Tuesday, January 17, 2012

The strangest looks! 'ITHU AITHU STATEEN ANNU' (Which state is she from?')

I have been getting some strange stares in India these past couple of months. No I am not being pretentious or behaving like an outside. I dress normally ... Tie my hair up normally and walk normally. So what is causing the stares? Isaac and Ziva. I know I know they are so darn cute! But that is not the reason. It is the stroller and the Baby Bjorn (carrier).
When I first walk down the road everyone stares and smiles at Isaac on the stroller ... then their eyes drift to the dangling legs near my waist and the stare continues till I walk past them. You really could not see Ziva's head till recently

Couple of interesting conversations that have occurred due to the Baby Bjorn
1. A lady in the elevator:  'Usko garam nahi lagta hai? (Does she not feel hot?)
2. Another well wisher 'How does she breathe?' (Yes I am trying to suffocate my baby!!)
3. A lady crossing the road with me smiles at Isaac on the stroller and then stares at the legs and puts her face over the Baby Bjorn to look in and says ' Arre isme baba hai!' (Oh my there is a baby in this!)
4. And the last one is too comical occurred at a railway station in Bangalore. We were on our way to Kerala to see my Grandad. I had Ziva in the Baby Bjorn and in order to prevent her from crying I was bouncing about a little bit. A bunch of young kids standing with their parents  -- seemed like a large joint family were  -- well staring. They all began giggling as they saw me. Suresh had gone away to bring some luggage to where I stood. One boy took up some courage and in a rather accented (Indian) voice asked ' What is your name?' I smiled and said 'What is your name?'. He squirmed and looked at his sister wondering what I had just said. I went a little closer to them and asked him again speaking a little slower and still bouncing with Ziva 'What is your name?'. He says 'Shalu' and grins. Seeing that I was friendly all the girls (ages 7-17) crowded around to touch the visible part of Ziva's head/ forehead. By this time Suresh and my mom had come and were talking to each other in Malayalam. I continued to exchange words with the kids in English and then tired to pull Isaac into the conversation. An older man, probably in his 50's, who was part of the group realizing that my mom and Suresh were speaking in Malayalam came up to my mom and asked her which part of Kerala she was from (in malayalam). Then turning to Suresh and pointing at me he said 'ITHU AITHU STATEEN ANNU' (Which state is she from?).  Poor man made two big blunders
1. He assumed I was not a Malayalee and some foreigner!
2. He assumed Suresh was a Malayalee!!!
Reason for assumption : Baby  Bjorn
Suresh and my mom stare at each other not knowing why he is asking such a strange question. I smile and in my anglicized Malayalam I saw 'Njan Malayalee aanu'. Stunned silence followed by a burst of laughter! Me - very proud of my Malayalam :)

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