A Different Kind of Dot
March 8th, 2010
I went out with a Hindi guy who several years prior had moved to the U.S. from India. He kissed me, and when he pulled back, he stared directly at the center of my forehead. After a long pause, he asked, “Is that a bindi?” Confused, I stared back at him, unsure what to say–was he making a joke about wishing I was Indian, too? I laughed…until I realized he was referring to a giant red pimple in the middle of my forehead.
An Indian is a national of India. Hindi is a language. A Hindu is a person who practices Hinduism. “A Hindi” is nothing.
I’m guess you’re American?
The editors of this site changed what I wrote. I originally wrote “Indian”, not “Hindi.” Yes, I am American.