Ways in which I am treated differently

14Mar09

In no particular order.

1. The fresh naan that I buy from the market around my house is wrapped in aluminum foil, instead of newspaper.
2. I always pay more on the auto-rickshaw. I’d say on average 50% more than a ride should be.
3. This two-tiered price scheme is also sanctioned by the state. As a foreigner, the government says I pay 100 rupees to climb the stairs of the Charminar, a tourist attraction. Indians pay 10. So it goes.
3. Everyone assumes I don’t like spicy food.
4. I get away with things that some Indian women would not. Like sharing a flat with a guy. That’s a no go for an Indian woman, my neighbours have suggested (although it is changing). But since I’m not from here, I think they consider my behaviour amusing and, even, excusable.
5. At the top of the Charminar, in Hyderabad, I was suddenly surrounded by groups of young engineering students, all men, all wanting to take my picture. I asked, why? Because you come from somewhere else, one said. It was a bit weird to suddenly realize that people all around me were taking my picture on their mobile cameras.
6. I am a magnet for beggars. Little, little children. Mothers with one arm carrying a baby, the other reaching out. Sometimes there are books or magazines for sale, in which case the merchandise is thrust into the back of the auto-rickshaw. The sales children smile, call me Mme.
7. The security guard at the supermarket lets me go inside with my bag, instead of checking it outside.

To be continued.

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