Is dignity only "skin deep"....

When we are in India..we differentiate people from the way they dress, grow facial hair and what other accessories they sport on their selves. By looking at some one you can [most of the time] know which part of the country that person is from etc.

When you are in a foreign country [read western country]...these distinctions cease to make a difference.there we all "brown beings" are the same "South Asians"...If we are Indian, Pakistani ,Srilankan or Bangladeshi it doesnt matter to the average Caucasian.

The color of your skin determines how you will be seen by your fellow earthlings..our identity is the race we belong to.

I haven't come across any instance of racism in Greece as yet..though we have been referred to as Bangladeshis or Pakistanis quite a few times.Infact a lady at a bus stop asked me if I was from Egypt [That could be because on my distinctly Semitic nose].

There is one particular incident that has inspired this post and which I wanted to share for a long time.It happened at the Thira harbor [In Santorini], we were waiting for the "Flying Cat" fast boat to take us to Mykonos from Santorini.
We were all standing in a queue in front of a group of English girls ( aged aroung 25 i guess), as we were moving towards the boat, i overheard one of them telling their friends that she was scared.She then pointed towards us - 3 very brown (from the August Greek sun) specimens of Asian males- then her friend said "C'mon, This is not London,don't be silly".
This was around a month after the London Metro blasts, I guess that lady will have the same feelings whenever she encounters Asian men..who cares if they are from India or anywhere else.

This incident gives a glimpse into the psyche of the average westerner..and the way they look at us.

Well its a reality we all will have to live with.....