Writing in this blog has made me realize that I am much more proud of my culture than I thought I was. I love being Indian and it truly makes me happy to write about it.
Although each post may not have been the most positive, I think India is an amazing country. Of course, there are some things that they can work on, but what country doesn't have room for improvement?
I was able to relive my experiences and memories by sharing them on this blog.
I would like to end this blog by saying that every culture needs to be appreciated. We shouldn't judge people based on stereotypes or how they look. Or what we "think" they are like.
I remember one December, my parents went to clean my old church. It was only two minutes away from house, so it wouldn't be of any inconvenience to us. My parents got there and there were some real nasty words spray painted on the door. Rude words about Indians. The police came and investigated this, but we never found out who did it. But who decides to graffiti the door of a church? Especially with horrible words. And about a specific race. Whoever did this obviously don't know what we are like. They've probably just seen us outside the church, wearing our Indian clothes and decided to judge us. Everyone was really upset and offended. I'm not just saying this because I'm Indian. This would be a horrible thing to do to any race.
I'm sure it is going to take a long time, but there needs to be a day where all countries are united. Everyone should feel like they belong in America. No one should be judged on the color of their skin, their culture or the religion they practice.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
India Gay Sex Ruling
The latest news in India is how the government took a "giant step back" in regards to same-sex relationships.
The supreme court has found that this offense is punished by ten years in prison. Ten years in prison for being gay.
I'm not quite sure how that makes sense and I certainly don't agree with it. Why is it okay to throw people in jail because of their sexuality. They're not doing harm to anyone. If anything, it's the anti-homosexuals that mob and attack the people of same-sex relationships.
The fact that the government can judge a person based on their personal lives is unfair. If a constitution says each personal should be treated equally, why do these stupid laws exist?
This is a touchy subject in almost every country. As America begins to make same-sex marriage legal in many states, India is putting more of a strain on the topic.
I think the Supreme Court of India has to rethink this order. I'm one of those people that believe others should be able to live their lives however they want, as long as they're not causing harm to anyone else.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-25329067
The supreme court has found that this offense is punished by ten years in prison. Ten years in prison for being gay.
I'm not quite sure how that makes sense and I certainly don't agree with it. Why is it okay to throw people in jail because of their sexuality. They're not doing harm to anyone. If anything, it's the anti-homosexuals that mob and attack the people of same-sex relationships.
The fact that the government can judge a person based on their personal lives is unfair. If a constitution says each personal should be treated equally, why do these stupid laws exist?
This is a touchy subject in almost every country. As America begins to make same-sex marriage legal in many states, India is putting more of a strain on the topic.
I think the Supreme Court of India has to rethink this order. I'm one of those people that believe others should be able to live their lives however they want, as long as they're not causing harm to anyone else.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-25329067
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Education in India vs. America- First Hand experience
I have a close friend named Joby who is a student here at Rutgers-Newark. He moved to America from India ten years ago. He spent 13 years in India and I thought that he definitely experienced enough of education in America to compare and contrast. I thought I would ask him some quick question about the difference in education.
Me: Where did you like school better, here or India?
Joby:India
Me: Why?
Joby: I like India because I understand the teachers better there. I like that we focused more on math than other stuff. I liked that we never had to leave the classroom. The teachers of each subject would come to the classroom and leave after their lesson of the day. I also liked that the cafeterias would serve different Indian foods and snacks.
Me: Why do you want to focus on math so much?
Joby: Because that's the subject we learned the most when we were younger. We focused on it the most, so it became my favorite.
Me: What is the biggest difference you noticed?
Joby: Kids are rude here. Much more disciplined there. We were more scared of our teachers than our parents.
I understood from this conversation that India and America have very different education systems. Teachers are highly esteemed in India, and that's not quite the case in America. In India, math is deeply focused on, while each subject is given equal amount of importance in America.There are clearly different values and morals being taught, but I think both countries have space to improve.
Me: Where did you like school better, here or India?
Joby:India
Me: Why?
Joby: I like India because I understand the teachers better there. I like that we focused more on math than other stuff. I liked that we never had to leave the classroom. The teachers of each subject would come to the classroom and leave after their lesson of the day. I also liked that the cafeterias would serve different Indian foods and snacks.
Me: Why do you want to focus on math so much?
Joby: Because that's the subject we learned the most when we were younger. We focused on it the most, so it became my favorite.
Me: What is the biggest difference you noticed?
Joby: Kids are rude here. Much more disciplined there. We were more scared of our teachers than our parents.
I understood from this conversation that India and America have very different education systems. Teachers are highly esteemed in India, and that's not quite the case in America. In India, math is deeply focused on, while each subject is given equal amount of importance in America.There are clearly different values and morals being taught, but I think both countries have space to improve.
English in India
When I was looking through the blog lists we were required to read for class, the title "Black Girl Dangerous" was the first one to catch my eye. It was a blog of many different authors that wrote about their life experiences.
As I looked through the list of authors, I came across the name Chithira Vijayakumar. "Hmmm, sounds Indian," I thought to myself. As I opened up her latest blog post, the first line read "I learnt to read Malayalam the easy way: by lying on my grandmother’s stomach, brown skin painted with the silverfish of my mother’s and my uncle’s births. By listening to her read the daily newspapers out to me." Let me just say, when I saw the word "Malayalam" in the first few words of this post, my eyes grew wide with excitement. I couldn't believe there was a Malayalee blogger, that I was able to visualize all the places she was talking about. She was from Kerala, which also got me super excited.
Her blog was about learning English there in Kerala. India was taken over by British rule for many years. Even after Indians gained their independence, they required English to be a language that was taught in all schools. Vijayakumar's blog taught me that this was still existent. I really didn't know that this was required in Kerala, because my dad went to grade school there and doesn't know much English.
She writes of how there was a rule that no student could speak Malayalam in the school, or they would get fined. I found this absurd. Why wouldn't you be able to speak the language of your state? Did they want the language to fade? I figured keeping the language alive would also keep the culture rich.
I was shocked to see that this rule still exists in India. Students are fined even more than in the past if they even mutter a single Malayalam word.
I personally think this is such a dumb rule. It's not bad that they want the students to learn English, I feel as though it is kind of necessary. But it should be taught as a second language. Here in elementary school, we were taught Spanish. But they didn't force us to know it for the rest of our lives. I think it is beneficial to know more than one language but this rule is taking it a bit too far.
http://www.blackgirldangerous.org/2013/11/tongues/
As I looked through the list of authors, I came across the name Chithira Vijayakumar. "Hmmm, sounds Indian," I thought to myself. As I opened up her latest blog post, the first line read "I learnt to read Malayalam the easy way: by lying on my grandmother’s stomach, brown skin painted with the silverfish of my mother’s and my uncle’s births. By listening to her read the daily newspapers out to me." Let me just say, when I saw the word "Malayalam" in the first few words of this post, my eyes grew wide with excitement. I couldn't believe there was a Malayalee blogger, that I was able to visualize all the places she was talking about. She was from Kerala, which also got me super excited.
Her blog was about learning English there in Kerala. India was taken over by British rule for many years. Even after Indians gained their independence, they required English to be a language that was taught in all schools. Vijayakumar's blog taught me that this was still existent. I really didn't know that this was required in Kerala, because my dad went to grade school there and doesn't know much English.
