That was a First...
Anybody that has lived in India, is an India, or has been to India probably knows about the Indian headshake. It can signify yes, no, maybe, ok, and a list of other expressions. If you're in a restaurant and say, "Can I get a cold coffee?" The guy will answer with a headshake, not a nod, but a headshake. You first reaction is, "is that a yes or a no?" It takes some time to get used to, but once you do, you begin to mimic it.
In the trainee house, we've stopped using "yes," "no," "ok," and "i see." Instead, we use the hindi words: "hanji," "nahin (nahi)," "theek hai (ti ke)," and "accha (acha)." And everytime we use one of the words, we add in the little headshake. We do it so often that it's starting to become a habit.
I was on a bus in Delhi on Sunday and executed my first involuntary headshake while trying to understand his accent. I said, "theek hai?" and the headshake just followed. The best part was that the guy just laughed and said, "You are Indian."
posted by kent @ 12:44 a.m.
1
comments
1 Comments:
Ok, since i can assume to be a self-proclaimed expert in this regard, i thought that a few words on the nod-phenomenon are in order.
To begin, the basics:
Everyone's familiar with the up-down nod, signifying Yes (except anyone from Bulgaria or Sri Lanka, as it is supposed to mean No over there, according to the Nod (gesture) wiki on Wikipedia.
One clarification though. This gesture does not specifically mean 'yes, i agree'. It can also be 'yes, i am listening' or 'yes, i heard you'. So, the only thing certain is that it signifies affirmation.
The other familiar head-nod is the left-right (or right-left) nod, something like a tennis-audience-head-movement, which signifies No, or disagreement.
And now the things begin to get tricky. Some people get it naturally, while others do not. The trick is two-part: dont rely solely on the nodding gesture; and interpret as per the nodder's expression. That is to say, that all the other nods, be it the almost-touching-your-ears-to-your-shoulders nod, or the swingy nod, or the all-round-multiple nod represent anything from disagreement to excitement and from lack-of-interest to pure disgust, all of which are implicit in the nodder's expressions. Some of these nods are often accompanied by some shoulder movements, usually shrugs or shoulder-raising.
The interpretation should not be that difficult then, right?
Wrong!!... the main problem in interpreting the more 'exotic' nods is that a very small number of Indians are generous when it comes to facial expressiveness. And this creates a big problem.
In conclusion, i must say that if you do get caught up in a situation where the only form of communication is head-nods, try the cap seller and the monkeys approach. That is, use yes/no questions (which, in case you're 'talking' to someone who doesn't speak english, is going to be single words or short phrases), and nod the standard yes or no, along with their answers. This usually elicits an adverse reaction if your gesture does not match what the other person is trying to express. Dont forget to use your face, i.e. smile with yes and frown with no (or something like it).
If none of the above help, i think learning at least haan and nahin (the ending 'n' is to signify the nasal, and is not sounded completely), i.e. 'yes' and 'no' in hindi, respectively, would do a whole lot of good and probably, in time, you'll get infected with the head-nodding-virus (or should it be fungus??), and go along nodding with all the people around you.
Although, i must say i am very glad that none of the nods are akin to the "A Night at the Roxbury" nod... ;P
For those interested (and still awake) in some other gestures from different parts of the world and their meanings,
The Moscow News - International Gesture Dictionary might hold your attention.
Post a Comment
<< Home