9 Things Every NRI Living Away From Home Can Relate To
niharika nayakBA (Media & Communication) Experience: 4 yearsNiharika has a passion for all things art, music, and travel and has over 4 years of experience in writing for social media. During her spare time, she likes experimenting in the kitchen, playing vide... more
There are a lot of things that make an Indian feel Indian. No matter which part of the globe you are located in, you probably have a few things that make you feel like you’re back home in India. It could be something as small as an aromatic dish or running into someone else from the same community as you. Here are nine things you can probably relate to if you’re someone who has lived away from your home country for some time. Even if you’ve lived in a foreign country all your life, there are certain things that make you feel truly Indian.
1. “Ghar Ka Khaana”
There’s nothing like eating a dish that reminds you exactly of your grandmother’s cooking. Every Indian kid has grown up on either their grannys’ cooking or her recipes through their mothers. Finding the same flavor palate when you are in another country is truly a feeling like no other. No matter how much you love exploring different cuisines, nothing can replace the delight you get when you take a bite of dal tadka and roti.
2. “Hello” Is Replaced With “Have You Eaten?”
It’s almost as if Indian mothers come with manuals on how to change their behavior once their child moves out. The regular hellos will be replaced with everyday calls asking if you’ve eaten properly. Anytime you meet your parents they will bring up how much weight you’ve lost or gained while living abroad.
3. Facebook Groups Are A Fun Way To Meet Other Indians
There are many groups on Facebook that are dedicated towards brown culture that you can follow to be updated with daily memes and other fun stuff. Sharing common brown references and memes over the internet with millions of other brown people is truly a fun hobby to keep. It’s a healthy way to make new friends as well.
4. Celebrating Holi Brings Back Fond Memories
In many colleges in foreign countries, Indians get together to celebrate common functions like Holi and other fun activities. You love shooting pictures during this time too and bonding with others over these fun occasions is the best experience ever.
5. Family Get-Togethers
Family get-togethers are always super fun because you run into relatives you haven’t seen in years. It’s always fun to catch up with all your extended family members and cousins and find out what they are all up to. Even if these get-togethers are super rare and you don’t get to see each other often, it always feels like you guys just saw each other yesterday.
6. Skype Calls Are A Pain To Schedule
If you’re someone whose extended family lives in different time zones then you understand how much of a pain scheduling calls with the family are. If you’re in a long-distance relationship then things get taken to another level. Besides working at different times and trying to manage the stress of living away from each other, you need to maintain a solid connection (literally).
7. You Can Instantly Identify Another Indian
No matter which part of India the person comes from or how westernized their style of dressing is, for an NRI, another Indian sticks out like a sore thumb! Indians have a way of acting and a certain behavior when they are in foreign countries and as subtle as they may be, it’s easy to identify by people who are used to seeing these same mannerisms.
8. People Ask You About Cows… A Lot
Let’s face it. Many foreigners assume that every Indian worships cows. We’re often portrayed in stereotypical manners by actors and actresses who are not often Indian (we’re looking at you The Simpsons). At this point, you’re so used to being asked this question that you’ve found multiple humorous ways to answer them.
9. You Don’t Mind Wearing Indian Clothes
There was probably a point in time when you wanted to rebel or simply preferred wearing western and more “modern” clothes during festivals and occasions but now as you grow older and get closer to those in your community you find yourself embracing your true cultural heritage more! After all, how often do you get to wear that super gorgeous lehenga, right?
End of the day, no matter what other people think or presume, you know that you too share the love for your country and all things Indian. As they say, you can take the Indian out of India but you can’t take India out of the Indian. Despite living away from home you are still attached to your culture and take pride in celebrating it. And although there may be times when you miss your home dearly, you know you’ll catch up when you get there. These are understandably difficult times for Indians all around the world but things will get better sooner than you know it. Do share this article with your friends or on “curry” groups if you could find it relatable!
