“Where’s My Papad?!” This Is What It’s Like To Grow Up Sindhi!

Sindhis, they say, are the community equivalent of Bappi Da, who incidentally isn’t even Sindhi! But there’s so much more to us than our blingy ways – read on, and you’ll know! Also, take it lightly, for we are allowed to make fun of ourselves, okay? No malice here, just good ol’ nostalgia! Now where’s my papad, dammit!?

1. Sunday afternoons are for Kadi Chawal and Alu Tuk!

And if you had any plans post that, you’d better cancel, because your food coma will inevitably set in and you’ll need to snooze!

2. You have at least one uncle or grandparent who ALWAYS wore a Safari suit.

Wait, weren’t we supposed to be a fashionable community?!

3. People expect you to be kanjoos, but actually, you have an innate need to show off (come on, you know it’s true), so you’re seldom ever kanjoos.

Chindi Sindhi is a myth, people, it’s a friggin’ myth!

4. We all have that one aunt whose suits are so shiny, it’s like she’s wearing gift wrapping paper.

Like…why?

5. Growing up you had cousins living in Dubai or Hong Kong – or both!

This meant you were basically the cool kid who grew up with Tang and Toblerone and Kraft cheese, which were not available here!

6. Growing up, you were subjected to a number of Sindhi gaalis, some of which you didn’t even understand back then!

Yup, chari was a very mild word, people. Believe it or not!

7. Papad was your friend and confidant, always!

Raise your hand if you’ve eaten it with non-Indian food too. Come on, be honest.

8. Weddings meant week-long celebrations, easily!

This is not even counting the nights of laada singing and catching up with the family.

9. Okay, we will admit: we’ve seen diamonds. Lots of them.

At some function, some wedding, some party – we’ve all seen the lady with too many diamonds. And yes, we wish we were carrying our glares!

10. Growing up you never realized that only Sindhis eat Bhee or lotus stem!

Is that even supposed to be eaten?

11. Sindhis love to party!

The party could very well be a Maata Ki Chowki, but it’s an excuse to catch up and eat – so it counts.

12. We all carried Koki (thick paratha) to school in our dabba!

And inevitably had our friends raiding it and asking our moms to send more next time.

13. We have all seen the workings of Mitti Maiti (matchmaking) aunty!

Her record is stellar and you are on her radar. Watch out!

14. We are a pretty secular community.

Several times a day, you’ll hear one of the elders proclaim out loud: “Allah!” Notice that, anyone?

15. You have all kinds of relatives – unity in diversity, really!

Alcohol-lovers, teetotallers, vegetarians, sworn meat-eaters – it’s a total mix. “To each her own” is quite the Sindhi mantra!

16. All young girls love Teejri! (Sindhi festival where you fast for your husbands or future husbands.)

You get to dress up, put mehendi, go wait on the terrace for the moon and get to be totally filmy. What’s not to like? Oh, right – the fasting. 😛

17. Sindhis really tend to bond with each other.

Sindhi-Sindhi, bhau-bhau! Get it?

18. It sounds like something you worship, but Sai Bhaaji is something we actually LOVE to eat! (Actually, what do we NOT like to eat?)

To be fair, it IS divine.

19. All Sindhis (age no bar) go CRAZY on the dance floor when Damadam Mast Kalandar plays!

*Ho laal meri pat rakhiyon bala jhule laalan*

20. We all have heard stories of the Partition and how things were back in the day!

To think that our entire community was displaced and yet continued to flourish despite all odds fills us with such a sense of pride! *All the feels*

GIFs: Tumblr

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