She writes of how there was a rule that no student could speak Malayalam in the school, or they would get fined. I found this absurd. Why wouldn't you be able to speak the language of your state? Did they want the language to fade? I figured keeping the language alive would also keep the culture rich.
I was shocked to see that this rule still exists in India. Students are fined even more than in the past if they even mutter a single Malayalam word.
I personally think this is such a dumb rule. It's not bad that they want the students to learn English, I feel as though it is kind of necessary. But it should be taught as a second language. Here in elementary school, we were taught Spanish. But they didn't force us to know it for the rest of our lives. I think it is beneficial to know more than one language but this rule is taking it a bit too far.
http://www.blackgirldangerous.org/2013/11/tongues/
Cricket!
Cricket is definitely one of the most popular sports in India. It was brought to country by the British, when they ruled over India. It's common to see children playing almost every neighborhood you walk through. I guess you could say it's the equivalent of baseball in America.
Cricket is a game that consists of a bat and ball. Summed up by Wikipedia the sport is: "played between two teams of eleven players each. One team bats, attempting to score runs, while the other bowls and fields the ball, attempting to restrict the scoring and dismiss the batsmen. The objective of the game is for a team to score more runs than its opponent. In some forms of cricket, it may also be necessary to dismiss the opposition in order to win the match, which would otherwise be drawn."
One of the greatest cricket players of all time from India, Sachin Tendulkar, recently retired. He was highly praised by his fans, some even calling the "God of Cricket." He's been the first of many achievements, playing for the Mumbai and India team for almost 24 years. He began around the age of 16, making him able to retire at the age of 40. The reason he retired was because he had to go through tennis elbow surgery. He figured he would not be able to play the same again. Sachin Tendulkar has won so many awards, including the Man of the Match award numerous times.
He is known as the record-breaking cricketer of India. Tendulkar has been an important part of not only cricket, but also India.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket#Summary
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achievements_of_Sachin_Tendulkar
Cricket is a game that consists of a bat and ball. Summed up by Wikipedia the sport is: "played between two teams of eleven players each. One team bats, attempting to score runs, while the other bowls and fields the ball, attempting to restrict the scoring and dismiss the batsmen. The objective of the game is for a team to score more runs than its opponent. In some forms of cricket, it may also be necessary to dismiss the opposition in order to win the match, which would otherwise be drawn."
One of the greatest cricket players of all time from India, Sachin Tendulkar, recently retired. He was highly praised by his fans, some even calling the "God of Cricket." He's been the first of many achievements, playing for the Mumbai and India team for almost 24 years. He began around the age of 16, making him able to retire at the age of 40. The reason he retired was because he had to go through tennis elbow surgery. He figured he would not be able to play the same again. Sachin Tendulkar has won so many awards, including the Man of the Match award numerous times.
He is known as the record-breaking cricketer of India. Tendulkar has been an important part of not only cricket, but also India.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket#Summary
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achievements_of_Sachin_Tendulkar
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Christmas Carol
One of my favorite parts about being an Indian Orthodox Christian, is how we celebrate the holidays. When I think back to my childhood, Christmas caroling is definitely one of the highlights.
For many people, when they think of Christmas carols, they just think of a bunch of people going door to door singing the most popular Christmas songs there are.
But no, we do it totally different. We go house to house, but it's only houses of the members of the church (no strangers). We sing songs that are upbeat and about Christmas and most of them are in Malayalam. They are a few boys playing the drums, some older men playing the tambourines, and everyone else clapping and singing. I remember as a child, we would start around 3 pm and end at 1 am. No matter how tired we were, we would want to keep going. My parents would try to get me to stay home on Sundays but I wouldn't have it. There's actually been times where I didn't go to school on Monday because I was to busy out caroling the night before. In each house there would always be a group of people who liked to dance and clap to the songs everyone was singing. If it was a favorite song, everyone would get involved. Some houses served snacks and drinks because we grew very tiresome after a few songs. It's really something people of all ages enjoy at my church. Even the car ride from one house to another was always fun. Each group of friends would cram into one car, tell stories and sing songs. It was full of laughter and I could only remember being so happy during these times.
My church still does carol, but my friends and I can't go as often because we're in college and it's right around finals time. To me, it really doesn't feel like Christmas unless I go caroling with my church. They're like my second family and we all get along so well. Luckily for me, my finals are done just before the last weekend of caroling!
Me vs. Rej
I figured I should ask one of my friends about why they don't like going to India as much as I do. The first person that came into mind was my friend, Rejeena (I like to call her Rej). The funny thing is, I'm pretty sure she has gone to India a lot more than I have. So I decided to ask her a few questions that I was curious about.
Me: How many times have you been to India?
Rej: About 5-7 times
Me: Do you look forward to going whenever your parents have booked the tickets?
Rej: No, of course not! I hate it. I already have the mindset that I'm not going to have any fun. I'm not used to the technology, or should I say lack thereof. My mom's house has no wifi. The electricity goes out exactly at 8 pm every single day. Roosters and chicken wake me up at 6 am. I have to wait for water to boil on this stove made of a pile of sticks burning because the shower there produces no hot water. And it's superhot and I get at least five mosquito bites a day. I seriously look forward to sleeping every night because when I wake up, I'm one day closer to being home.
Me: Do you have a lot of family to spend time with there?
Rej: Yeah, I usually go for my cousins' weddings. All of my mom's side lives in India, and some of my dad's uncles and children live there, too.
Me: What do you think of the 18 hours of travel just to get to India?
Rej: I don't mind the travel because that means less time in India
Me: Is there anything else you want to add?
Rej: Well, when I'm in New Jersey, I never have time to be home. I'm always running around, meeting up with friends, it's weird not being around that in India. I don't know what to talk to my cousins about and I can hardly speak the language so we have a barrier. We do somehow manage to have fun. They're really patient with me and we all just laugh at each other and act stupid.
Me: What do you think of India as a whole?
Rej: Well minus my cousins, I feel like a tourist in India. I feel like everyone is just staring and in the back of my mind I'm freaking out because I think someone is going to steal from us.
Well, I think this gives a little insight as to why some American Born Indians might not like going to India. Technology is really different there. Wifi is not as easy to find in Kerala, and people in this generation seriously depend on it. There's also a language barrier that might make it difficult for some people to communicate. Overall, I think these are all problems that can be solved!
Me: How many times have you been to India?
Rej: About 5-7 times
Me: Do you look forward to going whenever your parents have booked the tickets?
Rej: No, of course not! I hate it. I already have the mindset that I'm not going to have any fun. I'm not used to the technology, or should I say lack thereof. My mom's house has no wifi. The electricity goes out exactly at 8 pm every single day. Roosters and chicken wake me up at 6 am. I have to wait for water to boil on this stove made of a pile of sticks burning because the shower there produces no hot water. And it's superhot and I get at least five mosquito bites a day. I seriously look forward to sleeping every night because when I wake up, I'm one day closer to being home.
Me: Do you have a lot of family to spend time with there?
