10 Reasons Why You Should Have A Gujarati Friend
As I was growing up, I realized many people are not aware of our culture and traditions, that I always enjoyed educating others as to why I do things a certain way.
By Bijal Patel
1. You will be able to experience the hype of garba and dandiya raas.
Garba is a dance with a lot of clapping and turning, while dandiya raas is a dance with sticks. Both are high-level energy dances for the Gujarati folks! Most of the time, you’ll hear your Gujarati friends complaining of being tired after walking for more than 15 minutes or they have a tendency of using the elevator rather than the stairs. Well, don’t be too quick to judge that they’re lazy because these are the same people who are able to dance to both garba and raas all night long without complaining of being tired during wedding season and Navratri.
2. Ladies, you can borrow their beautiful outfits.
You can wear Chaniya choli, which is a three piece outfit consisting of a choli (blouse), chaniya (skirt), and duputta (long scarf). These outfits are usually decorated with beads, mirrors, and embroidery work. Also, you can also wear a sari Gujarati style! It may feel uncomfortable, but your pictures will come out great in them!
3. You can eat some great Gujarati cuisine!
Be ready for some spicy and fried dishes. You will feel the oil going down your throat and the meal will probably clog your arteries, but hey, it’s worth it. Jokes aside, traditionally Gujaratis eat dal-bhaat-saak-rotli (pulse-rice-vegetables-bread) as everyday meals. When summertime rolls around, Gujarati folks love mangos! You can try keri no rus (fresh mango pulp)! Yum! Also, Gujarati moms will feed you until your stomach seems to explode. (A few minutes later without any shame, she will comment on your waistline.) They’re also very generous in the sense that they will always pack all the friends some food to go.
4. All-you-can-drink masala chai!
You won’t have to go to a coffee shop to try some chai, because your Gujarati friend will know how to make it right at home! Just how Americans drink several cups of coffee a day, Indians people — especially Gujarati folks — tend to drink masala chai few times a day. This usually consists of cardamom powder, cinnamon powder, ground cloves, ginger powder and/or pepper powder.
5. Your will learn some Gujarati words
Your friend will teach you basic Gujarati words of “kemcho” (how are you) and “avjo” (good-bye, come again), and all the curse words in the Gujarati dictionary. The more and more you hang out with your Gujarati friend you will start to pick up on some words, phrases, and even sentences!
6. You will learn better bargaining skills.
Whether it’s online or in stores, you can trust that your friend is not going to stop until you get some sort of discount, coupon, deal, steal, or something in between.
7. You will know all the gossip and drama.
Your Gujarati friend will always have some sort of gossip and/or drama to share. It’s always fun to hear about it because most of the time, it is all nonsense and silly issues turning into big things.
8. You will have the opportunity to attend a Gujarati wedding!
Be sure to save your vacation days if you are going to be invited to a Gujarati wedding! These tend to be 3-day events! You can have an amazing experience from attending a Gujarati wedding. You’ll have the honor of seeing the groom come on a horse, more than 400 people, awesome food, amazing dance music, and uncles and aunties breaking it down on the dance floor!
9. You will have the best study partner
It may sound stereotypical, but if you ever need help in science or math, you’ve got yourself a free tutor!
10. Your social circle will triple — nay, quadruple.
Between extended family members and friends of friends, Gujarati folks tend to know a lot of people. They even tend to keep in touch with their 2nd and 3rd cousins. Most importantly, this shows how family oriented your friend can be. (Meaning? You’re going to have a friend for life.) 
