Bizarre.
The (very nice) family next door to us are originally from Pakistan or Gujarat. They have two girls, an older one, who always wore a headscarf (who must be about twenty years old) and a younger one who never did (who must be about fifteen). I'd recognise the younger one on sight, and the older one was always just 'the-one-with-the-headscarf'.
One of them was just driving off in the family car today as I popped out for fags, I recognised her as the 'one-without-a-headscarf' I and asked her (semi-jokingly) whether she was old enough to drive. She smiled and pointed out that she was the older one*.
I kept digging myself deeper into the hole for a bit and then waved her on.
Ah well.
*The point here is, at what stage is one allowed to ask a Muslim lass, "Didn't you use to wear a headscarf?" Do any etiquette books cover this?
There’s a Surprise
9 hours ago
3 comments:
Muslim Gujjus? Sorry just me I guess
Being a thoroughly British Hindu I still cling to the old partition thing that India isn't a Muslim country( I know it has a population of 120 million Muslims about the same as Indonesia and Malaysia put together) so I always am a little skewed with Muslims from India ( except from Hyderabad and Uttar Pradesh of course)
Ask and ye shall receive as they say
The worse thing she could say is F off I suppose, I doubt she'd deliver un coup de poing sur votre nez
I'm a Punjabi and both my parents families had to crossover at partition.
My birthright lands are now in Pakistan and I speak with the Punjabi dialect and inflections of that area thanks to my father who is mistaken for a Pakistani everywhere due to his dialect and Punjabi it not being Indian Punjabi but Pakistani Punjabi and yes there is a difference
Pakistani Punjabi has a little bit more Urdu and a little less Hindi
but it depends on how far west or east in old undivided Punjab you were born as to how you speak.
As a result I have the dubious pleasure of being able to understand both Urdu and Punjabi and Hindi ( though not classical Hindi and certainly not DoorDarshan Hindi cf BBC English)
My accent
Proper RP with a slight Sheffield bent
I say af-ter rather than Aaaafter
Everyone I have ever met thought I was from London . I grew up in Yorkshire and had a strong Yorkshire accent as a kid. I still speak French with a Yorkshire accent which makes some people double up with laughter as I was taught French by a a Sheffield lass and carry her inflections though I do get pleasing comments when I do go to France that my French is very good.
As for etiquette forgive me I've rambled. A good place to start is Indian history and the British raj and the caste system and surnames
Surnames are how one distinguishes what caste your particular Hindu is from and no Im not a Brahmin ( chance would be a fine thing)
Hope that helps
Henry
I have it on good authority that our neighbours on both sides are not Pakistanis but Gujaratis, namely from a 100% legit Muslim Pakistani lass who used to live in my house (long story), who was incredibly snobbish about these things.
Gujaratis , I dont understand the language fully.
All Subcontinental women are snobbish
You should hear my mother telling me that I am living in such a bad area of London.
She doesnt realise that in order to move to her version of suburbia in London I would need to win the lottery jack pot at least twice
Once for the house and the second for the upkeep.
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