To smell or not to smell, that is putrefaction. Can stinking be done about it? Of course nose.
In the late 1970s, my class 10/10th grade Latin teacher, Magister Denegrius (Mr./teacher Denegri) was fond of saying, "TB or not TB, that is congestion. Consumption be done about it? Of cough not".
Just now, I have learnt that, about five years previous to my Latin teacher's quote, Woody Allen said virtually the same thing in a film, in which he said, "TB or not TB, that is congestion. Consumption be done about it? Of cough, of cough, but it takes a lung, lung time".
All of these, of course, are humourous adaptations of Hamlet's speech.
I suppose that I could be accused of flogging a dead horse. I often write about annoying habits of Indians. I wrote Body Ritual Among the Naidni which was a satire and a contest entry in which I alluded to annoying, peculiar and disgusting habits. A few months later, I wrote Annoying Habitsin which I elaborated on the topic.
About a quarter-of-a-century ago (it is hard to believe that it has been that long--it seems more recent than that), I went to the Soviet Union (when it was still the Soviet Union). To get there, there was a one-day layover in Yugoslavia (when it was still Yugoslavia). On that narrow, six-seat-wide plane from Belgrade, there was a smoking section...and it was the left-hand side of the plane! In other words, non-smokers were separated by a one-foot wide aisle from the non-smokers! Moreover, everybody smoked...even the passengers in the right-hand side. Moreover, everybody smoked. From my experience there, I came to believe that even two-year old infants smoked in Eastern Europe.
I have come to a similar conclusion about spitting in India. India has four times as many people as does the United States, so it ought to have four times as many of everything. It ought to have four times as many centenarians, but I have read that it has four times fewer centenarians (and I believe that I have written about this in another post, although I can not locate it now, even though I search for "centenarian"). Thus, it would be understandable if it has four times as many spitters. Instead, it has a billion more spitters. This is certainly the most common, annoying and disgusting habit in India.
Annoying habits that I have more recently observed relate to eating. Indians often talk with their mouths full. Indians have awful habits regarding talking. If you were equidistant from a roaring jet engine and an Indian talking, you could still hear the India talking; they talk extremely loudly. (I theorize that this is based on another theory that many Indians are partially deaf, and thus talk very loudly to hear themselves.) In this, Indians combine two annoying habits in one
Indians also smack their lips when eating. It is okay if I see you eating, but I do not need to hear you eating.
There are also stereotypes that seem to be often more true than not. Muslim women are fat-to-obese. (Muslim girls, on the other hand, may be slim but Muslim women are not.) Bengalis are lazy and overly fond of doing nothing but talking and gossiping. Blind Muslim men sing for alms. You would think that the population of blind Muslim men would be 1 or 2, but I have encountered many more--especially on trains--and they all sing for alms. Perhaps that scene in Slumdog Millionaire was based on a common reality. (Actually, I did see one blind Muslim man who was not singing, but he was carrying a loudspeaker which was playing songs, so it is virtually the same idea.) And, of course, if you are in Delhi then you are either a rapist or a rape victim. (The politically correct term seems to be rape survivor, but in India, that is not always the case.)
I write all of this because it has come to my attention that many Indians stink and that this is as a result of a lack of a Racold water heater.
I have, and have not, encountered this.
I have dealt with the stench of smokers. This is a mixed blessing (although more harmful than good). Twenty years ago, tobacco users were primarily those of gutkha. These users spat on walls and stairwells, leaving red stains for all eternity. It was precarious to be around them for fear of getting their effluence on you. Moreover, their mannerisms were deplorable. Now, cigarette smokers do not leave visible remnants on buildings, but they do kill not only themselves slowly (and I really wish that they would speed up the process) but also non-smokers. Each and every yearin India, about one lakh non-smokers die from the effects of second-hand smoke. Less significantly, but more pertinently to this post, the stench of cigarettes remains on people's clothes.
I deal with smokers by overtly waving a newspaper in their direction and/or putting my shirt to my nose and mouth. Caroline, who is more voluble than I am, will then request them to stop smoking or to move away (provided that she is with me at the time).
My experience with those who are not smoking is that Indians smell wonderful. Caroline, especially, appreciates the perfumes and colognes in the air as some people walk by. Moreover, I often see people taking baths. No, I am not a voyeur, but in Kolkata there are many public water pumps and every morning (between 6-8am), I see about a half-a-dozen men at each pump performing ablutions. (I can not explain why it is always men, and why the men cannot take baths the way the women do.) I have encountered one man who was smelly, but I think that it was more his clothes being unwashed rather than him being unclean.
