Posts Tagged society

Indian Beliefs or Perceptions of American and European Culture

Jan 12

Posted by admin in Consciousness & Awareness, Culture & Society, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad

India Abroad: Indian misconceptions or perceptions of the overseas culture

The Indian misconceptions or perceptions of the the cultures abroad are closely related to our way of thinking. It is human nature, we always try to understand everything in terms of our own culture. Everything we see, everything we observe, we see it through the lenses of our own culture. When we look at the American or the European culture, most of the time, we are just comparing it with our Indian culture, our own beliefs. As mentioned in a previous article, our beliefs play a major role in how we see rest of the world.

Many of you may consider this as a redundant piece of information – nothing new. Yes, you are right. It is nothing new, but it is something – we still have these misunderstandings or notions that we should remind ourselves of; it is something that may help us with self awareness and as a result, may reduce our stereotype about foreign cultures.
So take this with a grain of salt. Some of these misconceptions may sound absurd, or may sound very true – depending on your personal outlook, depending on what you believe.

Here are some of the beliefs and notions that Indians have about the Western – American or European or Australian – culture.

Not Very Religious: It is very hard to compare one religion to another. For example, in some religions you are expected to pray multiple times a day while in some others a daily prayer might do. The fact is every religion dictates its own rituals, it own guidelines. The religion is a very predominant part of the western society. the younger generation may be a bit less religious and more spititual. If you pass by any Church in America on a Sunday morning, they are jam-packed; you won’t find a place to park.

Drug Use and Similar Vices:Where do we start, may be with some Bollywood movies depicting or comparing western culture with desi culture. ! We may be exaggerating a bit when we say that smoking and drug use is much more common in the Western countries. If you walk down the street of any major US city, you won’t find many smokers in public, just as an example. People are more health conscious now-a-days. The drug use is probably comparable to India. You are not going to find ganja smoking hippies (as shown in some Indian movies) on a corner of every American or European city streets. That was 70s, and the movie was ‘Purab or Paschim’! Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: american-culture, Culture, Desi, india abroad, Indian, Living Abroad, misconceptions, Non-Resident Indian, NRI, NRIs, perception, society, USA

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20 Tips on personal safety and crime prevention abroad

Dec 15

Posted by admin in Culture & Society, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad

Commonsense tips on crime prevention and how to be safe in a foreign country

Safety doesn’t happen by accident. ~Author Unknown

Every country, neighborhood, every place has its flaws. One way or another, every city – big or small – is victim of crime. It is a part of the life; we are all exposed to some sort of danger all the time – at home or abroad.

In a foreign country, safety and security have always been keys concern of travelers and immigrants alike. Be it the streets of New York, south-side of Chicago, the suburbs of London,….. the safety is always in the forefronts of our thoughts.

An immigrant (or a minority) often considers herself/himself to be more exposed to the danger of personal safety for many reasons:

The local criminals may feel it easier or less risky to go after an outsider, or a minority group.
Many societies blame the immigrants for unemployment and job-loss issues, this social bias or grudge can contribute to the crimes against them.
Many fanatics may single out the minorities as a cause of their social agenda, and target them.

While you cannot eliminate the racism or discrimination overnight, – even though it is a good wish, next to the cure of aging – there are certain things we can all do to be safer and more secure in a foreign land:

1. Select the residence location wisely: Pick a neighborhood with low crime rate that is safer to live. Do your research while selecting a residence. For example, many local newspapers publish information such as ‘Best places to raise a family’. A local real estate agent can also guide you to the safer areas. Avoid areas with known crime issues.

2. Avoid bad company: It is simple as that, however, easier said than done. The company and the circle of friends you keep play a big role in day-to-day interactions with the society. Steer clear of the gang and crime infected social circles. Avoid areas with gang activities; stay away from unsavory characters.

3. Lock doors and windows: Once you have a residence selected in a good neighborhood, make it secure and burglar-proof. Install good quality dead-bolt locks on all the exterior doors. Also, Install quality locks on all the windows. Keeping your placed locked provides extra sense of security.

4. Cut over-grown shrubs and trees around the residence: Make sure to remove or trim shrubbery that hides doors and windows. That way, neighbors or passersby can see someone trying to break into your home. Limit the hiding spots for a burglar by keeping the bushes and trees tidy and well-trimmed.

