Sri Lanka has a community of Eurasians known as Burghers, who seem to have the share some idiosyncrasies with Anglo-Indians on the other side of the Palk Straits. Many younger generation Burghers now live in Australia, but you can still see a lot of Burgher aunties across Sri Lanka.
At a shop in the town of Nugegoda, a Burgher aunty wanted to know why I was responding to Sinhalese questions in English. When I told her that I was an Indian, she responded by telling me that I did not look like an Indian. "Do I look like a Pakistani or Bangladeshi, aunty?"
She replied in the negative and said I looked like I was from Colombo. When I thanked her for what I thought was a compliment, she said, "it is not a compliment, but an observation." I restrained myself from chuckling as I left the shop. This particular lady reminded me more of Mrs Mangel from the Australian soap-opera 'Neighbours,' than a typical Anglo-Indian aunty in Bombay.
At a shop in the town of Nugegoda, a Burgher aunty wanted to know why I was responding to Sinhalese questions in English. When I told her that I was an Indian, she responded by telling me that I did not look like an Indian. "Do I look like a Pakistani or Bangladeshi, aunty?"
She replied in the negative and said I looked like I was from Colombo. When I thanked her for what I thought was a compliment, she said, "it is not a compliment, but an observation." I restrained myself from chuckling as I left the shop. This particular lady reminded me more of Mrs Mangel from the Australian soap-opera 'Neighbours,' than a typical Anglo-Indian aunty in Bombay.
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