8 Habits Foreigners Picked Up in India and Loved Taking Home with Them

Mangalore Today News Network

10 December 2016: All countries have peculiar social customs and India is no exception. With over 1.2 billion people and a  plethora of languages, art forms , food and cultural customs, India can be a mind-boggling experience for people visiting from other countries. While many of them find India too colourful, too crowded, too diverse, too chaotic (basically too everything!), they also find it fascinating, unusual and riveting. Foreigners trying golgappa (pani puri) in Chandni Chowk, Delhi[/caption]

 

 

For some, the culture shock might prove a bit difficult to deal with but most go back with desi habits that they have picked up in India, long after their trip to the country has ended. Several Quora users and blog writers, who have travelled to India, have written wonderful anecdotes to answer the question - ’what habits did you learn in India that have stuck?’

 

 

 

Here’s a list of the 7 Indian habits that foreigners pick up after visiting India and love using even after returning to their own country.

1. Cooling tea in a saucer!

In India, chai is more than just a cup of tea to start the day - the thick sweet drink is an integral part of the rhythm of life.  A popular way of drinking chai (or coffee) in India is by serving it in a cup on a saucer. The hot tea is then poured by the drinker into the saucer and slurped down. After all, why waste time staring at your tea and waiting endlessly for it to cool down? Says Sommer Shiels,

"Cooling my tea with a saucer! I would never, ever have considered this until India! I love it! While the rest of the world gets a burnt tongue I’m pouring my tea and cooling it in my saucer- I learned this in Gujarat from locals. Back to my hot tea, I don’t always use my saucer! Indians have the ingenious little metal design a little cup with a bowl-type utensil. No on else cools their tea like this! Such a simple yet clever little design."

2. Using your hands to dig into that sumptuous meal.

In India, there is an old saying, "Eating food with your hands feeds not only the body but also the mind and the spirit". Most tourists visiting India are taken aback by this quintessential Indian custom. However, on trying it themselves, they also agree that using hands while eating results in a cleaner plate and happier stomach. Says Sommer Shiels,

 "I got the strangest looks and even people turning away in disgust. I ate politely, using my hands properly and washed my hands and left.

As I left, I didn’t feel embarrassed but happy in the knowledge that they were missing out! The point is, as I have continued to use my hands out of habit and because I enjoy it, I have received judgement from others..."

Courtesy: Yahoo.com