On Sunday 04 Oct 2009 10:26:17 am Divya Manian wrote: > Meanwhile, I still find (my stereotyped view of course) attitude of Indian > men lecherous and disgusting (more so the ³educated² ones). For some reason > I have always tied this with their attitudes on religion, caste, and > economics and ignored it. But, I hate it that I need to wear salwaar kameez > with a "dupatta" when visiting relatives, as though my breasts are that > intimidating. And the stupid giggling and avoiding the issue of sex. Pisses > me off.
I read a book called "The Arab Mind" by Raphael Patai. One chapter in the book refers to Arab views on sex and this is what he says: > The issue of sex in the Arab world reminds me of the old story about the > Sorceror's apprentice and the pink elephant. The master of Alchemy, after > explaining to his apprentice the complex steps to be followed in making > gold, aded: "And most importantly, throughout the entire process you must > not thinnks of the pink elephant". Having been duly impressed by this > warning, the apprentice tried desperately to heed it, but, of course was > unable to keep the forbidden subject out of his thoughts. At last he had to > give up his attempts at making gold and sadly reproached his master: "Why, > O my master, why did you have to tell me not to think of the pink elephant? > If you had not, I would never have thought of it" In the Indian mind too - the pink elephant always lurks in the background, and even if his body language does not lie, a rebound guilt phenomenon makes the Indian subconsciously contort his language to actively tiptoe around any idea that he may be thinking of that pink elephant, sex somewhere in the background. To be fair Indian women too are often guilty of this - a least in my personal experience. I have found friends and collegues beginning to imagine that I am about to express lewd thoughs or tell a dirty joke when nothing of the sort is likely. And of course the ubiquitous and unconscious so called "wrist" sign" where the woman brings her hand up to her face in an ostensibly needless gesture that is actually intended to cover a bare neck and imaginary cleavage from prying eyes. But here Indian women have a pallu/dupatta that they pull across the area when they feel that the pink elephant has squares on his mind. I saw an interesting photo yesterday - a group of South American heads of state - all the men were in suits, and the sole woman had a scarf neatly wrapped around her neck to cover any skin that might have been visible in her lower neck/upper chest area. It appears that women must do this to function effectively in a male dominated world. shiv
