A quick note, I added some more photos to the slide show on that is to the right. There are some pretty neat ones and I limited to only interesting photos. Let me know what you think.----------India is a quirky place and the absolute funniest cultural quirk is what I call the "Indian Head Nod." Every time I encounter it, I can't help but laugh. It may be better to classify it as a head bob. Very similar to a bobble head doll but with a more exact rhythm. Its a mixture of yes and no. And it means both yes and no. It also means maybe. Or it could mean, I don't have a clue what you are saying to me because I don't speak English. And while its never a sign of disagreement (because Indians are too agreeable to disagree), its not always a sign of agreement either. And sometimes, Indians simply bob their head because they don't have anything better to do or to simply pass the time. To be honest, I'm still trying to figure it all out. Here is a typical situation.Nathaniel and I are at a very nice Indian restaurant trying to make sense of the fifteen or so different types of Chicken Murghs and Aloos and what not on the menu. One of the 10 servers assigned to wait on us (no joke) comes over take our order with such a big smile on his face that I figure Nathaniel drew a dick on my forehead. He politely greets me in English - "Sir, can I take you order?" realizing he speaks English, I ask him, "Well, I am not sure what I want. Is the Aloo Murgh Chicken spicy?" His smiles widens even further as he looks at me and without saying anything performs the Indian head nod. Is that a yes or no I wonder? I glance over at Nathaniel who equally puzzled shrugs his shoulders. He takes a different approach and asks, 'Whats the best dish on the menu?" Again, the waiters lips part into an enormous white smile (everyone here has really white teeth) and bobs his head up, down while simultaneously going side to side and says, "Yes, Sir." Realizing we are hopeless, we order a few different dishes to see what we like - what the heck each dish only costs 120 rupees (about $3) anyway and keep in mind - we are at one of the nicest restaurants in town.Below there is a video (its the only one I could find) that does pretty decent justice to the head nod. Just imagine that accompanied with the biggest grin you've ever seen and a very sincere, "Yes, sir."
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