Food, Music & Love at SUBWAY – The bizarre Indian marriage proposal

“Once you got the music playing, the love’s not far..”
(Akilnathan Logeswaran, 2014)

After the fun experience yesterday at Subway, I decided to visit them again. Later this day I realized that I was wearing a green shirt and creme pants: almost Subway corporate colours.

I’m entering the shop in Joka [all three employees laughing & smiling]: Sound, sir?

Me: Yes, please. [Laughing, being reminded of yesterday, check out “Music changes the world, even in Fast Food Restaurants”: http://wp.me/p4ZzRL-2q]

Female employee: Where do you live?
Me: LVH, Lake View Hostel.
She: No, I mean hometown, where are you from?
Me: Oh, Germany.
Male employee [looks around the corner]: Thomas Müller, Sir. Very good! [smiles]

She: Are you married?
Me: No. [smiling]
She [smiles]: Will you marry me?
Me, slightly confused, just smiling back. In the meantime a quite old-looking priest fully covered in white enters the shop.

Male employee [laughs and forms a plane out of his hand to show how she’ll fly with me to Germany]: Very good, Sir.
Me, just keeping the smile.

Priest is approaching me. Blessing me with three hand waves of holy water and eventually drawing a red and white Bindi on my forehead.
All three employees agree: Very nice, Sir!

She: What sauce would you like, Sir?
Me: You don’t have honey mustard, right? [they’be been out of honey mustard since about 5 weeks or so, but we keep trying.] Okay, Southwest, please.
She [smiles and imitates my “please”]: Oh, we do have, Sir. But.. [Male employee brings huge refill package of honey mustard.] Do you want?
Me: Yes, please. [huge smile, thinking everything will come around in India, eventually]

At the cash machine while paying, she tries again: Sooo, will you marry me?
Me [still haven’t thought of an appropriate answer]: Umm.. I’ll think about it.
She [looks me in the eyes]: Why?!

After finishing my meal I bid my farewell.
Me [smiling]: Bye, thank you.
He [huge smile]: Thank you, Sir. Byeee.
She [semi-serious, semi-smiling]: Taataaa. Think about it, okay?!

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Case study questions:

1. What should I have answered?
2. Should I marry her? Why? Why not?
3. Will my next Subway visit be a date?