Inter- “Cultural, Religious, lingual” relations do work!!!!!
This is inspired by Anrosh’s post about inter-religious, inter-cultural relations!!! This post is to tell you all that such relations do work!!!
Story I:
He was the local Mumbai lad around 10 years ago. Born in Chennai, bred in Mumbai, it was the centre of his universe and he loved every part of Mumbai. Like many people in that time, he also wanted to travel to America and experience life here. So he set forth to Chicago to do his masters. Over here in America, he loved the culture here and his specialization and decided to keep studying. Now currently he is doing his post doctorate, which is one step beyond PhD here in Los Angeles and here he met a beautiful women who was also doing her PhD in his same subject. She was from Serbia and she had also come to America to study. They became friends and soon fell in love. Since he lives just 20 miles away from me now, I meet them regularly and their story is just brilliant. He is currently learning the Serbian language and about Serbian culture and she is learning Tamil and our Indian culture. His parents are waiting for the day when they will get married!!! He is still a Hindu and she is still a Christian.
That dude is my cousin (my dad’s brother’s son).
Story II:
He was the local Chennai lad, born and bred. And around 12 years back, he traveled to England to become a doctor and learn his specialization as there was not much opportunity in Chennai thanks to the reservation policy. There, he fell in love with a beautiful English nurse. They got married 4 years back. First they had a proper Christian wedding in the church in England for their friends and family there and then soon after, they had a traditional Hindu (our kind) wedding with “all the works” in Chennai and it was brilliant!!!! Many people from England had come over. He is still a Hindu and she is still a Christian and they have no problems!!!!
That dude is my cousin (my dad’s sister’s son).
Story III:
She was also the quintessential Mumbai dudette (born in Chennai, raised in Mumbai) and also the sister of the dude in Story I. She had come over to America 9 years back to do her masters. She fell in love with the culture here and three years back, fell in love with an NRI here of Tamil origin but different sect. She eats non veg while he does not and both work with major companies here in Texas, America. They are getting married next month in India and I am going to miss the traditional Kalyana saapadu (marriage feast)!!!!! Sheesh!!!
She is my cousin.
Story IV:
She was the local Cochin girl around 8 years back, a Tamilian born and raised in Kerala. For her engineering, she moved to Bangalore and there she met a wonderful handsome guy who was two years her senior. He was Telugu, born and raised in Tamil Nadu. She could speak Tamil and Malayalam with equal ease and he could speak Telugu and Tamil with equal ease. They got married 2 years back. He loves non veg while she does not even have eggs and she ensures that non veg is not cooked in the house. But that dude is free to eat what he wants outside. When they travel to her parents place, they both happily stay vegetarian and when they go to his parent’s place, they cook veg food especially for her. Her mother could not have been happier with her son in law.
She is my Cousin (my mom’s sister’s daughter).
They were blessed with a handsome “well built/six pack” baby boy recently (March 20th) about whom I had recently blogged.
(Killer good looks run in my family)
When I first saw the baby’s innocent face, I realized that things like culture, language, habits,religion are all so insignificant!!!
And Hence, I say that inter-cultural, inter-religious, inter-lingual relations do work!!!!!! It just requires people to fight for what is right and not for what is wrong!! And I absolutely hate it when people have to convert to another religion,faith to marry somebody else!!!!It only shows that you are not respecting the other person’s beliefs!!!
Next unfortunately in the “guillotine queue” is me! Gulp!! All the elder ones in the family are constantly complaining that they do not get to indulge in their favorite pastime sport; “Finding the Right Girl/Guy” as my cousins have all selected their own soul mate and they all think that they have a chance with me!!!!!!!!!!!!
My Online Journal 
Man I am first ! now let me read this piece !!!
OG: 😛 😛
When I first say the baby’s innocent face, I realized that things like culture, language, habits,religion are all so insignificant!!!
yes… they are all absolutely insignificant… amazingly though people sweat so much over it !!!! whew… ! phew… toooo !!
bout you dude… seems you are on the lookout now for MRS XYZ ?? or A1 ?? lol 😛
OG: Thank dude!!!! I am on the lookout for a great girl , not just X, Y or Z 😛 😛 😛 but I wanna live my bachelor life for atleast two more years!!!!!!!
LoL OG! Where did I come into this???
OG: 😛 😛
Sorry abit of a retard. I get it now. And OG like I said before its cool with us of you bat for the same team or for both teams. We’re completely ok about it. It’s acceptable in society today. So no point hiding in the closet. 😉 😛
OG: yeah, i get your point 😛 😛
Eurekaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! You ahve scope, OG. You will meet your Ms. Z in The Amazons. Just call for Jane 😆 😆
Your nephew is a cutie-patootie-luttapi vava. Lots of kisses to the little sweetie pie.
OG: I am going to travel to the amazon 🙂 will book my tickets…….. 🙂 heheheehehehe
Thanks, Thanks…… yeah, good looks runs in the family….. what can I do…….hehehehehehe 😛 😛
you are second to me !
Mone DineshaaaaaaOG, good looks definitely runs in the family. That cutie-patootie vava’s dad and mom must be GOOD. Ahem…..no comments on Mama.
OG: hahahahaha 🙂 mama looks much better than them 😛 😛
now is this Solilo or some one using her id ?? coz the name doesnt have a link to track me to her site.
OG: this is certainly Solilo……. 🙂 as the comment has Sardar Solilo’s signature style!!!!!!!!!!!
Sardar Sililo ? did i hear that rite ?
OG: 😛 😛
Don solilolol seems way better way to call her 😀
OG: 😛 😛 we can address her all that!!! each one of us should have our own version….:P
I like Sililo !!! he he he…
btw I didnt invent it.. ! it was Mandira… ! so no defamation suites coming my way will be heard !
OG: where is Silolo??????? how about Siloli????
each one of us should have our own version?
😆
Solilo..oh Solilo!!Where art thou?
Lets see what Solilo has to say about this brilliant suggestion of yours OG 😀
OG: hahahahahha
I commented after logging into WP so only name and my avatar attached to it. One way to avoid trolls.
OG: hahahaha 🙂
Oye Hitchy ke bachche, Wait till Meens does your blog review.Saari kasar uss din poori na ki to mera naam Solilo nahin. 😈 😈
OG: 😛 I will be waiting for that!!
Oh btw all the stories are so heart rending! I mean.. all stuff of romance novel and my romantic heart is going all aquiver!
P.S: I noticed a trend in my college.. whoever goes to Amrika gets a GF and gets married!! ( 5 of them below 25 and married this includes even guys.. i mean guys marrying at 23 sheesh! I am committed to not marry until am 30 😛 )
OG! You definitely should get a GF soon 😀 Miss Z are you listening?
May be you should go sleepless in Seattle of something 😉
OG: that is why my grandmother wants me to come bak to India as soon as possible…. heheheheheh 😛 😛
Thanks….. but my family Thankfully is cool in such matters…………..where the younger generation is given a lot of say in matters………………
I am happily single!!!!! 🙂 yeah Miss Z are you listening??????? 😆
I am “now” sleepless in LA at 2:35 AM 😛
BADZ is still not listening !!!
OG: I think I have waited enuf for her reply…. me going to sleep!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂 good night folks!!!!! will see if I get reply tom morning
Sorry to disappoint you OG. Not interested. 😛
I don’t like the typical indian accent guys. 😛 😆
BUT nice of you to wait for my reply. 😉
OG: 😛 :P… damn indian accents!!!!! you have just given me an idea for a post……..
LOL
Glad to be of service. 😉
btw the baby is so kissable! totally coochi coo types!
OG: 😛 😛
Sob!!I was the first one to read it! 12th comments before mine 😛
muahh for the lil darling:) ((hugs)))
That innocent face makes one realise that yes this is all that matters…being a human being…nothing more nothing less….
Dhiren has said it beautifully 🙂
When I first say the baby’s innocent face, I realized that things like culture, language, habits,religion are all so insignificant!!!
good looks run in the family eh? 😀
ms Z are you listening? 😀
psstt OG does not like flowers 😀
so that rules out any flower giving 😀
but seriously OG all three stories were beautiful to read:)
Now like I said on Winnie’s latest post 😀 let me go and hunt for some sappy mushy movies and some romantic books 😀
OG: 😛 😛 hahahaha , enjoy the romantic films…… 🙂
yeah, flower giving is rules out…… 🙂 what else can I give?
Thanku Thanku!!!!!
Correction I copy pasted what OG said… !! and only nodded my head !!! vigorously !
OG: hahahahaa 😛
arre baba it is a given that OG has said/written it 😛
I meant that you picked out the lines that matter the most 😛
my fault 😀 I was unclear 😀
OG: Dhiru bhai is the winner of this argument!!!!
