A questionaire to Indian women settled in US

sunitha · Apr 17, 2009

1. Do your children prefer only pasta, noodles, sandwich and other western dishes for breakfast and lunch? My eldest loves Maggie noodles ,nothing else.Otherwise,no other western food-not even pizza for him.
2. Do you cook Indian food at least once in a day? Thrice a day
3. Do you always prefer to wear western dresses when you go out?Outside,mostly jeans and tops,sometimes salwars.
4. Do you put pottu on your forehead every day?Yes(why didn't you ask about metti and thaali?)
5. Do you allow your children to choose subjects on their own for the degree course or you force upon them your choice? When the time comes,they will choose,but I will surely guide them.
6. Are you very particular about maintaining the status and keep buying unwanted things?No.
7. Do you converse in your mother tongue with your children?Yes,but reply comes only in English.
8. According to the saying, “when you are in Rome do as Romans do.” Will you allow your children dating? Maybe not.
9. Do you throw parties for birthdays and anniversary every year?Not every year,sometimes for kids,very small 2 or 3 family get-togethers only.
10. If given the option would you like to return to India?Yes.

geeti · Apr 17, 2009

1. Do your children prefer only pasta, noodles, sandwich and other western dishes for breakfast and lunch? I have a 6 month old so right now things are my way .. She has just started solids, but its all Desi stuff!

2. Do you cook Indian food at least once in a day? Yes daily.. I love Italian, chinese food also, so for a change I do make those stuff too.

3. Do you always prefer to wear western dresses when you go out? I love to wear western as well as Indian dresses, but here I prefer to wear Western.

4. Do you put pottu on your forehead every day? No my hubby does not like it at all, so its only occasionally, on some puja or festival..

5. Do you allow your children to choose subjects on their own for the degree course or you force upon them your choice? NA right now but I dont think I will do that. to her. She is an individual and I will respect her choice and not force upon my decisions.

6. Are you very particular about maintaining the status and keep buying unwanted things? No , But I do believe in a decent living standard and would have all the things that I would have had if I was in India even if I know I ll go back.

7. Do you converse in your mother tongue with your children? Yes I talk to my baby in Hindi.

8. According to the saying, “when you are in Rome do as Romans do.” Will you allow your children dating? Nopes..

9. Do you throw parties for birthdays and anniversary every year? Since my brother in law and his wife live closeby so we do celebrate all the occasions, "family get together".

10. If given the option would you like to return to India? We are going back to India next year. My husband has been here for 5 years now and he cannot wait to go back, so do I.

geeti · Apr 17, 2009

Pushpavalli Srinivasan said: ↑

1. Do your children prefer only pasta, noodles, sandwich and other western dishes for breakfast and lunch?
2. Do you cook Indian food at least once in a day?
3. Do you always prefer to wear western dresses when you go out?
4. Do you put pottu on your forehead every day?
5. Do you allow your children to choose subjects on their own for the degree course or you force upon them your choice?
6. Are you very particular about maintaining the status and keep buying unwanted things?
7. Do you converse in your mother tongue with your children?
8. According to the saying, “when you are in Rome do as Romans do.” Will you allow your children dating?
9. Do you throw parties for birthdays and anniversary every year?
10. If given the option would you like to return to India?
Dear Ilites,
There is no compulsion to answer. You can freely post your opinion regarding this questionarie even if you do not want to answer.

Click to expand...

Phuspha,

I really like this questionaire because I guess these are some of the questions that every Indian have on their mind. It feels so good to come out and express my view and to see what others think about it.

After going through these posts I came to one conclusion that at the end of the day We all are trying hard to make the best of the situation .

Ciao!!:cheers

PushpavalliSrinivasan · Apr 18, 2009

Dear Shilpa,
You have given a valid reason or should I say that the compulsion that makes people to stay here and become citizens of US. Mostly a large persentage of people who answered the questionarie had expressed the wish to go back to India. The first generation of immigrants feel the lonliness and yearn to be close to thier near and dear ones. I think that those who lived in a closeknitted family will feel it more.
I admire people who are expressing their feelings openly.Thank you dear,
Love,
PS

PushpavalliSrinivasan · Apr 18, 2009

Dear Sriniketan,
You have answered all the questions as I expected. Born and brought up and also married into an orthodox family it is very difficult to come out of it. But according to the changing situation we are forced to compromise, if it is for good cause. Thank you dear for sparing your valuable time,
Love,
PS

