Tag Archive | "friends"

Intercultural Hospitality in Our Mixed Home

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

12 Comments

A commenter at this site, Lurker Frequent (aka LF), has once again asked a really interesting set of related questions in the comments section of a recent post that I'd like to address as a proper post, since I have plenty to say on the topic. Here's his questions: I am very curious to know about relationship dynamics in your Indian American Household, with regards to the cultural differences in customs in India and America. More specifically, in India, people invite each other over and unexpectedly drop in and hang out and do things together. In the US it's more planned, and “khatirdari” is less common in this DIY land. How does it work in your family? How do you handle all the social obligations of an Indian wife? ... the Indian bahu is “supposed” to do a bunch of stuff like cook, clean, wash, entertain the guests, manage social life etc. etc etc. It's all voluntary though, no pressures in modern day families. How's your “Bahurani” experience been like? Do you guys do all of that? I think I'll shelve the "chores" section of the question for a later date to focus on the hospitality portion of LF's question. So what follows here are my thoughts on hospitality generally in intercultural households, the interculturalness (or lack thereof) of our household hosting , and some general tips that might be of use to others.

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An Office Diwali Celebration

Monday, October 19, 2009

32 Comments

Ah, Diwali. Fesitval of lights. A celebration of good triumphing over evil. A time to bemuse your boss and win free dessert from your local Indian buffet. Right? As I've mentioned previously, I happen to work in a very diverse office - and with a recent switch in teams, I now report to a South Indian manager. He's a great boss, but, occasionally, well, I can't help myself - I'll mention a Hindu tradition or a Bollywood film just to see his reaction. You see, despite the fact that he knows I'm married to an Indian, he's always so surprised when I show any knowledge of Indian culture. Shocked, almost. So, of course, to celebrate Diwali this year I decided to wear a sari to work.

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