You see I never take credit where it is not due… this is proof…. !!!
remember this ! 😀
OG: That is good dude 🙂
OG! To reply flowers, you could ALWAYS give your girls dimonds. 😉
OG: OG read this and has ignored the next comment….. 😛 😛
Sorry! Let me correct myself. Girls or boys. 😛
😆
OG!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! 😛 😆
OG: i will patiently wait till you start a blog, hahahaha 👿
OG. Then I have great news for you. I have my first two post read. It’s a case of typing them up now. I made the blog address today too. 😉 BUT to be honest with you, at present I’m terrified of both you and Dhiren. 😦
OG: We will be perfect gentlemen!!! that I can assure you 😉 what is the link???? please enlighten us 🙂
I haven’t finished yet. Just made link. Not put anything on it yet. Will let you know when I do and also give you the link aswell. And Dhiren is a sweetheart. I know how to win him over. You’re the difficult one. 😦
OG: hahaha….. me the difficult one!!! no maam, OG will be on best behaviour!!!! 😛 😛
ROFL!! Yes I’m sure you will be. 😉
OG: 😉
OG! As you wanted the link to my blog, its
http://dreamybadz.wordpress.com/
or you could just click on my name. 😉
OG! Well said! Talk about cultural diversity:) Your family sounds like mine:) I swear when somebody gets married to a same caste, born and brought up in Keral – will not know how to react 🙂 My grandfather’s brother started the trend by getting married to a Bengali 🙂
Finding the right person is the most imp! So where are you searching for yours? Solilo’s idea is fantastic:)
OG: 🙂 That is good Smitha!! Three cheers to such families…… 🙂
yes, I will take Don Solili’s suggestion
Smi, you too have Bengali connection. 😀 Me too.
You too, Solilo 🙂 Seriously, my family feels like one big mish mash 🙂 We look in absolute awe if we come across somebody who is completely ‘Mallu’ 🙂
Much awaited Review
Too bad you went to sleep…
OG: thank you so much Winnie…… very much appreciated!!!!
OG will be soo sorry he missed it 😀
OG: OG read it this morning and is very happy
Happy dreaming about miss Z 😀
OG: 😉
On another note OG I agree with the views that you have highlighted in bold..that one does not have to convert to marry someone…
but yeah to each his/her own…I however am in full agreement with the lines
OG: to each one his one…. but the point in conversion is that, The person being converted is “forced” to change his/her lifestyle…… even if they do it on their own will…….
and that is what I dont like
true 🙂 even when some say its not forced it might well be the subtle pressure and that IS irritating…
OG: 🙂 😀
truly lovely to read about ur cousins 🙂 offers a ray of hope among all the trash we keep hearing everyday! lol and u sure do have a very liberal (and mixed) family!
all the best for ur hunt! to quote an oft-repeated cliched Yash Chopra phrase: “Someone somewhere out there HAS to be made for u”! 😀 😛
OG: Thanku Thanku!!!! yeah, that is what I keep telling my grandmom as well 🙂 that there is some one…. 🙂 and I ask her not to worry 😛 😛 😛
and yes, before a baby, more than religion, what matters are sensible parents.
I’ve seen this religion bit interfering only when they can’t decide which religion to let the baby follow. 9/10 times it is usually the father’s. I say let the baby grow up and decided for him/her self!
OG: completely agree!!!!!!!!!!
What a family!!! It’s good that they are so accepting – i wish more people were like them…I too can’t understand this conversion business – why does a person have to give up his/her identity/background in order to get married?
OG: yeah Bones……. seems stupid
OG, I love your family. I wish more could think like your uncle-aunts and cousins. No more oh! my religious book says this or oh! my god commands this or oh! my culture says this.
Let us all raise above these religious barriers.
OG: 🙂 Thanku!!! I love my extended family as well !!!!
yes, let us raise above religious barriers!!!!
Oh! You too! Even my parents keep on telling me that I am the black sheep in the family. All my cousins had love marriages. Even my mom dad and my grandparents had a love marriage. And they keep on asking me that why the hell couldn’t I find a girl for myself! 😦 😐
And your family is exactly how I would like the world to be. 🙂
OG: 🙂 hahahaha, black sheep….. me too dude!!!!! Thanks!
