A while ago, my roommate and I were watching Rick Steves' Europe: Eastern Turkey on television. I went to Istanbul a few years ago, but I have yet to see the eastern part so I was really interested in the program. At one point during the show, Rick Steves talks about the pilgrimage to Mecca with his Turkish guide Melia:
Rick: So every Muslim is supposed to make a pilgrimage to Mecca?
Meli: You know Rick, I think part of the reason for this is to get out and see the world with others around them. Our Prophet Mohammed said, "Don't tell me how old you are or how educated you are. Tell me how much you've traveled... then I'll tell you how much you know."
I couldn't agree more.
I'm a firm believer in traveling and living abroad. It is an education that is priceless. No classroom or book can teach you the wealth of lived experiences. This is life experience, and it gives you the opportunity to see the varied hues and rich shades that color the world. You discover that there are other ways of being, seeing, and living. And as an American, you learn that the world is not America, and America is not the world. I always have a romantized notion of ancient seekers of knowledge who traveled on foot to far off lands and maneuvered through the local societies, meeting the locals, picking up the language and maturing with the richness of accumulated worldly wisdom.
I also fervently believe in being a traveler, not a tourist. There is a difference. No posh tours for me, whereby everybody moves together in unison much like bovine. No hanging out with your fellow countrymen, but mixing with the locals (and as an American, your compatriots often bring you embarressment and shame, causing you to even wince when you hear loud North American accents within earshot. You began to understand why Americans are so disliked abroad, especially when they are in big groups). No wimpy, "Ew, I don't want to try that!" when you are presented with unfamiliar dishes, but experimenting with the local cuisine (as long as it doesn't entail animal interiors and organs). In other words, no attempting to enclose yourself in a bubble as much as possible by seeking out things and people that are the most familiar to you. What's the point of traveling and living abroad if you want to only stick to your own kind? Stay home!
Because of my travel philosophy, I've been humbled. I've seen things that I never knew existed. I've felt things that no words can describe. I've met the kindest people. I've learned immensely.
And I found myself in empires big and small: the imperial legacies of the past and the Bollywood Empire.
***
I went to Istanbul in the winter of 2003. This city is like a jewel which dazzles the eye. When the weather is clear and the air is crisp, the sight of the city can literally
take your breath away. So many things about it reminded me of India: the colors, the social norms, the art, the cuisine, the architecture and the people.
The very first night we arrived, my friend and I found a local restaurant. No one- the waiters, the busboys, and diners- spoke English except for the owner who was in his late 50's. When the owner arrived, he immediately asked me, "Are you from India?" I replied that I am an American, but my parents are from India. "Oh, that's very nice! Do you know that I met Rajesh Khanna many years back when I was in Bombay? Oh, and my favorite actor is Amitabh Bachchan." Delighted, I recounted my brush with rich and famous of India (coincidental occurances which mostly took place in airports): Bachchan when I was six years old in India; Shabana Azmi when I was at the Bombay Airport and she gave me a set of Legos and chocolate; and the baby picture of me in Dev Anand's arms when he was in New Jersey. "Oh, I know who you are talking about!" he cried. Then, he described some movies in which the aforementioned actors and actress appeared. Some of these films were both current and old from my parents', and even grandparents' generation. What a common cultural understanding!
At the infamous Grand Bazaar, a man who looked completely Chinese to me started speaking in flawless Hindi. Incredulous, I asked him how he knew Hindi. "From the films." It was unbelievable. He had no accent when he spoke Hindi, and he had even incorporated the body language while he spoke. Since he looked Chinese (and my Taiwanese friend who was with me thought so too), I then inquired where he was from. Suprised, he answered, "I'm Turkish." Indeed, there were a lot of Turks that looked like him and I saw many different phenotypes and variations.
Most striking were the miniatures that I came across. I would swear up and down to the shop owners that the miniatures that they were showing me were from Moghul India. "No, no," they insisted. "They are Turkish!" Sure enough, they were Turkish. If you looked really closely, you'd note the minor differences, such as the facial features of the people and so on. These miniatures were of a classical Persian art form that once dominated present day Turkey all the way to Iran, Pakistan and North India due to the various empires of Turco-Mongol elements that held these regions together in terms of artistic expressions (there are some art pieces from Uzbekistan that look similar to Indian pieces). This is why Moghul miniatures could easily be confused with the Turkish ones.
