Indian Samurai इंडियन सामुराई

The other day, I asked my favourite Indian to buy a papaya.

And there he is, asking me what a papaya looks like?!!

And here he goes, googling “papaya”!!

The following day I come back on the subject:

• “Tell me, if you do not know with what a papaya looks like, can I deduce from that that you have never cut one before?”
• “No.”
• “And an apple?”
• “Neither.”
• “Any fruit?”
• “No!! Why would I cut a fruit if there are always people paid to do it??”

I have to say, even though it makes sense, I am still thinking of this.

For sure if I had somebody to cut fruits for me every day, I believe that I would enjoy it! But it would not mean that I would never cut one myself would it??

It was also a full lesson to teach him how to hang a tee-shirt on a hanger. No you don’t stuff it on the hanger, it won’t dry!  

It reminds me the story of the Parisian kid who, asked to draw a fish, drew a square yellow thing (a fish finger!)…

Even though my papaya story seems to be taking place in Gossip Girl, this happens in the Indian middle class. No need to be very rich here to have employees.

In the same line, Indians find it horribly difficult to understand that foreigners usually don’t have a cook. So then how do we eat??

I’ll explain you in another story… ;)

Ok labour is cheap and easily available but I also believe that Indians are quite lazy!! (I don’t know if it is because the labour is cheap and available or because the climate is so hot, but well…)

“Rajasthan:

First trip, first discovery… A beautiful entry gate on the continent, The Thousand and One Nights in a Bollywood version? Probably. Tradition too. An India dreamt by and for the Westerners, but when I got back and some years later, she left behind the exquisite souvenirs of her cities a bit magical. Bombay-Jodhpur (by train!! 36 hours) then Jaisalmer, Pushkar, Jaipur and to finish Agra and the Taj Mahal. A first step necessary and easy to take.

Kerala and Hampi: