All about sarees

This is a fact that beauty is always directly associated with females. Aesthetics is an important aspect of being a female. I do not want to stereotype anything, I believe a good looking person(male or female) always appeals more. So, today I want you to know what an Indian girl should know about in this direction.
Every region of India has different ethnic clothes. Like in coastal areas of India, saree is more common wear for women.
Saree is a seamless dress and it is believed that it does justice to the curvy features of women and makes them look more elegant. Saree is one of the traditional dress from India or better say south Asia. It comes in different varieties and price ranges.

Types of sarees:

Based on Fabric: The most common types of saree materials are:

1. Silk: comes from Silkworm: feeds on mulberry leaves
2. Cotton: from cotton balls on the cotton plants
3. Lenin: from the flax seeds plant
4. Blended

 Based on Region:

1. Pattu sarees
2. Baluchari: West Bengal (Murshidabad, Bishnupur). Mythological characters
3. Bomkai, Sambalpuri, Kataki: Orissa

Print on Sarees:

1. check
2. flowers: Jamdani Dhakai
3. broad border sarees
4. booti saree

Mysore silk sarees: First time in India the king of Mysore ordered 12 power looms from Switzerland to make the silk sarees. So Mysore silk sarees are always power-loomed. 

Accessories:

1. check shawls
2. Body shaper for the saree

Every region of India is popular for different types of sarees.

Sarees are known by the region where they are weaved or the fabric material from which they are made from is sourced. For example, Banarasi and Kanjivaram silk sarees are very famous all over the world, these sarees are weaved in the Banaras, Uttar Pradesh, and Kanjivaram, Tamilnadu respectively. These are usually handloom sarees and take months to weave them. Therefore, these sarees are very expensive. And these sarees are made of pure material which is soft and can not be weaved on power-loomed. Because for power loom we need hard yarn like polyester. Secondly, handloom sarees are very durable and last for generations because of durable weaving but power-loom or machine-made sarees are not that durable in case of intricate designs of sarees like Dhakai Jamdani.
Muga silk sarees are a specialty of the Assam state of India. Mekhla Chadar is the type of saree popular in the Assam state of India.
Dhakai or Jamdani sarees: It is the weave famous from the Dhaka region of Bangladesh. And these sarees have jamdani or floral patterns on the saree. Jamdani is primarily a weave in cotton fabric. Again, these sarees are hand-loomed and very expensive.
Baluchari sarees are famous from the Baluchari village in Murshidabad district of West Bengal state of India. And, these sarees have intricate designs of mythological figures or stories on the pallu or loose portion of the saree.
Tussar silk is a variety of silk. There are broadly two types of silk: wild and cultivated. Tussar silk is wild silk.

There are other light-weight sarees of silk known as butter silk saree which are as smooth as butter.
 Then comes tant sarees, which are basically cotton sarees and very popular in the Eastern part of India e.g. West Bengal, Orissa.


Printed sarees: as the name suggests are printed instead of doing any zari or thread or gota work.

• Ikkat: These sarees use the resist-dyeing technique of yarn dyeing and famous for its blurriness texture.
• Tie and dye sarees are the ones that use the tie and dye technique for dyeing the sarees.
• Batik: is another resist-dyeing technique of fabric dyeing using wax.

The weave of the saree:
How a saree is weaved matters a lot because it totally changes the texture and feel of the saree.
For example, Kota Doria is a famous saree from the Kota region of Rajasthan and famous for the chequered weave patterns.
Chiffon saree
Net saree
Velvet saree
Organza saree


Type of work on the saree:
Then comes the types of work done on the saree like zari saree. A zari saree is the one with zari embroidery done on the saree. We have buti (flower bud design) work, stonework on the saree.


Nowadays double-double sarees are very famous, where two halves of the saree are made of different colors or two different materials of different colors.

Kabari wala and Bartan Wali

I moved to Europe few years ago and whenever I visit India people usually ask how life is different in Europe than India. And, most importantly how do I keep myself busy there. Other than clean air and water, clean cities and less traffic, almost no pollution of any kind whether air or noise, there are also subtle differences that you start observing when you reflect upon them.

