Here are some thoughts I had for blog posts. I can’t seem to be able to follow up on them and write a long enough or even a halfway decently structured post. It’s quite a mishmash but bleh! who cares?
Are Saris dying?
Why do such few women of our generation wear saris anymore? I’m not against western attire and I know jeans and kurtis are probably the new national dress of urban Indian women but it seems a shame that western business wear at work and “fusion wear” at weddings are the norm instead of just another addition to a woman’s wardrobe. I’m all for a little black dress on some occasions but I wonder how many woman have a sexy black chiffon sari in their wardrobes too… Nothing beats a sari for elegance, grace, sensuality and showing off your curves. And let’s not forget the added advantage of not having to shave your legs to wear one!
The Great Indian Family
What’s the Indian family like? What are some of the eccentricities that everyone can relate to? Can we agree on some standard characters? How many of these sound familiar?
There’s usually a wise old woman in every family who can tell you “the way things were always done” in the family, who seems to know everyone’s birthday and anniversary and the names of everyone’s kids… You know, the person who’s always at the center of every family photograph (sometimes even seated between the bride and groom in the “new family” photo).
There’s always an uncle or aunt who never tells you when they’re coming for a visit and refuses to take subtle (and not so subtle) hints about their departure. There’s usually a diabetic uncle or aunt who gorges on sweets and rice and complains about their knees. There are usually some cousins who want you to know how well they’re doing abroad (who always bring you a bag of Hershey’s candy and treat you like you’re their sole link to India).
There’s usually a bratty sister or brother, perhaps the youngest in the family, who thinks he/she’s always right who you can never please (hey! that sounds a little like me!). There’s the Buddha of the family. You know, the peacemaker, the person who can never admit that one person is right and the other wrong. They just refuse to lose composure no matter what the level of drama. Which brings us to the drama queen. And there’s usually a loyal servant too, somewhere in the picture. And lots of other people who tend to blend into the background except when there’s drama…
The Need for Well Toned Midriffs
There’s being comfortable with your body and then there’s just plain unsightly. Why can’t some people just hide their flabby/unattractive body parts (I was referring to arms, legs and beer bellies. What were you thinking about dusht buddhi?). I realize there are some unrealistic expectations out there. You’re supposed to be about 20 lb underweight but look curvy just the same. But just because you’re rebelling against the anorexic look imposed by the media it doesn’t mean you have to wear clothes that show off every bit of extra weight you’re carrying. Why is it politically incorrect to say, “Don’t wear a chiffon sari if you don’t have a well toned midriff”? or, just to expect people to wear well fitting clothes that make them look nice instead of well, you know what… I know… No one’s perfect all the time but you know what I mean…
Time Freeze
When we leave a place or person and go back after a long time, we’re always surprised to see that they’ve changed. It’s like the place/person is frozen in time in our minds and we just don’t want to accept that they’ve gone one with their lives. Being shocked by how much your parents have aged since you last saw them. Being thrown off by new trends that have become the norm since you were last in your hometown. It’s not just about familiar landmarks disappearing. It’s almost as if the culture/values you’ve anchored yourself by are suddenly lost. Someone who hasn’t been in India for over twenty years is shocked that young people in India date. I’m surprised by the shift from the sabzi mandi to supermarkets. That sort of thing. Why is it so hard to accept the change we haven’t been a part of?
