Don't. Stereotype. Me.

Everyone around seems to have this lousy habit of fitting people into certain stereotypes. They like dropping people into labelled boxes to save the effort of rummaging through one's memory for some threadbare memory of the person in front of you. Oh, so you are a South Indian? You must like slurping kaapi and collecting various degrees. I have only one thing to say. DON'T DO THIS TO ME!!

Here are a stereotypes I would like to break about myself:

1. Being a South Indian does not mean that I come to office with my hair dripping with oil. The closest I get to oil is when I have a champi on weekends.

2. No, I do not start my day listening to Carnatic music and drinking strong filter kaapi. I am not much of a beverage lover.

3. I do not eat on banana leaves. Steel plates work just fine.

4. I do tie garlands of jasmine on my hair. Believe me, those things cost a bomb in Mumbai.

5. I do not like gold! True, people down South have a fetish for the yellow metal and are known for resembling a jewelry shop during weddings but you may be surprised to know that there a few who do not fall for this silly show of wealth.

6. I do not have hundreds of relatives working in the Gulf who get me perfumes and dates and chocolates.

7. I do not binge on idlis, dosas and sambhars. Although they make for a delectable fare, I restrict them to once a month affair.

8. I do like to collect degrees and snob about my Ph.Ds. I am quite content with my current education and should I consider to opt for higher education, it would definitely not for scaling the wall of social snobbery.

9. No, I do not dislike North Indians.

10. And for the last time, my parents did not make me learn Bharatnatyam and Kathakali, so I do not have photographs of any such performance.

I took great effort to write this post so that the next time you do end up asking me any question which are resemble content-wise to any of the above ten points. So read it really well. Kthnxbye.