I have seen that the mail box (which is called a post box in India) is always full in Europe, as well as in Canada. You would wonder why is it. I don't know why but I can tell you what keeps the mail box always full unless you put a note on the mail box that you don't want any unsolicited mails. In Canada and Europe, you get the weekly flyers in your mail box as well as free newspapers. Yes, in developed countries like Canada, Western Europe, newspapers are free. There are few paid newspapers as well but usually the local newspapers are free and they drop those newspapers in your mail boxes. And, if you visit a bank,  mall, or hospital, there are so many information flyers, newsletters and magazines on different subjects, that are also free and you can pick a copy if you wist to read. I am a voracious reader and all these stuff keeps me busy and well-informed.

As all these stuff is free, and you dispose these recyclable paper material in the recycling bins. So, there is no concept of Kabari wala in developed countries. 

Waste management approaches in India and developed countries are totally different.  This is something that you will surely observe. And, the knowledge of what to dispose where also makes the ordinary citizens of  western countries more wiser than ordinary lay persons of India. I was totally surprised when I first heard about the 'Waste Police' in Switzerland. Switzerland enjoys the reputation of the heaven on the earth and this country is worth visiting. Rules about waste management in Switzerland are so strict and well executed that people really care to dispose their waste properly. There are different waste bind for different purposes, waste centers etc.

For old clothes and shoes, there are separate bins. You can dispose your old clothes and shoes in those bins if they are in good condition and can be reused by others. If those clothes or shoes are not in such good condition to be reused than they go into the land fill. But, in India the concept of Bartan wali is so popular, these ladies will come door to door in the afternoons and exchange new utensils for old clothes i.e. sarees, pant, shorts, shoes, etc.

Likewise, for plastic and metals in India, we have kabari wala. But in developed countries, they have separate waste bins for everything.

These bartan walis used to be kind of afternoon entertainment in my childhood when my mom will negotiate a big utensil in exchange of old clothes. Likewise, one Sunday of every month was reserved for Kabari wala to sell the old newspapers. 

These kabari wala were also in big demand in the months of March or say early spring, when the school results are declared and students are excited to go back to the school and will study in new class. So, all the books and copies of previous year will be sold to the Kabari wala.

But, in developed countries you do not find this fun. And, these are the occasions when you get the chance to interact with people. And interaction with real people is very important, it keeps you emotionally healthy. But in this technology driven world, in-person interaction is diminishing though the speed is slow but steady.

 

First Impression of Western World

I moved to Canada almost a decade ago. Whenever I visit my home country India, one common question encountered is how life is different in Canada than India. This is quite an interesting question as this was the first question that used to pop in my mind when I first moved there. And, it is equally interesting to note when my near and dear ones visit the Canada, America or Europe, what they find amazing there and what makes their tour worth visiting.

First thing, which everyone visiting a western land observes is fresh air. Though America is one of the big contributors to pollution, but thanks to its huge landscape that its pollution stands nowhere in the eyes of tourists of India. Air is so pure and blissful even a blind person can testify this. And the overall beauty of the place and cleanness complements the fresh air. Cleanness is a first big impression that every tourist from India has.

This one is a big surprise that markets and shopping malls are either totally closed or close early on weekends in western countries, which is a big contrast to India where malls and shops are open till late hours on weekends. If it is Europe, shops close after 7 on weekdays and Sunday is totally closed.

Another thing that can not go unnoticed in Europe is the ringing of Church bells after every quarter. To me, it is like music to the ear.

Another thing that amaze the most to the tourists from India is that they do not find any traffic police officer at the roads, and everyone whether car driver, bike or bicycle rider or pedestrian, almost all follow the traffic rules even when no one is observing them (Tourists do not know that citizens in western countries are well educated about traffic rules in schools as well as they know that there might be cameras and if they were captured on camera while violating any rule, they will be fined huge).

Next thing that they observe is big, luxurious cars of big brands like BMW, Lexus, Audi, and Mercedes running at high speeds, thanks to the money of taxpayers and strict tax rules as well as good governance that roads are kept pretty maintained.

