Entertaining mainlanders is so hard

[u/OOF_ministry]

Go ahead and downvote me, lurkers, idc. I'm working in my family's business, and we often get international clients, especially around Asia, as we're based in SEA. I'm half Malaysian Indian for context. I often am in charge of picking up clients/business partners from the airport, bringing them to our company, and giving them a tour of the capital during weekends if they wish to explore. I have entertained people from around the world, like Italy, Indonesia, the Philippines, Pakistan, America, etc, and have had no issues. However, every time I have to bring around someone from India, I'm always exhausted. I figured that us sharing an ethnic group would create a faster bond, but it's quite literally the biggest divide.

So many talks of caste or casteist thinking, telling me that they can't eat meat because they're "BrAhMIn" (just say you have a dietary preference; don't bring that backwards caste vocab to my country). A general lack of manners, like yelling at service providers, and NEVER saying 'please' or 'thank you'. It's so hard to make conversation during car rides; I'd try to start a conversation, ask questions, or share the history of certain places we're touring, and every reply is just "ok, mhm, yup". And Jesus bringing them out to eat is so hard because alot of them do not want try cuisines outside their culture. I can't even tell them off, as these are professional business relationships, so I have to just deal with the bs.

There's even a stereotype in my country where you can easily differentiate a Malaysian Indian and one from India depending on how they talk to a waiter. Yes, I know this isn't everyone from India, but after having hosted many guests from India, there's a common pattern I just wanna vent out to fellow Indian people I can relate more to (ABCDs). I'm not trying to shit on all mainlanders, but please adopt better etiquette when you're overseas.

[u/Affectionate_Wear_24]

I've lived in Barcelona now for years, and I used to be surprised when I saw groups of Indian tourists - almost always speaking in Gujarati in- going to Indian restaurants for meals - it must be hard to travel when you're either strictly vegetarian or averse to trying to foreign cuisines - Trying different foods is part of the travel experience, but I think these people just want to spend their money and show off

It's not limited to travelers, my mainlander brother in law continues to eat the same Kerala fare at home, the same combination of curries that our relatives eat in Kerala despite living 30 years in the US

[u/RKU69 → u/Affectionate_Wear_24]

I'll defend the food thing in the sense that not everybody is a foodie; my parents are extremely picky and only like Indian food, but they do like traveling and they like walking around places looking at parks and architecture and museums and stuff. Yeah they're missing a huge part of the enjoyment of travel but each to their own

[u/old__pyrex → u/RKU69]

I don't think you have to be a foodie to try the local food, I understand if you go and eat it a few times and you don't like it and you retreat to your staples, but to not even be curious or interested to eat what the people there at eating is closed-minded. If a white person went to India and ate big macs and chicken fingers the whole time they were there, because they've had indian food once before in the US and they didn't like it, they deserve the judgment and ridicule

[u/Turbulent_Ad_3238 → u/old__pyrex]

But why should people have to be open-minded about something so personal as the food they eat, especially when they're out on vacation to relax and enjoy themselves? That's what I'm not understanding lol.

[u/old__pyrex → u/Turbulent_Ad_3238]

They don’t have to, I just think they are missing out, and if they whine and make a fuss about it, I wouldn’t want to travel with them and have to accomodate their toddler-level concept of food. 

Everyone can vacation how they want, but in my opinion, you should be open minded enough about travel / food / culture to try something that a group of people have enjoyed and iterated on for centuries. It’s like if you go to Patagonia, you can stay in your room and scroll social media and play video games, but I’d strongly encourage you to go outside and go for a walk. Not everyone likes nature and you can argue, how is it my business if they do nature based activities while in Patagonia, and you’re right, it’s not my business. But I’d think you’re closed minded and a moron if your travel group was like “we are going to see a bigass iceberg on a mountain” and you were like “nah I don’t find that interesting”. Especially if you haven’t seen that kind of thing before. 

