Wrong assumptions based on appearances

When, in India, I first saw a young man with a shaved head and a tuft of hair left at that back I said something, to my travel companion, not so flattering. It was when I hadn't been in India long and I saw his hair cut as an indication of a certain roughness. After all, anybody with a hair cut like that at home is likely to have an attitude, a surliness, and wouldn't be someone I'd keep company with.

My travel companion told me to go easy... His haircut is indicative of him being of the Brahma cast. This is the highest and priestly cast.

Later I thought how tricky it must be to make the 'right' friends when ones migrates overseas. Imagine moving to Australia and meeting a guy of this hairstyle, thinking he's of good standing and thinking "well if this is what the 'higher class' Aussies act like what does it mean for the rest?". I can see the confusion.

The same goes for pierced noses. At home they are surely indicative of a fairly radical woman. But in India the more traditional women and girls are likely to have their noses pierced while the radical types are off getting education and careers.

So, never judge a book by its cover, it might be from some place else.