Culture problems

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7 Comments

I have a problem, which I would like to hear some other opinions and advice on.
I have been working in India during the summer and winter vacations, where I met a guy I liked and we formed a relationship. Sometimes we have some difficulty communicating, due to the culture barrier. However, things are generally ok. He is not the problem, his friends and co-workers and neighbours are the problem. Whenever I visit there to work, I try my hardest to respect the Indian village life and culture and etiquette, but no matter how hard I try, some of the village men still find it acceptable to laugh at me and make sexual remarks about me purely because I am western. This humiliates my boyfriend, as well as me. They take this too far, to even say things like "she only comes here to have sex, she doesnt even like him, any of us could have sex with her" etc etc. This really makes me uncomfortable.
I am planning to go there to work again this summer, but I would really like to avoid this problem, without offending any of the villagers. Does anyone have any ideas please? I need some help with how to act please. My boyfriend told me that even If I have a conversation with some of the village men, they will think that means I want to have sex with them, which I dont, but I DO want to be friends with them and hear about their lives. Is it possible to have male and female friendships in an Indian village, or not?
Please help!

Voting Results
52% Normal
Based on 21 votes (11 yes)
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Comments ( 7 )
  • MCA
    11 years ago

    I live in the US and recently married an Indian man. We are having difficulty communicating so I figured the safest person for me to communicate with would be the wife of one of his male friends. She and her husband have been in the US for many years and I wanted some insight into the male Indian Culture.

    Indian Culture is very different from US Culture. She shared with me that Indian women shy/keep away from the men in India. Do not expect to have friendships with these men.

    Sorry to inform you, if you are not married to him.... the men and women of Indian Culture just look at you as someone for him to have sex with.

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  • sat0ck7
    13 years ago

    You should be repectfull and ignore their comments. Does your boyfriends family live in the same village. How do they react to you? Be carefull though as they may also be jealous and try to harm you in some way.

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  • [Old Memory]
    13 years ago

    Dont talk to them. They might take it the wrong way...

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  • Ike
    13 years ago

    get a sex change. no i'm kidding. it seems like the problem is you are use to western political correctness and tolerance. other countries are racist and sexist and if you are gonna work there you will need to get use to it. what if you were to make sexist comments about Indian men to thier faces? if you cant beat em' join em'

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  • redspark
    13 years ago

    Play along

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  • soccer2
    13 years ago

    Just be polite. And act the exact opposite as someone who wants sex I guess. Don't let what they say affect u. They r obviously ignorant or just dicks. Show them that western ppl r good and not all about sex or whatever they think

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  • Freddiethegiantspider
    13 years ago

    Seem like the best solution is to NOT try to create friendships with the men, and perhaps minimize contact with them altogether to counter the severe misconceptions about western women.
    That, or you could just stop being so overly concerned about what they think and do whatever the hell you want.

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