WHY ARE INDIANS EASY TO IDENTIFY

Indians are like this.... only so true, so very
true..........

1. Everything you eat is savored in garlic, onion and
tomatoes.

2.. You try and reuse gift wrappers, gift boxes, and of
course aluminum foil.

3.. You are always standing next to the two largest size
suitcases at the Airport.

4. You arrive one or two hours late to a party - and think
it's normal.

5. You peel the stamps off letters that the Postal Service
missed to stamp.

6. You recycle Wedding Gifts, Birthday Gifts and
Anniversary Gifts.

7. You name your children in rhythms (example, Sita &
Gita, Ram & Shyam, Kamini & Shamini..)

8. All your children
have pet names, which sound nowhere,
close to their real names.

9. You take Indian snacks anywhere it says 'No Food
Allowed.'

10. You talk for an hour at the front door when leaving
someone's house.

11.. You load up the family car with as many people as
possible.

12. HIGH PRIORITY ***** You use plastic to cover anything
new in your house
whether it's the remote control, VCR, carpet or new
couch. *****

13. Your parents tell you not to care what your friends
think, but they won't let you do certain things because
of what the other 'Uncles and Aunties' will think..

14. You buy and display crockery, which is never used, as
it is for special occasions, which never happen.

15. You have a vinyl tablecloth on your kitchen table.

16.. You use grocery bags to hold garbage.

17. You keep leftover food in your fridge in as many
numbers of bowls as possible.

18. Your kitchen shelf is full
of jars, varieties of bowls and plastic utensils (got free
with purchase of other stuff)

19. You carry a stash of your own food whenever you travel
(and travel means any car ride longer than 15 minutes).

20. You own a rice cooker or a pressure cooker.

21. You fight over who pays the dinner bill.

22. You live with your parents and you are 40 years old.
(And they prefer it that way).

23. You don't use measuring cups when cooking.

24. You never learnt how to stand in a queue.

25.. You can only travel if there are 5 persons at least to
see you off or receive you whether you are traveling by bus,
train or plane.

26. If she is NOT your daughter, you always take interest
in knowing whose daughter has run with whose son and feel
proud to spread it at the velocity of more than the speed of
light.

27. You only make long distance calls after 11p.m.

28. If you don't live at home, when your
parents call, they ask if you've eaten, even if
it's midnight.

29. You call an older person you never met before Uncle or
Aunty.

30. When your parents meet strangers and talk for a few
minutes, you discover you're talking to a distant
cousin.

31. Your parents don't realize phone connections to
foreign
countries have improved in the last two decades, and still
scream at the top of their lungs when making foreign calls.

32.. You have bed sheets on your sofas so as to keep them
from getting dirty.

33. Its embarrassing if you're wedding has less than
600 people.

34. All your Tupperware is stained with food color.

35. You have drinking glasses made of steel.

36. You have mastered the art of bargaining in shopping.


I STILL LOVE TO BE AN INDIAN ...hum to esse hii hai
bhaiyaa!!!!!!!!!!:)

Report on New York Times on Indian Elections

It is truly the greatest show on Earth, an ode to a diverse and
democratic ethos, where 700 million + of humanity vote, providing their
small part in directing their ancient civilization into the future. It
is no less impressive when done in a neighborhood which includes
de-stabilizing and violent Pakistan, China, and Burma.

Its challenges are immense, more so probably than anywhere else,
particularly in development and fending off terrorism -- but considering
these challenges and its neighbors, it is even more astounding that the
most diverse nation on Earth, with hundreds of languages, all religions
and cultures, is not only surviving, but thriving.

The nation where Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism were born,
which is the second largest Muslim nation on Earth; where Christianity
has existed for 2000 years; where the oldest Jewish synagogues and
Jewish communities have resided since the Romans burnt their 2nd temple;
where the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government in exile reside; where
the Zorostrians from Persia have thrived since being thrown out of their
ancient homeland; where Armenians and Syrians and many others have to
come live; where the Paris-based OECD said was the largest economy on
Earth for 1500 of the last 2000 years, including the 2nd largest, only
200 years ago; where 3 Muslim Presidents have been elected, where a Sikh
is Prime Minister and the head of the ruling party a Catholic Italian
woman, where the President is also a woman, succeeding a Muslim
President who as a rocket scientist is a hero in the nation; where a
booming economy is lifting 40 million out of poverty each year and is
expected to have the majority of its population in the middle class
already, equal to the entire US population, by 2025; where its optimism
and vibrancy is manifested in its movies, arts, economic growth, and
voting, despite all the incredible challenges and hardships; where all
the great powers are vying for influence, as it itself finds its place
in the world.

Where all of this is happening, is India, and as greater than 1/10th of
humanity gets ready to vote, it is an inspiration to all the World.

- V Mitchell, New York, NY

Special Thanks to New York Times