Perhaps it is because of these loose historical ties that brought a group of Mumbaikers to Istanbul. I was at the underground cistern when I heard voices behind me speaking excitedly in Gujarati. I turned around, and I saw a group of about 20 Indians from Bombay. I asked them why they came to Istanbul, and one lady responded, "In some ways, it's a part of our history too, na?"
***
If I was surprised to find people who were familiar with Bollywood films in Istanbul, nothing prepared me for my experiences in Morocco. The Bollywood Empire was the strongest here. Everywhere I turned, I saw Hindi film posters; not one single poster of American films. Every movie theater only played the latest Hindi films. Walking around the city of Marrakesh, I was reading the graffiti in English on the walls. I came across one which read, "Fatima loves Shah Rukh Khan."
This fabled country lives up to its reputation. Berber, Arab, and Spanish influences brilliantly color the people, art, architecture and culture, creating a 
captivating mosaic. You can spend hours and hours just people watching- the Moroccan population is exceptionally beautiful on the whole, both the men and women. In the maze-like souqs, or bazaars, the smell of spices invade your senses, much like a bazaar in India. And if you are a female, this is where you hear men courting you by singing Bollywood songs (favorite songs seemed to be from the film Baazigar).
Anyone who has been to Morocco will be astonished at how many languages Moroccans speak. As my friends and I were walking past food stalls in Marrakesh, our eyes feasting on the mouth watering food, two young men yelled out, "Aap kaise hai!" I turned around, and immediately they started holding a conversation in Hindi, asking me if I had seen the latest film and mentioning new actors that I had not heard of. I asked how they had picked up Hindi, and I received the usual answer- from films. All throughout Morocco, I had countless conversations of this kind in Hindi (and obviously other kinds of conversations, mainly people explaining this thing or that, and several sincere inquiries about what I think about the actions of the US government).
At a small diner, the waiter saw me, and disappeared behind the counter. He put on a CD of the latest Bollywood film songs and asked me if I enjoyed it. I thanked him for the gesture but told him that I'd rather hear Moroccan music, since I am in Morocco. Then I proceeded to ask him if he had any delicious vegetarian dishes. "Why? Don't you want to try any dishes with meat?" he asked. I told him it was because I was a Hindu. He replied, "Oh, I understand. Well, you can try..." and he started naming off some dishes and gladly accomodated my preferences (Confession: When I saw my friend's plate of yummy Kufta, I couldn't help myself: I lapsed and took a bite. The waiter caught me and looked puzzled. I sheepishly explained that I try not to eat meat. I then broke down and ordered a plate of Kufta for myself. Forgive Bhagwan, for I have sinned). If you like good food, Morocco is the place. Out of all my travels, the Moroccan cuisine is by far the most savory.
Given that I am graced with stereotypically "Indian" features, Moroccans would immediately spark a conversation with me by asking, "Hind?", meaning "India" in Arabic. Then they'd ask me where I'm from, to which I'd respond, "I'm an American, but my parents are from India." Friendly conversations would ensue, and I had several thought provoking and stimulating exchanges. A few told me that I am from "our" part of the world (Morocco and India). Others commented on history that binded Asia, the Arab World, and the Europe. So even as a complete foreigner in every way, I didn't feel too much like a stranger in this land called Morocco. (In case you are wondering about whether there were any Desis in Morocco, I'm sure there are some but I didn't come across any. I saw only one conspicuously Desi person- a turbaned man at the Fez train station.)
***
Lisbon is probably one of the most multicultural cities that I have been to. The city is a living testament to the Moorish imperial influences which intertwined with the
local elements. Morever, so much of it reminded me of San Francisco- a coastal city, the water within walking distance, the sea air, and the bridge that resembled the Golden Gate. But there was one difference: a melancholic air of past colonial grandeur. Countless statues of past explorers, navigators, and conquerors dot the city's landscape.
And you see some of the results of Portuguese imperial escapades. The first thing I noticed was a samosa like snack present in the windows of every cafe I entered. Upon closer inspection, there were in fact two other snacks that looked Indian. I ordered all three to taste them. They all tasted like their Indian counterparts. (As a sidenote, if you have a sweet tooth like I do, go to Portugal. Portugal has the best sweets. Here's what I did: try a new sweet every morning with coffee at the many coffee and pastry shops that abound in Lisbon. The sweets are heavy enough to pull you over until dinner, so for lunch, just have some Porto wine. Come dinnertime, go find yourself a nice restaurant that locals frequent. You can splurge since you didn't have lunch.)
