Thursday, April 26, 2012


W is for Wary
I've always thought of myself as a carefree person.
Recently, I was jolted into reality by a look from a colleague at lunch: What sort of Indian are you, whimpering at the sight of red flakes on her plate?
My mum always had a theory about capsaicin and its corrosive effect on the intestine lining. This meant that we never ate food worthy of the chili chomping region in India we came from. As a result, besides being made the focus of ridicule from the extended family, I developed a healthy caution to chilies. Now, one sniff of the hot stuff is enough to make me sweat and my eyes water. My life’s a bundle of derision on that topic. Most people I know snicker when I tell them I can’t handle heat in my food. What sort of Indian are you, whimpering at the sight of red flakes on her plate?

That got me thinking....

About all the other things I’m cautious about.

People selling stuff on the subway.
Walking too close to the road-side of the sidewalk.
Walking down a dimly lit alley, alone.
Stepping on other people’s toes. (Literally, if I’m in the local train in Mumbai)
People who smile a lot
People who don’t smile at all.
Trying different foods.

Wary of so many things. What am I trying to protect?




9 comments:

  1. My grandma used to say, "People selling stuff on the subway are just like you and me...if you and me had mysterious skin rashes, took drugs, had STDs and concealed switchblades in our pants."

    Okay, maybe she didn't actually say that.

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    1. Haha! Your grandma sure is funny, Tim! :)
      btw you dont want to conceal blades in your pants. heheh!

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  2. "What am I trying to protect?" That is the question, isn't it? This is a very nice and honest post.
    My grandma always said, "When in doubt; wear pearls." I don't know what that has to do with being wary though.

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    1. Thanks, Amanada! I like grandmas. Wearing pearls is probably the thing to do.

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  3. Very interesting post. I'm wary of passive aggresion and people who are moody. I'm never sure what I might say may set them off. :-)

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    1. Oh my, Geeta, passive aggression gets me too. Very tiptoey people, if you know what I mean.

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  4. Oh man. I LOVE Indian food! Especially Tandoori and Tikki Masala, but I can't take it too hot, it hurts.

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    1. I love it too. You should try the different regional foods as well, they are fantastic! Not all are hot so its good for people like us.
      Thanks for visiting.

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  5. Walking down a dimly lit alley, alone. Scary as well.

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