Chapter 1727: Forget It If You Can’t Guess

The two young Indians were named Sanjay Jain and Sanjay Shakara, and their names indicated that they held high positions in India.

"How do you know they are of high status?" Xiao Peng asked Kaxin curiously.

Kasin said, "Dalia told us. She often flies to India, so she knows the situation there. Often, you can tell someone's status in the country just by hearing their last name."

Xiao Peng suddenly realized: "Oh, it's the Indian caste system."

Kasin hummed. "The surname Shakara is a Brahmin surname in the Indian caste system, and it seems to mean 'pure white.' Dalia said she had an Indian suitor with that surname. She said that when she and Shakara walked down the street in India, people would come up to kiss their feet. Although the caste system has been abolished by law in India, it's still deeply ingrained in the minds of ordinary people. When eating on airplanes, those of lower castes consciously choose not to eat, waiting until everyone else has finished. This is one of the reasons why Indian routes are rated 'epic nightmares' by flight attendants around the world."

"I've never understood why the Indian route is called 'epic nightmare difficulty,'" Xiao Peng asked. "It seems like every flight attendant trembles when they know they're flying to India."

Kasim laughed, "You don't know, but Dalia's exact words were: 'Of all the countries in the world that flight attendants don't want to fly to, India is second, and no one dares to rank first!' The overabundance of Indians put the stewardess at a loss. First of all, communicating with Indians is such a hassle. Putting aside their unpredictable English accents, being able to say 'wata-wata' is actually quite impressive. (PS: water, pronounced water, is pronounced wata in Hinglish.) Although English is India's official language, its popularity in India isn't as high as one might think, so most of the time, you still have to rely on guesswork and body language. Boss, do you know how Indians say yes or no?"

Xiao Peng was stunned after hearing this: "Nodding YES or shaking his head NO?"

Kasin imitated him: "When you shake your head around your nose with your face in the same direction and your neck unchanged, it means 'yes'." He nodded: "When I nod like this, it still means 'yes'."

Xiao Peng was a little confused: "Do nodding and shaking your head mean the same thing?"

Kasim shook his head. "Twisting the neck like this means 'no.' And then, without moving the neck, with one shoulder forward and the other backward, and the body tilted, that means 'maybe.'"

When Xiao Peng heard this, he could hardly close his mouth.

Kasim laughed and said, "Anyway, according to Dalia, I saw Indians shaking their heads on the plane. For example, if they look at you and nod, it means 'come here', and if they look at you and slightly look up, it means 'what can I do for you'. And they keep shaking their heads when talking to people, because they think it's a way of showing respect to others. If you chat with Indians while shaking your head, they will be very happy."

Xiao Peng laughed: "So the Indian route is a plane full of bobblehead dolls? This picture is really beautiful!"

Kasin continued, "Besides the difficulty in communicating, it's also tiring. Flying to India, you barely get a minute's rest from takeoff to landing."

"Why is that?" Xiao Peng asked curiously.

Kasin said, "Of the ten people who ring the call bell on the plane, at least six are Indians. They're either asking for food or drink, especially water. Every time we fly to India, the water tank on the plane is completely empty, which is a huge burden for the flight attendants. Generally, there are extra drinks on flights, and after other routes, at least 30% of the water is left. But on Indian routes, not only is there nothing left, but they're also given hot water, which they don't want to drink. And they drink it anyway."

Xiao Peng thought for a moment and said, "This might be related to India's water shortage. India's poor water quality is world-renowned."

Kasin said, "And as you know, India is a multi-religious country. Because of their religious beliefs, Indian passengers on planes often order special meals, and there are many varieties, such as MSL meals, Hindu meals, Jain meals, Oriental vegetarian meals, Asian vegetarian meals, European vegetarian meals, and so on. On other routes, only a few people order special meals, but on Indian routes, almost 100% of Indian passengers order special meals, and each person's order is different. For example, for the same Asian vegetarian meal, some people don't eat carrots, some don't eat green peppers, some don't eat this, and some don't eat that... There are two or three hundred special meals on a plane. Because the service process for special meals requires advance confirmation and delivery, Indians are very casual. They clearly ordered one thing, but on the plane they want something else. Such people make up a large part of the plane. Dalia said: On Indian flights, it takes about an hour and a half just to deliver the food. Oh, and then there are those low-caste passengers. They don't eat when everyone else is eating. They wait until everyone else has finished eating before asking the flight attendants for food. Isn't that enough to keep the flight attendants busy?"

At this point, he suddenly slapped the steering wheel and said, "Oh right! And there's the toilet! On flights to India, basically every time someone uses the restroom, we have to clean it! It's okay if they don't flush the toilet, but every time an Indian uses the restroom, the whole place is flooded! No one else can use it anymore, it's like they never used the restroom at all!"

Xiao Peng laughed. "You know what? Indians have always had a major problem with toilets. Most Indian homes don't have toilets at all, and public restrooms are practically unavailable on the streets. So, Kashin, is that Jain also a high caste?"

Kasim thought for a moment and said, "I'm not sure. In fact, Dalia also mentioned this surname. He said that if this surname is Hindu, it is considered a lower-middle caste, belonging to the 'Vaisha' class. That means farmers, merchants, craftsmen, etc.; but if it is Jainism, it is the highest caste!"

Xiao Peng scratched his head. "This is really troublesome. Forget it. India has always been a confusing country. I can't figure it out, so forget it."

Kasim laughed and said, "Boss, you don't know, I used to know a few Indian Sikh mercenaries. They were so confident, their noses pointed at the sky. But Sikhs have to cover their heads and can't wear helmets. One of them was shot in the head while on an escort mission. Logically, they should have learned their lesson, right? But they were still wearing turbans, and the red tinge in the desert was so eye-catching that the enemy snipers called out their names one by one! The good thing is that we are safe - no one will shoot us with them around!"

“Hahahahahaha!”

The two chatted animatedly, leaving Ekaterina and Eugenia beside them dumbfounded. "Shouldn't you be talking about our own affairs? How did the conversation get to India?"

"Hey, do you have any compassion?"