[Funny Incident] : The hardest slap without a slap

[RChandan]

My travels to Seoul have become infrequent, but the quirky incidents while there are never in low numbers. Recently, I witnessed something so abhorred (and discomforting) that I just can't stop thinking about it.

Birthday celebrations in India with peers mean getting drenched in cake cream, and getting kicked around in the name of celebrations. But some people think they can carry that agenda elsewhere without problems. My colleague Pradip (name altered) is one of those brats who just can't get enough of bashing other people on their birthdays. Ass.hole nearly drowned me into a tub where we were celebrating it on my day. He recently started travelling to Seoul with us and is hugely unfamiliar with the formalities and cultural differences.

So recently it was John's birthday (name altered), a Korean teen who is under a sort of "vocational" training with our clients there. It's a small client base, so typically all of us are invited for nearly everything they celebrate. The chap is a bit reserved, but not the uptight and egotist types....just a bit quiet.

Mr. Pradip was having severe difficulties with the calm and composed proceedings, with a birthday song playing, some minor confetti in the air. He was dying to put the Indian masala into it, and I think he had had enough of those cutie sweetie type of celebrations, and then the inevitable happened. He suggested (loudly) that we give him birthday bumps and wash him with the cake, having picked up some cream on his fingers. Everything nearly came to a halt, and I was shitting bricks.

I'm putting down the dialogue that followed, mostly unaltered. (I've also translated the bits & pieces of Korean that I understand): (Jan is John's girlfriend, also an intern)

John: Why would you do that?
Me: (Tensed) Wait John, he was just kidding.
John: Please, I didn't ask you. Well?
Pradip: (Shitting boulders) I......
Jan: Is that how you celebrate back in your country?
Pradip: (Like a fcuking idiot) Yes, that's why......
Jan: (Fuming and out of control) Shut up and wash your hands. We're educated, and we don't wipe our asses with our hands. Our parents taught us not to cause discomfort to others for our amusement, get it you black mamba?

This was probably the most humiliating moment of my life, and there I was, taking it cool-ly because we were the instigators, and we could not afford to lose business.......Our company would shove a ton of cake up our asses if we did.

The shocking part was, not a single person from their end decided that what she said (or how she tackled the whole thing) was wrong. It was communal support at its best. Everyone's face reflected the same disgust which her statements did. Finally one of the senior folks decided that we should cut the cake, but then Jan decided to dispose it, and get a fresh one from across the street.

That was all the humiliation I could take. I wished John a happy birthday, and decided to walk off. As shocking as this may sound, Mr. Pradip was pretty darned unmoved by ths whole incident. When leaving, with a grin he said in a typical south indian style: "what a b.tich da....nearly spoiled the whole evening!". I was at a loss of words.

ROFL.

(P.S.: Pradip is undegoing cultural sensitivities training now, lol).

[dreams]

Hilarious but made me think..May be they are true on this..

We're educated, and we don't wipe our asses with our hands.

[rhitwick]

Originally Posted by dreams

Hilarious but made me think..May be they are true on this..

Dude, its just diff. customs.
There is nothing so thought provoking on that comment.

@OP, that team-mate of urs is crazy and immature. Try to get his version of the story. What he thought b4 doing that

[tarey_g]

Funny that my US client enjoyed the tradition of birthday bumps , last year when he was in India we were celebrating a team mate's birthday with decency before the client (under the watchful eye of our project manager), suddenly the client said that someone had told him about birthday bumps and he wants to see that custom in action, next moment everyone incl. my client was kicking the birthday guy, hehehe . Awesome

[eggman]

Damn Korens!! Won't watch any korean movie this week!!!

[quan chi]

well...actually i also have never seen or experienced anything like this in my school days nor even in college till now.(i think many of you also might not)

but i have witnessed this tradition first time in a xy(i wont name) company/office.

and i think this only happens in companies or corporate areas.

and no offence but i also dont like this hitting tradition. dont know who started it.

though its fun to see the victim gettting kicked. but i REALLY dont like this hitting tradition.even in fun why should you kick him.

Funny that my US client enjoyed the tradition of birthday bumps , last year when he was in India we were celebrating a team mate's birthday with decency before the client (under the watchful eye of our project manager), suddenly the client said that someone had told him about birthday bumps and he wants to see that custom in action, next moment everyone incl. my client was kicking the birthday guy, hehehe . Awesome

thats because its was NOT HIS birthday i suppose.the opposite case might have changed the situation.
__________________________________________________ _______

Jan: (Fuming and out of control) Shut up and wash your hands. We're educated, and we don't wipe our asses with our hands. Our parents taught us not to cause discomfort to others for our amusement, get it you black mamba?

thats how an educated person should speak in korea..impressive.

