I used to have two bobblehead dolls, both of which I received on bobblehead days at Los Angeles Dodger games. I don’t know who invented these simple yet delightful things. But I swear, it’s gotta be someone from India.
The entire population of India does this adorable side-to-side wobbly head thing when they respond to a yes or no question. And it’s usually accompanied by an ambiguous wide-eyed facial expression and without a verbal response. To my untrained eye, it looks like a “No” or an “I don’t know” or “Hey, look at me, I’m a bobblehead doll.”
These bobblehead moments would mystify me for weeks. It was a routine exchange:
I’d ask a question, any old question – Can you make change for 500 rupees? Does this train go to Mumbai CST? Do you love pani puris as much as I do?
[Bobblehead, bobblehead]
Iszzz that a yes or a no?
[Bobblehead, bobblehead]
Ummmm…[blank stare]…I’m sorry…what?
[Bobblehead, bobblehead]
Ok nevermind, that’s alright. Dhanyavaad, namaste.
And still with no simple “yes” or “no” answer, it would be revealed through further conversation and in the most indirect way possible, that the answer was “Yes” the entire time. And occasionally it was “No.”
Huh?
Yeah, my time in India was an entertaining (and sometimes aggravating) cycle of confusion. Whether I was trying to buy a train ticket or exchange currency or find out which queue to stand in or if i take a simple left or right to get to Colaba Market – nothing was easy in India. Never a straight answer. Never an easy-as-pie or sigh-of-relief moment. Everything had to be at least a little bit difficult. And a whole lot of confusing.
The bobbleheading didn’t make matters easier. But it sure made them more amusing. Even in my most desperate, frustrating, wanna-pull-my-hair-out moments in India, I would always crack a smile when I saw the bobblehead. For I knew my cycle of confusion would start spinning out of control, and that later (much much much much much much later), I would be laughing about it.