India's culture is truly unique to anything we have experienced before. Every person you meet, rickshaw drivers excluded, is truly helpful, honest and friendly and only wants you to enjoy your experience in their country. They are also very inquisitive and will approach you at anytime for a chat, whether you feel like it or not, and will go something like this...
(You too at home can play along if you want.. just answer the questions!)
"Your good name?"
You answer, they tell you their name(s)
"Coming from?/Which country?"
South Africa brings a mix of response, from shock (why aren't we black?) and joy ("good cricket!.. Gibbs, Gibbs!").
Next we get even more personal.. "Wife?.. how many childrens?" and without taking a breathe to register your answer they will tell you their job title (in full) and ask you for your "Workings" i.e. your job.
Next question... "Earnings?" - A little bit personal for someone we've just met! We usually dodge this question.
"You like (enter city name here)?"
By now you are getting a feeling if you want to continue the conversation or not . Generally you can now gauge where the conversation is going.. on good days it can be a general chat, on others it can continue towards the likes of "you want a tour?/you need a guide?" or anything else that might help the passing of your cash from your hands to theirs.
Any transaction, query, question or just stopping in one place for more than 3 minutes , from shopkeepers to hotel owners to villagers, gets you the same line of questioning. Some days it's a delight, some days a chore, but you do definitely get to know your locals!
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