Posted on: 02-10-04 10:18:06
you will always get a familiar feeling when you think of india. it cant go away because it is like if i show u a childhood picture or give you some dish that your grandma used to prepare. It happens to everyone. if i see the movie -sound of music for example i get nostalgic or hear an old song.
however when in india, u had aspirations which u came here to fullfill and i think being here and reading the canadian paper etc is something which is wonderful. having a canadian lifestyle dotted with a kutchi one makes the whole thing have some roots to it, unlike many westerners who dont know where they are from.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
smile ...
Exactly, Now should being from india and settled in Canada be a cause for identity crisis ?
I feel it just enhances our identity. It is not an identity cricis.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
What can be imagined, can be achieved.
Quote:
Orginally posted by wisernow
Every ethnic community has retained its distinct flavours in some ways. So, don't fret! It is perfectly natural. Enjoy it!
I am not fretting about the loss of my identity. I am concerned that we are isolating ourselves from the mainstream, which is a big disadvantage for us, especially for professionals.
Everybody says that networking is the way to get a job or move up in the corporate ladder. By cutting yourself from the mainstream people, you are restraining yourself from a chance to know and observe people closely. ( I also fit in the same category). At same time, it robs you of the opportunity to expose your abilities to your colleague/supervisor/manager.
It is true that "birds of same feathers flock together". But birds should not isolate themselves at the risk of losing their culture or getting exposed to alien thoughts.
One particular habit, I think, is that we (Indians) do not eat out that much, while people here (read "White"
normally have their lunch outside, once every week. Sometimes they also go out for the beer. And this is the time to socialize.I do not say that we should also start drinking beer or start eating at McDonalds. But rather creating our own "ghetto", we should try to pick up the nuances and good habits, which are helpful in moving ahead in our career
amen
Meghal
isolation never helps and when theres a social hour many birds flock together. i also find some people eager to please the whites and ignore their indian friends as a result. i think that it takes a big effort to mix with both cultures in an effective way. and its real important to do that. why ? for contacts, for being open to new ways, and to integrate.
at the end of the day u can become so comfortable with the both groups that u dont need to flock to anyone really.
Hey man, the theme's been going on since the 60's. Much too hackneyed for me. Find it too borin'. Even the movies on this this theme that receive rave reviews suck in my opinion.
Jes take it as it comes. Wanna be an Easy Rider? Just don't bogart that joint.
BKB
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Get what you want by helping others get what they want
Yeah, growing up in India. Listening to Elvis Presley, Cliff Richard, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones on 45 RPM records. I wanna Hold your Hand, D in love, Jailhouse Rock, (I can get no)Satisfaction. Going to movies to watch flicks starring John Wayne, Doris Day, Cary Grant. Rio Bravo. North by Northwest, Cleopatra, Magnificent Seven. Lata Mangeshkar?Mohd Rafi? Kishore Kumar? Rajendra Kumar?Raj Kapoor? Nutan ? Sangam? Joker? Gumnaam? No, not any of the latter for us just the former English sounding actions. Later on it was Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull and Jimi Hendrix. Clint Eastwood, Burt Reynolds, Jane Fonda. No Shanker -Jaikishin, no Rajesh Khanna, no Dharmendra, no Zeenie baby. Just plain foreign action. And so on and so forth. Then we came West. Do we feel an identity crisis? No. We are Indians, but we do not feel an identity crisis. Do those who do, think we are weird cookies?If they do, that’s their trip. We don’t.
So folks, just to let you know that there are Indians here who do not suffer no identity crisis. We just plain love the way we are. We love to truck down to Hard Rock Café and share notes with the locals there. We teach some, we learn some. We love to go with local mature citizens to restaurants and bars and share notes on W.C Fields, Mae West, Humphrey Bogart. And do we hide the fact that we are Indians? No siree bob, we proudly say we are Indians- not the Inuit, Apache, Comanche types but Bharat Indians. Yeah man, India comprises of a wide spectrum of people and we stress it so to the locals.
No identity crisis with us folks- we are citizens of the world. Hope everybody some day thinks like that.
Kinda wishful thinking for my lifetime but for the far off future- qui sait?
BKB
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Get what you want by helping others get what they want
Superb post Meghal and some very good thoughts by Mishtar India too. I echo your sentiments, guys.
And yeah, I agree with you that moving to a new place requires that you not only become comfortable with the place, but enjoy it as well. I don't look at adjusting to a new culture as a chore, rather enjoying the whole process. All this while maintaining my Indian foundation. Somehow, I've never found it that difficult. Especially in a place like Canada which is such a mosaic of cultures.
As much as my I love India, I consider myself very fortunate for the exposure I've been given to the rest of the globe. Just gives you a much broader perspective on things.
I don't think I'm missing out on anything, instead I'm getting the best of both worlds. Can't get much better.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Are you there?
