Comments
Related Posts:
- India Photo – Sunrise at Glenora Homestay in Wayanad, Kerala
- 3 Days as a Foriegn Model in Kerala
- Funny Photo: The Modern Mallu Man from Kerala
- Would this Stop Men from Peeing in Public in Mumbai?
- India Photo: The Fancy Store
- India Photo – Monsoon Rain in Coorg
- Funny Photo – Why Are These Indians Lining Up?
- My Parents’ Reaction to My Relationship and India
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
{ 18 comments }
Two Kannada words for you
“mundu” == “pun-chay”
“meesha” == “mee-say”
The mundu should become the officla work wear for India. Its a pain having to wear trousers and full sleeved shirts to work! When i see a poor soul wearing a suit to work, I always murmur a prayer for his armpits.
If you want to experience the real hot weather of india…go to Delhi, UP, Bihar in may….it’s scorching….or in Andhra…
in kerala…i suppose it’s more humid ( being close to sea you can always go to the beach in the evenings )…even in Kolkata, it’s quite humid.. where you have lived…..
….you’ve lived in kerala before….have you gone to allepy ( the venice of india )….?
I’d rather not experience any hot weather in India — but dry heat is more bearable than humidity. I’ve been in 40+ temperatures in Rajasthan before. It was VERY tiring.
I have been to Alleppey… I went on a houseboat from there (like most people I guess!).
Thanks PGB — I’m interested in learning how to say moustache in as many Indian languages as possible!
Hahaha! Please no mini mundus! Well, have you seen a fisherman in a village in Maharashtra? We got stuck in traffic just behind one of them once. It was not a good experience
I am not sure what he was wearing, but it was folded into… kind of a thong 
Oh my! That does sound like a traumatic sight!
I always loved me a mundu wearing, dosa slinging, 45 idli eating, white pointy shoe wearing, dancing around a tree, high nasally voiced singing, pink makeuped Mallu hero type! Oh and he needs to have a thick luxuriant mustache. The kind that tickles me nose!
Almost as much fun as any tight speedo wearing european man … hehehehehe.
My eyes! My eyes!
I think Suits should be banned in India. Either that or all suits should be sold with a free supply of deoderant!
I need a Mundu for the NY summer sometimes. Oh no as a woman I cant quite keep readjusting it can i?
Kiran in fine funny form again!
How I hate to say it, but if I was given a choice of being stranded on a deserted island with a swashbuckling Mallu or a European man being strangled in his speedos, I’d pick the Mallu.
Of course if the European was hot looking, it’s a different story entirely!!
Kiran, I have a photo of the perfect modern Mallu man for you. I’ll post it tomorrow!
What do the Mallu women do clothing-wise to deal with the rising temps?
Can’t Beat Em — I think you know the answer to that question already.
Legs must remain covered at all times! As usual, the women just have to bear with it.
Actually I find the soft cotton saris that women wear very comfortable and cool. If I wore one more often I am sure I would be comfortable in it enough to appreciate that it allows for airconditioning under he roomy skirt. of the sari.
The half sari that some women wear in kerela is even cooler.
When it was hot in India, I found saris to be extremely uncomfortable. First, the bra, the then the blouse, then the sari pallu that goes over the blouse – thats 3 layers right there. Then from waist down you got the petticoat and the sari layer, then the pleats. Cotton or not, I would’ve been a hundred times “cooler” in a tank and shorts.
And when its cold – saris are too light. The only seasons for saris in India are early spring and mid fall. Don’t even get me started on Salwar Kameez.
I thought those were lungi’s??? That is what my husband calls them and he is from Kerela. I have horrible images of my FIL walking around in just that (yikes).
Kerela is too hot for me….it was even too hot for my husband when we were there in November. I much prefer the heat of the North!
BTW my husband has no mustache and is balding–and all the Mallu’s feel bad for him! LOL
Sharell, speaking of Indian languages ….. how much of Oriya has your husband taught you…. Do you know the alphabets?? The only Oriya guy I have ever met in my life was during my internship in US
.
PGB – My husband was born in Bombay and can’t even read Oriya, so he’s taught me very little! He can speak it okay though. All I know how to say in Oriya is “how are you” and “I’m fine”. Some day I do want to learn the Oriya alphabet but I want to get Hindi under control first!
Sarah – They can be called lungis too, but their traditional Malayalam name seems to be mundu. Lungis, dhotis, mundus they’re all the same thing as far as I’m concerned! That’s so funny about your husband (and FIL).
Can’t Beat Em – I would much rather wear a sari than a salwaar kameez. The dupatta constantly gets in the way and is quite irritating!
To add to your mundu.meesha lexicon
In marathi:
Mundu: Dhotar (comes from dhoti)
Meesha: Mishi
Hi Sharrell,
As it happens, I can clarify.
Mundu: White/ offwhite cotton sarong wrap around. Usually starched. Good to wear on any occasion wedding, funeral, formal visit, college, office etc so long as you are in Kerala or Tamil Nadu. Known as veshti in Tamil. (the photograph you have up here is correct)
Lungi: Multi coloured cotton sarong sometimes hemmed together at the ends to form a loop, strictly informal wear at home or at bedtime but often worn outside. Definitely a no no for above mentioned occasions.
Dhothi: Traditional bottom wear for men in North India. There are several styles of tying dhothis. In Rajasthan the style popularly used is called ‘teen laang’ dhothi. Priests usually tie the ‘single laang’ dhoti. This is a classic ek laang dhothi shown in this link.
http://shopping.zeenews.com/v1/product_images/4381_large.jpg
These Rajasthani gentlemen are shown wearing teen laang dhothis.
http://www.traveladvisorindia.com/culture-n-heritage/photo/dress.jpg
hope you understand
Arjun
Now this is really interesting!! I’ve always wanted to know the difference. You’re a wealth of information Arjun!
Comments on this entry are closed.