[HN Gopher] Adda as a Way of Life
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Adda as a Way of Life
Author : ramirez60
Score : 79 points
Date : 2021-08-13 14:00 UTC (9 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (www.bbc.com)
(TXT) w3m dump (www.bbc.com)
| gunfighthacksaw wrote:
| A 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)
| UncleOxidant wrote:
| > _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 US particularly is so hyperindividualistic and isolating.
|
| > _Granted, a major driver of this when I lived in the UK was
| boredom_
|
| Nothing wrong with boredom that leads to long walks and
| discussions. I think we need more of that kind of boredom in
| the US.
| nine_zeros wrote:
| > Nothing wrong with boredom that leads to long walks and
| discussions. I think we need more of that kind of boredom in
| the US.
|
| But then how will your existence be monetized? /s
| lanstin wrote:
| 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).
| nine_zeros wrote:
| > 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).
|
| This is possible because the number of people who can
| sarcastically take on politicians is much larger than any
| group of people feeling strongly attached to said
| politicians.
| Bhilai wrote:
| Yep, discussion of politics is probably the second most
| common topic, first one being Cricket. Friends and neighbors
| agree to disagree though it has been getting quite polarized
| these days.
| maybeiambatman wrote:
| > Adda is a beloved pastime that's unique to Kolkata
|
| As others have pointed out. The idea of Adda isn't that uncommon.
| Even the specific word, Adda, is just as native to Bangladesh.
| The Bengali ethnicity extends beyond the Indian border. Wish the
| author had mentioned that.
| pkd wrote:
| This 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.
| yati wrote:
| I grew up and studied in Kolkata, and have lived elsewhere in
| India, but I haven't quite seen anything like the daily adda
| outside of West Bengal. The article is spot on with most of us
| not even realizing how special it is unless we move out.
| vjust wrote:
| Perhaps 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.
| exolymph wrote:
| Not clear on how this is distinct from simply having a fun
| conversation.
| DiggyJohnson wrote:
| Are you from the US? This is clearly a distinct concept from my
| American perspective because it captures the cultural
| expectation of conversation and discussion.
|
| America is a very isolated, lonely place. These fun, ephemeral
| conversations don't happen much here.
| nine_zeros wrote:
| Adda doesn't need to be fun. Addas are usually unplanned. It
| often involves stumbling upon an acquaintance on the street and
| just catching up on the side of the road.
|
| Imagine a spontaneous conversation with an acquaintance at a
| grocery store but at any random place, without any capitalistic
| purchases required during the interaction.
| barrucadu wrote:
| Isn't that a normal thing? Where isn't this done? If you bump
| into someone you know do you just greet them and then leave?
| nine_zeros wrote:
| It's not the same. Usually American interactions are small
| talks. Adda is literally stopping in your pace, talking and
| hanging out for hours. HOURS. Completely unplanned.
|
| The closest thing to adda in America is college
| dorm/fraternity/sorority life. Mindless chatter for hours
| after bumping into someone. Or maybe like a night at the
| bar. You're hanging out for HOURS.
|
| In India, you don't need a social setting for that. That
| bear-like hanging out will literally happen on the streets.
| Perhaps one of the reasons why the country appears so
| crowded. People hang out outside far too much.
| actually_a_dog wrote:
| Reminds me very much of the salon:
| https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salon_(gathering)
| supersrdjan wrote:
| What 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.
| timruffles wrote:
| Sounds 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.
| shmde wrote:
| Brings 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.
| Bhilai wrote:
| Kind of a same experience, my nana (maternal grandfather) use
| to sit on his front patio every day in the evenings. He would
| talk to people passing by on the street and sometimes a group
| of people would gather around him and they would just chat away
| drinking tea and eating biscuits that they would buy from a
| hawker passing by.
|
| Living in the US, thats what I miss most about India, the
| social experience. Though the quality of life is much better
| here. Articles like this incite that nostalgic melancholy that
| I have learnt to suppress very well.
| noduerme wrote:
| The US is mostly a lonely, socially atomized place. When I
| was growing up in Los Angeles, we still had a lot of smokey
| coffee houses that would stay open until 2am or later and
| encourage conversation. Those were all killed by Starbucks,
| and the smoking ban, and the culture of bringing laptops and
| cell phones and work into the cafe. We still have bars of
| course, the last place to socialize in America, but it's a
| different type of socialization since everyone is drunk.
|
| I believe there has been major damage to the ability of
| Americans to hold an interesting conversation as a result of
| this change. It is almost seen now as a rare skill.
| gunfighthacksaw wrote:
| 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.
| pm90 wrote:
| Dense urban areas where residents have to walk rather than
| drive probably helps in creating such a culture.