5. Well-lit Place: Always have a light outside the front door and other areas of entrance. A well-lit area discourages the thieves and bad guys. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: crime prevention, immigrant, india abroad, Indians Abroad, Living Abroad, overseas, personal safety, safety, society, staying safe, tips

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‘Color-blind’ kool kids of today!

Dec 6

Posted by admin in Consciousness & Awareness, Culture & Society, Non-Resident Indian, Race Relations, india abroad

Fading racial bias and prejudice among the younger generations abroad!

Children make you want to start life over. ~Muhammad Ali

11:50 AM, 12/5/09
San Francisco suburbs, USA
Location: A kids’ party venue

“Rupa, you are here!,” a pretty little girl in red exclaimed the obvious; her curly blond hair bounce as she shakes her head with a chuckle.
“Happy Birthday, Courtney,” said Rupa, handing over the gift bag. The mothers exchanged a smile, and a hello; and then moved inside to make room for the next young guest arriving with another gift bag.

Kids run around in the play area. All kinds of play stations are spread around, twinkling bright lights filling the large play-room with colorful glow.

Every few minutes, a new kid arrives with a new gift. And, the ‘birthday girl’ – Courtney – runs to the welcome area to greet the newly arrived friend. Smiles, giggles, chuckles and innocent greeting fill the air:
“Hi, how did you get here?”
“I didn’t know you were coming!”
“Did you see the big pile of my gifts?”
“You are here too???”…….a joyful and lively chatter fills the big play room.

In the play area, a clear pattern starts to emerge. The kids are getting on with what they are good at – playing. Boys are crowding the ‘boyish games’ – target shooting, hoops, gun battle, Sponge Bob etc. They are running around – play station to play station, bragging and showing off, making sure that there is someone to witness their great performance.

The little girls have their own things going, mostly with the girly stuff. They are attracted to the ‘mechanical pony rides’, ‘matching games’, ‘the make-up show’ and pink swirly slides…… And, some more adventurous ones are taking up on the boys, playing hoops and shoots. There are no barriers, no rules, no bars. Everybody is a busy in their main goal – having fun. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Culture, india abroad, Living Abroad, Non-Resident Indian, NRI, Race Relations, racial-bias, self-improvement, society, unconscious bias, USA

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Thanksgiving – More than Family, Food and a Prayer!

Nov 26

Posted by admin in Consciousness & Awareness, Culture & Society, Non-Resident Indian, Trivial Stuff

Happy Thanksgiving

Today – on 4th Thursday of every November – America is celebrating Thanksgiving Day. The schools are closed for better part of this week; most of the businesses close Thursday though Sunday. Everybody is in a festive mood.

The American Thanksgiving holiday traces its origins back to 1621 when newly arrived Pilgrims from England held a harvest feast after a successful crop growing season. For more on the history of the holiday, you can take a look at Wikipedia or search on-line….

So, it is a harvest festival. Over the years, however, it has become a ‘Turkey Day’ – every feast for every family gathering is supposed to include baked or roasted turkey. Cooking a 20 pound turkey is an adventure in itself. There are live help lines where you can call toll-free from your kitchen for free help if cooking is not going the way you expected; the nice ladies on the other end of the phone are always full of tips and tricks to help you out. This – ‘the turkey tip line’ – is one of the businesses they cannot outsource to India or China, at least not yet!

Thanksgiving is the time to thank; it is time to thank God, family and friends. It is time to thank God for all the good things and good karma bestowed on you. It is time to thank friends and family for their support, for their love, and for standing with you throughout the year. So no doubt, there is lots of feasting, lost of family gatherings and yes, some praying around this festival.

The day after the Thanksgiving – often called black Friday – is the busiest shopping day of the year; the start of Christmas shopping season. Some of the best deals and bargains are offered on this day, the stores open at 5AM and if you want to find a decent parking spot, you better get their before 4 AM…..A mob scene at its best! Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: America, conscience, Culture, festival, Living Abroad, self-improvement, society, Thanksgiving

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‘Happily Single’ – Growing trend of marriage-free single lifestyle

Nov 13

Posted by admin in Consciousness & Awareness, Culture & Society, Marriages & weddings

All young women begin by believing they can change and reform the men they marry. They can’t. ~George Bernard Shaw

Some things never change; human mentality for ever-lasting freedom is one of them!