This is something which really impresses many tourists from India that Train and buses run according to their timetable. When people say time is money, it is something which is truly believed and practiced in western countries.

Again, western countries are so well-planned and organized, that you can truly plan a trip reliably depending on the GPS only, which is something far from reality in India(especially in the real rural India; India has big hopes from the Digital India project). In India, not only drivers but every individual is a GPS in itself and can give you the direction. But you will be surprised to know that even bus drivers in western countries can not help you with the directions. They usually know only their bus route.

Indians always wonder during their trip to foreign countries is that why do westerners mostly wear black and white. Moreover, it amazes them the most that there is no school uniform for the students.

Indians have a common perception that western countries are always cold and it snows there all the time. So, they are always curious to know that why westerners need a refrigerator. My people from India do wonder that whether all the western nation people live in Igloos or wooden houses. And, how do western people walk or drive on snow.

In western countries, everyone has a weather forecast app on their mobile phones, which is something I never have given a thought while living in India. And, I always used to wonder in India why they do show the weather forecast. But, viewing the weather forecast before leaving the house in western countries is like reading the horoscope by Indians before leaving home.

When it comes to gifts from a western country, everyone expects Jackets. Again, girls and women in India think that all the beauty products in America, Canada or say Europe are the best in the world. Not only cosmetics but also handbags. So, the first choice of their gift from a western country is cosmetic products or a handbag. And, boys or tech geeks want electronic gadgets. Not to forget the wine bottles for adults, nobody asks but who would say no to English wine. And chocolates are obvious.

Another thing that can not go unnoticed is the different color dumpsters and recycling site, which is something which almost does not exist in India. And, people need to buy the special garbage bags to throw their garbage. And, the most interesting one is that people also have to buy the special poo packets to clean the shit of their dogs.

The things I find interesting is that I do not need to boil the milk twice a day as I do in India because of the hot weather. Tap water is so clean and fresh, so I do not need any aqua guard or RO (Reverse Osmosis) or any water filter.

Cleanness, pollution-free fresh air, well-maintained roads, beautiful cities, disciplined people, these are really good things that make a country world class. And these are the same things that cling to memories of many Indians after they return back to India from expensive, gala trips from a western land. And, these are the things that are the dreams of many common people in India to witness at least once in their life.

Textile is more than Fashion

Whenever we hear the word 'Textile', the first thing that pops up in our mind is Fashion. If you think so, you are no different. I also used to think a few years ago until I get to know my to-be-husband. He is a textile engineer and whenever we will go out shopping I would expect him to help me decide the latest fashion trend and material for my dresses. He knew many things but that information had nothing to do what he had learned in textile engineering in the university or what he does as a professional Material Scientist in a world-class research laboratory. The clothes that we wear, which we select or reject just on the basis of the looks, go through many long tedious processes before they land up in our hands. Every single piece of textile has a story associated with it.

I do not know whether it was predestined or what, but I would always ask about the textile fabric material before buying it. We see everything as a piece of cloth whether it is a bed sheet, tablecloth, towel, or shirting and suiting. I was surprised to learn that each of these cloth pieces has different fabric characteristics and mechanisms to prepare them. It is like a whole new world and involves so many different operations and research. 

I always used to question my husband what does his work as textile research involve...due to my little exposure I could not comprehend what or why is so much fuss about it. To me, clothes meant fashion, comfort, and style. All they involved was cotton, chiffon, georgette, silk or nylon or polyester, embroidery or cutwork, bandhej or rubber printing...Banarasi  or kanjivaram saree...My dear friends, each of these terms signifies a different phase of a cloth manufacturing.  Cotton, chiffon, georgette, silk or nylon or polyester are the basic fabrics with different characteristics like cotton, silk, wool are examples of natural fibers while nylon and polyester are examples of synthetic fibers. Cotton is good at absorbing water while polyester is not. Nylon is easily flammable than cotton.  This is why cotton shirts are always classic than a polyester one. 

Banarasi and Kanjivaram sarees are made up of pure silk and are weaved on hand looms. These all-time classic sarees involve not only the intricate designs and creativity of the craftsmen but the real passion and love. This is why these sarees are very expensive.

So, the research behind textiles involves how to make the table clothes or kitchen apron fire-resistant and maybe water-resistant...how to make microfiber kitchen towels good at absorbing water etc. I always felt irritated my favorite dupatta or scarf would lose color in its very first wash..now I understand the reason and science behind it.

Every cloth is not only woven or knitted, but there are also a few textiles which are non-woven. I never could understand the idea of non-wovens...they are generally used in hospitals as disposable clothes. And, females deal with non-woven every month as a sanitary pad is a classic example of non-woven. Or young mothers use the diaper for their kids or even adult diapers or napkins used for senior adults are all example of non-woven textile fabrics. 

Our textile journey does not end here only. Industrial revolution has changed the picture of the world. Special clothing are used in industry known as Personal Protective clothing (PPE) e.g. overalls used by firefighters or workers in oil refineries. What is that which allows firefighters to enter the fire to rescue the lives or stop the fire from spreading...are firefighters born with some special trait of being fire-resistant like Prahlad as we see in Indian mythological story of Holika dahan. No, it is not a magic, it is their special clothing made up of technical textiles which help the fire fighters in their heroic work while fighting fires. Have you ever wondered how mountaineers can withstand so much cold...it is because of their clothing. And, these examples signifies the importance of textile scientists who experiment and test the fabrics to make them suitable for special purposes. Following links are just a glimpse what goes behind the thermal protective clothing of a firefighter:

1 Characterization of textile fabrics under various thermal exposures

2. Thermal sensors for performance evaluation of protective clothing against heat and fire: a review 

3. Thermal Protective Clothing for Firefighters

Please leave your comments below if you would like to explore further about this topic, I would be glad to assist you.

   

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan( Swachh Bharat Mission or Clean India Mission)

(Picture Courtesy: Google Image)

In past few years, it has been a big deal in India i.e. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, a new campaign started by the honorable prime minister of India, Mr. Narender Modi. I wonder that India always takes pride in being one of the oldest civilizations in the world, then why is it that India has to start such a campaign in the 21st century. At one end, India is anticipated as the fastest growing economy and progressing fast on being the world's superpower. And, on the other hand, India does not have safe, hygienic household toilets. I believe India is one of the nations where Women are celebrated as Goddess and reality is a huge number of females in suburban and rural India have no access to a clean household toilet. No doubt, there are many ironies in India and it is the one among many.

India is not alone in overcoming this challenge. It is a global problem. Around 4.5 billion people live without access to a clean, safe private toilet and to overcome this global sanitation crisis, UN has announced November 19 as the 'World Toilet Day'.

Open Defecation is a free invitation to many big problems. It is an open invitation to many diseases like diarrhea. It questions our civilization. It hurts our self-esteem, especially of the females. It promotes the crime. Many rape or sexual-assault cases has been reported when women go for the open-defecation in the dark.

Until the start of this campaign in 2014 in India, even I was not aware of the severity of this issue. Being brought up in an urban city and always had access to a hygienic, private toilet, I have never bothered that toilet is something of global concern. Moreover, I never realized that having access to a safe, clean toilet is also a privilege. A big attempt is being made to make this campaign a huge success in India. WhatsApp, Facebook, YouTube, and other social media platforms are playing a great role in this regard. Even a recent Bollywood movie, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha' is another creative attempt to promote this campaign and to highlight the importance of this issue. This movie shows that why is it a big challenge to make toilets in a country like India. How deeply rooted this problem is...

Many jokes are circulating on WhatsApp that vegetables don't taste the same as they used to be because of the ban on open-defecation. Jokes apart, this is a big issue and this blog post is a small attempt to raise the awareness on this issue. Please leave in comments, your thoughts and share this post to promote awareness on this issue and contribute to making this campaign of cleanliness a global success.  