Maybe the coffeeshop owners carried them because of the ubiquitous presence of Indian immigrants, mostly from Goa, or perhaps these snacks simply became incorporated into the mainstream. If you are familiar with Indian history, the Portuguese were in Goa starting from the 15th century. Goa was a Portuguese colony until 1961 when India "annexed" it. Because of this colonial connection, you see people of Goan descent teeming the streets and-what else?- Indian restaurants found on every corner. People of Goan origin weren't the only ones visible in Lisbon: immigrants from Africa mostly from Angola and Mozambique as well as Asia (such as Macao) were there- all former colonial possessions.
And I saw an image from Italy replay itself in the bars of Lisbon: Desi rose vendors. I do not know where in South Asia they came from, but when I saw this phenomenon in Spain as well, I started to wonder whether there was a market niche for Desi rose vendors and I pondered what the dynamics of that may be.
***
Thinking back to my travels, I remember looking at the innumerable traces of past empires and the continuous flow of peoples and thinking, "Nothing in this world is authentic." Everything was so mixed and intertwined with the local, that to try and pull apart the various strands seemed both to be a foolish exercise and to lose the beauty of it all.
Another thing I noticed during my travels is that being a diasporan, Desis gravitate towards you. Though I am not directly from the Desh, in the eyes of other Desis, I'm still a fellow Desi. And in relation to, say, Europeans, I'm a Westerner but still of Indian origin. I suppose this is a type of flexible identity. But it has its virtues. Amazingly enough, you can never feel too far from home in far fetched places when you come into contact with other diasporans.
On a final note, I remember when I met a Desi from Singapore in Italy. We were having dinner with an Italian friend of mine, Anna. At a certain point, he started singing an old Hindi song, one that my parents listened to when I was growing up. We ended up singing a medley of Bollywood golden oldies. Anna said, "It's amazing. You were born and raised in America, and he was born and raised in Singapore. But you both know the same songs from decades ago."
So for those of you who poo poo Bollywood as frivolous and low brow, know that it has globally binded the South Asian diaspora and gripped large parts of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia (and because it is so widely watched, it's more of a reason to not dismiss Bollywood and look at the messages that the films transmit).
Never underestimate the power of the Bollywood Empire ;)
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Great post. I know first-hand that the Gulf region was a massive Bollymarket, but Turkey and Morrocco? Who knew?
Your piece was inspiring and definitely wants me traveling again. Cheers.
i find that bollywood is a great conversation piece with the east african taxi drivers in my city. and that is here in the states! apparently bollywood is big in east africa, even amongst the non-desis! the bollywood empire is EVERYWHERE!
I forgot to mention that I've met Arabs who grew up watching Bollywood films. It's weird talking about movies like Silsila with someone from, say, Jordan. One of my friends told me, "I remember back in the day, when we would go to the movie theaters and watch the films. At the end of the film, people would come out crying."
Bollywood is soooo melodramatic :)
**************
I'm not a film expert or anything, but I've heard several people from the aforementioned region (Arab World, Africa, and also southeast Asia) who say that Bollywood films are seen as more appropriate than American films, since there is no explicit sexual content.
However, if you follow the songs in Hindi sometimes, it's unbelievable how blatant the sexual innuendos are. I mean, seriously.
And nowdays, there is so much gyrating of hips and bare skin that it's shocking. When I was growing up, my parents used to vigorously monitor American TV. Nowdays, though, you'd have to cover your child's eyes from Bollywood filmi scenes.
A non Desi friend of mine said, "It's amazing how Bollywood films can show orgasms without the actual kissing." :)
While I was writing this piece, I was reminded of how much I want to travel. I was feeling very nostalgic :)
Ever since I've returned to the States, I've been wanting to get out and about again. As they say, once you've been bitten by the travel bug, you're always itching to travel.
Hi DI,
I envy your traveling adventures! I was wondering if you've ever been to Seattle and if you have any suggestions on traveling on a budget, like where to stay. And also did you get to see whirling dervishes in Turkey?
Best,
MPG
I've never been to Seattle, though I've heard it's a really nice city, save the crappy weather, which would be really hard for me since I get really affected by the weather and I hate gloomy, rainy days!. It sure looks nice on Grey's Anatomy (but then again lots of shows market cities, like New York City and Sex and the City).
No, I didn't! There are loads of things I didn't get to see.
See, this is why I should be out traveling again... :)
*****
BTW, I forgot to mention in my post that in Turkey, they also say "nazar" for the evil eye. Likewise, in Gujarati we say, "najar laag se" = "will get the evil eye."
