Don't do it up and down.
Do it side to side.
This is the Indian head bobble. Also known as a "wobble," "head shake," or "head wiggle," in general "it is often performed by the listener in agreement with what is being said by the speaker, such that the speaker perceives there is 'no problem' with the message being conveyed." (Thank you Wikipedia.)
It can be used to express a variety of sentiments, as another blogger explains: "Though the gesture is most often translated to mean “yes,”...the wobble is layered with nuance.... The motion ranges in meaning from “Right away, sir!” to “I feel your pain, but honestly can’t be bothered to help you.” The shades of meaning generally depend on the number of wobbles. For instance, five or six wobbles in either direction indicates servile humility... while a detached half-wobble to the left, eyes partly closed...suggests near total indifference."
It is harder than it looks. Before I got here, I thought it was a lot more like doing what a bobble head doll does. Do that here and people will look at you like you are a psychopath. They will also look at you like you are crazy if you nod your head up and down to mean "yes."
I mastered it on accident. I was leaving the gym, and my earbuds were falling out of my ears, but both my hands were full. In an effort to keep them from falling all the way out, and slowly moved my right ear up, pulling at the cord of my earbuds. At the same moment, I realized that the security guard at the door was asking me a question. I have no idea what he asked, but I had inadvertently responded with the head bobble. And he loved it.
Using this gesture in India will get you very far. People seem to understand that you aren't as green as you look, and they respect you a little bit more. Also, it is rare to see Indians smile at people, but they do almost invariably when a foreigner uses the wobble.
It is also addictive. It is just so much more sophisticated than the eager nod of America. It's cool, you know?
Do it side to side.
This is the Indian head bobble. Also known as a "wobble," "head shake," or "head wiggle," in general "it is often performed by the listener in agreement with what is being said by the speaker, such that the speaker perceives there is 'no problem' with the message being conveyed." (Thank you Wikipedia.)
It can be used to express a variety of sentiments, as another blogger explains: "Though the gesture is most often translated to mean “yes,”...the wobble is layered with nuance.... The motion ranges in meaning from “Right away, sir!” to “I feel your pain, but honestly can’t be bothered to help you.” The shades of meaning generally depend on the number of wobbles. For instance, five or six wobbles in either direction indicates servile humility... while a detached half-wobble to the left, eyes partly closed...suggests near total indifference."
It is harder than it looks. Before I got here, I thought it was a lot more like doing what a bobble head doll does. Do that here and people will look at you like you are a psychopath. They will also look at you like you are crazy if you nod your head up and down to mean "yes."
I mastered it on accident. I was leaving the gym, and my earbuds were falling out of my ears, but both my hands were full. In an effort to keep them from falling all the way out, and slowly moved my right ear up, pulling at the cord of my earbuds. At the same moment, I realized that the security guard at the door was asking me a question. I have no idea what he asked, but I had inadvertently responded with the head bobble. And he loved it.
Using this gesture in India will get you very far. People seem to understand that you aren't as green as you look, and they respect you a little bit more. Also, it is rare to see Indians smile at people, but they do almost invariably when a foreigner uses the wobble.
It is also addictive. It is just so much more sophisticated than the eager nod of America. It's cool, you know?
