I sometimes really don't understand how people change or adapt so easily. Well , 'adapting' is in a positive context. But the word 'change' can have so many meanings. So let me explain what I meant.
How can you change into something that you have not been so used to from your childhood ? I have always felt that , no matter how much we try to change at a later stage in life , we really tend to go back to way of doing it when we were children.
For example , from my childhood , I have been brought up wearing Indian wear and most of the teenage life has gone past wearing the most common dress in India which is the salwar kameez or the kurtis. Even after 8 years of relocating from India , though I wear formal wear to office , I really crave to wear a kurti now and then.If I am in my formal trousers for 2 days , I certainly choose a kurti on the 3rd day and boy the comfort that I get. It is almost like the feeling of comfort that you get when you land in India after may be a year long of staying outside. The feeling is irreplaceable. And no matter who thinks what , my comfort clothes still remain a salwar kameez and a kurti and proudly so.
But I see so many people who were actually raised in India very similar to wearing what I wore. And then , when they go abroad ( whatever be the reason , study , work etc ) , I see people changing completely. The poor kurti doesn't even have a place in their wadrobe. They do a 360 degree turn in the way they look and behave and act differently. How ? While I agree that people can be different and might want to try out new things , this is not about trying new things. This is about adapting to something very different and actually making it their skin. I really cant understand how people (who have worn salwar all their lives until a point of time ) can suddenly start wearing only shorts and skirts and be completely okay with it and behave as if this is what they were waiting for. Its mostly about the attitude that I am talking about. I am not against trying new things and liking them. No that's not what I am saying.
The same goes with having a bindi on my forehead. I just cant imagine myself without it and I have a certain amount of pride when I wear it , especially to office because it represents that I am from India. But then , I see that so many people are just waiting to get rid of it. Why ? If you have been fighting all your childhood to get rid of it and your parents didn't listen to it , then I understand , that the minute you had the independence , you did what you always wanted to do.
The more I interact with people from outside India here , the more I get a feeling that they do definitely agree with me. Some people really ask me why people from India don't follow their traditions and are not proud of them. Why don't we flaunt the saree or the kurti in front of others here and be proud of it ? The white and the black people here have their own traditions and are so proud of them. They have been brought up in a certain way and they have absolutely no problem continuing the same.
As a matter of fact , one of my friend asked me if I would like to join Mahati for a Ballet class. She has done Ballet all of her school and college life and spoke so passionately about that art and why she wanted her daughter to continue. Why don't we show the same amount of passion or seriousness in continuing our traditions.
I had one of Mahati's friend's mom come over last week and she was amazed with out India masala chai and said we must really make sure that Mahati also drinks this tea because otherwise this tradition is lost here and there is no one to take it forward. She is from China and she really regrets that they don't drink their chinese herbal teas anymore and how they are losing this tradition more and more. Something as small as drinking Indian tea is like a tradition for her. I was so amazed with her observations. I wish , we took our stuff seriously too.
I really admire Rujuta Diwakar in this aspect of "Think Global Eat Global" concept that she has. She really stresses on our grandma's recipes and how we should preserve their way of cooking and eating and continue it and why. Because it has so many benefits to it.
I am not really against trying new things , but I am talking about becoming a completely different person and behave as if you were born and brought up with it. Just my point of view !!
How can you change into something that you have not been so used to from your childhood ? I have always felt that , no matter how much we try to change at a later stage in life , we really tend to go back to way of doing it when we were children.
For example , from my childhood , I have been brought up wearing Indian wear and most of the teenage life has gone past wearing the most common dress in India which is the salwar kameez or the kurtis. Even after 8 years of relocating from India , though I wear formal wear to office , I really crave to wear a kurti now and then.If I am in my formal trousers for 2 days , I certainly choose a kurti on the 3rd day and boy the comfort that I get. It is almost like the feeling of comfort that you get when you land in India after may be a year long of staying outside. The feeling is irreplaceable. And no matter who thinks what , my comfort clothes still remain a salwar kameez and a kurti and proudly so.
But I see so many people who were actually raised in India very similar to wearing what I wore. And then , when they go abroad ( whatever be the reason , study , work etc ) , I see people changing completely. The poor kurti doesn't even have a place in their wadrobe. They do a 360 degree turn in the way they look and behave and act differently. How ? While I agree that people can be different and might want to try out new things , this is not about trying new things. This is about adapting to something very different and actually making it their skin. I really cant understand how people (who have worn salwar all their lives until a point of time ) can suddenly start wearing only shorts and skirts and be completely okay with it and behave as if this is what they were waiting for. Its mostly about the attitude that I am talking about. I am not against trying new things and liking them. No that's not what I am saying.
The same goes with having a bindi on my forehead. I just cant imagine myself without it and I have a certain amount of pride when I wear it , especially to office because it represents that I am from India. But then , I see that so many people are just waiting to get rid of it. Why ? If you have been fighting all your childhood to get rid of it and your parents didn't listen to it , then I understand , that the minute you had the independence , you did what you always wanted to do.
The more I interact with people from outside India here , the more I get a feeling that they do definitely agree with me. Some people really ask me why people from India don't follow their traditions and are not proud of them. Why don't we flaunt the saree or the kurti in front of others here and be proud of it ? The white and the black people here have their own traditions and are so proud of them. They have been brought up in a certain way and they have absolutely no problem continuing the same.
As a matter of fact , one of my friend asked me if I would like to join Mahati for a Ballet class. She has done Ballet all of her school and college life and spoke so passionately about that art and why she wanted her daughter to continue. Why don't we show the same amount of passion or seriousness in continuing our traditions.
I had one of Mahati's friend's mom come over last week and she was amazed with out India masala chai and said we must really make sure that Mahati also drinks this tea because otherwise this tradition is lost here and there is no one to take it forward. She is from China and she really regrets that they don't drink their chinese herbal teas anymore and how they are losing this tradition more and more. Something as small as drinking Indian tea is like a tradition for her. I was so amazed with her observations. I wish , we took our stuff seriously too.
I really admire Rujuta Diwakar in this aspect of "Think Global Eat Global" concept that she has. She really stresses on our grandma's recipes and how we should preserve their way of cooking and eating and continue it and why. Because it has so many benefits to it.
I am not really against trying new things , but I am talking about becoming a completely different person and behave as if you were born and brought up with it. Just my point of view !!
2 comments:
Dear,
Congrats.I like the way you present your thoughts.I totally agree with you.when you are compelled to live in a foreign place for whatever reasons,you are forced to adopt their life style to some extent.But at the same time thinking of preserving your roots is a great thought. Keep it up.
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