Adda as a Way of Life
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Adda as a Way of Life
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Re: Adda as a Way of Life
#2Sounds wonderful! Would love if this were a thing elsewhere. I don't think I've experienced anything similar since I left uni, where unplanned, all-night conversations might happen randomly in halls' kitchens, pubs etc.
Re: Adda as a Way of Life
#3A similar phenomenon exists in the UK though I don’t think it has a name (crack/craic is close: “what’s the crack?”), and is more related to how you (and your friends) are wired, though it is a common occurrence in pubs across the country.
North America (Canada specifically) is much less open to these kinds of discussions, though that could just be my social circle (or lack thereof) and it feels kind of lonely.
The closest thing I could compare it to is when potheads get together to smoke and you end up talking about random stuff. The difference being that in my experience Canadians like to stay indoors and discuss safe topics eg music and other media.
Granted, a major driver of this when I lived in the UK was boredom (and cannabis) but even when I visit my now mature friends from back then, we still like to take a brisk walk and shoot the breeze, just sober (OK, maybe with a few beers and cigarettes)
Re: Adda as a Way of Life
#4Perhaps similar to descriptions I read about the cafes of Paris, or SoHo in the artistic district, except here its not limited to a certain class.
Re: Adda as a Way of Life
#5Brings back memories of my grandpa. We used to roam around the streets of Kolkata and surprisingly he had a tonne of friends nearby. Just a walk with my grandpa to the local tea store would take 2-3 hours. Because he would be busy with adda. Topics used to range from why Buddhadeb (Chief minister of West Bengal, India ) was not working upto the mark to why Tendulkar is the greatest cricket player alive. Things also used to get heated between people sometimes ( mostly due to differences in political opinion )
Otherwise it used to be chilled out. Me, Dadu ( grandpa in bengali ), warm cup of tea and indistinguishable chattering used to be a big part of my summer breaks.
Re: Adda as a Way of Life
#6Brings back memories of my grandpa. We used to roam around the streets of Kolkata and surprisingly he had a tonne of friends nearby. Just a walk with my grandpa to the local tea store would take 2-3 hours. Because he would be busy with adda. Topics used to range from why Buddhadeb (Chief minister of West Bengal, India ) was not working upto the mark to why Tendulkar is the greatest cricket player alive. Things also u…
Your grandad sounds like a legend. I think this social norm is a good way for people to be more engaged with their community and probably helps in old age too if you have a stream of buddies to chat with, who enjoy your company.
Better than just ignoring everyone or being seen as nuts, as is the case in NA cities.
Re: Adda as a Way of Life
#7A similar phenomenon exists in the UK though I don’t think it has a name (crack/craic is close: “what’s the crack?”), and is more related to how you (and your friends) are wired, though it is a common occurrence in pubs across the country. North America (Canada specifically) is much less open to these kinds of discussions, though that could just be my social circle (or lack thereof) and it feels kind of lonely. The c…
I think one point here is that people in India aren’t shying away from politics and religion. Robust conversations about fundamental questions are the norm. (Spoken as an non-Desi with a bit of travel and work experience in south India).
Re: Adda as a Way of Life
#8This phenomenon is found across other Indian cultures too, although it doesn't have a name as such. There's even a pretty good Hindi/Urdu podcast called Puliyabazi, whose name pays homage to this practice.
Re: Adda as a Way of Life
#9What is Adda? How is it different from people discussing about a topic? I don't understand from this article, but it sounds like something I'd like to know more about.
Re: Adda as a Way of Life
#10Not clear on how this is distinct from simply having a fun conversation.