Growing Trend of staying single and marriage-free
According to the United States Bureau of the Census, the fastest-growing household type since the 1980s has been ‘the single person’. There has been a similar increase in single person households in England as well. If we look around, this trend is probably true for most of the free societies around the world.
Surprised?
You should not be. The institution of marriage has been under attack for a long-long time. This attack is coming from the marriage itself – the attack from within!
Now, what are these attacks from inside – from the marriage and married life itself? There are too may, you name it:

Unhappy marriages – there are plenty of them to go around;
Incompatible marriages – Not made for each-other;
Marriages with different expectations – ‘I never thought we will end up like this’
Drifting away over time – ‘I didn’t know we could grow apart over time’,
The past – ‘I miss my freedom of good old single days’
The grind – ‘I am doing this for the sake of the kids….only for the kids’
Regret – ‘Sometimes I wish I could turn back the clock’
The dead End – All the way to something like ‘I hate your guts more than I hate you’
….And many worse endings…

This should not surprise anyone, right? We all have seen this in our society, in our neighborhood. Day after day, there are examples of miserable or failed marriages playing out in our own back-yards. But somehow, we have all have found a way to justify and isolate ourselves from those troubled relations.
“That couldn’t be me. I can never be miserable like this”. Many have made this kind of promises to themselves. These self-declarations may not mean much down the road.

Marriage – The Compromise, the sacrifice
The Marriage brings reality of married life. And if reality is not what was expected, the justification begins. The justification may vary, but it is often there. Just ask around, give it a try!
You can ask your parents, your can ask your friends. Or if you have courage, ask yourself. If your listen, everybody says the same thing, one way or another: ‘Marriage is a compromise, it is a sacrifice’. Those who disagree are either delusional, or crazy, or single, or newly married. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Consciousness, Culture, marriage, marriage free, married life, sacrifice, single person, society, wedding

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India Abraod – The attacks on Indians in Australia

Nov 10

Posted by admin in Culture & Society, Non-Resident Indian, Race Relations, Trivial Stuff, india abroad

The attacks on Indians in Australia continue
The violent attacks on Indians in Australia continue. Last week, another Indian student was assaulted and left unconscious in Melbourne. The Australian youth attackers told him that “in this place there is no home for you”. This is the second published attack in last one week. There may be many more smaller or unreported incidents that we don’t hear about.

It is very sad and horrifying that these incidents against Indians have continued over the months. Since June 2009, scores of Indians have been attacked and are victims of physical violence at the hands of local Australians. The governments from both sides have been addressing these ugly incidents. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has spoken to his Australian counterpart in the past; external affairs minister S M Krishna has visited the country; and Australia has assured a policy of zero tolerance against the attacks. There have been many steps taken by the Australian Government to deal with all this, but there seems to be no end in sight.

It is clear that the issue is bigger than the Australian authorities. The law enforcement authorities and the policeman on the street can only do so much in this case.

Is the local economy to blame for the attacks?
Many believe that these attacks are triggered by the slow-down in economy. The unemployment is growing everywhere; people are struggling to find jobs. The immigrants and outsider often get the blame for stealing the jobs away from the locals.

This thinking and blame-game is not new or uncommon across the globe. In America, with unemployment exceeding 10%, immigrants and outsourcing are often quoted as one of the reasons for difficulties in finding work. There are many factions and groups, including some media outlets, in USA that openly blame immigrants as part of the economic problem. The main focus in America has been the Mexican immigrants who are blamed for taking away the lower wage jobs from working class Americans.

The attacks in Australia could very well have economic downturn as a contributing factor, if not the bigger or actual rootcause. However, the nature of the attacks, where the students are more prone to the violence, seems more of a general resentment against sharply growing Indian population.

Racism or not?
Now, this is another can of worms. So far in recent years, this resentment against the immigrants and outsiders has been peaceful – non-violent – except these on-going cases in Australia. No matter how you look at the social or economic issues, it is hard to justify any violence against a particular community under any circumstances. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Australia, Culture, immigrant, India, india abroad, Indian students attacked, Indian students in australia, Living Abroad, Non-Resident Indian, Race Relations, racial-bias, society, student attacks

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Halloween: Monsters, vampires, witches, ghosts…

Oct 28

Posted by admin in Culture & Society, Non-Resident Indian, Trivial Stuff, india abroad

Happy Halloween!

Yes, it is that time of the year again. Turn on the haunted music, put out some spooky displays and cook up some ‘scary’ recipes. October 31st is approaching – The Halloween is here!

