I found this notice from the post office under my door today. Not very proper at all!
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Why did they write USA on your slip?
Oh silly question! Atleast they got your name spelled right! Very proPPer indeed!
The parcel is coming from the USA. Jeans!!
They may be able to spell my name right but I guarantee they can’t pronounce it right!
Sharell, I won’t be surprised about pronunciation thing coz’ people here in US cannot say my name correctly. When I started working here, my name for Email was written as Apoorv Jain but eventually, it changed to AJ coz’ Apoorv is kind of tongue twister to US folks…I wish I can sometime record how people call my name and post on my blog
Oh I can imagine! I’m sure your name would come out much more massacred than mine! The “r” causes people most of the problems in my name. I can imagine yours could come out sounding something like ah-poor (as in poor person)-vee. My husband still laughs at how I pronounce Indian names and place names. I remember years ago when I was reading the novel Shantaram and there is a character called Prabaker. I pronounced it as Praa (rhymes with bra)-baker (as in the the person who bakes bread). haha. Will never forget that one!
Pra-baker! That’s funny! Why do you want to get jeans from USA? I thought you firmly believe in India mein sab kuch milega!
Anyways, I thought that slip was something you got from the FRRO!
There’s a very good reason I need to import my jeans — I don’t have an Indian body! Indian clothes are made much wider around the waist and narrow in the bottom to suit the Indian figure that carries weight on the tummy. My waist is very narrow, my weight is on my bum!. So I found a brand of jeans that flattered my figure years ago and have stuck to it. I’ve been buying jeans on Ebay for around 5 years now!
I dont believe this. Try going to Westside next time. I’ve seen slim fits there. Or try to find a Guess or Lacoste store near you. Actually I doubt Lacoste would have them, Guess would for sure. I’m sure you can find them somewhere in Mumbai. This is unbelievable.
They probably do have slim fits but I don’t like them tight around my bum with narrow legs. I like wide leg jeans, more like pants! Besides, if I was to buy those imported brands in India, I’d probably end up paying heaps more than the jeans I buy off Ebay in the US. I buy Levis jeans for my husband on US Ebay too (because he’s little and his size is difficult to find) and it’s cheaper than buying Levis jeans in India!
Oh and one more thing — I’m tall (175 cms/ 5’9″) so need longer than average jeans!
propah.
That’s what my husband says when he mocks my accent sometimes!
Well just out of curiosity for myself, how much are they on Ebay? Your husbands I mean? How tall is he?
He’s only 5’5″. Gulp! (Don’t laugh at our height difference!)
However, it’s more the waist size that’s a problem for him. He needs a 29″. He doesn’t mind the jeans being a bit long. The jeans are around the $30-40 mark. But in India they’re around 3,500-4,000 rupees, and the sizes and cuts aren’t as suitable.
$ 40 sounds good. But still try Westside sometime. I’m 5’5″ too. I’ll never laugh at it.
I think it’s rather cute! And I respect your husband more now!
What is the proper pronunciation of Prabaker?
I believe it’s something like Pr-uh-bark-er
Sharell: “I believe it’s something like Pr-uh-bark-er”
You are very close, Sharell, yet there is a sublte pronunciation variation through out India. It is pr-ah-baa-k-uh-err. This will surely make others not laugh at you. Or you can watch the Aussie/English cricketers pronounce this name.
A harder way to pronounce it the Indian way, in western India, It is “Prabhakar”. The challenge here for most Firangis is, how to pronounce “bha” as opposed “ba” (mind well, these two are pronounced very differently).
RATS!!! I still can’t pronounce it!
“RATS!!! I still can’t pronounce it!”
Did you go by Firangi’s pronunciation or Indian?
Let me see. it’s pra (as in practical), ba (as in bandana) and kar (very similar to pronouncing “car”). Now try again, you will get it by 2012
@ Sharell, ” He’s only 5′5″. Gulp! (Don’t laugh at our height difference!)”
How do you live in India with that?
How tall are you?
Oh I see it now
Use your cellphone. I have people fumbling to pronounce my name in India, so I prefer introducing myself by my last name, Abdullah.
Ha ha ha! I laughed.
A very high level of maturity and self-confidence, I s’pose.
It’s frustrating because people never expect that we could be a couple, plus it makes him look about 10 years younger than me despite us being the same age. So again = hard to get respect! It’s probably part of the reason why I have to do all the shouting at policemen etc. on his behalf.
