GOD?S OWN?

Kerala never fails to remind its visitors of what makes it different. I was there a couple of weeks ago and here’s my list. Feel free to add yours.

1. We cross into Kerala border by train and a message arrives on my mobile. It reads, “Explore Kerala – God?s own country with IDEA”. God?s. Duh!
2. The people haven’t changed at all in all these years. Any new face is looked upon as though he/she is from outer space.
3. They still introduce you as their niece / cousin from ‘MADRAS’ as though Madras is 1600 light years away from Kerala.
4. Jeans is taboo, so is coming home after 6 pm.
5. They glare if your hair is short, not dripping of oil or in a colour other than black. I have received enough tips on how to turn my hair black, I can even write a best-seller on the topic.
6. They behave as though sunlight has never penetrated the countryside in the past couple of decades.
7. Girls don’t walk with their heads held high. That’s a man-thing.
8. ‘Nighty’ has taken over as the state costume. It may be accessorised with a towel for the ‘in’ look. Soon you may find Malayalee women recommending that the nighty be given the status of national costume.
9. Nighty is an excellent work-wear, home-wear, night-wear, daytime-wear, temple-wear, take-kid-to-school-bus wear, pack off-husband-to-office wear, anywhere.
10. The lungi shall be in fluorescent pink, green or orange. And it shall be tied-untied-retied about 50 times a day.