Rej: Yeah, I usually go for my cousins' weddings. All of my mom's side lives in India, and some of my dad's uncles and children live there, too.
Me: What do you think of the 18 hours of travel just to get to India?
Rej: I don't mind the travel because that means less time in India
Me: Is there anything else you want to add?
Rej: Well, when I'm in New Jersey, I never have time to be home. I'm always running around, meeting up with friends, it's weird not being around that in India. I don't know what to talk to my cousins about and I can hardly speak the language so we have a barrier. We do somehow manage to have fun. They're really patient with me and we all just laugh at each other and act stupid.
Me: What do you think of India as a whole?
Rej: Well minus my cousins, I feel like a tourist in India. I feel like everyone is just staring and in the back of my mind I'm freaking out because I think someone is going to steal from us.
Well, I think this gives a little insight as to why some American Born Indians might not like going to India. Technology is really different there. Wifi is not as easy to find in Kerala, and people in this generation seriously depend on it. There's also a language barrier that might make it difficult for some people to communicate. Overall, I think these are all problems that can be solved!
Friday, November 22, 2013
Ammachi
Ammachi-n- Malayalam word for grandmother (language of Kerala, India)
Last week I wrote about my last trip to India. I wrote that the main reason I loved to go to India was because of my grandmas.
Well the next day Thursday, November 14, 2013, that all changed. I was questioning if I ever even wanted to go to India again.
When my family does travel there, we stay at my dad's house. We visit my mom's house a few times out of the trip, but we keep all our stuff and mainly sleep at my dad's house.
On November 14, 2013, I found out that my dad's mother had passed. It's still news to me because it's so hard to accept that it's real. If I ever returned to India, that house that I stayed at all these years would be empty. My ammachi would not be sitting on the porch, waiting for our arrival from the airport.
Everything happened really quickly. On Tuesday night, we found out she had a stroke and was admitted to the hospital. Wednesday, she was put on a ventilator. And Thursday, of course, was the day everything changed.
Exactly a week before, my dad had undergone a serious 3 hour back surgery. He was put on bed rest but the actual healing time was up to one year. On Wednesday, after my grandma was placed on a ventilator, all of my dads siblings booked tickets to India for the same night. They didn't tell my dad she was on a ventilator, because otherwise he would try to jump on the first plane out to see her, and he couldn't because of his back condition. There was no way he could possible sit on a plane for 18 hours straight. He didn't know how serious my grandma's condition was until the next morning. So before his brothers and sisters left for the airport, they came to visit my dad at my house. My dad told his siblings to tell ammachi that he's feeling fine and not to worry about him, because when she heard he was having surgery she started crying and freaking out. It was so hard to hear him say that, because he didn't even know she wasn't responding at that point. I prayed and prayed and prayed that she would just open her eyes and get back to her normal healthy self. Thursday afternoon was when I got a call from my mom crying and saying " our ammachi is gone."
An hour or so later, I began getting texts from my friends. They were all along the lines of "sorry for your loss", "may her soul rest in peace" or "she's in a better place now". When I was reading these it didn't even feel real. What do you mean may her soul rest in peace? She's fine. She's not really going to leave us. Or I know she's in a better place, but I wish she was here with me. None of the comforting words that I've once said to friends were helping me at all. I really actually pinched myself a few times because it didn't feel like real life. I thought I was dreaming or something.
I know I sound a little selfish because my mom's mom is still there. I really miss her too. I would really love to see her as soon as I could but it's just devastating knowing how different things will be the next time I go.
My ammachi has been a widow for almost 15 years. She was the strongest believer of God I have ever seen in my life. I was looking through my phone and I found a video of her singing Christian songs while on a 3 hour car ride, that's what she did when she had free time to pass. There were nights were I would sleep on her bed with her, and I would wake up at 5 am to her singing her hymns. She would really try to whisper and sing them so I wouldn't wake up, but her passion was so strong that she would get louder and louder through each verse. Her voice is one that I will never forget, it was so unique and different, especially when she was singing. She's also my Godmother and I don't think there would have been any other person better fit for this position She's taught me so much about Christian life by the way she led hers and I can only hope to be half the person she was. My grandma had 7 children and 7 children in law. But she never looked at them that way. She treated all 14 of them like they were all her own children. She passed with 15 grandkids, 4 great grandkids, and 2 more on the way. She was always smiling and so optimistic about everything. If you needed to feel better about something, she would be the one anybody went to. She always told people to just pray and everything would be alright. She loved everyone and once you met her, she would talk to you like she knew you her whole life.
I'm lucky enough to say that I saw and spent time with her last summer. Knowing that this year is coming to an end is really starting to scare me. Why? Because I won't be able to say that "I saw her last summer." Soon, it's going to be 2,3,4 summers ago and so on. The time that is distancing me from the last time I was with her is seriously terrifying me. I guess I'm kind of scared that I'll lose the memories, or I won't remember them as well and clearly as I do now.
Now I'm just praying that I get the strength to accept and understand this. I'm also praying that she is at peace and happily reunited with my appachen (grandpa). I just know that she is up there smiling and watching over my family, just like she always has.
Ammachi
January 9, 1931 - November 14, 2013
Last week I wrote about my last trip to India. I wrote that the main reason I loved to go to India was because of my grandmas.
Well the next day Thursday, November 14, 2013, that all changed. I was questioning if I ever even wanted to go to India again.
When my family does travel there, we stay at my dad's house. We visit my mom's house a few times out of the trip, but we keep all our stuff and mainly sleep at my dad's house.
On November 14, 2013, I found out that my dad's mother had passed. It's still news to me because it's so hard to accept that it's real. If I ever returned to India, that house that I stayed at all these years would be empty. My ammachi would not be sitting on the porch, waiting for our arrival from the airport.
Everything happened really quickly. On Tuesday night, we found out she had a stroke and was admitted to the hospital. Wednesday, she was put on a ventilator. And Thursday, of course, was the day everything changed.
Exactly a week before, my dad had undergone a serious 3 hour back surgery. He was put on bed rest but the actual healing time was up to one year. On Wednesday, after my grandma was placed on a ventilator, all of my dads siblings booked tickets to India for the same night. They didn't tell my dad she was on a ventilator, because otherwise he would try to jump on the first plane out to see her, and he couldn't because of his back condition. There was no way he could possible sit on a plane for 18 hours straight. He didn't know how serious my grandma's condition was until the next morning. So before his brothers and sisters left for the airport, they came to visit my dad at my house. My dad told his siblings to tell ammachi that he's feeling fine and not to worry about him, because when she heard he was having surgery she started crying and freaking out. It was so hard to hear him say that, because he didn't even know she wasn't responding at that point. I prayed and prayed and prayed that she would just open her eyes and get back to her normal healthy self. Thursday afternoon was when I got a call from my mom crying and saying " our ammachi is gone."
An hour or so later, I began getting texts from my friends. They were all along the lines of "sorry for your loss", "may her soul rest in peace" or "she's in a better place now". When I was reading these it didn't even feel real. What do you mean may her soul rest in peace? She's fine. She's not really going to leave us. Or I know she's in a better place, but I wish she was here with me. None of the comforting words that I've once said to friends were helping me at all. I really actually pinched myself a few times because it didn't feel like real life. I thought I was dreaming or something.