Oh, dang. But yeah it does seem nice on Grey's Anatomy, lol. I've heard Portland, OR is nicer but I am wondering if it will even be warm/dry during spring. And I have a *friend* out there who might spring for a visit from me :)
haha....this is funny, i had yet to read this whole post.
i spent about four months in morocco, and honestly, i have never been so happy to be indian in my entire life. gone were the racial complications of living in the 'west,' and morocco (because it is not india) was completely absent of the complications of being an NRI...Morocco is the only place in my life where i have been able to successfully represent myself as uncomplicatedly indian. it was a nice (if completely illusory and false) feeling.
what india seemed to mean to morroccans was really interesting...they connected with bollywood films in a way that they didnt with hollywood ones for obvious reasons...but i also think the vast wealth depicted in bollywood films had some aspirational value for them. the absurd fantasy that we know as bollywood (thought of quite self consciously in india as 'escapist entertainment') has come to represent indian reality in the minds of morroccans. India was thought of as a sort of rich, developed country (i.e. something to be admired). i was also consistently surprised at how often my life was expected to mirror bollywood, this was so pervasive that i started making up elaborate stories about family melodrama, about my relation to shah rukh khan (which i contructed a whole hindu-muslim family conflict and reconcilliation around) just to satisfy shopkeapers when bargaining. everytime i was at a party and fucking 'shava shava' would come on, people would form a circle around me and i was expected to dance like a punjabi (something i finally did on the beach in essouira with 20,000 other people listening to DJ cheb-i-sabah spin it with arabic beats).
love of bollywood seemed to completely transcend class boundaries. for part of the time i went to al-akhawayn (the king's private university), attending classes with the scions of the royal and business elite...they seemed no less obsessed with shah rukh khan then the unemployed of fez's medina qadeem, who come to the theaters with pots and pans as instruments, getting up to dance during every song. i was frequently referred to as 'shah rukh,' often told i looked like a spitting image of amitabh, and constantly followed by a chorus of 'maine pyaar kiya' or 'mera naam....' which if i was annoyed that day would cause me to turn around and scream 'tumhaara naam KYA?!?!?!'
i dont really know where im going with this anymore, this comment is getting a little to long winded and random. but generally, being indian in morocco was a rather unqualified priviledge, which was a unique position for me. someone needs to do some work on bollywood's effect in countries like morocco.
also...you liked moroccan food more than turkish food??!?!?! i like moroccan food for about a week, but lets face it, there are only three dishes with about 7 permutations. i completely fail to understand how a country with such fantastic produce, so many spices and so many cultural influences could have such a mediocre cuisine. just the thought of a tagine or cous cous(something i loved before going there) makes me sick. i miss 'le sauce' though, and i guess bastilla is ok.
What an absolutely amazing post! A friend and I were just talking about traveling and how it is always so awesome to explore new places and learn about new cultures. Though I haven't had the chance to visit too many new places, it is something that always beckons. But then the issue of money and time comes into play - "being logical."
But my friend told me a lesson he learned some years ago while he was in Singapore for 3 months (through work), from a half-Japanese/half-German guy who grew up in Germany during WWII and was currently traveling with his Brazilian wife. Basically, he said that the cost is not that big when you look around. Just the plain experience of it is enough. I truly believe that.
Anyway, besides going off on a tangent, I truly enjoiied your post. :)
Ugh. I'm going to throw up. For a "diasporan", you certainly lack any rhetorical sophistication. Who actually says, "I also fervently believe in being a traveler, not a tourist. There is a difference. No posh tours for me, whereby everybody moves together in unison much like bovine. No hanging out with your fellow countrymen, but mixing with the locals (and as an American, your compatriots often bring you embarressment and shame, causing you to even wince when you hear loud North American accents within earshot." ?!?!??! Ofcourse, I agree with the sentiment but umm.. "mixing with the locals"?? If you're still thinking of some sort of bounded, contained sphere of the local, aren't you negating your own experience?
Aatish:
I see where you are coming from :)
In Morocco and also Istanbul, it was a great relief to not have race used against me in a negative way. I don't mind being different, but I do mind when being different is associated with something negative.
