Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Chachi or Didi?

Chachi, in Hindi, means Aunt/Aunty.
Didi, in Hindi, means Sister.
While in fact I am a Chachi, the term is generally reserved for the older crowd, one I don't yet accept being a part of. Both are considered terms of endearment but which one is really more endearing?
When I first came to India, little girls would call me Didi. As in, big sister. All that came to an end on Saturday when I met a friend of mine and his niece. He asked his niece, "Is she a Chachi or a Didi?" and she replied with "Chachi." My heart plummeted.
Granted the little girl is probably 9 years old, which makes me the same age my mother was when I was 9 years old, and we all know how old our mothers seemed when we were young. Here's a Then and Now photo of me when I came here in 2011 and just two years later. In fact, I'm gonna post pictures of me wearing the same dress to really make you scrutinize! You be the judge.
Last Wednesday







Then (2011)






Okay, so perhaps the hijab makes me a tad more "cherubic." But Aunty?!?!

2 comments:

  1. I vote that it's a frame of reference deal. Most people, children included, can't tell the difference between someone who is 25 vs. 27, or 55 vs. 57 etc. If that child met one Chachi that was roughly your age in the past, everyone they meet in the general age vicinity would appear to be one.

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  2. I got called Chachi again this past weekend. This time by someone probably 10 years younger than me. I guess it's official.

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