I know I sound a little selfish because my mom's mom is still there. I really miss her too. I would really love to see her as soon as I could but it's just devastating knowing how different things will be the next time I go.
My ammachi has been a widow for almost 15 years. She was the strongest believer of God I have ever seen in my life. I was looking through my phone and I found a video of her singing Christian songs while on a 3 hour car ride, that's what she did when she had free time to pass. There were nights were I would sleep on her bed with her, and I would wake up at 5 am to her singing her hymns. She would really try to whisper and sing them so I wouldn't wake up, but her passion was so strong that she would get louder and louder through each verse. Her voice is one that I will never forget, it was so unique and different, especially when she was singing. She's also my Godmother and I don't think there would have been any other person better fit for this position She's taught me so much about Christian life by the way she led hers and I can only hope to be half the person she was. My grandma had 7 children and 7 children in law. But she never looked at them that way. She treated all 14 of them like they were all her own children. She passed with 15 grandkids, 4 great grandkids, and 2 more on the way. She was always smiling and so optimistic about everything. If you needed to feel better about something, she would be the one anybody went to. She always told people to just pray and everything would be alright. She loved everyone and once you met her, she would talk to you like she knew you her whole life.
I'm lucky enough to say that I saw and spent time with her last summer. Knowing that this year is coming to an end is really starting to scare me. Why? Because I won't be able to say that "I saw her last summer." Soon, it's going to be 2,3,4 summers ago and so on. The time that is distancing me from the last time I was with her is seriously terrifying me. I guess I'm kind of scared that I'll lose the memories, or I won't remember them as well and clearly as I do now.
Now I'm just praying that I get the strength to accept and understand this. I'm also praying that she is at peace and happily reunited with my appachen (grandpa). I just know that she is up there smiling and watching over my family, just like she always has.
January 9, 1931 - November 14, 2013
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
My Last Trip to India
I would've wrote about my first trip to India, but that was when I was four years old and I don't remember much of it. So I figured I would write about my last trip there, which was the summer of 2012.
I was super excited to go because it had been four years since the last time I went. I like going to India because I love seeing my grandmas. It's also so different there, I like to get away from New Jersey once in awhile. And of course shopping, everything is much cheaper in India. My parents try to get shopping out of the way within the first two days.
Every time we go to India, I beg my parents if we can go to a different part, or maybe some tourist attractions. My mom agrees but my dad is really adamant on spending as much time as he can with his mom and friends, which I understand. They left this country that they spent more than two decades in to have a better life. I think if I was in the same position I would feel the same way.
The first day of our India vacation always consists of seeing BOTH my grandma's, who live an hour and a half away from each other. The airport itself is about 4 hours from my dad's house in India. A lot of the places are really spread apart so there is a lot of time spent just travelling from one place to another. But I even like that part. I like to just look out the window of the car and observe everything that's around me.
While we are in India, there's probably one or two days where we actually stay home and do nothing. Otherwise we are always out, because there's so many things to do and people to see. We go fishing, shopping, eating, visiting family and friends, taking rides on a houseboat. A houseboat is this boat that takes you around the backwaters of Kerala. They make a few stops, catch some shrimp or fish, and prepare it for you right there.
This is a houseboat
This is one little part of the boat tour
When my parents first booked the tickets, I was ecstatic and my sister was really against going. Her birthday would have to be spent in India, and that was one of the main reasons she didn't want to go. She was going to be turning 13. Why wouldn't you want to celebrate your birthday in a different country? Not many people could say that they have. She would tell me to let my parents go to India without us and we could stay back. She said this would "save us some money". The girl even started crying when we left for the airport because she was so dreading going. And I was sitting next to her with a huge smile on my face because I couldn't wait! The funny part is on our last day of our India trip, while we were getting ready to go to the airport, she told my mom she didn't want to leave. She actually had fun, for someone who was really negative about it from the beginning.
My favorite thing about going to India is seeing my family. My whole family from my dad's side lives in America. We are all really close and I see them often. But my mom's side all live in India. So I only get to see them every few years. Even though we do Skype once in awhile, I love seeing them in person. It's always a fun time with them, we have fishing competitions, they teach me some Hindi and they try to imitate my "American" accent.
If I could go to India whenever I wanted, I would go so often. I really miss my family there!
I was super excited to go because it had been four years since the last time I went. I like going to India because I love seeing my grandmas. It's also so different there, I like to get away from New Jersey once in awhile. And of course shopping, everything is much cheaper in India. My parents try to get shopping out of the way within the first two days.
Every time we go to India, I beg my parents if we can go to a different part, or maybe some tourist attractions. My mom agrees but my dad is really adamant on spending as much time as he can with his mom and friends, which I understand. They left this country that they spent more than two decades in to have a better life. I think if I was in the same position I would feel the same way.
The first day of our India vacation always consists of seeing BOTH my grandma's, who live an hour and a half away from each other. The airport itself is about 4 hours from my dad's house in India. A lot of the places are really spread apart so there is a lot of time spent just travelling from one place to another. But I even like that part. I like to just look out the window of the car and observe everything that's around me.
While we are in India, there's probably one or two days where we actually stay home and do nothing. Otherwise we are always out, because there's so many things to do and people to see. We go fishing, shopping, eating, visiting family and friends, taking rides on a houseboat. A houseboat is this boat that takes you around the backwaters of Kerala. They make a few stops, catch some shrimp or fish, and prepare it for you right there.
When my parents first booked the tickets, I was ecstatic and my sister was really against going. Her birthday would have to be spent in India, and that was one of the main reasons she didn't want to go. She was going to be turning 13. Why wouldn't you want to celebrate your birthday in a different country? Not many people could say that they have. She would tell me to let my parents go to India without us and we could stay back. She said this would "save us some money". The girl even started crying when we left for the airport because she was so dreading going. And I was sitting next to her with a huge smile on my face because I couldn't wait! The funny part is on our last day of our India trip, while we were getting ready to go to the airport, she told my mom she didn't want to leave. She actually had fun, for someone who was really negative about it from the beginning.
My favorite thing about going to India is seeing my family. My whole family from my dad's side lives in America. We are all really close and I see them often. But my mom's side all live in India. So I only get to see them every few years. Even though we do Skype once in awhile, I love seeing them in person. It's always a fun time with them, we have fishing competitions, they teach me some Hindi and they try to imitate my "American" accent.
If I could go to India whenever I wanted, I would go so often. I really miss my family there!
The Republic of India
I figured I should give a little background on The Republic of India, which is the official name of the country
For those of you who didn't know where it was, India is located in the southern part of Asia. It a subcontinent because it is considered geographically independent.
Although it is 1/3 the size of America, India is the second most populated country making it the largest democracy in the world. It's capital is New Delhi and the official language is Hindi. But, it's the largest English speaking country.
Numbers and chess were invented in India. (Why? I would've been well-off without math in my life!)
India was under British Rule for almost 90 years. Mahatma Gandhi, lead the country to independence with non-violent disobedience. We celebrate India's independence day every year on August 15th. This is also the day India and Pakistan split into two different countries because of religious problems.
