my niece trip to India

Hi Huma

This was a good account, however what amazes me is that you brother's daughter is going thru her maturity function.. so she must be 11 years or older and all thru these 11 years she has NEVER visited India. Children of Indian Descent should be taken on vacations or holidays to India.. so as to make them more comfortable with the surroundings. As you said your brother's wife is white, still i guess both parents should try and instill values of both of their cultures into the child. And i'm amazed they have never had Indian food at home !!!

I guess your brother's wife was very well able to inform her child about her culture, but your brother hasnt been able to educate his daughter about anything INDIAN.

~Abha

 

I was surprised that the girl agreed for mature function.Even in india itself more people are either reluctant or shy to get that function done.My mother was insisting for that even I was very shy fought with her not to tell any realtives about it.

I think What Abha said is correct.We should let the kids know about weather ,people food culture etc in India.This makes them familiar a little bit and helps to get adjust easily when they visit their roots.

 

Dear Huma,
it was not right on the girl's parents side to have not informed her about the situation here. Not only for people abroad, even we people living in cities have to inform our children about the condition wherever we might be visiting. They would be prepared for that and would not find it difficult. Indian children who are born and brought up abroad also may feel the difference if brought over with out preparation.
About food, your people could have done something about that. And I hope she found Pondi her cuppa, it has so many French restaurants.
Really amusing that she enjoyed the function, that may be because they do not such ones there.
Hope she comes back to India again, with an open mind and enjoys her stay.

 

Dear Huma,

hope your niece had enough good experience when in india to give another chance for another visit. I have half white nieces too. All their first names are indian with middlenames that are from the white half. My nieces also (2 are my bavayya's daughters and one is my adapaduchu's daughter) were able to visit india for the first time only when they were 10 and older.

The lesson learnt from their first visit was the same as what you have said. Fortunately within 3 years time they were able to visit india again. The ideal time weather wise is during december. Once that discomfort is out, they were able to enjoy a lot. This time they packed a whole lot of dry food from here and my athayyas took care to adjust the spice level to their liking. They loved all the attention showered on them by all our relatives . They also had a saree party and loved it.

Every day they insisted on dressing in indian clothes , wear bangles. The one thing they hated even in the second visit is the restaurent food. It was too greasy and spicy for their tender palates. My bavayya took a south western cuisine cook book from here and all my athayyas had a wonderful time cooking dishes from the book (and also indianizing it). My athhayya makes awsome southwestern fried chicken (kind of like kentucky fried chicken). This second visit happened in 2000 and now they have grown up into beautiful young ladies confident in both cultures, loving both cultures and perfectly balancing both the worlds. Last time we all met for a wedding in july, I was wonderstruck when i saw my older neice all dressed in a saree and sitting beside her nanamma and helping her with the puja items making akshanthalu.

So ask your dear younger brother not to loose heart and help him in being better prepared for the next time. Leave alone your niece even i cannot stand eating rice every single day anymore. The cereal bars tasted delicious and refreshed our mouths every once in a while.:tongue

take care,

 

Dear Huma,

hope your niece had enough good experience when in india to give another chance for another visit. I have half white nieces too. All their first names are indian with middlenames that are from the white half. My nieces also (2 are my bavayya's daughters and one is my adapaduchu's daughter) were able to visit india for the first time only when they were 10 and older.

The lesson learnt from their first visit was the same as what you have said. Fortunately within 3 years time they were able to visit india again. The ideal time weather wise is during december. Once that discomfort is out, they were able to enjoy a lot. This time they packed a whole lot of dry food from here and my athayyas took care to adjust the spice level to their liking. They loved all the attention showered on them by all our relatives . They also had a saree party and loved it.

Every day they insisted on dressing in indian clothes , wear bangles. The one thing they hated even in the second visit is the restaurent food. It was too greasy and spicy for their tender palates. My bavayya took a south western cuisine cook book from here and all my athayyas had a wonderful time cooking dishes from the book (and also indianizing it). My athhayya makes awsome southwestern fried chicken (kind of like kentucky fried chicken). This second visit happened in 2000 and now they have grown up into beautiful young ladies confident in both cultures, loving both cultures and perfectly balancing both the worlds. Last time we all met for a wedding in july, I was wonderstruck when i saw my older neice all dressed in a saree and sitting beside her nanamma and helping her with the puja items making akshanthalu.

So ask your dear younger brother not to loose heart and help him in being better prepared for the next time. Leave alone your niece even i cannot stand eating rice every single day anymore. The cereal bars tasted delicious and refreshed our mouths every once in a while.:tongue

take care,