What Indians Think of You When You Walk Out of that Airport?

We often say that the world today is a smaller place and that we are globally connected through internet technologies that allow us to connect anytime and anywhere. However, the funny part is that there exist many misconceptions that we still see around in the real world. While the West is technologically ahead and culturally different, East is just catching up and trying to balance between its old traditions and customs and the effects of modernization and westernization. On the other hand, the culture contrast is wide and that also impacts life in many different ways. I have many friends in the West who are passionate about touring India, exploring the sights and sounds and the heritage and culture of my country, but what they don’t know is how they will be perceived the moment they walk out of the airport. So, based on what I know (excluding assumptions), I came up with this funny concept of how I can tell my international friends in the West, what Indians really think about them.

You are Super Rich

It sounds really funny, but in many Asian countries like India white skin Westerners are looked upon as super rich people that have the power to buy anything. To an average Indian, all Westerners are equal as Bill Gates and Warren Buffet. Now, you might be going through some tough financial crisis, or you might be struggling to pay your mortgage, or finding a decent job back in your home town and you might be pretty upset about all that, but you still can be sure that out here people still consider you super rich just because you come from a foreign land. In fact, there is a satire movie in India called  Phas Gaye Re Obama (Obama Got Trapped) which revolves around an Indian who is a resident of the United States who goes through economic crisis of recent recession and when he returns to India everybody tries to make money out of him considering that he is super rich while the fact is that he is completely broke. If you are a foreigner in India, I can bet you will be always surrounded by beggars asking for money and people trying to please you thinking that you might lend them some dollars.

You are from USA Only

The United States Dollars is the currency of the world and that might be true to some extent, but to a typical average Indian you still transact in United States dollars even if you have lived all your life in Spain, France or Australia or the UK. I am sure many Indians would hit back at me and tell me, “hey you are talking nonsense here and no one in India think like that”, but I have had conversations with many local shopkeepers, cab drivers and local restaurant stewards who do not know anything about the US and the Western world, and that they still believe that Westerners are Americans that deal in dollars, even though in reality they can be from a different part of the world. Many Indians are not even sure about Great Britain Pounds and Euro and some don’t know the difference between the United Kingdom and London.

You Lack Moral Sensibility

East is very sensitive about morals and culture and therefore they see themselves as superior to the West, at least in terms of culture and morality. There are many groups here that consider Westerners as evil, because they believe that Westerners have no code of conduct and they are open to sex and they have come up with all the porn and sexually explicit materials that one can find on the internet. This misconception also arises from the kind of dresses that international tourists wear when they are in India enduring the hot climate that they find it difficult to live in. Asians are very particular about the way an individual dresses and we often label individuals based on the kind of dress that one wears, especially females. Short dresses and revealing outfits are not socially agreeable, but you will find cities like Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Kolkata that do not mind it, but if you are traveling to interiors you have to be bit cautious about what you wear.

You Are a Feat

Indians love to interact with international tourists and therefore you will find people always willing to help you because they take pride in that. While you might be clicking pictures of some of the Indian landscapes you will find some people clicking pictures of you. Now, that can be annoying because no matter where you go, you will find pictures of you being taken. Of course, Indians won’t let you know that they are clicking your pictures, but you can know from the angle of their mobile camera lens that they are clicking your pictures without your permission. Indians would love to take pictures with you which they can show to their friends later on and brag about how close you are to them and so on.

However, not all Indians think that way, so there is no need to panic. Many Indians are in constant touch with people abroad, so there are people that react normally to foreigners and they are always helpful and kind and will provide you with the best answers and solutions, if you are stuck in a situation.