The flag consists of orange, white and green with a blue spinning wheel in the middle.
The national animal is a tiger, the flower is a lotus, the fruit is a mango and the bird is a peacock.
All of the major religions of the world are represented throughout India.
India has the largest movie industry (Bollywood) in the world!
All of India is under the same time zone.
http://www.vexillologymatters.org/indian-flag.htm
http://facts.randomhistory.com/2009/07/21_india.html
For those of you who didn't know where it was, India is located in the southern part of Asia. It a subcontinent because it is considered geographically independent.
Although it is 1/3 the size of America, India is the second most populated country making it the largest democracy in the world. It's capital is New Delhi and the official language is Hindi. But, it's the largest English speaking country.
Numbers and chess were invented in India. (Why? I would've been well-off without math in my life!)
India was under British Rule for almost 90 years. Mahatma Gandhi, lead the country to independence with non-violent disobedience. We celebrate India's independence day every year on August 15th. This is also the day India and Pakistan split into two different countries because of religious problems.
The flag consists of orange, white and green with a blue spinning wheel in the middle.
- Saffron - a symbol of courage
- White - peace and honesty
- Blue - vigilance, truth and loyalty, perseverance & justice
- Green - hope, joy , fertility and love and in many cultures have a sacred significance
The national animal is a tiger, the flower is a lotus, the fruit is a mango and the bird is a peacock.
All of the major religions of the world are represented throughout India.
India has the largest movie industry (Bollywood) in the world!
All of India is under the same time zone.
http://www.vexillologymatters.org/indian-flag.htm
http://facts.randomhistory.com/2009/07/21_india.html
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Arranged Marriage
My parents weren't arranged for their marriage.
When people find out I'm Indian, or I ask them what I could blog about, they ask about arranged marriages. They ask me if my parents had one and if I'm going to have one.
Honestly, my parents probably think they could arrange a marriage for me, but I'm not even slightly interested. Especially since they didn't have one. My dad met my mom through his brother who was good friends with my mom's sister. Sounds kind of confusing, I know. But when the time came when their parents asked them if they were ready for marriage, they both said they had someone in mind. So my parent's parents didn't arrange the marriage, and they did know each other before the wedding.
It is true that sometimes in India, the bride and groom don't meet until a week before the wedding. Sometimes they don't even meet until the wedding. This case was true with my cousin. She didn't care that she hadn't met the man she was going to be spending the rest of her life with because her family met him and approved. I was really surprised. I guess she's a little more traditional and didn't mind. I would not have been okay with that. She met him at their engagement party that was a week before their wedding. She posted pictures the day after and seemed pretty content with her future husband.
I don't think I would ever be able to do something like that. Maybe because I was raised in America where arranged marriages are not normal. I don't know, but I would like to have some sort of background on the person I'm supposed to marry.
In some parts of India when a marriage is arranged, they brides family offers a "dowry" to the grooms family. This is kind of a gift that is given before the wedding. It's not as popular as it used to be, but some people still follow this tradition.
Even though arranged marriages sound really absurd, they last longer than the "love" marriages of America.
One major difference is that in an arranged marriage is that you continue to learn about your spouse throughout the years. In a regular marriage, you usually get to know them really well for at least a few months before you decide the person is right for you.
The divorce rate in America is about 50%.There's not even a number for this statistic in India. But that's also because divorce is really looked down upon there. It is starting to increase but not nearly as much as America, now that times are really changing.
Since my parents didn't have an arranged marriage, I hope they don't expect me to have one, too!
When people find out I'm Indian, or I ask them what I could blog about, they ask about arranged marriages. They ask me if my parents had one and if I'm going to have one.
Honestly, my parents probably think they could arrange a marriage for me, but I'm not even slightly interested. Especially since they didn't have one. My dad met my mom through his brother who was good friends with my mom's sister. Sounds kind of confusing, I know. But when the time came when their parents asked them if they were ready for marriage, they both said they had someone in mind. So my parent's parents didn't arrange the marriage, and they did know each other before the wedding.
It is true that sometimes in India, the bride and groom don't meet until a week before the wedding. Sometimes they don't even meet until the wedding. This case was true with my cousin. She didn't care that she hadn't met the man she was going to be spending the rest of her life with because her family met him and approved. I was really surprised. I guess she's a little more traditional and didn't mind. I would not have been okay with that. She met him at their engagement party that was a week before their wedding. She posted pictures the day after and seemed pretty content with her future husband.
I don't think I would ever be able to do something like that. Maybe because I was raised in America where arranged marriages are not normal. I don't know, but I would like to have some sort of background on the person I'm supposed to marry.
In some parts of India when a marriage is arranged, they brides family offers a "dowry" to the grooms family. This is kind of a gift that is given before the wedding. It's not as popular as it used to be, but some people still follow this tradition.
Even though arranged marriages sound really absurd, they last longer than the "love" marriages of America.
One major difference is that in an arranged marriage is that you continue to learn about your spouse throughout the years. In a regular marriage, you usually get to know them really well for at least a few months before you decide the person is right for you.
The divorce rate in America is about 50%.There's not even a number for this statistic in India. But that's also because divorce is really looked down upon there. It is starting to increase but not nearly as much as America, now that times are really changing.
Since my parents didn't have an arranged marriage, I hope they don't expect me to have one, too!
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Little India
I went to Jersey City this week, two days in a row. There's one street there, Newark Avenue, that a lot of Indians from around here call Little India. My friend told me it could be inspiration for my blog. I like to think of it as the closest we can get to India without having to buy a $2,000 ticket. It reminded me so much of India because how close all the stores are to each other and just the look and feel of the place.
This street is filled with typical shops you would see on the streets of India. There are plenty of salons that do normal salon things plus eyebrow threading. Shops that sell beautiful Indian clothes, gold, sweets and even little booths that sell chewing tobacco are all over. And of course, the restaurants.
The restaurants are the reason I went to Jersey City this week. Sunday night, my cousin picked me up for dinner and she chose an Indian restaurant there called Rasoi. It was my first time there, but so many people have told me that it's the best Indian food they've had. This particular restaurant was a little fancier than the other ones on the street, but was still fairly priced. I ordered a chicken tikka masala that came with white rice and naan bread. Chicken tikka masala is a chicken curry with a typical tomato paste base. And naan is really similar to pita bread.This curry is really savory and each bite was just filled with juicy goodness. It's definitely one of my favorite Indian dishes and I would recommend it to anyone who was interested in trying Indian food.
The other restaurant I went to, Dosa Hut, had a totally different type of atmosphere. It was more like a fast food type of place and it served only vegetarian food. This is normal among Indians because Hinduism is the most popular religion and they do not eat meat. I ordered a paper dosa with sambar. A paper dosa is like a really thin and crispy pancake but not sweet at all. Kind of like a unsweetened crepe, I guess. The sambar is also like a curry but the broth is thinner so it seems more like a warm soup filled with vegetables. Every bite had me wanting more. And I don't even like vegetables. Paper dosa is also something I would highly recommend to new Indian food eaters.