At least he doesn’t have “small man syndrome though” — you know, a big attitude to try and compensate for his small height. Besides, if he’s in my way, I can just pick him up and move him!! There are some benefits. 
You got to be kidding me!
Pradeep looks younger than you? You guys look the same age. In India people will stare if the guy is shorter, but dont worry about it. But then people stare for all other reasons. You’ll get used to it.
See us in person and you might change your mind!
I’m sure people in India stare just for the sake of staring!! 
I doubt I’ll ever get used to (or feel comfortable with) having dozens of eyes all on me at once. It’s the most unsettling feeling.
Abdullah: ” A very high level of maturity and self-confidence, I s’pose.”
Where do you buy maturity and self-confidence in India?
I might change my mind if I saw you guys face to face. Talk about people staring. I wonder how those actors/actress’s live through it. Not only they get stared upon, they even get rushed upon by crazy fans.
“Where do you buy maturity and self-confidence in India?”
By meditating.
@ Sharell: I’m sure people in India stare just for the sake of staring!!
True to an extent. Yet, your appearance also matters. You are stared mainly because you’re white (something new,eh ).
Lately, I was often stared because of my dread-locks. (oh, this is not part of our culture).
@Indian American: “I wonder how those actors/actress’s live through it. Not only they get stared upon, they even get rushed upon by crazy fans.”
This is the only reason I didn’t become a star!!
Amit Desai, good. My hairs maximum length is 1 feet. I cut it off if its longer than that. I like to keep it like that. Dredlocks is part of our culture. Swamis you see at Kumbh Mela keep it dredlocked.
“This is the only reason I didn’t become a star!!”
Or a politician. Politicians get stoned.
” Dredlocks is part of our culture. ”
Yes of course, then again, every one is concerned about their own culture/sub-culture/tradition.
Does such a syndrome exist for real?
It comes free with enlightenment.
For sure, but I think only in western countries where men feel less “macho” if they’re short, so they try to compensate for it with attitude! In India being small is common.
Abdullah K:” It comes free with enlightenment. ”
I never saw any evidence of “enlightenment” in India (I ignore our ancestors as there may have been from many different parts of the world). Sometimes, one often has to buy it, may be, from any western country
@ Indian American: “Politicians get stoned.”
“Getting stoned” also means “getting too high” in Canada, and I think, in U.S as well.
““Getting stoned” also means “getting too high” in Canada, and I think, in U.S as well.”
Sometimes I think some politicians in the west are really stoned. While the politicians in the east get stoned by people.
I couldn’t help but laugh at the parliament house fight where big leaders were busy throwing chairs, shoes, walking sticks, and table fans at each other.
Reminded me of those political fights in Taiwan where women started throwing punches at men, and vice versa.
Enlightenment is a state of the mind, not someone one stumbles upon.
Sharell, “In India being small is common.”
Personally, I always used to get uncomfortable with women taller than me (even in my school years when girls used to grow faster and earlier before guys). It exists in India, may to a lesser extent.
What do you exactly mean by “attitude” ?
Abdullah K: ” Enlightenment is a state of the mind, not someone one stumbles upon. ”
This will lead us into the states of reality, perception and existence. I don’t think there is such state of mind as it’s defined by so many.
“For sure, but I think only in western countries where men feel less “macho” if they’re short, so they try to compensate for it with attitude! In India being small is common.”
Absolutely.
My take on that would be that men of foreign countries tend more aggressive (macho) than Indians. When a short man in a western country shows a level of aggression that is usual with taller males, people find it rather comical, since a short man is ‘expected’ to be unmanly, not aggressive.
True. If one is tall in India, it gets difficult to fit into a lot of places or blend unnoticed into a crowd.
All so true!
I noticed that some short men in the west are more irritable than tall men. Now I know why. Pure jealousy due to feeling inferior.
Haha, irritable is an interesting term for it.
Many small men in the west tend to try and act tough, and often behave aggressively. They’ll pick a fight when drunk because they feel they have to prove themselves. That sort of behaviour. It’s definitely due to inferiority.
@@ Sharell
“It’s definitely due to inferiority” COMPLEX !!
Sharell, “It’s definitely due to inferiority.”
True. But if you identify and understand it, you can get over it.
i just started reading your blog and it’s funny that how you end up finding humor in life’s every small event !!!! It’s really nice …………Keep your good work going
Welcome to the blog! And thank you for appreciating my sense of humour.