Incredible story!

I stumbled upon an extremely attention grabbing website (www.whiteindianhousewife.com-Dairy of a white Indian housewife). The title caught my interest immediately; the front page displayed a picture of a foreigner girl who was dressed up in Indian attire. I snooped into the ‘About me’ section to know more. After reading the initial few posts, I thought she is yet another blogger who is sharing her travel experiences in India. I really liked her style of writing and decided to look through the archives. What I got to know is that she is an Australian, married to an Indian and living in Mumbai for the past six years. She came to India (Kolkatta) for some volunteer work, meets a man who was a DJ in a local club. There was an instant spark between them, the love grew stronger and decides to get married. It was not a cake walk with a inter race marriage. The families eventually agreed with all the differences. There is nothing new about inter-cultural-community-continental-race marriages. We have heard quite a few celebrity (Liz Hurley with Arun Nayar) weddings in the past, right? How different is their story?

These are few facts why this lady stood out and left impressions in me

Adaptability: India is a melting pot of cultures. It’s very difficult for anyone to adapt to so many different regions, languages and ethnicity. When we have our own discriminations between North Indian and South Indian, being an Australian she has very well adapted to Indian culture. She has not only married to an Indian but has accepted his entire family. She shares a good bonding with her husband’s family in spite of cultural/language differences. She has even gone that extra mile to learn the language to be one amongst them.

Custom: We being Indians, how many of us religiously follow our traditions and customs? Not many, right? She wears saree for every Indian festival and weddings. She knows the significance of Ganapathi festival and Holi. She dresses up in Salwar- Kameez, Kurtis and accessories. She listens to Bajans and even cooks Indian food. She has also learnt to eat food with her hands by sitting cross-legged on the floor.

Awareness: She is aware of Indian politics and talks about how things can be changed. She also volunteers for some community work. While most of the outsiders write ill about India, she showcases the good things being here. Like every other Indian she too hates corruption and supports Anna Hazare campaign.

Comfort: Being an only child to her parents, having lived in a lavish home in Australia with a high-profiled job, she made a choice to move away from her comfort zone. It takes a lot of courage to leave behind everything and settle in India. She lived in a single-bed room apartment, where her privacy was invaded constantly by the neighbors. She adjusted to a life where she had to travel in auto-rickshaws and local trains in Mumbai. She was always treated differently for being a foreigner though she tried hard to inculcate Indianism in her. The only thing that has put her off is the constant staring from people and to validate her marriage with a proof all the time. In spite of all the hindrances she is still firmly rooted in India.

Relationships: When most of the Indian women struggle to resolve issues with Mother-in-laws. This lady strikes a perfect balance with her mother-in-law. She has a good rapport with all the family members. She has completely changed her lifestyle to match with Indian culture.

I am totally in awe with this lady. There is so much to learn for all of us from her life. There are small little things we get upset about in our day to day life and we give up things so easily. When I look at her I feel so different. It only takes a little in all of us to be strong, have faith and give space to each other to keep our relationships stronger. We always fail to do so. When an outsider can do things at such an ease, I think all of us can do much better being here. We need to be content and appreciate small things in life. There’s nothing which is impossible, just needs a little push.

Hats off to the lady who inspired me to look things in a different perspective!