Really believe that the truth behind all the brouhaha over the openheartedness and generosity of the indian, is that you only have to scratch the surface. just take the 'sapad aiche/oot aitha?' question, noone wants to hear ur reply and theyre not about to offer u their food and if they do whats hanging and implied? Its precarious and notorious if uve been in that rig; be on level with me but just watch how things change when you choose to step away from the dynamic of headnodding-familiarity and shared situation. This in a sense is a very 'American' (as opposed to European) thing. To quote from 'A Social History of Cheerfulness' by Christina Kotchemidova -
The author (of a popular 1940s book of advice to German immigrants on the American ways of speech and behavior) cautions incoming Germans against misinterpreting American friendliness for genuine interest in their persona and then suffering disappointment as nothing ensues from the initial all-too-encouraging contact. While the book deals mainly with behaviors, it also characterizes American emotionality as over-positive and self-centered—from a German perspective.