Yet being associated with Bollywood is, as you point out, interesting. For those who know little about India but watch the films, you'd think everything was happy go lucky. And that is definately why someone needs to look into the Bollywood film industry's effects. I've read a couple of essays and books that analyze this, but none having to do with countries besides the UK, US, and a couple of other locations- usually where there are diasporans. And these films are so widely watched. That is what I am saying- don't dismiss Bollywood! Too many messages that are communicated.
But I spoke of the association with Bollywood because that is something that I consistently kept coming across. I also had many conversations with people that did not touch on Bollywood at all :)
Yes! Moroccan food is yummy. I loved it. Turkish food was also good (especially the sweets).
But all the dishes I had were spicy! (BTW, many of those spices are from India ;) )
***
Preetalina:
Well, time you can make, but yeah, I hear you about the money issue. It's really difficult to do these things if you don't have money. Hence, why I am not currently traveling :) But even while I was traveling, I was able to get by with the little I had. It depends on what you want to do. If you do packaged tours, or stay at five star hotels and eat at fancy restaurants- ie do the touristy thing- then yes, it can be expensive. If you sleep at hostels (not always all that fun, but hey- it's cheap, cheap, cheap), take the bus rather than the train, and eat at cafes and restaurants that do not have a large tourist clientele and a tourist menu, then you can do it :)
How so? You go on to say that you agree with my sentiment....
And as a "diasporan," I should have "rhetorical sophistication?"
One could certainly argue that, though I don't see how it is negative that I say one should learn about the society into which they have entered, and make an attempt at conversing and mixing with the people of the region (locals, but you seem to not like that word). I have seen way too many times tourists who treat the people of the region with disdain, bark in English at everyone as if they were deaf because for some reason they expect the whole world to speak English (a form of linguistic imperialism), and stick to their own co-nationals. This sort of secluded bubble drives me crazy at times. What's the point of going to another country?
And this touches on another thread that I dislike on the industry of tourism: how tourists will go to only see monuments and other physical beautities, treating the place as some sort of playground or museum. It's too easy to keep a distance from everything by simply regaliing in the monuments, churches, mosques etc while you make no attempt to talk to people, pick up a bit of the language and so on. In other words, it's too convenient to limit your human interactions by one, touring the country, and two, hanging out with people who are your co-nationals. I am by no means saying that admiring the physical attributes of a country is wrong; I've done that many times myself. What I am saying that I think traveling should try to take in the complexities of every society, and I see that different from touring a country.
That is where I am coming from. I am sorry that you think I "lack any rhetorical sophistication" (though I am unsure as to what you mean by rhetorical sophistication, given that this is a post on my own personal observations on traveling).
Okay, I should have elaborated more as to why the tone and style of this post irked me. The initial framing of this travel post was just stating so much of the obvious. I mean, I take it for granted that the people that compose this blog will ofcourse hate "tourist" travel and want to
nor would they like to
or be in a
. I guess it's not a big deal. I'm just whining from the reader's standpoint about it all sounding really too trite.
But you still didn't get my objection to "mixing with the locals". It's as if you've turned them into objects in a playground as well. If you've traveled much (which i gather you have?), you know that despite having exactly the ethos you describe (really wanting to and respecting the imperative to understand and know a place and its people), that you still enter into a place that has an existing structure, logic and grammar in which you will be placed. The various facets of our identity be it gender, class, caste, race, religion can be simultaneous sources of privilege and oppression in different socio-cultural contexts. As an Indian, female, upper-middle class tourist, the process through which you interact with locals, how you are positioned and perceived, will be dramatically different in Guyana, Trinidad and Moscow vs Dubai or Kathmandu. One does not simply choose the 'style' in which they travel in without forgetting how many complex and multi-sited transactions take place and on whose terms.
What? I have not, nor was I thinking of the local sphere as some "contained sphere" and a sort of playground. I did tell you that I see what you are saying- that there is the fear and tendency that the local can be seen as an entity unto itself. What I don't understand is where your criticisms are coming from, especially when I state that traveling should take in all complexities and variations. I think you are transposing your own interpretation and critiques of localities onto my post. I do not know what I have to say to get across my views: that travelers should make an attempt to interact with the people of the region-or "locals" for lack of better word- and try to learn about where they are.
Absolutely. I agree with you.
First, I'm not an Indian as I was not born and raised in India, but I'm an Indian American. Secondly, I am far from an "upper middle class tourist," and I'm not even middle class. But as an American woman of Indian origin who is relatively richer to, say, people in Guyana, what you say is definately true about position and perception.
