I have not been to Pakistan in almost ten years, tomorrow i believe woud make it exactly 10 years since I was last in pakistan.
what I remember is that when I landed and got to the terminal, many people had BO issues. Something I continued to notice in other places as well. I understand that with the poor just scrapping by people who are working their butt off in hard physical labour or outdoors in teh stifling heat it is a challenge, so those are not the topic here but seemingly well off people who either dont shower, or dont change often, or dont use deodorants. there is a smell problem there.
and before someone says oh you are looking down at desis back home, thats not the case, everytime I go to ohare international terminal and a flight from pakistan or india has arrived..and the local desis are there to pick people up, there is a smell. not to say there is no smell when a flight from china has arrived but I am just talkign desis.
do you think there has been significant improvement in Pakistan? or among more recent arrivals here? also how long does it take usually for people who arrive here to understand and follow general standards here (not that everyone here follows em…for proof go to a ball game )
Hmmm. I think it's more of not being aware that there's a problem.
The lack of awareness of deodorants. Some desis think using talcum powder is good enough.
Many desis in USA are still not very particular about cooking smells. We have to be extra careful here as most homes are fully carpeted and carpets absorb cooking odors. The smell lingers and sets in your closets etc.
Many ladies shower after cooking but we don't realize the hair smells as well and we may not shampoo.
I think it's got to do with what we eat as well.
How many of us floss or at least use a mouth wash after our meals?
Younger generation is more careful and aware I guess.
It's really bad when traveling on international flights going back home. I had this lady once sit next to me. She was probably unaware and i guess that's the biggest issue.
I was in Pakistan a few months ago, honestly depends on what sort of crowd you are hanging out with. Its usually the 'mailey' types, who we refer to as chichora sometimes (can be found doing poondi on the streets) who emit heavy bombardments of desi radiation OR what you referred to as BO. I guess with all the load shedding and water shortages, the problem probably got worse over the years with the mailaz.
i have made this as civilized as possible and explained it in my initial post, on purpose noting that desis are not the only people with thsi issue, but I cant always include pygmies from the congo basin, eskimos and the touareg in my posts to be politically correct
now is some desi is going to take it personally because they thign its an attack on their smelly self and they can relate to it or something then i suppose it could be to fuel the fool to start a fire.
I blame desi food!! Good in pure desi ghee and karri masalah, achaar and parathaas. Even though you just got out of the shower using gr8 showergels.body lotions/deodrant etc etc - still that smell around your house gets into your clothes.
I blame desi food!! Good in pure desi ghee and karri masalah, achaar and parathaas. Even though you just got out of the shower using gr8 showergels.body lotions/deodrant etc etc - still that smell around your house gets into your clothes.
I have been victim of it few times, so I know :S
hahah I would like to quote the infamous 5abi here (some words changed)
'With ****** his wife wont need Shan Masala, all she has to do is wrinkle his kurta into the donga'
spock, less of crowds hanging out but, like shopping, or dude even at namaz time..sometimes its really bad. i can see what u mean by the combo of no power, water shortage, stifling heat conributing to it.
but please dont call ppl mailay..log offend ho jayen gaye :halo:
^ Yeah, I'd have to agree with Spock. I haven't been to Pakistan for 8 yrs now but my parents and siblings have frequented a few times. Last time I was there, I don't remember anyone at all in our milna-milaana having this BO issue. Also, much of my family (in Pakistan) travels and we get to see them every now and then. So my point, even if they've been here, I've never experienced any BO or halitosis problems.
It is pretty rude I'd say to just base this discussion on desis or Asians or whoever. Half the goras I meet at work (and btw I work at this decent sized design firm in Toronto) have booze breath or smoke breath. Or they've really dry mouths and then they chew gum and I don't wanna go on.
You don't have to be a "desi" to be patronized as having person hygiene issues.
Bhenjee, we are all desis here so i guess it's always safer to talk about your own community as you deal with them more and can relate. I don't think any of us intend to mock anyone here for if we do, we laught at oursleves as well. This is just a discussion.
Hmmm. I think it's more of not being aware that there's a problem.
The lack of awareness of deodorants. Some desis think using talcum powder is good enough.
Many desis in USA are still not very particular about cooking smells. We have to be extra careful here as most homes are fully carpeted and carpets absorb cooking odors. The smell lingers and sets in your closets etc.
Many ladies shower after cooking but we don't realize the hair smells as well and we may not shampoo.
I think it's got to do with what we eat as well.
How many of us floss or at least use a mouth wash after our meals?
Younger generation is more careful and aware I guess.
It's really bad when traveling on international flights going back home. I had this lady once sit next to me. She was probably unaware and i guess that's the biggest issue.
niksik the issue is that it is a topic that is hard to bring up, as soona s someone brings it up ppl start labelling you as wana be and what nots, but we are talking basic hygiene. at my uni they had an international student orientation where they really went over all kinds of things ranging from safety, personal space, what is proper or improper ..allowed students to do better here.
maybe something similar is needed for community centers and community organisations, but again its a sensitive topic and how to do it without offending people.
the term 'paki' used in UK, was accompanied by a finger under the nose to signify smell, yeah it was a damn racist thing for those ppl to do, but the sad fact s that it was based on the fact that many people did smell, and I suppose no one wants to be seen as dirty..they just need to be guided.
i have made this as civilized as possible and explained it in my initial post, on purpose noting that desis are not the only people with thsi issue, but I cant always include pygmies from the congo basin, eskimos and the touareg in my posts to be politically correct
now is some desi is going to take it personally because they thign its an attack on their smelly self and they can relate to it or something then i suppose it could be to fuel the fool to start a fire.
thank you, drive thru
Forget about political correctness, why are you even smelling pygmies and eskimos?
Although on their behalf I can say, with years of nomading and bone-chilling cold what do you expect?
Well, if you are talking about desis here in the US, again its all about crowds. Where I go, there’s fewer desis and most of them are doctors etc, and namaaz, dinners etc is a pleasant experience with them, with no odor issues. However take for example that mosque in Devon Chicago, its different, there’s all sorts of people, cabbies, murghi kaatney walley etc coming straight from work…
What we used to refer to as ‘chichoraz’ 10 years ago is now referred to as a ‘maila’. I am sure theres none of those on GS.
niksik the issue is that it is a topic that is hard to bring up, as soona s someone brings it up ppl start labelling you as wana be and what nots, but we are talking basic hygiene. at my uni they had an international student orientation where they really went over all kinds of things ranging from safety, personal space, what is proper or improper ..allowed students to do better here.
maybe something similar is needed for community centers and community organisations, but again its a sensitive topic and how to do it without offending people.
the term 'paki' used in UK, was accompanied by a finger under the nose to signify smell, yeah it was a damn racist thing for those ppl to do, but the sad fact s that it was based on the fact that many people did smell, and I suppose no one wants to be seen as dirty..they just need to be guided.
oh thats the reason behind saying Paki. Many frens from UK got offended whenever I used the word paki, not that I knew what it meant =/
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