So Sure · Apr 18, 2009

:hiya
1. Do your children prefer only pasta, noodles, sandwich and other western dishes for breakfast and lunch?
Its mostly cereal, bagels, waffles, rotis or dosa for breakfast. Son has hot lunch at school all the time. I pack idlis, dosa, rotis, rice with sugar/chicken, fruits, juice etc for my daughter. She is in KG. She has hot lunch too.
2. Do you cook Indian food at least once in a day?
Dinner is always Indian.
3. Do you always prefer to wear western dresseswhen you go out?
To work? Yes. Shopping, I wear both, Indian or western. Depends on the time I have and my mood!
4. Do you put pottu on your forehead every day?
No. It doesn't go with what I wear. Only when I wear Indian dress or saree. Or when I go to the temple.
5. Do you allow your children to choose subjects on their own for the degree course or you force upon them your choice?
Yes. I will let my kids choose. I didn't have that option when I studied. If I can give it to my children, why not? My son is a Senior now. He will be going to the Univ this Aug.
6. Are you very particular about maintaining the status and keep buying unwanted things?
No. I categorize any item as ‘necessity’ or ‘good to have’!
7. Do you converse in your mother tongue with your children?
Yes. All the time. See my post: http://www.indusladies.com/forums/married-life/54484-question-in-intercaste-marriage.html .
8. According to the saying, “when you are in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Rome</st1lace></st1:City> do as Romans do.” Will you allow your children dating?
My son hangs out with other kids. But so far no "dating" with any girl! I know he bought flowers for valetines’! I told him to behave as he wants other boys to behave with his sister! I’m not sure how I will react when my girl is a teen!
9. Do you throw parties for birthdays and anniversary every year?
Yes. Only birthday parties till they are 12. Anniversary is private.
10. If given the option would you like to return to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">India</st1lace></st1:country-region>?
My home was uprooted when I came to US. I don’t want to do it again and start all over. Maybe after my kids are settled I may think about it. Who know! Man proposes, God disposes!
HTH,
Regards,
Sharada

PushpavalliSrinivasan · Apr 18, 2009

Dear Ranchu,
Thanks for keying in your answers. You are free to express your opinion and there won't be any controversy.
The changes which you have mentioned had started mostly after the IT boom and also due to over exposure to media. Still there are people who give importance to carnatic/classical music, bharathanatyam, and sloka classes. You can find lot of youngsters attend Kacheries in December season.
Lots of Indians who returned from Us are setteled in Bangalore and other cities and they are maintaining the US style living. Of course majority of Indians would like to have the life style you have mentioned at the end of the questionarie.
thanks a lot for assigining time to answer,
Love,
PS

quote
Its a nice questionnaire ! But coming to think of it, half the things are happening in india itself, so i dont find a difference .
For example when u ask about "pottu" , even the girls in tamilnadu dont wear it, I hardly find them with a pottu (forget the size of it). Ask About Dating - even teenagers in Bangalore go on dates ! . Ask about western food, God ! have you seen kids in india eat - they prefer only those western stuff.
I can say kids in US are being taught Slokams, bharatanatyam etc , kids in india are taught salsa etc ..
ok let me not start a controversy here. Just put in my thoughts as words.

PushpavalliSrinivasan · Apr 18, 2009

My DD Vidya,
I pray to Almighty to Bless you with a child and also for returning to our beloved motherland! With pottu or without pottu you"ll be identified as a true Indian! Ha ha!
You can't forego your curd rice and mavadu and I can't forego rasam also wherever I am.
Thank you for taking time to answer and God Bless you!
With love,
mom

PushpavalliSrinivasan · Apr 18, 2009

Dear Sunitha,
Thank you for sparing time and answering the questionarie.
Mostly mangalsuthra and metti are own by only south Indians in different forms. Even in India most of the girls do not wear the thali saradu-I mean the original manjal saradu with thali. So I didn't mention it.
Love,
PS

PushpavalliSrinivasan · Apr 18, 2009

Dear Geet,
Wherever we are we have to maintain a descent living standard. Apart from that there are people who want to show off.

After going through these posts I came to one conclusion that at the end of the day We all are trying hard to make the best of the situation
You are right.There is no doubt about it.
Thanks once again,
Love,
PS