Blogging Social Difference in L.A.: Week 8

Comment Three

With the short school week, this week I decided to comment on a blog written by Urban Nomad. This student wrote about their experience shopping in 'Little India’ that is a stretch on Pioneer Blvd, in between 183rd Street and South Street. This stretch of stores contains an array of Indian and Pakistani clothing boutiques, Indian grocery stores and many, many restaurants at each corner. My family and I used to go to Little India at least once a year, but now our visits to this ethnic enclave have decreased. Each time I went I remember being fascinated by the amount of South Asians I saw. They were literally at every single corner, eating and shopping. With the many restaurants all over, I used to be fascinated with the strong scent of the Indian food. We would step out of our cars and instantly we could smell the fried scent of Pakoras (fried lentil patties) and chickpeas. The scent of the food was so strong that when we would leave Little India, our clothes would smell like the fried food.

            This student captured the flavor of Little India very well in their blog. As I was reading their blog I loved the reference this student made to the bargaining that goes on in Little India. It amazes me how South Asian women and men can bargain a price down from $250 to $150 within minutes. I recall my dad bargaining a traditional Pakistani outfit for me from $500 down to $400.  Bargaining for prices is a common practice in Pakistan and India. All in all it amazes me how similar Little India is to Pakistan. The scent of the food, the people, the clothing and the bargaining always remind me of our family trips to Pakistan. Little India is a very unique location to visit and I am really glad this student took the initiative to write about this diverse area. There are many ethnic enclaves around the Southern California area and I plan on visiting each one at least once in the next year. 

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