Shantaram

I'm currently reading "Shantaram", a semi-true story written by the Australian ex-heroin addict and bank robber Gregory David Roberts, who managed to escaped a high security prison in Australia and fled to Bombay in the beginning of the eighties. In Bombay he became known under the pseudonym "Linbaba", (which by the way is a revered reference to the penis), learnt how to speak Hindi and Mahrati, lived and set up a free health clinic in the sprawling slums, worked with the local mafia, was tortured in Indian prison, acted in Bollywood movies, and fought with the Mujahideen in Afghanistan and other wars, before finally being caught in Germany and sent back to prison. Amongst other things.

In one chapter, Linbaba describes how he discovered the secrets behind, and learnt how to master, the Indian head wiggle. This particular custom of wiggling and waggling your head can mean "yes"or "no" or "I have noticed your presence and you are my brother". And everything in between.

So today I decided to try it for myself: every time I was approached to buy some goods, I just wiggled my head, snapped a short "nahi", and kept on walking. And I don't know if I'm maybe just imagining it, but it really felt like it was the key to a magic kingdom, a world where I was left to my own devices and not bothered anymore. I think I even heard someone ask me if I lived in India!

After this little triumph, I've been jerking my head in that fluid motion more or less constantly. The only downside is that it is making me nauseous, but it is a price I'm willing to pay.