Wednesday, August 03, 2005

L, XL, XXL!!

IMO, one of the most prominent thing that catches the eye of new people in the US is the size! Be it the country, the people, the food served or the items available, it is big, bigger and biggest.

Even before coming to the US, I had a lot of Friends & Relatives here. Never paid attention to where in the US they lived, though. So, when we were to move here, I was overjoyed that I would be enjoying their company often. Only after coming here did I realise how vast this country is(it is three times that of India, it seems). I understood that, 'oh, we live in the East coast too' meant anywhere between 10-1000 miles!!

Most people here are of big-built, not necessarily fat/overweight category. Even now it is sometimes hard for me to tell if a guy standing next to me is a teenager or an adult! So, quite a few of my friends of heavy-built(according to Indian stds.) are so happy here that they don't look big and that they find clothes in the normal(!) section!!

If ever one wants to give up a favourite item, they should shop at whole-sale clubs! The items available are in such mammoth sizes that you would wonder if it will get over at all!! The first time I went to such a store, we were urged to stock up as they were of great deal prices! Even after 2 years, I still had some of the items bought during that trip!! A special mention is needed for our cannot-live-without Indian groceries. Both Sambar powder and Turmeric powder will be available in the same size!! What a contrast to our 'potti kadai(s)'!!

Ah, the Restaurants! This is one place where you can have your 'paisa vasool'. For the money one pays, the food served would be so much food and if unable to finish it, can always ask for a doggy bag and save it for the next meal!! I have never managed to finish a medium sized beverage till now!

8 comments:

tt_giant said...

LOL.. very true.. you know, even the sizes of the shoes are larger here (for the same size elsewhere). i remember buying an L sized T shirt (thinking it would shrink!) but it became XL. thooki kadaasiten..

when my parents came here to visit me, they were shocked at the qty. of food ppl eat. even they could not complete a medium sized drink!.

Balaji said...

very true! the 1 place where i truly realized the size thing was at the movies. the first time, i bought a large popcorn and large drink without noticing the sizes. they could've fed a family of 10!!

Me too said...

Deepak, that is so typical of us, Indians hoping the clothes will shrink!! The clothes and shoe sizes are head spinners. Last time I went to India, I picked up a couple of T-shirts(Indian XL) for my husband and it did not fit him(American 'M' fits him!).

Balaji, very typical of you to have realised it in the Cinema hall, huh!!!

KRTY said...

happy to see food being served in plenty.
i hate this attitude of chennai hotels in the way they serve Pongal.

for a big 25, they serve one small "Karandi" of pongal with sambar and chutney at invisible state. I hate this. Im logging on to anniyan.com

tt_giant said...

Keerthi: LOL!!!

Me too said...

Keerthi, good that you brought this up. Never have I felt full after eating in Indian hotels(unless it is somebody else's treat!!). But then when you leave the loving clutches of dear Chennapatnam, you will realise how that one small karandi of Pongal with invisible side dishes is so priceless!!

Deepak, don't you agree?

tt_giant said...

ikkaraikku akkarai pachai dhaan..
*peru moochu*

Narayanan Venkitu said...

HE...HEE...HEE..

1993 - Medium
1999 - Large
2005 - XL.

That is me.!! Trying hard to get back to L.!

100% right what you've said.!!