The ‘Head Bobble’ is present in every conversation here. It means yes, no, and maybe by a shake/nod/bobble of the head. It’s an art that must be perfected but comes naturally to the Indians. We students have spent many minutes in the mirror trying to master this art. While it is somewhat comical, it can also be a bit frustrating as there is no definitive answer.
A prime example of this happened to me 3 days ago. We were split into groups of 4 and sent all over Coimbatore to find different shops. My group was told to do go downtown to a busy market. We boarded the public bus which was very crowded and asked the tout which stop for the Poo Market (Flower market). Every time the bus stopped we would ask, “Is this the stop?” Head bobble. “Poo market?” Head bobble. “Yes or no? Do we get off?” A simultaneous nod and shake is very hard to read. Luckily we did get off at the right stop. And my head bobble is coming along nicely.
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