Tuesday, December 28, 2010

we are the sights

Wherever we go, but most especially when we visit popular Indian destinations, people want to photograph our kids. In fact, J and I suspect that our brood might spark just as much enthusiasm as the the sights these tourists originally set out to see. Sometimes they even want the kids to pose with them in their own family or group shots.
We've taken to prepping the kids in advance and every day there are different standards (though they are always expected to be polite). Some days we simply ask that they wave, on others we urge them to make an effort to answer questions and maybe even smile. When they are too tired, we try to gently decline and move along (but this is not usually understood and we suspect that it is our turn to be perceived as rude).





People of India: I understand that this is acceptable and appropriate here, but we are not used to this AT ALL! Furthermore, this is actually the opposite of everything we try to teach our children about how to interact with strangers: we teach them not to speak, touch or allow anyone to touch, lift or carrying them anywhere. (If this happened in the US, I would have an absolute fit at any stranger under age 75 who tried to hug or kiss my kids without my permission).

The good news for the kids: their patience and fortitude is nothing short of heroic so I am confident they will be duly compensated in the afterlife. Well, except for BR who runs away screaming "No, no, NO!" and tells people who ask that his name is Spiderman.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

you're not in Kansas anymore!

Kris Livovich said...

My brother was a towhead blond and endured many years of touching, cheek pinching and the like. He would scowl and bat people's hands away. I was not quite as blond, so did not get the same amount of attention, but we can relate a little.

Poor BR, it's so hard to be the tourist attraction!

GrandpaTom said...

I thought his name WAS Spiderman!

sheriffshooter said...

I've seen this happen all the time. Most recently at the Taj. We had to be rude eventually, and chose a large group of men for the treatment.