Orange and black colors are the main theme this time. The houses are decorated with spooky stuff. The fake gigantic spider-webs are covering the bushes and trees in the front yards. The scare-crows are marking their territories. Carved pumpkins with orange lights complete the scene.

The shopping malls are staged with Halloween accessories. Halloween costumes of monsters, ghosts, skeletons, witches, devils….are on display. The ‘creepy scene’ is enhanced with the gloom-and-doom music playing in the background. The haunted attractions combine entertainment and thrill, in a scary way!

The stores are stocked up with truck loads of candy; there are so many different kinds to choose from. Make your choice wisely; think KIDS and you will know which ones to buy; which ones will make the little monsters happy. If not ‘treated’ with the proper sugar, they may brand your place as ‘the house with bad candies’ and even have some ‘tricks’ all over your property – like raw eggs spattered on your front door or on your car parked outside…

Creepy costumes
The kids are busy planning, planning for their Halloween costume. The goal is simple – scarier the better! Fancier the cuter! Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Culture, festivals, ghosts, halloween, india abroad, Non-Resident Indian, society, USA, witches

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Spiritual but not religious

Oct 24

Posted by admin in Consciousness & Awareness, Culture & Society, Religion

Spirituality without religion is a growing trend!

Every religion is based on the principles that cater to the welfare of its followers. Most of the religions provide a guidance or knowledge -the enlightenment- on how to get closer to the God. The religion and spirituality often go hand-in-hand. The religion provides commandments or ‘rules’ on how to be a better human being; a basic foundation of spirituality.

However, there is trend amongst modern generations of finding ways to be spiritual without being religious. According to a Newsweek Beliefnet poll in USA, about 24% of the population identifies itself as ‘Spiritual but not religious.’

Rather than looking for God, more and more of us are looking for ‘how to improve ourselves’ or ‘how to be better human being’ or ‘how to find peace in life’. If you look around, more and more of us are searching for a balance in life.

In today’s society, everybody is very busy – may be too busy for no reason, but that is a topic for some other time . Gone are the days when going on pilgrimage was part of ‘thing to do’. Instead, most of us are looking for some answers in our own backyard, within our own soul. Rather than saying an hour-long prayer – without knowing the meaning of the words in it, focus is shifting to self improvement, being a better person.

Our priorities are shifting with time. Instead of looking for ‘enlightenment’ or searching for ways to guarantee a place in the ‘heaven’, the focus is on the present life and what comes with it – the daily challenges, the daily dilemmas, the daily rewards, the daily karma… Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Religion, religious, self-improvement, society, Spiritual, Spiritual but not religious, spirituality

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How to change a perception

Oct 23

Posted by admin in Consciousness & Awareness, Culture & Society, personal development

How to change others’ perceptions about you!

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” ~ Warren Buffett

“My boss thinks I am lazy!”
“Well, you are always last to the office in the morning.”
“But, I am always last to leave in the evening.”
“Yeah, but she is already gone by then, she wouldn’t know that.”
“I seriously need to do something to change her perception about me!”

Perception is you mind’s eye:
A perception is how we ‘see’ something or someone in our own mind. The common beliefs or assumptions play a role in the existing perception. Based on many factors including social and environmental surroundings, this is the way our brain ‘perceives’ something or someone. True or false, a strong perception is no less than the real truth. This is how we see things in our ‘mind’s eye’.
Once established in our brain, a perception becomes a part of our thinking, a part of our life; it is hard to change.

How to change the perceptions:
So, how do you change others’ perception about you?
Some perceptions are easy to change. For example, in the conversation above, the boss has a perception about one of her employees of being lazy. That perception can be easily changed by being proactive, by showing up to the office before anybody else does EVERYDAY. Note that to change a perception, you have to be consistent -again and again.

The most effective way to change a perception is to prove it – the perception- wrong consistently. Show everybody that what they believe is very different from the reality. Here are a few common approaches for changing a perception

Create awareness: Let everyone around you know that what they perceive is not true. Share the facts; share the information to prove your side. Nobody denies the facts – unless you are dealing with someone whose mind is already made-up no matter what; in that case, it is not a perception but a deep rooted bias and prejudice.

