Unsolicited advice to Michael Arrington…
…If you don’t like handshakes, try a “Namaste” instead.
Just stumbed on Hand Shaking Is So Medieval. Let’s End It. Excerpts:
…there’s one thing that bugs me more than all of those things (email, voicemail and business cards) put together – the ubiquitous hand shake.
…Whatever the reason for hand shaking, it isn’t needed. …it’s a relic of an older time that’s not only no longer needed but actually causes inefficiency.
…The fact is that hand shakes spread germs. You shake someone’s hand and then touch your nose or mouth and you can get sick. I don’t like getting sick. But to turn down a hand shake is such an insult that there’s little choice. The hand is out there, in front of me waiting, so like everyone else I grasp it.
…So let’s start a new trend – not shaking hands.
Suggested Reading:
completely agree with you
Ha ha, great idea. Never thought about it like that before.
Your post triggered me to write about some pet peeves about PLUs (People Like Us):
– Namaskara/Namastey is exotic/ethnic chic. Mr/Monsieur/Herr/San/Senor/Signor are more “happening”?
– Pronouncing Italian and French words right is more appropriate than getting Indian words right?
– Learning the intricacies of foie gras and wine (& the concomitant with wine-snobbishness) shows a “global mindset” while knowing nothing about the intricacies of Indian cuisine which is oh, so desi!
– Hugging and air-kissing total strangers like long lost kin is perfectly acceptable but saying Namaste isn’t?
– Knowing and speaking English is cosmopolitan but knowing another Indian language isn’t?
– Matching the use of cutlery to the dish appropriately is a sign of class & using chop-sticks is cool but eating with one’s fingers (the original spoon and fork!) is at best exotic and at worst uncivilised?
– Not choosing an apartment complex to live in because it is named Ramagondanahalli but choosing a similar one called Venecio/Acropolis/Palm Fountains/….?
– Etc
You can add your own pet peeves to this list!
There’s a lot of liberation required to decolonise our minds, don’t you think?
I loved that Sanjay!! I might ask you to do a guest post on this subject!
🙂
Perfectly. Requires decolonizing our mind. Indian weddings are also getting the touch of west now a days. Why do we have to ape everything? Hope we remain true to the nature of culture and tradition of our country. I consider, thats the original and real beauty!