मेरी एक सहेली कुवारी रह गई

मेरी एक सहेली कुवारी रह गई, दुनिया की चकाचोंध में अंधयारी रह गई ॥

शकल -सूरत से तो ठीक थी,  टक्के-पैसे से भी रहीस थी ।
आशिक़ों की लम्बी लिस्ट थी, खुद को रखती भी एक दम फिट थी ।
एक अनसुलझी पहेली रह गई, कैसे ये सुन्दर कन्या अकेली रह गई॥

नौकरी-चाकरी तो ठीक-ठाक थी , आनसाइट जाने की भी सुनी बात थी ।
रिश्ते भी आए बहुत थे,फॉरेन में भी उसके बहुत दोस्त थे ।
मिला नहीं उसको मन का मेल , सब ही है विधाता का खेल ।
पढाई डिग्री सब धरी रह गई,कैसे ये लड़की छड़ी रह गई ॥

सबके तानों से वो घायल हो गई, चेहरे की मुस्कान भी रवाना हो गई ।
धीरे-धीरे वो मजबूरी बन गई, सब रिश्तों से उसकी दूरी बन गई ।
फेसबुक व्हाट्सप्प के सब कांटेक्ट छूट गए, सच्चे झूठे सब रिश्तें-नाते टूट गए ।
अब मिलता नहीं उसका कोई अपडेट है, लोग कहते हैं सब का अपना-अपना फेट (fate)  है  ॥
मेरी एक सहेली कुवारी रह गई, खुशियों भरे इस संसार में अधूरी रह गई, मेरी एक सहेली कुवारी रह गई ॥

फेसबुक

कौन कहता है लोग फेसबुक पर फेस दिखाते हैं, मुखौटा औड़ कर, सच-झूठ की खिचड़ी पकाते हैं

घूम-घूम कर आते हैं देश-विदेश, फोटोस  लगा-लगा कर घर में हमारे अशांति मचाते हैं

कौन कहता है लोग फेसबुक पर फेस दिखाते हैं

                                                              

बंटता है ज्ञान यहॉं हर एक पोस्ट पर, जाने कितना सच , कितना अज्ञान फैलाते हैं

कौन कहता है लोग फेसबुक पर फेस दिखाते हैं

पेरेंट्स डे, डॉटर्स डे, टीचर्स डे, ना जाने कौन-कौन से उत्सव मनाते हैं,

 घरों में झांक कर देखो तो, सब रिश्तों को तन्हा ही पाते हैं

कौन कहता है लोग फेसबुक पर फेस दिखाते हैं

जो धर्म-अधर्म की पोथी खोल कर बैठते हैं यहॉं  पर, अक्सर वही सबसे ज़्यादा अहिंसा फैलाते हैं,

कौन कहता है लोग फेसबुक फेस दिखाते हैं, मुखौटा औड़ कर सच-झूठ की खिचड़ी पकाते हैं

कौन कहता है लोग फेसबुक पर फेस दिखाते हैं

With Understanding, New Hope

If you are the regular reader of my posts, then you might have noticed about Nichiren Buddhism from Japan in my previous posts. So yesterday in the study meeting of Nichiren Buddhism, members were discussing how Governments ask first-responders like firefighters to take care of their own protection first before responding to save the lives of others. And, the discussion carried on and reach a point where a member working for the Switzerland railways shared how rail police treat the suicide cases. And, it made me think that Switzerland is considered heaven on earth, the governmental policies are so public-friendly, the unemployment rate is so low, such a beautiful, clean and green country. How a person can think of taking his/her life??? And, with such a small curiosity, I further explored the idea and came to know Switzerland is not alone, suicide is such a big problem on the global scale.

Depression is considered one of the primary reason for suicide, it takes people to the point that they think it is normal to play with their lives. That is the reason that unthinkable games like 'Blue Whale' are thriving, such games are the latest trend on Facebook and Twitter and making the headlines on major national-international newspapers. People not only play games like Blue Whale but also take it so seriously that they don't even hesitate to commit suicide. It really makes me concerned that where are we heading towards. Have we totally lost our mind???

