Caminho das Índias

Okay this bit needs a post all by itself.

In Brazil - in national TV (Across all states) they're showing a Soap called Caminho das Índias (The way to India, roughly translated) - just after primetime news - everyone from cabbies, girls in reception desks , hip city dwellers, big bosses of large multi million dollar companies - all tune in daily to watch - Fa tells me that its more popular than local football sometimes - it is shot in Rajastan, Brazilian folks playing Indian characters with surnames like Ananda, Narayan etc. -

As a result one is bombarded with queries on subjects like - Brahmins, Dalits, Caste systems, Arranged marriages, Kurtas, Salwaar kameez, Incense, AR Rahman, Bindis, Goa, jaipur, Delhi, If i wear a dhoti at home, that I have a cool (!?) Indian English accent, If elephants are a common sight in India, Dont Indians eat Cows ? Dont Indians eat cheese ? Why is Indian food hot ? etc. you know what i mean..

I think this overly masalafied soap is probably a watershed event in Indo-Brazil cultural relations and as far as i can see has had a profound impact on how Brazilians view Indians - people are more keen to talk to you, you are every1's amigo, every thing Indian makes them go gaga.

I have with me here requests for about a dozen CD copies of 'Good Indian mp3 music', about 10 ( in various sizes ) 'bright colored kurtas reaching upto the knees, no buttons (just a V neck), with needle work and good enough to wear on the beach on top of bikini' - i am quoting what ive written down in my notebook - as Micheli (one of the babes who jumps up and down like a rabbit when talking about the show - apart from being the Quality control manager of one Factory i work with) insisted that i write down - lest i forget or get something wrong - the list ends with a request for one dozen fake jewellery 'the around the neck' kind, one dozen fake earrings - 'as complicated design as possible' says Fa - who caught the bewildered look on my face - also added - 'ask your mother if you want to understand what we're talking about'

Heck, i even had these two chinese-brazilians (Chinese who are settled now in Sao Paolo) who wanted me to check from a big list of trinket factories in India (which they extricated from their luggage) - several from Delhi, several from Gujarat - how they'll ship their trinkets to Brasil, how i can help etc.

Noting that cheap kurtas retail for like - 30 Reals in Brasil (about 15 dollars a piece) - and considering the fact they wont cost more than a dollar to two to produce - heres a big opportunity for $$$.

I wonder what my old man will say. Whatever that might be - I'l need earmuffs for sure ;-