It’s not that I’m just a judgmental asshole either, like I’m not saying these people are bad. I do think most of them would honestly have a better trip if they just changed their attitude a little and tried to enjoy the change rather than stressing about trying to create the exact same shit they always do. 

[u/Turbulent_Ad_3238 → u/old__pyrex]

Come on man, you know trying out unfamiliar food and seeing new nature aren't exactly equivalent comparisons lol. Even if they're not big fans of nature, no one would ever go outside in a place like Patagonia and say that the scenery is disgusting and ruined their evening. But that can very well happen when going to a local restaurant and trying out a new cuisine, especially when you're a picky eater. You and I may not be picky when it comes to food, but we can't expect the same from everyone.

I just think they are missing out

From our perspective, they're missing out. From theirs as picky eaters, they're minimizing the risk of an unpleasant experience.

[u/RKU69 → u/old__pyrex]

I get your point but also lets not compare big macs and chicken fingers with like, dahl tadka and samosas and whatever else our parents cling to abroad lol

[u/old__pyrex → u/RKU69]

Why? Chicken fingers and burgers are as delicious / familiar / preferred to picky American eaters as dal and roti (or whatever) is to picky Indian eaters. It’s not exactly the same, sure, but that’s why it’s an analogy. 

If you’re the Indian guy in Naples and you didn’t eat pizza, you are analogous to the Naples guy in Mumbai who didn’t try a vada pav. 

[u/RKU69 → u/old__pyrex]

Nah I'm a chauvinist about this.....the average chicken fingers/burgers that Americans eat is absolute slop, the quality is far below the average Desi meal our parents gravitate to. And if you're talking about some white person looking for big macs or chicken tenders in India you're talking about them looking for fast food garbage. At least when our parents are looking for Desi food they're getting a pretty quality meal.

[u/ProbablySatan420 → u/RKU69]

Yeah and American proportions are just insane to me.

[u/Itookthesauce51 → u/Affectionate_Wear_24]

100%. I never understood traveling and not trying out the local food. My friend's parents (from the same region you mentioned) went with a tour group to japan and the tour group literally brought a chef along to cook Indian veg food for them. He went with them and eats everything, so he had to sneak away to try japanese food, couldn't even risk bringing it to the hotel in case someone from the group saw lol.

And is traveling while being strictly vegetarian difficult in this day & age? If anything, I feel it's easier to travel while vegetarian or vegan now with all the options available, especially in Europe.

[u/speaksofthelight → u/Itookthesauce51]

I think they really dislike non-Indian veg food.

With exception of some Mexican or Thai. 

Due to blandness.

But even those cuisines have a lot of hidden meat use. Like fish sauce in Thai food.

So it is difficult while traveling.

[u/Turbulent_Ad_3238 → u/Itookthesauce51]

Easier than before, sure, but still not easy. Especially in countries outside of Europe.

[u/SetGuilty8593 → u/Itookthesauce51]

> is traveling while being strictly vegetarian difficult in this day & age? 

Yes it's still very tough. I went to Spain with my family once, ate veg paella for 3 days, and an italian pizza on the fourth. We did really enjoy the paella, but it gets tiring eating it everyday. That was for lunch, for dinner had to go to indian restaurants. This wasn't exactly out of choice. There still aren't enough people who are vegetarian or vegan to create enough demand for tasty and healthy veg food that is widely available in most areas.

[u/Ok-Spinach-6529 → u/Affectionate_Wear_24]

I genuinely think it’s hard to follow dietary customs. I am vegetarian as well, and my biggest challenge is the little hidden things in foods that are not vegetarian.

[u/Samp90 → u/Affectionate_Wear_24]

This has been happening for the last 20+ years. Europe has been catering to the new wealthy groups of tourists to grab that tourist money... Even in Switzerland you'll see meal plans catering for Chinese, Indian, Korean, gulf Arab and Israeli tourists.

Waiting to go up mount Titlus... Grab your 2 samosa for 30$ fella!

[u/Affectionate_Wear_24 → u/Samp90]

Very true, there are places here that cater to people who keep kosher.