Being "Bi-Cultural"

First I'd like to thank all those who have commented on my first two blog posts.  I am enjoying our lively debates/discussions and appreciate all of your opinions.  We all come from different backgrounds and it is our different life experiences that allow us to have varying thoughts & ideas. 

Now I want to reflect on the issue of friendships.  Being a teenager in an American school system, while trying to keep my Indian identity was something I could not understand as a child/teenager.  Not only was going through the normal teenage anxieties, my family was one of the first to arrive/settle in America.  At times I wanted to keep my Indian background and be part of the group with my Indian peers.  Other times, I felt like an American who wouldnt fit in with newly arriving Indians around me.  At times I didnt feel as though I fit in with either culture because I was too much of a mix of both cultures. 

As an adult I have let go of the doubts.  I dont think of my friends as Indian or American, they are simply my friends.  I dont have the same concerns as I had as a teenager.  Now I meet people who have simliar interests and values as me and that is what allows our friendships to grow.  I enjoy having friends of all backgrounds and I am able to express the Indian in me at times, as well the American in me at other times.

Til next time friends I hope you enjoy reading my blog post.  I invite you to comment on this or previous posts.

Food from Two Sides of the World

Welcome back!  For this post I wanted to talk about the amazing foods that I have been able to grow up with.  One of the benefits of being from one culture while being raised in another culture, is that I was exposed to many completely different cuisines.  In fact, living in America gives all of us the opportunity to taste and enjoy all different kinds of foods.  At the same time however, I was always able to enjoy my traditional Indian meals.  There is never a week in which I have to stick to one kind of food!

The typical week for me includes two to three Indian meals.  Some of the favorite meals in our household are "chana", "brocoli tossed w/ garlic", and "kidney beans & rice".  Along with Indian dishes, we also enjoy chinese food, Mediterranean food and Italian food.  Some nights are falafel, other nights we eat chicken or just a plate of some good pasta.  Of course who among us would want to live without baking chocolate cake or blueberry muffins?

Having a diversified palette allows me to expose my children to many different kinds of tastes, flavors & cultures.  Even as babies and toddlers, my children were able to eat more than baby food out of a jar or mashed vegetables.  Now they appreciate having a variety of meals each night.  I hope all of you can allow yourself to try food from another culture...its too good to miss!

Til next time friends...