Newark Avenue in Jersey City is a place my parents go when they need to restock on Indian spices. Actually, they go there for all their Indian needs. Luckily for us, it's not too far. Being there this week was seriously making me too nostalgic. It's filled with Indians and their stores, what more does it need to be like India? It doesn't have the same environment, India doesn't get very cold because it's right next to the equator. But I think Jersey City is a great place to go if buying a ticket across the world isn't in your price range. Or if you just feel like trying different kinds of food!
This street is filled with typical shops you would see on the streets of India. There are plenty of salons that do normal salon things plus eyebrow threading. Shops that sell beautiful Indian clothes, gold, sweets and even little booths that sell chewing tobacco are all over. And of course, the restaurants.
The restaurants are the reason I went to Jersey City this week. Sunday night, my cousin picked me up for dinner and she chose an Indian restaurant there called Rasoi. It was my first time there, but so many people have told me that it's the best Indian food they've had. This particular restaurant was a little fancier than the other ones on the street, but was still fairly priced. I ordered a chicken tikka masala that came with white rice and naan bread. Chicken tikka masala is a chicken curry with a typical tomato paste base. And naan is really similar to pita bread.This curry is really savory and each bite was just filled with juicy goodness. It's definitely one of my favorite Indian dishes and I would recommend it to anyone who was interested in trying Indian food.
The other restaurant I went to, Dosa Hut, had a totally different type of atmosphere. It was more like a fast food type of place and it served only vegetarian food. This is normal among Indians because Hinduism is the most popular religion and they do not eat meat. I ordered a paper dosa with sambar. A paper dosa is like a really thin and crispy pancake but not sweet at all. Kind of like a unsweetened crepe, I guess. The sambar is also like a curry but the broth is thinner so it seems more like a warm soup filled with vegetables. Every bite had me wanting more. And I don't even like vegetables. Paper dosa is also something I would highly recommend to new Indian food eaters.
Newark Avenue in Jersey City is a place my parents go when they need to restock on Indian spices. Actually, they go there for all their Indian needs. Luckily for us, it's not too far. Being there this week was seriously making me too nostalgic. It's filled with Indians and their stores, what more does it need to be like India? It doesn't have the same environment, India doesn't get very cold because it's right next to the equator. But I think Jersey City is a great place to go if buying a ticket across the world isn't in your price range. Or if you just feel like trying different kinds of food!
Monday, October 28, 2013
Indian living in America vs. Indian living in India
Indian Living in America: That would be me.
Indian Living in India: That would be my mother.
We both lived very different childhoods. I have one little sister. My mom had 6 other siblings. It's normal to have this many children because you need them to do things around the house or even help out with the family business, like a plantation. If you didn't have money for this many kids, you would absolutely find a way. I am confident when I say I have not worked as hard in my life as my mom has. In India, the children are taught to do chores, which is typical in America, too. But in India, the girls need to learn how to cook, take care of each other, go to school and pray. My mom used to tell me how her mother woke all of her children up at 5 a.m. to pray together and then they would all walk to school. Here, I would wake up as late as possible and my dad would drive me to school. He would also pack lunch for me. My grandma had to pack lunches for 7 children, and times were hard. She wasn't able to pack as much as she would like, but she did make sure her kids ate, even if it didn't fill their stomachs.
I'm only 21. But by the time my mom was 23, she married my dad. They moved to America and my mom was required to know how to cook for her little family. I only started learning how to cook my sophomore year of college because I had a kitchen and no meal plan. I find cooking fun and only know how to make easy dishes. My mom could make a whole Indian restaurant menu of food when she was my age. Trust me, she reminds me of this every weekend. She tells me I'm never going to find a husband if I don't learn how to cook REAL food.
My parents don't even try to raise my sister and I like their parents did. It has to be because America is way too different from India. I always see that saying "the stricter the parents, the sneakier the kids." As an Indian, I know this is true. There are a lot of strict parents that I know, and I also know the crazy things their kids do. My parents aren't really that strict because I think they realize this. In India, the parents are strict and the kids follow what they say because they have no other choice. In America, kids can call the cops on their parents. Ha. That does not go AT ALL in India. It's either the parents way or no way. Plus it's normal to get beat by your parents. Maybe that's why the kids always do as their parents say?
I hope I can raise my children like my parents did. I would tweak some things (like how my parents don't like us talking to boys). Maybe make my kids work a little harder. But overall, I would try to follow a lot of the things they did.
Indian Living in India: That would be my mother.
We both lived very different childhoods. I have one little sister. My mom had 6 other siblings. It's normal to have this many children because you need them to do things around the house or even help out with the family business, like a plantation. If you didn't have money for this many kids, you would absolutely find a way. I am confident when I say I have not worked as hard in my life as my mom has. In India, the children are taught to do chores, which is typical in America, too. But in India, the girls need to learn how to cook, take care of each other, go to school and pray. My mom used to tell me how her mother woke all of her children up at 5 a.m. to pray together and then they would all walk to school. Here, I would wake up as late as possible and my dad would drive me to school. He would also pack lunch for me. My grandma had to pack lunches for 7 children, and times were hard. She wasn't able to pack as much as she would like, but she did make sure her kids ate, even if it didn't fill their stomachs.
I'm only 21. But by the time my mom was 23, she married my dad. They moved to America and my mom was required to know how to cook for her little family. I only started learning how to cook my sophomore year of college because I had a kitchen and no meal plan. I find cooking fun and only know how to make easy dishes. My mom could make a whole Indian restaurant menu of food when she was my age. Trust me, she reminds me of this every weekend. She tells me I'm never going to find a husband if I don't learn how to cook REAL food.
My parents don't even try to raise my sister and I like their parents did. It has to be because America is way too different from India. I always see that saying "the stricter the parents, the sneakier the kids." As an Indian, I know this is true. There are a lot of strict parents that I know, and I also know the crazy things their kids do. My parents aren't really that strict because I think they realize this. In India, the parents are strict and the kids follow what they say because they have no other choice. In America, kids can call the cops on their parents. Ha. That does not go AT ALL in India. It's either the parents way or no way. Plus it's normal to get beat by your parents. Maybe that's why the kids always do as their parents say?
I hope I can raise my children like my parents did. I would tweak some things (like how my parents don't like us talking to boys). Maybe make my kids work a little harder. But overall, I would try to follow a lot of the things they did.
Monday, October 7, 2013
Growing Up in America as an Indian
I mean, technically I am an American because I was born and raised here. But when someone asks me "what I am" I tell them I'm from India, the southern part. I'm included in the first generation of my family to be born and raised here because my parents immigrated to America just a few years before I was born. I know that it must have been difficult to raise your own children in such a different environment. America is in so many ways different from India, and my parents were not used to that when they were raising me. Luckily for my sister who is seven years younger than me, they got the hang of it. When I look at my school pictures from elementary school, I wonder if what I'm wearing was the style back then or if my mom tried to dress me like herself. I always had a bow on my half up half down hairstyle that was practically bigger than my head. I also noticed my mom liked pairing different prints and different colors. In India, girls wear uniforms to school or traditional Indian outfits. It was really rare to see girls wearing pants in India back then. Now, it's becoming a lot more popular to see around. Anyways, in elementary school and I guess the beginning of middle school, people would make comments about being Indian to me all the time. I would get those stereotypical questions like does my dad own a 7-11 and does my mom talk like this (insert phrase with an Indian accent here) . People would also ask why I don't come to school with red dot on the middle of my forehead. I would just ignore them, it bothered me a lot more in elementary school. Now, I will gladly tell people my dad works at a dental lab and my mom speaks English really well. And that I don't wear a "red dot" because I'm not married nor am I Hindu. I actually think its kind of funny when people ask me these kind of questions now. Sometimes I'll just go along with what they want to hear just because it's humorous to me, and I am a very sarcastic person so I'll add a little more to the story to see if the person actually believes the bs that I'm telling them.
