I suspect every Indian living outside India gets asked the ‘elephant’ question at least once.

Do elephants really roam the roads in India? I mean if you are driving and you see an elephant on the road, what do you do?

Some times it gets better.

Do all Indians wear turbans?

My answer usually varies for these questions, but the one time I was asked the turban question, I said:

Yes, in fact we are all born with one. I went to school with a turban riding an elephant :) . In fact we have elephant performers who ride on the elephant and do the Indian rope trick with a snake on top of the elephant :) .

It is pretty funny how popular culture determines public opinion about an exotic place. I asked the guy who asked the turban question where he got the idea of turbans.

Oh, every time you see anything about India, you see turbans. National Geographic, PBS, even Armageddon. Remember the scene where Indians pray in front of the Taj Mahal?

So much for turbans. I should try a turban one of these days.

The last time I visited India, the reverse elephant question was posed to me.

In America, do people really roam the streets in bikinis?

Hmm, how do you answer that one?

Well it depends, in the beaches, yeah. In the streets adjacent to the beaches, maybe.

So they do walk around in bikinis, eh?

Pray tell, where did you get the idea?

Oh every TV show I see has someone or the other running around in a bikini.

I guess they are still showing re-runs of Baywatch in Star TV :)

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