Stereotypes

I have heard so many stereotypical questions over the past few weeks and I just wanted ot highlight some of the funniest ones I got here. 

First, I wear a bindhi regularly. One day, as I was standing in line for lunch, some random person who I have never met before blurted out "Doesn't the red dot mean you are married?" I was in shock for a minute. Like... excuse me... I am only 19 years old. No I am not married. I quickly explained that that was a different red powder - kumkumam powder - and not this sticker. A few days before that, someone asked my the significance of the bindhi and I had to think before answering to make sure I didn't give them incorrect information. 

Just yesterday, when someone heard I was from India, they asked me if there were Bengal Tigers roaming around my backyard. I had to take a pause here too. Firstly, most people in India don't have backyards because of the population needing more land to build houses on. Secondly, if there was a tiger in my backyard, I would probably be dead by now. I explained that tigers are endangered and that we only see them in zoos. They do not roam around the streets of Chennai. 

These are just the highlights and the ones that made me laugh the most. I'm sure I'll hear more over the next few months and get a kick out of answering them as well.