After the beginning of middle school, I don't think it was as difficult for me. Or maybe I just gave people attitude when they asked me questions like that. Or asked them stupid questions back. Either way I think I deal with it a lot better.
I always wonder how it is for my parents to raise two daughters in America, well not just my parents but also other parents who came from a different country. It must be so hard to instill their cultural values in their children, especially with outside influences. And to raise your child in a place that you're just getting used to? My sister and I have been raised so different from how my parents were and my dad always reminds us. He tells us of how times were so hard, especially with 4 other brothers and 2 sisters. Whenever my sister and I go shopping, he tells us stories about how he only had three pairs of clothes, and they were hand me downs. And when I drive my sister to her school down the street, he tells me of the miles he had to walk just to get to school. There are so many stories he tells us, all for different, simple and daily things we do in our lives. It really makes me appreciate everything I have and all my parents have done for me.
After the beginning of middle school, I don't think it was as difficult for me. Or maybe I just gave people attitude when they asked me questions like that. Or asked them stupid questions back. Either way I think I deal with it a lot better.
I always wonder how it is for my parents to raise two daughters in America, well not just my parents but also other parents who came from a different country. It must be so hard to instill their cultural values in their children, especially with outside influences. And to raise your child in a place that you're just getting used to? My sister and I have been raised so different from how my parents were and my dad always reminds us. He tells us of how times were so hard, especially with 4 other brothers and 2 sisters. Whenever my sister and I go shopping, he tells us stories about how he only had three pairs of clothes, and they were hand me downs. And when I drive my sister to her school down the street, he tells me of the miles he had to walk just to get to school. There are so many stories he tells us, all for different, simple and daily things we do in our lives. It really makes me appreciate everything I have and all my parents have done for me.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Is it too late for an Introduction??
I just realized I didn't really start this blog with an introduction. Oops? Better late than never, right??
I figured I would make my blog about my culture. Honestly, I didn't know what to write about so I started looking around my room for something that could possibly spark some interest in my classmates. As I was looking around I realized a lot of my pictures included my family and I wearing Indian clothes. So why not write about India?! I could write about the different aspects of it like the fashion, holidays, traditions and so much more.
I also knew that there are a lot of stereotypes out there about Indians. Some people can be really ignorant with their comments. Especially because some people will think just because a person is brown, they are automatically Indian and Hindu. I'm not saying they're completely wrong, but maybe I could teach people more through this blog.
Maybe I should give you a little of my background. My name is Sherin Thomas, probably a weird name for an Indian to have. Why do I have two first names? My last name is Thomas because I am Christian. I come from a family that goes to church every single sunday. I also am a member of a huge family. My dad has 4 brothers and 2 sisters. My mom has 4 sisters and 2 brothers. Weird, right? And of course with all these aunts and uncles comes all my cousins. My cousins and I really close, we consider each other siblings. I was born and raised in America, but I love my culture. I've only gone to India a few times, but when I do go, I really enjoy it to the fullest. That's usually not normal. Most Indians who are born and raised in America absolutely hate going to India. I don't know what it is, but I love it.
I figured I would make my blog about my culture. Honestly, I didn't know what to write about so I started looking around my room for something that could possibly spark some interest in my classmates. As I was looking around I realized a lot of my pictures included my family and I wearing Indian clothes. So why not write about India?! I could write about the different aspects of it like the fashion, holidays, traditions and so much more.
I also knew that there are a lot of stereotypes out there about Indians. Some people can be really ignorant with their comments. Especially because some people will think just because a person is brown, they are automatically Indian and Hindu. I'm not saying they're completely wrong, but maybe I could teach people more through this blog.
Maybe I should give you a little of my background. My name is Sherin Thomas, probably a weird name for an Indian to have. Why do I have two first names? My last name is Thomas because I am Christian. I come from a family that goes to church every single sunday. I also am a member of a huge family. My dad has 4 brothers and 2 sisters. My mom has 4 sisters and 2 brothers. Weird, right? And of course with all these aunts and uncles comes all my cousins. My cousins and I really close, we consider each other siblings. I was born and raised in America, but I love my culture. I've only gone to India a few times, but when I do go, I really enjoy it to the fullest. That's usually not normal. Most Indians who are born and raised in America absolutely hate going to India. I don't know what it is, but I love it.
Bollywood in Hollywood
A saree is really just 6 yards of fabric. It is folded and pleated and put on a person with just three safety pins. How do you even get that much material to stick on your body with THREE safety pins? I don't know, I still don't get it.
I think saree's have been starting to become very popular outside of India. It's nice to see that a different culture is starting emerge on the red carpet. I don't know if this is because of the release of Slumdog Millionaire or what but I definitely take pride in this. I googled to see which celebrities have worn saree style outfits and it is seriously so fascinating to see who! Among these celebrities are Jessica Alba, Angelina Jolie, Hayden Panettiere, Blake Lively, Paris Hilton, Jennifer Lopez, Oprah and plenty more. The ones that stuck out to me the most was Madonna and The Pussycat Dolls.
Okay, I think all these sarees are really gorgeous but there is a reason why the two above stuck out to me the most. These celebrities were the ones who wore it the most different from the usual. In The Pussycat Dolls, only two out of the five members are wearing it correctly. I guess they were all trying to be different and unique, but as someone who wears sarees, I think the last two on the right look absolutely ridiculous. It's a great idea for people to wear it so that it can show their personality but I personally think it looks like the outfit itself is choking them. The only two members wearing it correctly is the one all the way to the left and the member in the center. I think they look amazing and they are wearing it well in the traditional way.
Madonna, who is also wearing the saree in a kind of weird way, looks great but I think her saree choice could have been a much better one. She is wearing a more traditional and old fashioned type saree, there is nothing wrong with that, but people don't usually wear it in that modern way like Madonna is wearing. Madonna is usually known for wearing outfits that are out of the norm, so this probably didn't feel too different for her, but I definitely do give credit to her for wearing an outfit from a different country.
I just think its really awesome when you're watching a "pre" award show and you see one of your favorite celebrities strutting down the red carpet in a saree. Bollywood fashion has been something I came to obsess about since I was probably a pre-teen or so. I just love the eccentric work, bright and bold colors, and so many different styles. I can honestly say I have sat on the computer for hours just looking at different sarees. There is so much out there and what's trending changes every few months. So for someone who is really in love with Bollywood clothes, I might get a little too excited to see Americans wearing it!
