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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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 Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 3:21 am Post subject: |
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| D. Merit wrote: |
| veiledsentiments wrote: |
| If you travel to India, you will find that everyone stares at you. |
I've been to India several times, and spent almost two years there once. I never got stared at at all. |
Seriously? I traveled all over Rajasthan, Bombay, Ajanta/Ellora area and it was endemic everywhere. I dress VERY conservatively and I had this constant feeling that I should look down to check if I had remembered to dress. And it was EVERYONE... not just the men, but men, women and children - of all ages. All I could think was that these people were acting like they had never seen a tourist before... and this was in major tourist cities of India.
It was many times worse than the Gulf, Egypt, or Morocco was in my experience. I was with a small group of Westerners with ages varying from 40-80 years of age. It was one factor in my decision to not return there again.
VS |
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007
Joined: 30 Oct 2006
Posts: 2684
Location: UK/Veteran of the Magic Kingdom
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| Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 11:34 am Post subject: |
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| veiledsentiments wrote: |
| Seriously? I traveled all over Rajasthan, Bombay, Ajanta/Ellora area and it was endemic everywhere. I dress VERY conservatively and I had this constant feeling that I should look down to check if I had remembered to dress. And it was EVERYONE... not just the men, but men, women and children - of all ages. All I could think was that these people were acting like they had never seen a tourist before... and this was in major tourist cities of India. |
May be they thought you were mother Teresa, that's why everyone was staring at you! 
I have heard that women in India should not show their ankles or shoulders, on the street!. VS, have you shown your ankles or shoulders while you were in India?
Also, I have heard that female prostitutes in India are identified as prostitutes if they stare men in the eyes!!! |
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johnkg
Joined: 06 Feb 2009
Posts: 127
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| Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 12:40 pm Post subject: |
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| I would imagine being stared (looked?) at by Indians in India is nowhere near as bad as what Indians have (had) to endure in the UK and elsewhere - hate-filled glares and racist insults. Westerners also do their fair share of staring, only we call it "people-watching" coz we're all civilized. |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 2:44 pm Post subject: |
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Well, we weren't discussing the various sins of our past or current governments. The difference I found is in numbers and blatancy. The large population of India provided the numbers and we normally try to be a bit discreet - excluding the old guys sitting on the benches in the mall around here.
Dealing with it in the Gulf, I had assumed that it was the effect of all these men being separated from their families (not the effect of my amazing pulchritude). So I was struck in India by the fact that the women on the streets stared as blatantly as the men. The older women in my group with limited world travel experience had great difficulty with it. It was often the topic of conversation on the train in the evenings.
VS
(BTW, 007... it was winter... no ankles, shoulders, or midriffs...) |
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cmp45
Joined: 17 Aug 2004
Posts: 1475
Location: KSA
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| Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 2:44 pm Post subject: |
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| veiledsentiments wrote: |
| D. Merit wrote: |
| veiledsentiments wrote: |
| If you travel to India, you will find that everyone stares at you. |
I've been to India several times, and spent almost two years there once. I never got stared at at all. |
Seriously? I traveled all over Rajasthan, Bombay, Ajanta/Ellora area and it was endemic everywhere. I dress VERY conservatively and I had this constant feeling that I should look down to check if I had remembered to dress. And it was EVERYONE... not just the men, but men, women and children - of all ages. All I could think was that these people were acting like they had never seen a tourist before... and this was in major tourist cities of India.
It was many times worse than the Gulf, Egypt, or Morocco was in my experience. I was with a small group of Westerners with ages varying from 40-80 years of age. It was one factor in my decision to not return there again.VS |
Quite frankly I find it hard to believe that one could go to India and NOT get stared at...unless you are darker shade of white!
As for VS not wanting to go back to India because of people staring seems a bit superficial , but perhaps... perhaps....yeah I know it was only one factor out of many 
anyways...getting off topic....whats popular for swim wear these days  |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 3:01 pm Post subject: |
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Just curious CMP... are you male or female?
The whole issue of staring - anywhere in the world - will be experienced quite differently if you are male.
VS
(kudos for your reading comprehension skills though... often lacking hereabouts. ) |
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ckhl
Joined: 20 Aug 2006
Posts: 214
Location: SE Asia
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| Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 3:53 pm Post subject: |
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| Regarding my previous posting, as for the women being Russian or Eastern European, doubtless many of them were, but I have often heard French and German spoken. As for my wearing a Speedo, according to Islamic dress for men (correct me if I am wrong), it does not cover all the naughty bits. My thighs and knees should also be covered. As a rule, in my free time I went about in Sharjah in shorts; granted, they were generally knee-length. Never had I been harrassed. Ok, yes, I am male. I realize that for a woman the experience may be wholly different. |
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