Wheatish.

Having spent my life between two countries and never feeling at centred in either one has its benefits. So it seems. And life on the sidelines makes you laugh if you’re in the moment.
Indians have an interesting way of describing complexion and this struck me as unusual thing only recently.
When I realised it, I went - “Ha that’s different for the rest of the world”.
Ask a majority of Indians and they will tell you that they are “wheatish” in complexion. Others might describe themselves as “chocolate” boy or “caramel”.

I’m not making this up, I swear. It’s an actual thing.

I find it hard to find a place in conversations about race when its black and white (or brown). Because, I couldn’t tell you what colour I am on the colour/race spectrum.
Am I black because I am not white?
Am I brown because I am neither white or black?
Or am I a ‘miscellaneous’ or ‘other’ on the colour spectrum?

172cm, female, wheatish. That’s what I am. I am pretty certain about that.

I think race is a more inclusive conversation when you use food to describe it. Or atleast I think this is an idea that is worth experimenting. - That’s the simple, smaller thought.

People can remember all sorts of complex information about sport and pop culture and other stuff. Why is it hard for people to catch up with race and gender? Why is it always “hard to wrap one’s head around” or “complex”? - That’s the bigger thought for today.

(Now, wheatish is not an actual word by “American English or British English standards” and it bugs me to see a red line under my text, but wheatish is a legitimate word in the Indian English Dictionary. Most people forget Indian English is actually an actual kind of English with an actual dictionary. I will take every opportunity to help bridge the gap for it.)