Let me explain this little cultural difference that took a few days to catch on to. Indians dont nod. They shake their head to say yes. Try that out for a day. Its a lot more awkward than it sounds.
Ok, its not a full on no-shake; they throw a little cock in the head. Its kind of like a shrug of the shoulder mixed with a no-shake, but the shoulder doesnt rise up. If they going for a full on yes-nod, as opposed to just your typical OK sure-nod, then they really get the head moving. You know those little animals or sports figures that cool people put in the back window of their car, with the head that that wobbles around when they hit the brakes. I think maybe they call them weebles? Well, it’s like that. Just like that.
At first I kept thinking everyone was saying maybe, I guess, no not really, or I dont know. I thought maybe my charades technique was fading. I’d ask people a question and they’d wobble their head, so I’d ask them again. I’d rephrase and they’d wobble. Rephrase. Wobble. Rephrase. Wobble.
Now that I’ve got the wobble down, communicating has gotten a little easier.
March 30th, 2006 at 12:00 pm
Actually … the’re called bobble heads (http://www.store.yahoo.com/bobbleheadworldstore/brandgrphboh.html)
March 30th, 2006 at 12:47 pm
They’re called “Bobble Heads”!
March 30th, 2006 at 6:40 pm
they are called bobble heads…..
March 31st, 2006 at 9:08 am
They are called Bobble Head dolls.
March 31st, 2006 at 5:19 pm
They are called Bobble Head dolls, in case no one had told you yet…..(yes, I’m a jerk)