Durlabh Bhattacharyya 2007

Have you noticed that most people, while handing over or receiving items like envelopes, slips of paper and currency notes hold them in a stylish scissor like action between the index and middle finger. Avoid doing this, specially with money, in Shillong. The Khasis consider this an inauspicious way of handing over or receiving anything – it is seen as an act of cutting down the value of the item for both giver and receiver.

Instead use the good ole thumb-and-finger grip while giving and extend your palm while receiving.

Durlabh Bhattacharyya 2007

If you have walked the streets in Shillong, you will almost certainly have noticed itinerant vendors selling green leaf inch-long sachets and nuts. If you've been wondering what it is, you probably haven't been initiated to the Indian habit of chewing paan or betel leaf. Suppress any whim to be adventurous unless you are a masochist who relishes the sensation of having your head kicked in by a pair of pack mules. K*wai *– as it is called locally – beats chewing gum hollow as a ruminant in this part of the world. Kwai is a combination of betel leaf (tympew), areca nut (kwai) and a generous daub of slaked lime (shun) applied to the inside of the leaf. A word of caution for even those who have eaten or do eat paan. Take the trouble of unfolding the leaf and reducing the quantity of lime smeared on the leaf; not doing so can leave your tongue sore for days.

Durlabh Bhattacharyya 2007

It is worth remembering that Kwai is a customary offering of welcome and goodwill proffered to guests. So if a friendly old lady good naturedly offers it to you, gamely accept if you don't want to give offence, but don't put it into your mouth at once. Instead unfold the leaf and gingerly nibble at it taking care to avoid parts smeared with lime. Should you want to go ahead and actually chew it, ensure that you don't swallow. Instead, find a suitable corner in the garden and spit out the juice – you won't be considered rude of ill-mannered. Don't be alarmed by the red spittle that comes out of your mouth. It isn't blood; it's a chemical reaction caused by the mixing of the betel nut, leaf and lime. Despite all these precautions, if you still end up swallowing the betel juice, you might get dizzy and feel an intense hot flush in your face, break into a sweat, feel a painful knot form in your chest and experience difficulty in breathing. Don't panic. Instead of drinking water, which is usually the knee-jerk reaction, eat a heaping spoonful of sugar; you will find the pain ease and the discomfort gradually dissipate.