Ulta Pulta Down South!

I copy below two separate snippets from two different female white bloggers on Kerala and its attire, that I chanced to come a long time ago, which I rediscovered today, which just proves how useful a photographic memory and GOOGLE can be! I apologise to these writers for anonymously harvesting their creativity but I am too greedy to let this opportunity pass :-)
The first one:

<chenoa>
I become more and more jealous of the men, who wear lungis, a long piece of cloth that is wrapped around the waist and worn as a long skirt. They usually fold up the bottom and tuck it into the waist, though, which provides a nice breeze. So while the women are wearing churidars (the pants and long shirts and shawls), the men wear lungis and show their legs. A bit different than the United States.
So have a good weekend and write if you have any questions!
</chenoa>


<sharell>
Ah, Kerala, the land of meeshas (moustaches) and mundus (sarong type cloth wrapped around the waist and worn like a skirt, similar to a dhoti).
The men of Kerala are constantly readjusting their mundus — folding them, draping them, and refolding them.
The mundu is particularly practical when walking through water during the monsoon season. No need to worry about getting the bottoms of your pants wet, just do a quick fold-up of the mundu, and you’re good to go!
However, in hot weather, the length of the mundu often becomes quite short, as the men folk aim to get some air flow to their nether regions.
While I was down Kerala way recently, I heard a joke. How do you know when the temperature is going to be extremely hot in Kerala? When the government issues a ban on the wearing of mundus. Hardy har har.
</sharell>

The original posts here, in case you are interested->

http://www.pcusa.org/missionconnections/letters/yav/yav_stockc_0411.htm
http://www.whiteindianhousewife.com/2009/06/india-photo-you-know-its-hot-in-kerala-when/

I would advise anybody to read the entire articles linked above, and yes, go through the commentary if you please!

Courtesy - The Funny Malayalee Again

I am sure most Malayalees have heard of this one, but I am recounting it here just in case someone has not.
A prospective father in law was interviewing a prospective groom for his daughter in a sleepy old village in Kerala.
"Do you smoke?", was the elderly man's first question.
"No, I don't sir", replied the young man. And added in a low voice,"Except when I drink!"
"So you drink too, is it?", asked the old man sharply.
"Yeah, I do that, but not too often, except When we sit gambling cards below the coconut trees at night!"
The old man was agitated."So you gamble too, is it?", he pursued.
"Well, not often", replied the young man. "Except the nights when we plan a raid on the rich man's house to steal some gold!"

A tribute to the funny Malayalee

Malayalees are a funny lot. I would say they are the Indian counterparts of the Irish in the UK.
They see something funny in almost anything, sometimes at serious issues too.
I recollect some stories my father used to tell us when we were kids.
One of them is still fresh in my mind.
Private buses operate in most of Kerala. So the owner of a bus fleet was interviewing potential conductors for a job. There was a huge rush of candidates thanks to the unemployment problem in Kerala.
The bus owner asked each candidate to perform a single task. The task was to stuff a brand new matchbox with matchsticks from another new matchbox. In other words two matchboxes in one.
The enlightened gentlemen who were asked to do this refused to do so, considering it simply illogical, saying that it just could not be done.
Finally a smart young man took the two matchboxes as the others watched in disbelief. He removed a few sticks and placed them into the other. Then again a few sticks were transferred. This went on till the matchbox he was filling started bursting at the seams. Still he went on. Then finally he was putting each match, stick by stick into the overfilled box.
He was about to continue unmindful of the other people who were watching dumbstruck, when the bus owner motioned him to stop.
"I very well know that the task is impossible. But I wanted one of you to try it. The idea is, you need to try to cram more and more people in my buses even when they are jam packed full!", he said with glee.
The young gentleman got the job.

Another instance goes to a time when the British were still ruling India. The English brought a lot of changes to India, their biggest gifts being the railways, the other being the English language.
When the Englishmen started raising poles to lay the electric and telephone lines, the locals were suspicious and dismayed.
"They are putting poles into the ground, tying them up with electric ropes to pull India towards England!", was one wise goon's opinion.

Another story I have to relate might irk feminists, so my apologies to them. Everyone has heard of the obese uncle who seemed pregnant. Well this one has a similar twist.
The lady teacher was giving a Biology class to a class of toddlers. Thumping her chest the saree clad lady said emphatically, "This is where the lungs are".
Next day the lady came to the same class wearing a salwar - kameez. I can see your lungs, now, madam!" one of the toddlers exclaimed pointing at her breasts!
Just to prove my point here is a funny take on the IT recession by the Funny Malayalee :-D
http://www.technoparktoday.com/2009/02/technopark-ottanthullal-video/
And another one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpQkc7CMqLc