| MisterBastahrd wrote:
| I'm not seeing it as a unique thing. I have distinct memories of
| my grandparents, great grandparents, and their neighbors hanging
| out together on my great grandparents' screened porch and talking
| for hours into the evening after supper time. For people born in
| the early 1900s and earlier in the South, it's just what you did,
| because the wind moved better outdoors than indoors and the
| matriarch of the family just spent a couple hours warming the
| house up in the summer time with her cooking. The men would sit
| in rocking chairs with cigarettes or cigars and talk about
| sports, politics, how their crops were doing, etc, and the women
| would sit together on makeshift outdoor couches with dinner mints
| or desserts to discuss their kids and the local gossip.
|
| Even today, my friends and their families will get together for
| game nights twice a week at different homes, just discussing
| whatever comes to mind while playing board or card games.
| sonigogo wrote:
| I wish "adda" existed here in the states. In some ways online
| forums are an online version of "adda" but in-person, thought-
| provoking conversations can't be replicated online. It makes me
| miss college life where you could pop into so many interesting
| discussions whether in the dorms or on-campus. Clubhouse tried to
| replicate this but the users can't really participate in a fluid
| conversation. I'm just wondering if there's anyway tech could
| enable these organic mind meetups?
| asimjalis wrote:
| How is an adda different from a normal conversation that people
| have? I feel like the article did not explain this sufficiently.
| vishnugupta wrote:
| Speaking as an Indian, what sets apart adds is that they can go
| on for hours together and they happen at regular frequency.
|
| Say you are bored (I know it's a rare thing now a days) then
| you know that if you go to the usual hangout place you will
| invariably find a few people, some of whom are your
| acquaintances/friends, gathered aimlessly conversing.
|
| The group is very fluid, random people join and leave and when
| you are sort of done you too leave. There are no rules as such
| but people usually don't cross personal boundaries.
|
| It is an essential part of being in a community. One is
| implicitly expected to take part in such addas from time to
| time. This is how small towns/villages operate. Or at least
| did, I don't see it around me anymore.
| rajup wrote:
| So kind of a physical Clubhouse?
| juancn wrote:
| Argentinians do this a lot. We don't have a name for it other
| than "juntada" (lit. gathering). Maybe is the Italian cultural
| influence.
|
| We just get together and chat, in parks, cafes, houses, wherever.
| We even incorporate strangers into these conversations. It's a
| great way to meet people.
|
| I always assumed this was quite common in all/most cultures.
| UncleOxidant wrote:
| Don't most cultures in the world (outside of the US) engage in
| these kinds of discussions? I lived in Italy for a few months and
| as I was walking around the city I'd often come across groups of
| 2 to 4 men standing on a corner engaged in a passionate
| conversation. I might see them as I entered a store to shop and
| when I came out 30 minutes later they'd still be at it.
|
| I'm kind of envious - it's really something we don't have in the
| US because we're such an isolated culture.
| vanderZwan wrote:
| Within Europe, spontaneously meeting someone on a casual stroll
| outside is more of a Southern European thing than a Northern
| European one. But Sweden (where I live now) has a strong "fika"
| culture instead, which is basically meeting up for coffee,
| taking it easy and catching up. So more or less the same thing,
| it's just a bit more planned and indoors.
|
| I wouldn't be surprised if the difference has more to do with
| traditional weather conditions not being the kind where you go
| for a stroll outside
| Jtsummers wrote:
| It happens in the US, but the physical structure of cities
| makes it much harder. With dwindling downtown areas and a
| preference to commute by car you have few opportunities for the
| happenstance meeting with others (strangers and friends and
| acquaintances).
|
| The places I've experienced it in the US were on college
| campuses, in older east coast cities with a different structure
| than the normal US city, and smaller towns with a still
| existing downtown (which is not all of them, many downtowns in
| the US are strictly places of business, or worse declined to
| just a couple government buildings).
| nine_zeros wrote:
| It's very rare in the US. Adda is quite literally wasting time
| on conversations. It cannot thrive in an environment where time
| is money and money is sacred.
| ghufran_syed wrote:
| The subjects of this article would probably disagree with
| you:
|
| https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/black-barber-shops-
| salon...
| nine_zeros wrote:
| This is close enough but the big difference between an adda
| and a salon is that the salon is still a commercial
| establishment.
|
| Adda is such gatherings anywhere. On the streets, rooftops,
| temples, parks, local tea stall, something called as a
| clubhouse (yes physical clubhouses without pay for play).
|
| A friend's favorite adda was a fuckin commuter train.
| People would text each other to catch the same train and
| just chat for 40-50 mins of the journey.
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(page generated 2021-08-13 23:01 UTC)