However, I have come to realize that it is very important to have a hot water bath. During the Winter months, I saw far fewer men at the public water pumps. What they did, I do not know. Perhaps they used more perfumes and colognes. Last year, we did not have a water heater and my daily showers, while effective (I hope), were extremely brief. Now we live in a place that has provided a Racold water heater. Even in late March, I enjoy the warmth of the water and take a longer and more productive shower.
In short, it is important to have a shower but it is more important to have an enjoyable shower. I hope that this is something that every Indian--even smelly bosses--can understand.
About a quarter-of-a-century ago (it is hard to believe that it has been that long--it seems more recent than that), I went to the Soviet Union (when it was still the Soviet Union). To get there, there was a one-day layover in Yugoslavia (when it was still Yugoslavia). On that narrow, six-seat-wide plane from Belgrade, there was a smoking section...and it was the left-hand side of the plane! In other words, non-smokers were separated by a one-foot wide aisle from the non-smokers! Moreover, everybody smoked...even the passengers in the right-hand side. Moreover, everybody smoked. From my experience there, I came to believe that even two-year old infants smoked in Eastern Europe.
I have come to a similar conclusion about spitting in India. India has four times as many people as does the United States, so it ought to have four times as many of everything. It ought to have four times as many centenarians, but I have read that it has four times fewer centenarians (and I believe that I have written about this in another post, although I can not locate it now, even though I search for "centenarian"). Thus, it would be understandable if it has four times as many spitters. Instead, it has a billion more spitters. This is certainly the most common, annoying and disgusting habit in India.
Annoying habits that I have more recently observed relate to eating. Indians often talk with their mouths full. Indians have awful habits regarding talking. If you were equidistant from a roaring jet engine and an Indian talking, you could still hear the India talking; they talk extremely loudly. (I theorize that this is based on another theory that many Indians are partially deaf, and thus talk very loudly to hear themselves.) In this, Indians combine two annoying habits in one
Indians also smack their lips when eating. It is okay if I see you eating, but I do not need to hear you eating.
There are also stereotypes that seem to be often more true than not. Muslim women are fat-to-obese. (Muslim girls, on the other hand, may be slim but Muslim women are not.) Bengalis are lazy and overly fond of doing nothing but talking and gossiping. Blind Muslim men sing for alms. You would think that the population of blind Muslim men would be 1 or 2, but I have encountered many more--especially on trains--and they all sing for alms. Perhaps that scene in Slumdog Millionaire was based on a common reality. (Actually, I did see one blind Muslim man who was not singing, but he was carrying a loudspeaker which was playing songs, so it is virtually the same idea.) And, of course, if you are in Delhi then you are either a rapist or a rape victim. (The politically correct term seems to be rape survivor, but in India, that is not always the case.)
I write all of this because it has come to my attention that many Indians stink and that this is as a result of a lack of a Racold water heater.
I have, and have not, encountered this.
I have dealt with the stench of smokers. This is a mixed blessing (although more harmful than good). Twenty years ago, tobacco users were primarily those of gutkha. These users spat on walls and stairwells, leaving red stains for all eternity. It was precarious to be around them for fear of getting their effluence on you. Moreover, their mannerisms were deplorable. Now, cigarette smokers do not leave visible remnants on buildings, but they do kill not only themselves slowly (and I really wish that they would speed up the process) but also non-smokers. Each and every yearin India, about one lakh non-smokers die from the effects of second-hand smoke. Less significantly, but more pertinently to this post, the stench of cigarettes remains on people's clothes.
I deal with smokers by overtly waving a newspaper in their direction and/or putting my shirt to my nose and mouth. Caroline, who is more voluble than I am, will then request them to stop smoking or to move away (provided that she is with me at the time).
My experience with those who are not smoking is that Indians smell wonderful. Caroline, especially, appreciates the perfumes and colognes in the air as some people walk by. Moreover, I often see people taking baths. No, I am not a voyeur, but in Kolkata there are many public water pumps and every morning (between 6-8am), I see about a half-a-dozen men at each pump performing ablutions. (I can not explain why it is always men, and why the men cannot take baths the way the women do.) I have encountered one man who was smelly, but I think that it was more his clothes being unwashed rather than him being unclean.
However, I have come to realize that it is very important to have a hot water bath. During the Winter months, I saw far fewer men at the public water pumps. What they did, I do not know. Perhaps they used more perfumes and colognes. Last year, we did not have a water heater and my daily showers, while effective (I hope), were extremely brief. Now we live in a place that has provided a Racold water heater. Even in late March, I enjoy the warmth of the water and take a longer and more productive shower.
In short, it is important to have a shower but it is more important to have an enjoyable shower. I hope that this is something that every Indian--even smelly bosses--can understand.