The staring question

CatGirl says on Jun 15, 2008, 12:12:

jajaja..Peter. I have not been to India as of yet, but I did experience this in the outlaying "jungle type" cities of the Phillipines. I finally found out what it was like to feel like a celeb! It is either you look like someone famous or you are the only pale face in the bunch, jejeje.
Was that your case?

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goin_south says on Jun 15, 2008, 12:13:

because they think a Divine Re-inCarnate has arrived?
damn; who knows?
but, out in the countryside of India, I doubt there are many white men or women, like as we speak of in Bogota and other Colombian places, ... they really may not know you are gringo until you open your mouth and are heard.

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Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Jun 18, 2008, 13:02:

CascadeBob says on Aug 27, 2008, 15:39:

Are you off the tourist route?

Had this happen a couple times in remote parts of Mexico (yeah, there's still a few parts of Mexico where they rarely see gringos). Trying to make a phone call on the pay phone in a small logging town way up in the Siarra while all the local kids surrounded me to listen. Said they didn't get to hear English and were curious.

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houstongal (Trustee board) says on Dec 30, 2008, 00:27:

OK....the staring by the autorickshaw drivers was quite intense. I deliberately wore long skirts and clothes that didn't reveal much skin, but the stares were unlike any I have ever experienced. The men stare without expression. No smiles. Just a blank face. I can handle it if they would smile, but the expressionless look can be disturbing.

The autorickshaw drivers would turn their head and stare while driving or stop right in front of me and stare. According to a native Mumbai resident, "Indian men....are like that...they stare with no intention at times, but mostly it is if they see something more than what is normally seen. Like, cleavage, a lot of your legs etc....its a real turn on for most low class men like the rickshaw drivers and men on the roads."

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goin_south says on Dec 30, 2008, 00:42:

yes, but did you see a peruvian band there?

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ankits says on Feb 4, 2009, 11:51:

houstongal, a part of wht you have heard is right....yu would find (perverts) anywhere in the world...Things that you dont see everyday...in india I refer to fashion,foreigners...are fancy., would turn heads.The autorick drivers look at you as their possible rides...You know the only medium of communication with them is the sign language...they would keep looking for yur gestures until you get away. thats normal...its a problem of the mindset...and the blank looks,they are waiting for some positive signals...dont give them any :) In India, having sex is taboo and rare !

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houstongal (Trustee board) says on Mar 5, 2009, 19:23:

Thanks ankits. I ignore the autoricks and don't give them positive signals. But I still think the stares I get in India are vastly different than the looks I get in other countries (especially Latin American ones). I'll take a Latino stare to an Indian stare (sorry!).

Next time I'm heading to Mumbai, I'll let you know and maybe we can grab a coffee when I'm in town?

"It is now official: there's no place on earth where you will not find a Peruvian band." David Sedaris

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