Indians are perhaps the most gifted people on earth, which is why they attract significant attention from people belonging to different ethnicities. Foreigners visiting India have a lot of interest in learning the Indian culture. Even though it is not difficult being friends with Indians, a long-lasting friendship requires much more than just small talk. One thing you must keep in mind is that you should never generalize Indians; the reason for this being that 1.3 billion people from one country can never fit in one bracket. There can be categories of good or bad, exciting or boring, intelligent or intellectual, and many more that may never come to the mind. Just go with the flow while keeping the following things in mind to be friends with an Indian.
Small talk is the best beginning
Indulging in non-controversial topics is the key to begin a conversation, and then you can take it further to more serious topics. You can talk about the favorite actor, actress, and movie of your newly found Indian friend. You can be sure that they would want to know the same about you because Indians are curious by nature. Sometimes, they may ask even the most private questions to you about your spouse, marriage, children, and income, though they are just curious without intending to intervene in your life.
After Bollywood, your next favorite topic can be about food. The conversation about food can go on and on and on for ages, and you will be surprised to know that Indians, especially Punjabis, do not get tired of talking about different cuisines. The western influence is clearly visible on the Indian foods as well. If you are in Delhi, you can see a mixture of western, continental, and Indian cuisines.
Pizza sandwich, pizza parantha, cheese burst pizza, cheese pasta, Maggi pasta, etc. are just a few foods in which you will find a great mix of Indian spices and western condiments. If you want to take your conversation to the next level, you can ask your friend to take you to a restaurant to find the best Indian food. Though you may get a lot of variety of foods in the Indian metropolitans, you must stick to the regional cuisines in small cities.
Regional Language is the key to their heart
Just like you would do while visiting any other country, you must learn a few Hindi phrases before coming to India. You can use mobile applications to learn new phrases comfortably, just use them at an appropriate time. You may startle any Indian when you tell them something in Hindi or perhaps any other regional language when they are least expecting it. Go beyond the basic greetings and startle your new friends to make them even more curious a.k.a comfortable. Indians love it when they see a foreigner making efforts to blend with them.
Politics and social taboos
There are topics that you must not talk about to avoid being shooed away. While Indians are otherwise amicable people, they don’t like to talk about controversial things. If you are a foreigner, you would know things from their facial value only, and no one expects you to know more in-depth as well. That is why; you must not talk about politics and social things such as dowry, female empowerment, arranged marriage, female feticide, casteism, etc. Indians are swiftly becoming educated and aware to deal with these issues on their own, and no one likes the intervention of a foreigner in their home. Nonetheless, you can give your opinion, only when someone asks.
Even if you are a solo traveler, you will never feel lonely in India. Just with a smiling face and a welcoming attitude, you can make a lot of friends in this gorgeous country. So, when heading to explore these wide Indian cultures, foreigners can opt for a car rental service for an unstoppable journey.
