The inebriation of hope
Desis: Indians abroad, more specifically in the US.
I am a Desi FOB now. (These distinctions are not so pronounced where I am right now (grad students don't usually talk such bull, but they are present anyway.)
Desis have parties; Desis dress in skimpy clothes and go dancing at these events. I write this coming back from one of these. According to the (relatively) new funda in my life, I am doing everything that one can try... but at my own pace. And Desis also have ritualistic orgies (almost) in the name of ganesh pooja.
It starts with all the people paying up a good 5$ or more to enter one of these. It is arranged by one of the stereotypical punjabi "dude". Long hair, tall, dark and despo. They have DJs playing a mix of replacable hip-hop and bhangra. More money for the drinks (understandably premium priced). Even more money if you get to the point of buying drinks for the females.
Enough introduction... now the whole deal through my POV. You enter a dimly lit dance floor, the lighting is nice, the music fits into the place. Bass is high. You see a lot of hot and even some beautiful females, most are Indian. So far so good... and then you start taking in the other details. There are more guys than gals (expected). All the girls are with their BFs/dates... Piggybacking on other more desp junta for drinks.
The music suddenly becomes loud. The silly drunk girls explode in high pitched screams. You turn around to see the guys trying to locate the shrillest voice, apparently realising that that will be the easiest female to pick up for the night. Of course, no such thing happens. She already has a BF!
The friends you came with are trying hard to dance, too hard. They stand here and there, jiggle around, put the drinks on top of their heads. Jiggle-Jiggle-Jiggle. It is going nowhere. They ask why you are sitting down, you just smile. You know they are as effective dancing as you are sitting.
There is one beautiful female you keep watching. She is uncharacteristically silent for the crowd. It appears she is as new to this as you are. You say hi, and she says hi back to you. She sits at the corner with her much more experienced friends.
You try not to stare, so you gaze elsewhere. And then you see a midget dancing amongst all these people. It all fits in. Everyone is a misfit trying to impress everyone else. Everyone is dancing to attract attention. Except there is no beauty here. No grace. No spontaneity. It is all a big drunken haze.
That beautiful girl is now being introduced to a lot more despo-looking northies. She looks uncomfortable, it almost seems like she is being pimped. Someone screams the final punch: "I am here till you are sloshed gals and guys! Rrrrrrrright here!"
You hold your breath and walk out into the more welcoming silence of the night in small town West Lafayette.
I am a Desi FOB now. (These distinctions are not so pronounced where I am right now (grad students don't usually talk such bull, but they are present anyway.)
Desis have parties; Desis dress in skimpy clothes and go dancing at these events. I write this coming back from one of these. According to the (relatively) new funda in my life, I am doing everything that one can try... but at my own pace. And Desis also have ritualistic orgies (almost) in the name of ganesh pooja.
It starts with all the people paying up a good 5$ or more to enter one of these. It is arranged by one of the stereotypical punjabi "dude". Long hair, tall, dark and despo. They have DJs playing a mix of replacable hip-hop and bhangra. More money for the drinks (understandably premium priced). Even more money if you get to the point of buying drinks for the females.
Enough introduction... now the whole deal through my POV. You enter a dimly lit dance floor, the lighting is nice, the music fits into the place. Bass is high. You see a lot of hot and even some beautiful females, most are Indian. So far so good... and then you start taking in the other details. There are more guys than gals (expected). All the girls are with their BFs/dates... Piggybacking on other more desp junta for drinks.
The music suddenly becomes loud. The silly drunk girls explode in high pitched screams. You turn around to see the guys trying to locate the shrillest voice, apparently realising that that will be the easiest female to pick up for the night. Of course, no such thing happens. She already has a BF!
The friends you came with are trying hard to dance, too hard. They stand here and there, jiggle around, put the drinks on top of their heads. Jiggle-Jiggle-Jiggle. It is going nowhere. They ask why you are sitting down, you just smile. You know they are as effective dancing as you are sitting.
There is one beautiful female you keep watching. She is uncharacteristically silent for the crowd. It appears she is as new to this as you are. You say hi, and she says hi back to you. She sits at the corner with her much more experienced friends.
You try not to stare, so you gaze elsewhere. And then you see a midget dancing amongst all these people. It all fits in. Everyone is a misfit trying to impress everyone else. Everyone is dancing to attract attention. Except there is no beauty here. No grace. No spontaneity. It is all a big drunken haze.
That beautiful girl is now being introduced to a lot more despo-looking northies. She looks uncomfortable, it almost seems like she is being pimped. Someone screams the final punch: "I am here till you are sloshed gals and guys! Rrrrrrrright here!"
You hold your breath and walk out into the more welcoming silence of the night in small town West Lafayette.
posted by Aradhya at 10:32 PM
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