I think saree's have been starting to become very popular outside of India. It's nice to see that a different culture is starting emerge on the red carpet. I don't know if this is because of the release of Slumdog Millionaire or what but I definitely take pride in this. I googled to see which celebrities have worn saree style outfits and it is seriously so fascinating to see who! Among these celebrities are Jessica Alba, Angelina Jolie, Hayden Panettiere, Blake Lively, Paris Hilton, Jennifer Lopez, Oprah and plenty more. The ones that stuck out to me the most was Madonna and The Pussycat Dolls.
Okay, I think all these sarees are really gorgeous but there is a reason why the two above stuck out to me the most. These celebrities were the ones who wore it the most different from the usual. In The Pussycat Dolls, only two out of the five members are wearing it correctly. I guess they were all trying to be different and unique, but as someone who wears sarees, I think the last two on the right look absolutely ridiculous. It's a great idea for people to wear it so that it can show their personality but I personally think it looks like the outfit itself is choking them. The only two members wearing it correctly is the one all the way to the left and the member in the center. I think they look amazing and they are wearing it well in the traditional way.
Madonna, who is also wearing the saree in a kind of weird way, looks great but I think her saree choice could have been a much better one. She is wearing a more traditional and old fashioned type saree, there is nothing wrong with that, but people don't usually wear it in that modern way like Madonna is wearing. Madonna is usually known for wearing outfits that are out of the norm, so this probably didn't feel too different for her, but I definitely do give credit to her for wearing an outfit from a different country.
I just think its really awesome when you're watching a "pre" award show and you see one of your favorite celebrities strutting down the red carpet in a saree. Bollywood fashion has been something I came to obsess about since I was probably a pre-teen or so. I just love the eccentric work, bright and bold colors, and so many different styles. I can honestly say I have sat on the computer for hours just looking at different sarees. There is so much out there and what's trending changes every few months. So for someone who is really in love with Bollywood clothes, I might get a little too excited to see Americans wearing it!
Monday, September 30, 2013
Onam
India is widely known for it's most popular religion, Hinduism. I am from the southern state of Kerala, where there are plenty of Christians. Because many of us are Christian, we don't really get to partake in Indian festivals because they praise Hindu Gods. My family and I are Christian so we don't usually take part in many Indian holidays. But there is one holiday, and it comes specifically from Kerala. It's called Onam, the harvest festival and also the homecoming of a king. The king was said to be residing in the underworld but was very by loved the people of Kerala. He would come back once a year and the people of Kerala would celebrate by showing him all the things that they've grown. We make designs from flower petals and also have a vegetarian dish on banana leaves. It's kind of like the Thanksgiving of Kerala.
Onam is celebrated for ten days with feasts, dances and boat races. During this time, people usually wear the traditional clothing of Kerala which are outfits of white and gold. We celebrated this festival at my church. Almost everybody was dressed in our traditional clothes, so it looked like the whole church was matching. We even had the flower design outside (which was hard to get people NOT to step on!) and we even had lunch on banana leaves. This is definitely one of my favorite Indian holidays because it allows us to celebrate our culture. It's definitely a lot harder to celebrate this holiday in America, because we can't do all the festivities that take place in India. But we do try to do as much as we can. My family even had a little Onam get-together at my cousin's house. This was our first time doing it, and our parents were so happy to see their children learning about our culture. I'm sure it's very difficult for our parents to instill the Indian culture and values in their children, especially with the influences of America and even school. My parents, aunts and uncles all came to America in the 80's and 90's. We do visit India every once in awhile, but tickets are really pricy, especially during summer vacation when the children can actually go. When we do visit India, we go for about 3 weeks because it wouldn't be worth it to go for any less. I think celebrating Onam gives the parents of my family a little sense of nostalgia. I'm sure it brings back their memories of celebrating this holiday in India with their friends and loved ones. I'm glad we can bring at least a little bit of our culture with celebrating Onam in America.
Onam is celebrated for ten days with feasts, dances and boat races. During this time, people usually wear the traditional clothing of Kerala which are outfits of white and gold. We celebrated this festival at my church. Almost everybody was dressed in our traditional clothes, so it looked like the whole church was matching. We even had the flower design outside (which was hard to get people NOT to step on!) and we even had lunch on banana leaves. This is definitely one of my favorite Indian holidays because it allows us to celebrate our culture. It's definitely a lot harder to celebrate this holiday in America, because we can't do all the festivities that take place in India. But we do try to do as much as we can. My family even had a little Onam get-together at my cousin's house. This was our first time doing it, and our parents were so happy to see their children learning about our culture. I'm sure it's very difficult for our parents to instill the Indian culture and values in their children, especially with the influences of America and even school. My parents, aunts and uncles all came to America in the 80's and 90's. We do visit India every once in awhile, but tickets are really pricy, especially during summer vacation when the children can actually go. When we do visit India, we go for about 3 weeks because it wouldn't be worth it to go for any less. I think celebrating Onam gives the parents of my family a little sense of nostalgia. I'm sure it brings back their memories of celebrating this holiday in India with their friends and loved ones. I'm glad we can bring at least a little bit of our culture with celebrating Onam in America.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Miss America 2014
As many of you might have seen, Nina Davuluri, an American born and raised Indian woman from New York, was crowned Miss America 2014. Of course, a lot of the second most populated country (India) was ecstatic! I was most definitely included in that group. I was personally really excited because she was even from the South of India, just like I am. My excitement soon started decreasing when I read some nasty tweets on twitter about her almost immediately after the competition ended.
Reading those tweets made me really upset and I realized how ignorant people still were in this country. I couldn't believe what I was reading. With America being nicknamed "The Melting Pot", I would think it would be normal for a non-Caucasian to win this competition. But it clearly blew minds that a brown woman could win. It's not even like there has never been a colored woman chosen, it was just that she seemed like so many stereotypes to uneducated people. There were comments saying she was Native American, which by the way is nothing close to being from the country of India, not that it even matters. There were tweets about how she could be Arab or Muslim and maybe even in the Al Qaeda. I even read a few tweets that Donald Trump should ask her for her birth certificate because people really didn't believe that Nina Davuluri could possibly actually be from the United States of America. I was so surprised to see the harsh comments people had to make.
Honestly, it was really upsetting to see people tweeting like this. It is pretty ridiculous how uneducated some people can be and have the nerve to tweet words so harsh to one of their own, in a country of "equality". I picked India as the topic for this blog to teach people about India and I figured I should definitely add something about Miss America 2014 because there was so many racist things being said about a fellow Indian. I just want to point out to these idiots that it doesn't matter what color you are. As long as she is Indian I don't understand why people have such a problem with it. These rude tweets have definitely brought many Indians together and gave Nina Davuluri much support. I don't get why people did say these things, considering this country is mainly made up of immigrants from all over the world. I'm sure the people that made these comments have ancestors that are immigrants and don't even realize. I just wanted to give attention to the racist comments that were being said, because it's really unfair, no matter what country Miss America could have been from. Apparently, this was a serious controversial issue. That really made me laugh. There was an issue about Miss America not being white? Really. There are so many articles about this topic and I've even seen it on the news. Isn't there bigger and worse things happening in the world than a brown woman being crowned Miss America? I think all people really need to do is educate themselves. Or pay attention in school. You'll know the difference between cultures and nationalities before putting comments up on social networks for the world to see.
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