Punjabiat

You must be wondering  what is  Punjabiat. Actually it means 'about Punjabis'. Punjabis are a class of their own. They are different from all other Indians.  Some of  the qualities which are characteristic  of a Punjabi in general are listed below. Of course they are not directed towards any individual, dead or living. I am  also a Punjabi. We Punjabis are fun loving. In any party or a gathering, it is the Punjabi, who takes the lead in keeping the atmosphere  lively. Of all the Indians, Punjabis are the loudest. If you  see a  group of people discussing some issue, the loudest  speaking  voice will be of a Punjabi. God forbid if some quarrel is taking place, the Punjabi will be the loudest to shout and choicest of abusive words will be  uttered  by him.  A Punjabi will call his son ,"Oye, Khote de Puttar(Oh son of a donkey) come here." Khota is his pet usage. Kutta and Khota are very common form of abuse   for the sons.These terms are used not with any bad motive, but out of affection. Punjabis are very hard working. Have you ever seen a Punjabi beggar? They will work for their own living, but never let bad name come to their family.

    Have you seen a Punjabi speaking on a phone. They will talk at the pitch of their voice, as if the person on the other side is hard of hearing. Once the conversation is over, the receiver is not kept back. Now the conversation will be,"Hor ki haal hai?" The other side will respond,"Sab theek thhaak hai."(How are you? Every thing is all right).This will go on for another ten minutes till the phone is disconnected.
   Punjabis like good food. For breakfast,they will not be satisfied with toast. We want Paranthas with  a good amount of butter.There is a story  depicting  their love of  food. A Punjabi  gentleman and his wife were traveling by air. As soon as they took  their seats, the gentleman called the Air hostess and said," Don't bill me for food. I am carrying my food." She just smiled and left.they took out the  lunch box and offered to the  American sitting next to them, who politely refused. They were eating 'sarson ka saag and Makkai ki roti'.  The American asked, "What is this?" The Punjabi replied, 'This is the special food of India". The Punjabi then took  a salad consisting of tomatoes and raddish.. The American asked what was that.The  Punjabi replied,"This is hazma(digestion) of India."He packed the lunch box and left a loud fart. The American  again asked,"What was that?" Without blinking his eyes the Punjabi said, " This is air of India".
  The Punjabis, people say, tend to exaggerate  the incidents or stories, when they narrate them  in public. Even I am also 'blamed' by friends and relatives for possessing  this quality in abundance.
                      Punjabis are very jovial. On festivals and marriages they sing and dance to the accompaniment, of Dhol, in gaiety. Bhangra is a form of dance, which generally only the males perform and  Gidda is performed by women.

bhangra  dance

                     

                             

gidda dance

Punjabi  marriages are  very colorful.  There are several ceremonies, all  very loud and enjoyable.A separate blog  can be written about Punjabi marriages.


Written for Write Tribe Pro Blogger  week 3 day 11