What makes me
A bit of me in Indian Culture; a bit of Indian Culture in me!
Where was I born?
As a quick background, India is divided into five sub divisions: North, South, East, West and Central India. It is these regions and the geographical surroundings combined with religion that defines how we dress, what we eat, what language we speak, how we look and what our unique culture is. Hence, metropolitan cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, and Bangalore are melting pots where migrant populations along with natives and their respective cultures are strongly interwoven into one giant fabric called the Indian culture. This culture is embedded in me since childhood.
I am a devout Hindu and my mother tongue is Gujarati. I belong to a very successful business community from the western state of Gujarat. We are a patriarchal society and it is very important for us to stay in a joint family where at times up to four generations live under one roof. Living in a joint family taught me strong family values like respecting individuals from various age groups despite of generation gaps, being flexible and adaptable by adjusting with different members of the family, where sacrifice and compromise are key ingredients. More importantly these values have taught me to be a part of a family support system in times of crisis, whether financial or emotional. I have realized that it is these values that have helped me become who I am today, whether as a member of the joint family, or an organization team or my cohort.
What do I eat?
My food habits are strongly influenced by my religion, and family. I am a vegetarian thus consuming meat is not allowed. In fact across all Hindus consuming beef in particular is considered taboo, as cows are considered sacred and central to the religion. I recalled an incident where I was eating dinner with my colleagues from USA and China. The table was full of poultry, seafood, and yes: beef! However, the values have learnt from my culture and join family, i.e.
Where was I born?
As a quick background, India is divided into five sub divisions: North, South, East, West and Central India. It is these regions and the geographical surroundings combined with religion that defines how we dress, what we eat, what language we speak, how we look and what our unique culture is. Hence, metropolitan cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, and Bangalore are melting pots where migrant populations along with natives and their respective cultures are strongly interwoven into one giant fabric called the Indian culture. This culture is embedded in me since childhood.
I am a devout Hindu and my mother tongue is Gujarati. I belong to a very successful business community from the western state of Gujarat. We are a patriarchal society and it is very important for us to stay in a joint family where at times up to four generations live under one roof. Living in a joint family taught me strong family values like respecting individuals from various age groups despite of generation gaps, being flexible and adaptable by adjusting with different members of the family, where sacrifice and compromise are key ingredients. More importantly these values have taught me to be a part of a family support system in times of crisis, whether financial or emotional. I have realized that it is these values that have helped me become who I am today, whether as a member of the joint family, or an organization team or my cohort.
What do I eat?
My food habits are strongly influenced by my religion, and family. I am a vegetarian thus consuming meat is not allowed. In fact across all Hindus consuming beef in particular is considered taboo, as cows are considered sacred and central to the religion. I recalled an incident where I was eating dinner with my colleagues from USA and China. The table was full of poultry, seafood, and yes: beef! However, the values have learnt from my culture and join family, i.e.