You look beautiful in India…
…is what a close friend of my mine, once said to me, on her first visit to India. She had previously seen me only in London. I know what she meant. There, if I wear a salwar kameez, a favourite outfit, I feel happy in it. Here, if I wear one I worry about whether someone is going to mutter “nail bomber” at me, as they did the other day (when I wasn’t wearing a salwar kameez).
I am happy with flowers in my hair, in salwar kameezes and saris. I love western clothes too of course, but here I’m always slightly uncomfortable in Indian clothes because I’m worried they draw attention to me. And then I get annoyed at myself for being uncomfortable.
The “beauty” my friend was talking about was just me not worrying about being a “foreigner”.
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i know what you mean…..i love salwar kameezes but till date haven’t had the guts to wear it to work. not even on a friday. annoys the heck out of me that after living here (US) for nearly 9 years i still don’t feel comfortable being me.
And I’ve been here seven years. More than enough time to assert myself and be comfortable in my own skin, no?!
Oh uttara… you look lovely no matter what you wear – something I’m sure A will attest to
I like wearing salwar kameez in India – I dont over here because I dont like standing out. And in India I dont like wearing jeans or western clothes because I dont feel comfortable in the… for the same reason as above. It’s another thing entirely that I dont look beautiful anywhere…
Shyam, you have seen me precisely once! On a day when I may have been looking all right. Those are the lost days of my youth, sigh. Of course you’re beautiful (AND TALL-I would kill to have your height! Let’s form a mutual appreciation society. As for A, he has rose tinted glasses (as well as rose tinted ears muffs these days). Anyway my intentionw asn’t to collect compliments!
I wish I didn’t bother about standing out. I do wear western clothes in India, albeit not very skimpy ones. I don’t feel the same amount of “stand outing there” as I do here when wearing Indian clothes.