Human Life has been considered the most precious in many Spiritual and religious texts. Human is considered the most intelligent, but now I wonder, really.....In the wave of a scientific renaissance in the 18-19th century followed with the industrial and technological revolution, people were in the impression that they are creating happiness and progress. But as time has progressed, its negative effects are being revealed. We have progressed for sure and are in the impression that conquered the time but at what cost. People have become so mechanical that emotions have taken the back seat or I may say that emotions are at the verge of extinction. That I can not assume for sure, emotions are there, but they are being negatively manifested. That is the reason so many threats and wars are happening around us. 

Buddhism is considered the religion of peace and meditation. Two important aspects of  Nichiren Buddhism are wisdom and compassion, which are based on the three pillars of faith, practice, and study. The present societal situations make me redetermine to practice this Buddhism with gratitude towards others as well as compassion. People feel left out, unwanted, emotionally and spiritually empty, sometimes religiously misguided in this fast-paced society, they feel like being treated as machine with no emotions. This lack of compassion for our fellow members, family, friends and surroundings, most importantly for ourselves has led us to the verge that so many suicides are happening. Latest statistics by the World Health Organisation and other surveys suggest that many people die because of suicide than war and accidents.   

This is an alarming time to reflect and think consciously and reconsider the soft qualities like compassion, emotions. I seriously wonder that so many scientist and technologists are focusing their efforts and time to bring emotions in the robots, this is the irony of our times.

Do leave a comment on what emotions run through you while reading this article...

साह्स

जब जुड़ी थी तुमसे, तो माना बचपना था, नादानी थी

जिंदिगी की बारीकियों से अंजानी थी

सोचा था लम्बा सफर है, सीख लूंगी सब, पर मैं भी कितनी दीवानी थी

जिंदिगी बदलती है हर पल, पर कभी न सोचा था कि तू भी बदल जायेगा,

ऐसे कैसे कोई अपना, सामने से पलट जायेगा

सोचती थी सब है आपार, हमारी खुशियां , हमारा प्यार

ऐसे कैसे सिमट गया, तेरा मेरा घर-संसार

अब जब दस्तक देता है समय दरवाज़े पर

देखती  सब और अंधकार हूं

अभी भी आवाक हूं, घबराई, सिमटी बैठी बदहवास हूं

कल तक थे जो राही एक मंज़िल के, आज कैसे गुमराह हो गए

हम-तुम ऐसे  कैसे इतने बैपरवाहा हो गए

वो लम्हे, वो साथ, वो हंसी, वो खिलखिलाट

वो बातें, वो यादें,  कब कैसे कहां विलुप्त हो गए

दम घुटने लगा है इस असमंजस मे, बिलखते-रोते सिसकने मे

हो अगर संग, तो साथ दो, नहीं तो खुले आसमानों मे उड़ने का साह्स दो

Life of Indians in North America

Travelling has always been my long-cherished dream and desire. I was fortunate enough to see the other side of the world. It was a unique kind of experience. It enabled me not only to see the world from a geographical point of view, but I started looking at the world from a totally different lens. Things suddenly started making sense. One of the changes I realized was the comparison. when I was in my home country, things were so obvious and I never questioned them, But when I landed in a different country, that too from a developing country to a developed country, it was a very accomplished learning experience. Now, I had something to compare with and appreciate the beauty of one over the other. Things were no more obvious. Following are a few things which people from India find amusing when they first land in North America:---

1. When people from India come to the USA, I should better be specific. Mostly youngsters come to the USA and specifically in Silicon Valley, thanks to the evolving software market and cheap labor. After doing the software debugging for long hours in the air-conditioned office, they are bitten by travel bugs on the weekends. It might be the curiosity to explore a new city or make the most of their time when they are in the US on company expenses.

2. Cooking: This is not amusing for many of the young software engineers, male and female alike. For few days, bigMac burgers, hot dogs, and pizzas keep their stomachs satisfied, but after a while, they start longing for the home-made rajma chawal or sambhar dosa. So, they start surfing for cooking blogs and Youtube and try their hands on cooking.