The shocking part was, not a single person from their end decided that what she said (or how she tackled the whole thing) was wrong.

probably because they were all educated and taught their children to behave speak this way.

only thing i found funny here
by mistake i read (Jan is John's girlfriend, also an inte r n) as (Jan is John's girlfriend, also an ite m)

lol lol.

Lastly the incident is not at all funny which the thread starter tagged.i dont know why people do this when they are representing their country in front of alien subjects.

[latino_ansari]

this birthday bumps tradition is really a bull **** one... bcoz of it many bday parties are ruined and i simply feel sorry for the bday boy... i have seen a dude who got hospitalised due to this bday... it turns out dat here in india bday is dooms day... this tradition is really disgusting...

[eggman]

I kinda like the tradition but one shouldn't hit the guy too hard to somewhere in his back!!! Only bums!!

[quan chi]

^^thats the problem i have witnessed the worse.around 2-4 people lifted that guy and around 10-12 people started kicking that poor b'day boy so hard in his back(anywere recklessly even with those dusty and dirty shoes on) that i could see his eyes turning light reddish even though he was laughing.

it was funny to watch but i feel its pathetic and disgusting.again no offence.

[Nithu]

^^ yup....its really bad tradition giving b'day bumps...
it may be enjoyable to others, but not for the b'day guy...

[hot zubs]

Originally Posted by eggman

Damn Korens!! Won't watch any korean movie this week!!!

yeah v shouldn't watch any Korean movies dis week gud step to fight against dem

Originally Posted by latino_ansari

this birthday bumps tradition is really a bull **** one... bcoz of it many bday parties are ruined and i simply feel sorry for the bday boy... i have seen a dude who got hospitalised due to this bday... it turns out dat here in india bday is dooms day... this tradition is really disgusting...

hospitalized coz of bumps never heard something like dat d guys hu gave him bumps must b hulk or something

__________________________________________________ _______________

i myself love dis birthday bump tradition, until its under d limit... it was really gud fun in my school n collage days... i luv giving bumps but whn its our time to get bumps its really hard to sleep after d party coz of d pain

[Faun]

Originally Posted by RChandan

ROFL.

(P.S.: Pradip is undegoing cultural sensitivities training now, lol).

lmao

hit the guy too hard to somewhere in his back!!! Only bums!!

[Incredible Hulk]

Mr. Chandan,

I don't think your friend, Mr. Pradip did anything wrong. First of all birthday bumps or "applying" cake are not Indian customs but actually are part of the neo-western culture which happen at a lot of work places in countries like America, UK, Australia, etc... We Indians are the ones who blindly follow them to show are cooldom to folks here. Secondly, I feel the the word used by your friend to describe this Korean girl is apt. What ur friend did was in a fit of excitement and fun. He didn't mean to demean anyone nor did he make any racist comments like calling anyone a "black mamba". It's a real shame that u didn't support ur friend and silently listened to those racial abuses which were actually meant for our community. We Indians wipe are a$$es with our hands. What's so amusing about that? Have u forgotten ur mom cleaning ur dirty a$$ with her hands when u were a kid? Cleaning ur a$$ with water is more hygienic than using a tissue paper. Why don't u take a bath with tissue papers from today? Save water!

All in all I can say that u Mr. Chandan are a coward who doesn't know when to speak up for his fellow countrymen and are so shameless that u even have the gall to make fun of ur friend behind his back. People like u r selfish and only think about themselves. Please don't call urself Indian!

[Liverpool_fan]

This was probably the most humiliating moment of my life, and there I was, taking it cool-ly because we were the instigators, and we could not afford to lose business.......Our company would shove a ton of cake up our asses if we did.

Some people need to tone down and LEARN TO READ. Yes I mean YOU Mr. Hulk.

[Incredible Hulk]

Originally Posted by Liverpool_fan

Some people need to tone down and LEARN TO READ. Yes I mean YOU Mr. Hulk.

well I agree this guy mr. chandan had to be silent in the interest of business but why mock his friend here and indirectly mock all other indians? Isn't he an indian too?