Build a relation and trust: For others to listen to you and your side, you need have a relation -a closeness- with the other side. If they trust you, they will believe your facts. If not, no matter how reliable your source is, they won’t get your side of the story. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: change perception, Culture, India, india abroad, Living Abroad, NRI, overseas, perception, personal development, Personal Growth, rock the boat, self-improvement, society, tips

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The overseas culture shock

Oct 5

Posted by admin in Consciousness & Awareness, Culture & Society, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad

Culture shock for new immigrants abroad

“The wise adapt themselves to circumstances, as water moulds itself to the pitcher” ~Chinese Proverbs

The culture shock is the feeling of anxiety and emotional discomfort that an immigrant suffers when moving to another country or another place with very different culture, customs and social environment.

No matter how open minded we are, it is hard to ignore the differences around us when we first venture out to an overseas place. Be it as a student or as an immigrant, the vast difference in culture and customs is a part of the new encounters, and the early experiences in a new land.

The surroundings and the social settings of the new country are always dramatically different for a newcomer. Everything that was once taken for granted in home country is up for recalibration: the language, the accent, the skin color, the dress code,…. Everything is new; everything is different. The phone works differently; the food is not the same, the traffic laws are confusing…

All of a sudden, our own way of life, our own way of speaking and our own customs become a foreign concept in the new land. This radical change and the sudden differences everywhere in the new country is what we call the culture shock.

This culture shock basically comes from the significant differences in the cultural and social settings as one migrates from one place to another. These resulting effects of all this could include anxiety, confusion, lack of direction, the feeling of not knowing what to do, or how to do things in a new country…. Not knowing what is appropriate or inappropriate, what is accepted and not accepted etc. are the daily dilemmas.

Migrating to another country is an adventure that involves many ‘ups’ and ‘downs’ – the culture shock being one the very first ‘downs’.

The feelings and symptoms of culture shock: This mental and emotional phase of confusion from culture shock comes with many new feelings. Depending on the personal tolerance or attitude, the feelings may include: Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: adaptation, Culture, culture shock, immigrant, immigration, India, india abroad, Indians Abroad, Living Abroad, Non-Resident Indian, NRI, society

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Overseas perceptions about people from India

Sep 30

Posted by admin in Consciousness & Awareness, Culture & Society, India, Non-Resident Indian

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Culture, Desi, immigrant, India, india abroad, Indians, Indians Abroad, Living Abroad, misconception, NRI, perception, society

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The Summer Memories!

Sep 16

Posted by admin in Culture & Society, Entertainment, Trivial Stuff, india abroad

One more Summer gone by, where are your memories?

The kids are going back to school; the days are shrinking again, the nights getting longer. The sunny days of summer are ready to say goodbyes. There is a chill in the morning air…
The days go by, the time keep ticking; the meaning of life is lost somewhere in between…

It was only yesterday that we were kids; we used to look forward to the summer breaks. With the hot sun scorching all day, we never cared or complained about the summer heat of India. The air conditioners were rare. To save electric-power, there were electric shut-downs everyday for hours, but that did not bother us much. There were very few things to worry about.

Every summer, there used to be something going on. The life was simple but rewarding. Every day eventful. Even the trivial stuff mattered. Roaming aimlessly with a group of friends had a purpose. The lasting monsoon rains and lightening storms never stopped any of us from venturing out. Stopping was not in our plan towards meaningless destinations… or wandering thoughts….

I remember one summer a friend of mine was infatuated with this girl. She was visiting her aunt, a few houses down the street from his house. She was in town for the summer break.
Every evening on a set time, she used to come out on the roof-top balcony. He would wait for hours- even though he knew she would not come out until her aunt is busy in the kitchen. On the far side of the street, he would stand there waiting…
Eventually she used to come out and he would stand their with a smile; they would exchange the ‘hellos’ by waiving, the controlled little waive without letting anybody else see the gestures. This was their daily ritual that would last from a few minutes to half an hour depending on the surroundings or nosy neighbors. One day, on his asking, I watched them from behind his door. I was his witness, so he could brag to all our friends about this ‘achievement’ of his…. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Culture, growing up, memories, society, summer, summer memories, summer-break

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Crossing the language barrier abroad!

Sep 14

Posted by admin in Communication Skills, Consciousness & Awareness, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad, personal development

“The language barrier is probably the most difficult and takes the longest to overcome.” ~ Stephen Lee

Most of the times, the phrase ‘Language barrier’ refers to the difficulties people face during communicating if they don’t speak the same language; or if the speech or accent is too different to communicate effectively.
Almost everyone who ventures out to the worlds far-far away, the language barrier is one of the many hurdles encountered in the new land. For people migrating from India, even though they speak and understand English in most of the cases, the communication problems still exist. The fact is that spoken English in America or other Western countries is not the same as in India. The style, the slang, the acceptable norms….everything is different. One is bound to feel out of place in the beginning of this overseas journey.

