u/CustardNo6023

I’m from Bangalore and have spent years travelling around India whenever I get the chance. I’ve noticed something interesting about Kerala tourism

In most parts of India, when I travel for leisure, I usually prefer branded hotels if I have a decent budget because they’re predictable. A Marriott, Taj, Hyatt, or similar chain gives you a certain standard, and independently owned hotels can be very hit or miss.

Kerala is the one place where my logic seems to completely fall apart. Idk if it’s a coincidence but some of the most memorable places I’ve stayed here have been family run heritage homes, boutique resorts, plantation stays, random properties I had never heard of before booking. In many cases, I’d pick them over a five star chain without thinking twice.They feel more thoughtful, more rooted in where they are, and often just more enjoyable to spend time in. It’s strange because I don’t think I’ve felt this level of trust in independent stays anywhere else in the country. I’m not saying there are no good boutique hotels outside of Kerala but it’s more of a gamble and needs a lot of research or word of mouth before you book.

I’m curious why that is. More importantly unlike branded hotels that can survive even with heavy losses if there’s not much traffic, how are these independent stays able to survive for so long and still maintain international standards? Is the govt funding/subsidizing independent hotel owners?? Is there something unique about Kerala’s tourism culture that encourages these places to maintain such a high standard? Or does Kerala simply attract a different kind of traveller and therefore a different kind of hospitality business? Whatever the reason, leisure travel in Kerala feels noticeably different from the rest of India, and I can’t quite put my finger on why. As someone who has business in hospitality, this is definitely a case study for me

My pick is people who sit on equipment for ages while barely using it. This happened to me at the gym today.

I was waiting for a bench press that someone else was using. I actually asked if I could work in, but we were lifting very different weights and it would’ve meant constantly stripping plates off and loading them back on between sets and also our seating positions were different . We both kind of agreed it wasn’t worth the hassle.

So I waited.The guy finished a set and started resting. Fair enough. Then he kept resting. I drank some water, walked around a bit, checked my phone, and he was still resting. At some point I started wondering whether he was between sets or training for a phone scrolling competition.

I work in logistics and import related business, and over the past few months, I’ve seen something. I’m not going to name the shops or businesses involved but people in Kerala deserve to know this reality.

A lot of people here blindly trust products just because they come from Dubai or other Gulf countries. “Imported” automatically makes people think it’s high quality. But the truth is, a portion of these products are stock that had issues in the original market itself.

I’m talking about products with manufacturing defects, damaged packaging, labeling issues, poor storage handling, or products that would never comfortably stay on shelves in stricter countries. Instead of getting destroyed, some of this stock gets picked up for almost free by traders and redirected to places like India, Africa, and other South Asian markets.

And honestly, what is FSSAI and the government even doing about this? Are proper inspections actually happening or are these products just entering the market because nobody seriously checks? Consumers here are paying premium prices thinking imported means better, while some traders are literally dumping questionable stock into our markets.

I’m not saying every imported product is bad. There are genuine importers too. But there is definitely a side of this business that ordinary consumers never see, and people should at least be aware of it instead of blindly trusting everything that says “imported from Dubai”.

Would genuinely like to hear from others working in supermarkets, customs, food safety, retail, or logistics. Have you seen similar things happening?

CPM is the equivalent of TMC in Kerala. Bunch of uneducated unemployed folks going and destroying govt properties.

CPM cadre culture in Kerala has become completely toxic. Every time there’s an investigation or criticism, the response is the same street violence, intimidation, vandalism, and mob behaviour. Attacking vehicles and creating chaos isn’t “people’s politics”; it’s political hooliganism. This party needs to cease to exist

I recently got into cycling and wanted to know if there are any good cycling trails, dedicated tracks, or scenic route maps around Kozhikode. Off-road trail options would be great too!

Wanted to ask something gym related that's been on my mind lately.

How do you guys generally perceive someone correcting your posture/form in the gym? Especially if it's a stranger and not a trainer.

Today I noticed a guy doing shoulder presses with a lot of back arching. I wasn't trying to act smart or anything, but I casually mentioned that lowering the weight a bit might help maintain posture and avoid lower back strain. He just nodded respectfully but I kinda got the impression that he didn't like it and he continued the way he was doing. I started feeling that I shouldn't bother anyone from now on but afterwards I started wondering if people actually appreciate this or secretly find it annoying/interfering.

Personally, I've had mixed experiences. Once someone corrected my deadlift stance when I had just started lifting, and honestly it helped me a lot because I was lifting completely wrong. Another time a random uncle kept giving unsolicited advice during every set and it got irritating pretty fast.
So where do you all draw the line between being helpful and being "that annoying gym guy"? Curious how people here see it.

I mean it’s happening in less than a month. Not just Qatar, throughout the world people are not even talking about it. Every World Cup before had so much enthusiasm and it usually starts 1-2 months before it even starts.

One thing I’ve noticed about conversation in kerala is that we don’t really have a strong “greeting culture” in everyday interactions.
Like when you walk into a shop, meet an acquaintance, call someone, or even visit relatives, we usually just jump straight into the topic:

“Chaaya undo?” “Bus evide ethi?” “Rate ethra?”“Evide poyi?”. No “Hi”, no “How are you?”, no “Namaskaram” most of the time lol

In fact, greeting people formally can almost feel awkward or overly formal here unless it’s an elder, a function, or some official setting. I honestly can’t remember the last time I said “namaskaram” in normal daily life.

Compared to a lot of other places where greetings and small talk are expected, and also it’s pretty much rude when you don’t greet each other,interactions here feel very direct and functional. Idk if that’s a good thing tho.

Has anyone else noticed this? Or is it just the circles I grew up in?

I’ve pretty much confirmed getting an x5 but looking at the leaked pictures and rumours, there’s gonna be a drastic change in the new model.

Whenever I meet someone new, at some point the conversation usually gets to age.
So I’ll casually ask, “How old are you?”
And instead of just answering like a normal person, they hit me with: “guess🤓”

Now suddenly I’m stressed because this is no longer a question, it’s a trap.
Because if I say the number I actually think, there’s a chance I accidentally offend them and ruin the vibe. So now I have to sit there doing social calculations like: “Okay they probably look 29… so I should say 24… maybe 23 to be safe?”
And everybody knows this is how the game works too. Nobody’s answering honestly, nobody’s guessing honestly, we’re all just participating in this weird ritual to protect each other’s feelings.

Like bro… I asked because I wanted the answer, not because I wanted to gamble with your self esteem.
Just tell me your age.

Ps: I don’t simply ask random people their age. I’m talking about a situation where I’m close enough with them and reach a stage where we’re comfortable asking personal questions to each other

Growing up in west, my native language proficiency is quite limited and I’m considering moving to a city that’s more English friendly there in India. I’ve heard in tier 1 cities, it’s generally not a problem. From what I’ve read online, South Indian cities are generally better in this case but I’ve also read that Mumbai and Delhi are equally good