Topic started by Leon (@ 202.88.171.87) on Mon May 26 15:00:08 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

I find that 90% of the Indians in the US and in India don't order Pepsi, Coke or soft drinks with their food. They are content with just water (without ice, of course). Pepsi stands in India don't serve their drinks with ice even if you ask for it. Plus the cup sizes are small.

South Indian brahmins especially are anaethma to anything cold even on the hottest of hot days. I dont know why there is the mental block to having anything cold. They would rather having piping hot coffee when the air temp is above a 100 degrees.

The other thing I find among Indians living in Bangalore is that they have no concept of using silverware. I have noticed people using two spoons to eat idlis and (I'm not kidding) masala dosa! They think it is so Western, but in reality are only making fools of themselves. Why don't they use their hands as dosa is meant to be eaten with? Others use a fork and knife, but actually use the fork to shovel food into the spoon and eat it with the spoon.
Plus the waiters are over-eager to dump food from the bowl into your plate even if you don't ask for it. I have to at times almost physically restrain them from doing it.

I find dining out in India to be an amusing experience. But the food and the prices are great, nonetheless.

Responses:

• From: Shekhar (@ 61.1.142.146) on: Tue May 27 00:32:04 EDT 2003
  
  Habits are habits. They are irrational. There is nothing like right and wrong with them. Habits of one community looks "Odd" to an other community. Each community thinks, (very wrongly and unthinkingly) that they are right, they are better.
  In this case the purpose is to eat food. As long as the habit is hygenic and comfortable to the eater there is nothing wrong with it. To compare and value judge habits of different communities is vain and absurd.
  
  
• From: ec (@ bryant.rz-berlin.mpg.de) on: Tue May 27 07:05:56 EDT 2003
  
  Good reply, Shekhar! Even healthwise water is better than any of the colas! Digestion of food requires some high temperature and any cool drink after a meal can harm the digestion process. So personally i don't like having cola alongwith or just after any meal!
  
  
• From: RR (@ 66.9.52.234) on: Tue May 27 08:08:12 EDT 2003
  
  A typical 'Amrikka-returned' fellows pompous observations, no doubt.
  
  The 'two spoon' approach is used by those who are on the road and are concerned that their hands may be dirty. Nothing 'western' about it. Facilities for soap, etc may not be available at these 'cheap' places you mention.
  
  There are no fixed approaches to using silverware unless you are in some crusty formal ocvcassion; americans pretty much use only a fork while brits always use a knife even when having scrambled eggs.
  
  Habits are dynamic, unlike your ideas
  
  
• From: :) (@ d150-35-51.home.cgocable.net) on: Tue May 27 08:14:34 EDT 2003
  
  "A typical 'Amrikka-returned' fellows pompous observations, no doubt.
  "
  
  Well said.
  
  "I find that 90% of the Indians in the US and in India don't order Pepsi, Coke or soft drinks with their food. They are content with just water (without ice, of course). "
  
  Well, the truth is water is much better for you than pepsi or coke, which can be used for removing stains from toilets, obviously a harsh mixture.
  
  "South Indian brahmins especially are anaethma to anything cold even on the hottest of hot days"
  
  So why does that bother you? Don't you believe in personal choices?
  
  Learn to appreciate every culture for itself!
  
  
• From: stg (@ 12.151.162.22) on: Tue May 27 09:34:36 EDT 2003
  
  Once an american professor asked his chinese student what he found odd in the campus. The chinese student replied that the eyes of all the people are slanted. Thats the difference.
  
  I can say exactly the same things about americans that they dont drink water and drink ice cold sewage water ( I am sorry pepsi) and then wont drink hot cofee even if its minus 34 degrees and so on..
  
  But I do agree than dosai should not be eaten with fork and knife.
  
  why on earth one should order pepsi? its tastes horrible.
  
  

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