That is a wonderful family that you have.. and you are going to make someone lucky too..
my own family and Hubby’s has a lot of intercultural/religious marriages.. nd all of them has worked.. but it works best when you are away from the so called society.. as for faith.. it should be left alone…
OG: hahaha, lucky??? 😛 I dont think so!!!!
and yes, completely agree about last part!!
Loved this post OG!!!
When I first saw the baby’s innocent face, I realized that things like culture, language, habits,religion are all so insignificant!!!Lovely words.
My family is the same 🙂 I haven’t seen much of what you wrote about religion in your last two posts – this is more of what I have seen around me 🙂
My nephew and my cousin (I have blogged about both) married Christian girls, also a niece recently – and nobody has changed their religion or surnames. I also have lot of close friends who have had mixed marriages and they are no different from us.
I think when we bring too much religion into our everyday lives sometimes conflicts might happen…. we aren’t very overtly religious – I am afraid I might overlook some of the things that might offend most people. …
Your nephew looks cute! (I remember your really sweet post about him…. ) No wonder you have people asking you the tenth offensive question in your last post 🙂
OG: 🙂 yeah, isnt he the cutest thing!!!! yes IHM…. we need to mave away from religion!!!! and LOL about 10th question!!!
I should thank Winnie for the review:-) I went thro a few of your posts and they are quite ‘wow’. And I am going to keep coming back for more:-):-)
Keep up the good work:-)
Arc.
OG: Hey Arc, Thanks!!!! Thanku thanku!!! 😛 😛
And yes, I ve blogrolled you:-)
OG: Honored!
That is one darling baby 🙂
And yes babies do make you realize the most basic of emotions, and fundamentals of life, dont they?
Beautiful stories, more so, because they are all so real 🙂 Truth they say, is sometimes stranger than fiction na?
Waiting for yours now 🙂
OG: Thanks Usha!!! truth is at times more fantastic than fiction!!!
LOL at waiting for yours……… 🙂 LOL!!!!
Ajit, I had not seen your nephew’s pic – thanks to my phone – the pics sometimes don’t load 😦 He is such a darling 🙂 You are so right – ‘When I first saw the baby’s innocent face, I realized that things like culture, language, habits,religion are all so insignificant!!!’
OG: 😛 😛 Yo!!!! internet god, is still not happy with you!!!
OG. Your stories sound so familiar. I’ve heard them soo many times before. In my family we have it all too (black, white, different caste, religion, etc). BUT even so, everyone is against it including my parents. I’ve been told from day one from my parent (in particular my mother) Indian boy same religion, same cast, vegetarian. I can understand why they say it etc BUT I don’t know whether I’ll go with those rules or not. I personnal diagree with it to the extent that when you fall in love with someone, you don’t see all of that. BUT I totally agree with the line “I absolutely hate it when people have to convert to another religion,faith to marry somebody else!!!! It only shows that you are not respecting the other person’s beliefs!!!” 🙂
OG you nephew is adorable. And I agree his parants must be good looking. 😉 🙂
OG: “let us the see” as to what happens!!!! : 😛 thanks, he is a cutie!!!!
LoL! Been there, tried it and tested the water.(And I don’t mean I got married. Just feel for a guy who was Hindu BUT wasn’t gujrati nor was he in the same cast) And trust me it isn’t plesant site. The WHOLE family knew about him and hated him. What happened next I will not say. All I will will tell you it wasn’t pleasent. 😦
OG: hmmmm…… 😦 dont know what to say!!! except Cheers!!!!
No. Don’t misunderstand. Nothing bad. Well not THAT bad (although it was for me. 😦 ). Just I wouldn’t recomment to anyone.
OG. I have left you a “nice” comment on Winnie’s review on you. 😉
You’re welcome OG. Glad you liked it. See I can be nice when I want to be. 😉 (Although I’m just trying to win you over so you’re nice to me on my blog. 😛 )
OG: 🙂 hahahaha…. OG will be the nicest blogger in town from now on 😛
ROFL! 😆 Some How I can’t imagine you being the nicest blogger in town. BUT going to have fun watching you try. 😛 😆
Ah… super machi… 🙂 find your Ms.Z soon and join the inter-cultural tradition… my family is absolutely opposite to yours… no love marriages till now… in ours they consider love as a sin… let me see whether I could find my lovable girl by myself and change their conception:-) superb post machi… I loved it 🙂
OG: fall in love machi, no better feeling than that!!!! thanks
Super post OG.
with all your cousins getting married, next in line is you. Miss.Z where are you? OG is waiting eagerly for you. Yous cousin’s baby boy looks so cute. “When I first saw the baby’s innocent face, I realized that things like culture, language, habits,religion are all so insignificant!!!” Wonderfully said.