The key issues surrounding the language barrier and the best ways to approach or alleviate them are:

The language knowledge: Knowledge of the English language is the most important step toward adjusting and adapting to the English speaking culture and society. The understanding of grammar and sound knowledge of vocabulary are necessary to build a reliable foundation for any language. For people from India, this is not a major issue because most of us learn English in school and have a good command of the language itself.

The ‘thick’ accent: The accent is natural; this is how we talk and speak in our native country growing up. The Indian accent of English –commonly called ‘thick’ accent- is very different from the way they speak English overseas. While there are ways to soften the accent or dramatically reduce it by practice and with conscious effort, it takes time to lose the accent. For details on this topic, refer to the previous post titled ‘A self-help guide to lose your accent!’. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Accent, accent-reduction, accent-softening, adaptation, communication, Culture, immigrant, India, india abroad, indian-abroad, language barrier, Living Abroad, overseas, personal development, Personal Growth, society, tips, USA

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Common myths and misconceptions about India!

Aug 21

Posted by admin in Consciousness & Awareness, Culture & Society, Entertainment, India, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad

The misconceptions that your American/foreigner friends may have about India and Indians!

“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” ~Gandhi

I am delighted to run into more and more Americans who have so many good things to say about India. The younger generation in particular is very open-minded toward global outlook. However, from time to time, we do get some out-of-the-blue questions about India. Based on my personal experiences as well as the stories from friends and families, here are some of the common misconceptions or myths about India:

1. Elephants in our backyards: We don’t keep elephants as a pet. Here is an actual question from an elementary school student to an Indian teacher in US, “Do you used to ride an elephants to your school in India?”

2. Everybody snake-charmer: Not every Indian is a snake charmer. “Are those cobras poisonous?”, as if Indians are supposed to know everything about snakes.

3. The Indian Curry: Not every dish we eat is curry based. More and more Americans are trying and enjoying Indian food, but curry is invariably linked with India. An Indian restaurant manager always has interesting anecdotes to share about his experiences with American customers, like this one:
“Can I have some curry samosa please” asked the white customer when the waiter came around to take order.
“How would you like it – spicy or mild” The waiter asked without reacting to the choice of entree.
“Medium”, he replied.
The waiter came back with 2 Samosas and the chutney/sauce to dip in.
I guess Indian sauce is also considered curry for some. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: common myths, Culture, Desi, India, india abroad, India myth busting, India myths, Indians Abroad, Living Abroad, misconceptions, myths, Non-Resident Indian, overseas, society

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2020: Corruption free India, Happy I-day!

Aug 15

Posted by admin in Entertainment, History, India, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad

Happy Independence Day, India

9:00PM, August 15, 2020; San Francisco, USA
flag11_70
He plugged the PAT5000 robot into the electric socket for night time charging after it was done cleaning the kitchen and living room. Taking the newly installed escalator up to the bedroom floor, he went to his daughter’s room to tuck her in.
“Tell me a story papa”, she repeated her favorite request as soon as he walked in!
He was drawing a blank at first; fixing her sheets, he started:
“Once upon a time, long ago, there was a country – India- ruled by a foreign Empire. The rulers from England were not very nice. They stole lots of Diamonds and Gold, and many other things…from India”
“Diamonds are very shiny, right?” She asked.
Yes, very shiny. ‘The Kohinoor’ was one of the shiniest and biggest of all” he went on…
….”After centuries of submission to the outside ruler, a small group of Indians started a fight for freedom.
“Why?” She was not interested..
“So they could be free and independent. As the time went by, the fight became more and more popular and grew bigger and bigger.”
“Popular is good, right? You think I will be popular in my school?”

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: August 15, corruption, Corruption free India, corruptrion free, Desi, freedom, Happy I-day, independence day, India, Indian, Indian independence, Indians Abroad, NRI, society

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LIFE IN CHINA…..A new place..A new culture!

Aug 9

Posted by admin in Culture & Society, India, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad

This is a guest post from d. mirpuri– an Indian in China , sharing experiences and thoughts about living in China .

China is much like India . This is the place where you’ll see fields still being plowed by an oxen while the farmer chats away on his mobile as he works – just talk when u walk baby!