But what's your issue with my "style" of traveling, as you put it? Are you proposing that since I am an Indian American woman who is in, say, Nepal, I should do packaged tours and surround myself with other Americans? I do not see how I am dismissing the "complex and multisited transactions [that] take place and on whose terms" if I say that I shirk from doing the tourist thing. I wrote in my post:
That is what I said.
Maybe you are just smarter than everyone else and notice the "obvious," but if you saw how many tourists there are, apparently it's not so obvious. From experience, I am pretty sure that the majority of people who go traveling are not travelers but tourists.
No, you are basically nitpicking at this point and looking for an anthropological argument when you and I are agreeing.
Also, the example I used wasn't in reference to you but just a random profile I picked. I don't know if you're Indian or what your class background is. I'm also not advocating that you do what is expected of you as an American tourist (packaged tours). I'm saying - enough people identify themselves as 'travelers', and its not enough to just leave it at that. You never dismissed the complexity of being a traveler, you just never addressed it in the first place becuase you're too busy being starry-eyed and flowery.... and ofcourse painfully trite. Moving on to another blog.
I enjoyed reading your above comments because I thought they were quite valid, but why all the self-righteousness? All of this anonymous ego seems like an awful waste of time, and more importantly, an obstacle to what might otherwise be an interesting conversation to follow...
"Maybe you are just smarter than everyone else and notice the “obvious,” but if you saw how many tourists there are, apparently it’s not so obvious. From experience, I am pretty sure that the majority of people who go traveling are not travelers but tourists.
I’m just whining from the reader’s standpoint about it all sounding really too trite.
No, you are basically nitpicking at this point and looking for an anthropological argument when you and I are agreeing."
That pretty much shut down the conversation hence the ego and self-righteousness.
Also, in response to
- you're missing the point again. You might see yourself as an American of Indian origin but in Kathmandu (where there is open hostility towards Indians due to the composition of Nepal's elite) your entire experience and your access to anything would be determined and shaped by the fact you would be seen as Indian and you woulnd't have the greatest time as a single female. Nepalese men are likely to see you as easy, regardless of class, and it is quite likely that you'd be forced to hang out with other 'travelers' and that too western travelers. That was just an example....i'm only asking you to acknowledge that instead of getting defensive and reducing it to an anthropological argument.
Sigh...
Ok, let me re-iterate what I am saying in another way: that when someone travels, I believe that they should try to interact with people there and LEARN. This can be with multiple intersections of nationality, citizenship, race, gender, sex, class, and everything else.
I didn't address all the other innumerable nuances of my travel experiences because the theme of this post was about empires- of colonial legacies and Bollywood. And if you are familiar with this blog, you'll see that I've written two other posts that touch on my time abroad.
Starry eyed and flowery? I wonder why you would say that.
I am not missing the point. I get what you are saying. I also think that despite what you are saying about appreciating "complexities" of traveling, you are easily coding experiences in a given country- ie Nepal. So in Nepal, I as an female of Indian origin would have a hard time.
I've been to several countries where females and people of a certain nationality or ethnic origin are said to have problems, and to be honest, I haven't had too many experiences like that. Sure, there have been instances because I am a female, and I've had interesting, as well as passionate conversations with people because I'm American. So if you think I am dismissing complexities because I haven't written a post touching on what you would expect, then sorry.
I love passive-aggressive commentators. First you say that my post makes you want to puke, then you accuse me of having no "rhetorical sophistication," then you say that all that I've said is trite and obvious, then you lay back and say, "Don't get defensive!"
I'm not getting defensive. As I've stated, I am agreeing with you (except about the allegations of me being 'starry eyed and flowery') I've acknowledged, more than once, that your argument about complexities is true and the local is not contained, and blah blah blah, and THEREFORE I AGREE WITH YOU. So I suppose that your problem is that you expected this post to be written differently.
But it wasn't.
Oh- I forgot to add:
Yes. And I've been met by hostility a few times (rarely) because of the fact that I'm an American. Additionally, I stated in my post:
But from my own experience, talking to people helps to understand a lot. Which is why I said-- TALK TO PEOPLE!! I've met people who know about US politics- both domestic and international- far more than the average American. I didn't expand on this because this merits an enitre post unto itself. Moreover, much of my interactions with people that were colored by the politics of race, gender, religion and class were so infused into my daily life, that they require several posts- they can't be reduced to one single post.
I didn't touch on the other fruitful conversations that I had- me as an American of Indian origin- because as I said, the theme of this post was about big and small empires (the American empire, again, needs its own post).