Why is it that for most Indians, we only get to meet other Indians growing up and not people from other countries much?
So as someone born in Siliguri in West Bengal in India but living in Bangalore since 2008, I noticed one thing growing up that I have always been surrounded by other Indians only. My hometown Siliguri has many people who are Nepalese, Bhutia, many Tibetans, North East Indians who can look facially similar to East Asians and South East Asians. In our city Bangalore too many people come from Nepal or North East India or Darjeeling side. I remember going to Chinese restaurants and seeing staffs and thinking they are Chinese because they look similar but it turns out almost always that they are from North East India or Darjeeling side or close to Nepal and not China which disappointed me as a kid and also a teenager. Wherever we go, we have been surrounded by other Indians which kinda bored me at times. As we are Bengalis, I notice that Bengalis are everywhere even in Bangalore and so are Odias(from Odisha state) and Assamese(from Assam) and multiple Hindi speaking North Indians too. I always felt that this is only my reality here that only being surrounded by people from Bengal, Odisha, Assam, Bihar, UP, Punjab, South India(which is obvious as I live in Bangalore which is a South Indian city), North East Indians and Nepalese.
But things changed after I started going to the Central Bangalore areas especially UB City mall, Lavelle Road, 1MG mall in Trinity Circle, Church Street, Indiranagar as these are more cosmopolitan and posh and I came to know how many foreigners live in these areas as expats and also many tourists stay there too. Most of these expats live around Brigade Road, Richmond Circle and Lavelle Road and many are IT professionals, exchange students, diplomats, on work assignments, business tours etc. So I talked with multiple expat women from several countries like the US, UK, Germany, France, Sweden, Spain, African countries, East Asian countries and many other European countries too and yesterday even with that Chinese man on the metro about whom I posted in the previous post. He said he is a 3rd generation Chinese born in Kolkata in India and working in Bangalore now. Its crazy to believe how as a 25 year old now I spoke with a real Chinese person whereas at 15 I used to feel disappointed in Chinese restaurants that the staff is from Darjeeling or somewhere in India itself and not Chinese. Also talking to so many foreign women makes me feel that my reality isn't just limited to Indians but also people from multiple nationalities now which makes me feel a lot more Global. Only downfall is that these exposures have made me feel local neighborhoods like Munnekolala where I stay in the city really boring. What do you feel?
But things changed after I started going to the Central Bangalore areas especially UB City mall, Lavelle Road, 1MG mall in Trinity Circle, Church Street, Indiranagar as these are more cosmopolitan and posh and I came to know how many foreigners live in these areas as expats and also many tourists stay there too. Most of these expats live around Brigade Road, Richmond Circle and Lavelle Road and many are IT professionals, exchange students, diplomats, on work assignments, business tours etc. So I talked with multiple expat women from several countries like the US, UK, Germany, France, Sweden, Spain, African countries, East Asian countries and many other European countries too and yesterday even with that Chinese man on the metro about whom I posted in the previous post. He said he is a 3rd generation Chinese born in Kolkata in India and working in Bangalore now. Its crazy to believe how as a 25 year old now I spoke with a real Chinese person whereas at 15 I used to feel disappointed in Chinese restaurants that the staff is from Darjeeling or somewhere in India itself and not Chinese. Also talking to so many foreign women makes me feel that my reality isn't just limited to Indians but also people from multiple nationalities now which makes me feel a lot more Global. Only downfall is that these exposures have made me feel local neighborhoods like Munnekolala where I stay in the city really boring. What do you feel?
22-25, M