Executives dressed in fake chinese made Armani suits and louis vuitton bags dash between high-powered business meetings.Yet, they always spend their Chinese new year with LAI-LAI (grandma) at her village home where she keeps poultry, grows plum (Indian bear) trees, has freshly ground chilies (they don’t use much masalas), and cooks spicy tofu-chicken (mapu-tofu) in her kitchen wok over an open fire. The youngsters play basket ball, the oldies practice thai chii (exercise) in the wee hours of the morning or soon after dusk.They can be found in any garden. Non chinese are always welcome to join them.

In China , you can see bullet trains passing by the donkey drawn carts; skyscrapers towering over old Buddhist temples. It is here that you will see that the poor have nearly next to nothing, and the rich have all. With its booming economy, life in China can be both richly rewarding and incredibly frustrating. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: China, Culture, immigrant, India, india abroad, Indians Abroad, life in China, Living Abroad, Non-Resident Indian, NRI, society

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The growing trends of love-marriages in India!

Aug 7

Posted by admin in Culture & Society, Entertainment, India, Marriages & weddings

What counts in making a happy marriage is not so much how compatible you are, but how you deal with incompatibility. ~ Leo Tolstoy

The love-marriage in India goes beyond the age-old love stories portrayed in the black-and-white Bollywood movies. Some of the earliest scriptures (Rig Veda), books (KamaSutra) and stories prove the fact that the love-marriage has never been a foreign concept for India.
However, these love flings are have been discouraged in the Indian society due to many reasons:

Very protective style of parenting- especially for girls,
Social stigma against pre-marital relations
Love affair are always looked down by the elders.
Cast restrictions and wedding rules don’t go well with love marriages

However, the things have been changing. The society is becoming more and more tolerant with time. The love marriage is no longer a taboo in Indian society, especially among younger generation. The pre-marital relations are growing into a fashion in big cities, perhaps a statement of progressive thinking.
In fact, the semi-arranged marriages have been evolving more and more into love marriages. While the families try their best to stick with traditional wedding, including controlling the bride/groom selection, the new crop is quickly walking towards the western style of relations.
The semi arranged and love marriages have become a part of Indian culture and customs, just like arranged marriages were in old day. The society as a whole has come a long way to accept the natural evolution. Many social factors have facilitated the acceptance of love marriage very quickly, including:

Independent thinking and open-mindedness among today’s youth,
The exposure to western culture,
Hollywood movies’ wide-spread influence in India
Desi flicks from Bollywood that always have tumultuous romance stories with happy endings,
More and more acceptance of inter-class weddings by the older generation,
Modernization of India in the last decade…

Regardless if it is an arranged marriage or love-marriage, the accompanied traditions and matrimonial ceremonies have not changed. The pundits still have their jobs, the celebrations are bigger than ever and you can even hire a Bollywood star to dance at your extravagant wedding for the right amount of money.
Unfortunately, the freedom of marriage and partner selection also brings freedom of un-selecting. Divorce, the word itself considered ominous in India at one time, has become a part of the society. More and more couples are failing to make adjustments and compromises – a key requirement for any marriage.
And, in case of unhappy ending, there is no money back guarantee from the pundits, the singers or the expensive Bollywood dancers hired for the wedding.

Tags: Culture, customs, India, india abroad, Indian, indian weddings, love marriage, marriage, society, wedding

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Stand up for child rights!

Jul 30

Posted by admin in Consciousness & Awareness, India, Non-Resident Indian

This is a guest post from Susan Varghese -DGM of Global Operations at Child Rights and You (CRY)

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Children are always the most vulnerable victims of any crisis, be it economic, political, social or environmental, as they do not live in isolation – they belong to families, communities and society at large.
The reality of India today is that millions of children continue to have their very survival threatened on a daily basis- by malnutrition, illiteracy, child labour, preventable diseases, abuse and exploitation illustrated by statistics like:
- One in every six girl children does not survive to see her 12th birthday due to discrimination and neglect
- 50% of children, aged 6-14 years are not in school
- 2 million Indian babies die before they celebrate their first birthday
- Statistics reveal that India has 16.57 million child labourers.

And it is because of this reality that Child Rights and You (CRY) exists today – to be the voice of children, especially Indian.
CRY – Child Rights and You, India’s leading child rights advocate believes that children are citizens in their own right, the future of their countries and the world, entitled to the full spectrum of human rights. We hence work towards restoring rights to underprivileged children, especially in India. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: child rights, child rights and you, conscience, conscious, cry.org, India, society

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