There is another angle to this as well. Some fortunate ones come on site with their spouses on their second honeymoon on company expenses, kind of. So, when husbands are busy in the office, their wives get bored at home. There is a reason for it. In America, life is different. You have machines for everything. For laundry, you have paid washing machine outlets usually in the basement of your apartment building. As it is paid, you plan to do the full laundry once a week. Everything is pretty much automatic, load the clothes and set the timer and forget it for a while. For dishwashing, the process is the same. People keep a lot of utensils so they can do the dishwashing when the dishwasher is fully loaded. People do the grocery only once in a week, usually on the weekends, thanks to the big size of the refrigerators there. Same goes for the cleaning, they do the vacuum once in a week. So, the point is you get some free time. In India, free time is luxury, because you can gossip with many people. But, here due to the time difference, you can not call India any time to gossip with friends and family, believe me, it is a kind of challenge. So, their wives come up with food and traveling blogs and cooking channels on the Youtube. This is a good team task as well, where wives contribute the content and husbands get the chance to showcase their technical video editing skills.

Baking: When I talk about the cooking, baking is another thing which everyone wants to try their hands to show off their baking skills on their trip to India. As oven and microwaves are the common commodities available in every kitchen, so you kind of try to acquire this skill. 

3. Driving: Though India has changed a lot in the past decade. But again, India is a big, diversified country and it takes time to change the things at full-scale. So, the next thing that becomes the reality in a big country like America is driving. You have to learn and get the driving license. In India, possessing a 4-wheeler is still considered a luxury and to know the driving is still a style. However, in America, due to the vast geographical structure of the country, it is a need. So, male and female alike, working or stay at home, one has to learn the driving.

 4. Potlucks: This is another thing which is a very important part of every Indian in America. This is the platform where one family hosts the event and the rest of the families bring one food item for everyone. Everybody gather, and gossip over the food of plate and rounds of drinks, though not alcoholic always, tea/coffee does work.

5. Temple: In India, temples are everywhere, and literally every nook and corner has a small or big temple. But in western countries, having a big temple in your city or area is like a paradise. Irrespective of the fact whether you are religious or spiritual, you make a point to visit the temple at least once a month. This is like a meeting point for all the desis to meet and interact with each other over a plate of free tasty Indian food plate. Yes, free tasty Indian food, in western countries, almost all the temples offer the free food along with the blessings of God and deities, isn't it interesting...

6. Roof: In India, a house roof is a special place for family get-togethers or for family gossips and some time for special celebrations like celebrating the Indian Independence by flying kites from the house roof. However, in the USA or Canada or Europe, you hardly have the access to the house roof.

7. If you happen to visit the USA or Europe during the end of summer or early fall, there is a lot of free flu vaccination campaigns.

Do leave a comment if I missed something and share your experience.

Does Dialogue has power...

To My Friends,

Meeting and engaging in dialogue
  with people for the sake of kosen-rufu—
This is the direct path to
  human revolution.
Let's tear down the walls we have
  built up around around our hearts!

When I first came to know about the Soka Gakkai International(SGI) and the concept of Kosen Rufu, sometime I felt overwhelm. I felt like all these discussions and guidances are not relevant for me. This is not the subject of my concern. Some of you might know, SGI is based on 13th century lay monk Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism. These days, our world is changing so quickly and so much is being said about religions. There is no doubt that any one can feel skeptical before listening or accepting such philosophical or religious beliefs. And, I was no different. SGI puts so much emphasize on Dialouges and Youth. And, I have also realized with time that this is true that many worldly affairs if can be solved is through Dialogues only with the efforts of youth and open-heart spirit