OG: Miss Z!!! thanks!
“And I absolutely hate it when people have to convert to another religion,faith to marry somebody else!!!!It only shows that you are not respecting the other person’s beliefs!!!”
you are right — but when the church came to know that i married a hindu guy, the church announced it in front of the whole congregation and threw me out of the church. — yes call it the judaic laws followed by some ‘indian churches’.
i still follow my faith, but this is what organized religion can do.
That is horrible Anrosh!!!!!!!!!!!!!
did they not let you into the church again???? if that is the case, maybe you should have filed a law suit again the church……. this makes my blodd boil
You cannot do that, OG. Anrosh is right. You will also not find a place in the cemetery if you even belong to a different denomination. That is how it is.
Just recently my friend a Kashmiri Pandit boy married a Malayali Christian. Both families didn’t have any problem but the Church asked the guy to convert in order to have a Church marriage. The guy converted just for marriage but didn’t tell his parents. Then they later had a Hindu wedding (no girl didn’t convert to Hinduism) in the hall and reception.
That is how organized religion is and you can’t do anything about it if you want to be part of the religious places. I have friends who never cared to go back and never bothered to convert.
OG: hmmmm….. I dont know what to say
solilo is spot on.
you know what the funny thing is , yet disgusting — the hindu family which i am married into thinks that all christians are converted sc/st’s ( — and all christians are people with loose values — ) ( they are very well educated blah..blah ) — it ain’t easy out there – either you are in or out — half – half does not work. the values of the mass is very different – most of us who write on blogs are pretty liberal and can safely debate for or pro on both sides.for me this country is a safety net when it comes to such issues!
OG: bullshit!!!!! and good that you are in america….seriously!!!
Anrosh, you are spot on this time.
In India people also have the same notion about North-East people because they are mostly Christians like Mizos. People think Christians means no morales. You know every person I have met in life always mistakes me for Christian because I don’t have the usual Hindu symbols on me, I drink, I mingle with guys, I wear short clothes. I mean every single one of them thinks I am not Hindu enough. They are further shocked when they learn that I am Brahmin-Kshatriya parentage.
So basically, I don’t belong to any religion or state 😀 according to them.
OG: Don Solilol is not a nasrani!!!! 😛 😛 hehehehehehe 😛
OG, Nasranis are there in Maharastra too — They are called “sheniwari telli” — and then starts the whole differentiation of kala or ghora –
@OG: I know you thought I am a Christian too at first. Ha…ha..ha.. I have no problem in being called Christian. In Kanpur every single teacher of mine thought that I am a Christian because they thought all Keralites and Goans are Christians. 😀
Thiruvalla Christians are the prettiest girls in India so I don’t mind being called one at all. 😉 but the problem here is the stereotypes. Asking someone to be Hindu enough or Christian enough. That irks me.
@Anrosh: Nasrani means Christian in Malayalam. I mean a colloquial term.
off the topic
I am mistaken for a Punjabi 😛
Which is coz I do not seem demure enough to be from UP 😀
umm does that sound crazy? 😀
Christians means no morals.. and only they drink ?Ouch! that hurts Solilo! I shall blame it all on Christ who said a little wine is good for the body and for His first miracle. 🙂
Jokes aside, I guess it is all presumptions. In the company that I worked first in Kuwait, I was surprised when an Arab colleague affirmed that Hindus do not believe in God! Since they cannot accept anything other than a single God, the multitude of Gods means “Godless” to them!
But now with the advent of internet and emails, things are changing; although we still love to hold on to our prejudices. It lets us justify many of our own fears.
@ Happy Kitten: What about Lord Shiva’s Somrasa? 😆
That’s what. Stereotypes irks me and esp. when it is about religion.
do you know what a navvari sari is? traditionally in maharastra – the woman were navvari ( 9 yard saris ) and the lengh may be above the knee ( normal everyday routine ) or much below –for festive occassions. ( of course the way it is tied depends on the caste etc etc ).
looks like people just like to nit-pick.
solilo the above reply was to you