Greeting or loaded question?

Bangaloreans greet each other like people in any other city. "En samachara? Channagi iddira?" (Any tidings? Hope you are fine). But there is another form of greeting that is probably unique to typical Bangaloreans and probably speaks for their obsession -- food and drink. "En samachaara? Oota ayitha?" Or "Kaapi ayitha?" alternatively, "Tippan ayitha?" (Had your lunch....had your coffee...or had your snack?...depending on the time of the day).

While eating out has become a pastime for many Bangaloreans today, food seemed to be central to the city's residents from time immemorial and that's probably why references to food were brought to greetings and to talk of the time of the day.

Most of the time, the greeting is made for want of anything specific to say. And when in doubt, the Bangalorean takes recourse to what he knows best, and that is food, knowing that the other person would not take offence.

And by convention, to the question "Oota ayitha?", the other person replies, "Ayithu", though the growls from his hungry tummy nearly drown out his acknowledgement. It's probably his way of saying, "Consider it done."

There are others who go a step further and make a normal greeting but don't follow it up with the customary question but instead gesture to the other person with a clenched fist, the thumb sticking out and moving towards to the mouth, accompanied by the question: "Kaapi?" as an offer to have coffee with him, but deep within, hoping the other person won't accept the invitation. And as the person politely declines his request with a shake of hand and the reply "Ayithu", there is relief for the person who makes the offer.

Bangaloreans not only think using food to greet people is safe and convenient, but also believe it is a sure way to calm an angry Bangalorean, if ever there was one. When a purchase manager at a factory, who is behind time on his payments to his suppliers, is unable to convince the salesman that the cheque will be ready "soon", he tries the time tested solution. "Let's talk it over lunch at our cafeteria." And by the time the last morsel on the plate is polished off, not only are traces of anger in the salesman wiped out but any of memory of why he came to the factory is blanked out. The confrontation changes to congeniality and they part ways with handshakes, and priorities fulfilled.

vijaysimha@newindianexpress.com