Bengali Bride: Part 1

I was born and raised in a typical Punjabi family. I fall in love with a typical, traditional Bengali boy. And finally, both got happily married. Now starts a new chapter of adjustment of Punjabi daughter into a Bengali bahu.
As I mentioned my husband is a typical Bengali and for your knowledge, due to my poor general awareness, it came as news to me that Bengalis are far more food lovers than Punjabis. It is said for Bengalis that they live for food, they celebrate food and food is their god and so they pray to the food. And my Bengali husband was no exception. So challenge started when I learned that he cooks equally well and expects the same from his career focused Punjabi wife. But, to me, cooking food was the last in my priority list. After so many confusions, contradictions and arguments, I took it as a challenge to master this skill, all for the sake of my loving husband. There are so many dimensions to the Bengali food or Bengali cuisine that I have to unlearn so much to accommodate this new thing.
So, the first in this series is how Bengali food is different from Punjabi food.
Aloo gobi(potato cauliflower curry), all Punjabi simply love this winter delicacy to the core. Trust me, how amazing feels the smell of a phool gobi tarkari the first few days when it comes in the market in the winter months.
What I found that in West Bengal, phool gobi is prepared not only with potato but shingri(shrimp) too. And, it is an equally hit dish there as well.
We Punjabi love stuffed paranthas(fried bread), especially in breakfast. But, I have not seen such thing in common in a Bengali household. Their concept of breakfast is totally different than Punjabis.
When I have already started about breakfast. And, no breakfast is complete without the mention of tea. Before marriage, I heard of black tea, milk tea, and green tea. But, Bengalis use one more version of tea that is lal chai(red tea). To my understanding to date, I think it is black tea(tea without milk). I might be wrong in this regard, but the red tea is prepared in the exact same way as the black tea. This does not end here, there is another variety very commonly can be found on Bengal sea beaches and market streets alike, called Lemon tea, a kind of healthy version of tea for Bengali tea lovers. My other observation about Bengalis is that they love to argue a lot, that is why Bengal is called the intellectual capital of India too. They have the story for everything. Bengalis are a totally different breed, a continent within the continent. They read a lot, so they accumulate so much knowledge and then they get confuse how to dispense that knowledge. And once they find this opportunity, they never let it go. You can trust me, I am one of the victims. So, I end my post here today, will come again with another interesting observation about Bongs soon. If you agree with and like this article, do leave a word, trust me it encourages a lot.

Home is a feeling, not a place: Hiraeth of an Albatross

You might have experienced this in your life that some words or phrases have a special connection with us. When we hear them they may make us happy, angry or confused sometimes. One such word for me is 'Home'. It has a very mix feeling for me. It confuses me as well.

When I was young, I always wanted to have my own place, in which I have the full authority. Maybe I belong to the society where Men have a complete authority, which has always irritated me to the core. So, I had this unconscious desire to have my own place. Being a female, I have seen women as very vulnerable, so having my own home, this feeling alone gave me a sense of security.

When I was single, I was brought up with the concept that my parents home belongs to my brothers. I thought my husband home would be mine. Which is kind of mine, but it takes years to build this trust. I came to a new country with my husband, made many friends, some really good friends and again we have to move to another country. I am now in a phase where I am again making some new bonds to comfort me with the feeling of being at home.  I always struggle with this, the place I call home was the one which I have left years ago or the place I am currently living at.  But there is a phrase, "out of sight, out of mind", which scares me a lot. What if people I made good bonds with would forget me.

This seems something very ordinary, but many can relate to this. Especially, the age in which we are living in, this feeling of home has become even stronger and deeper for all. This is something, poor or rich, all can connect. We live in an age where there are no borders, we have become global citizens. This is a strange emotion and amazed me at times, have we really become global? We come to a new country in the hopes of security, a brighter future and fulfilling our dreams. And, sometimes we are left in total confusion. We have left our own homes in the hopes of dream homes and we are stranded. On the other hand, in the current global scenario, there are few unfortunate incidences, which force people to leave their own homes and sometimes countries. I really feel compassion for them.

Amidst all this mix feeling, this morning one of my friends shared an album about home. She shared the same feeling as I have for home and at the end, she concluded very well that home is not a place or address, it is a feeling. And, I realized, how simple and true is this.

Today, I read a Welsh word "Hiraeth", though I heard about this very first time, its literal meaning is hard to explain. But it seems so connecting.

Urban Loneliness and depression: Social mobility is one of the prices that we need to pay to afford the luxury of a modern lifestyle.  Along with this comes, a new term coined as Urban Loneliness and depression. Lack of social interaction, distrust, and shrinking communities are the root causes behind these symptoms.