I often get people writing to me, wondering why I choose to live in India. They think I’m a crazy for giving up my high standard of living, to be here with my husband.
The thing is though, I fell in love with India long before I fell in love with my husband. Actually, I fell in love with India five years before I even met him. It happened the first time I visited India, in 2000. I was fascinated by the country. I found it to be vast, unfathomable, and full of life. I wanted to be a part of it (not that I ever imagined I would be!).
For sure, India often tests my patience. It’s like a never ending rollercoaster ride. I get frustrated and fed up. Yet, I can’t deny, I’m still under India’s spell. Here are five reasons why.
1. India is Untamed
Funnily enough, the thing the often irritates me the most about India is also the thing that ensures I’m never bored here. Every time I go outside, there is something different and interesting happening. Things that I’ve never seen before, and never thought possible. Camels, elephants, bullock carts, and overladen vehicles all jostle for position on the roads. Not to mention, the multitude of vendors with their hand pulled wooden carts. All around, everywhere, everyone is doing something.
2. Incense
The warm waft of incense never fails to awaken something in me. I love the fact that it’s so much a part of everyday life in India. I light it in the morning when I get out of bed, in the evening when it becomes dark, and often when I’m about to go to sleep as well. The smell is soothing yet inspiring at the same time.
3. Mystery
India is ancient. There is so much to discover and learn here. The history, the traditions, the rituals. And, India is a country that reveals itself only a little at a time. I feel like I have to earn my understanding of India.
4. Spirituality
I’m not a religious person, but I’m a very spiritual one. I actually don’t belong to any religion (thanks to my parents, who decided that I could make up my own mind). I’ve dabbled in a few, but it wasn’t until I came to India that anything really resonated with me. Here, God is in everything. People have such a close relationship with God in India. And, Hinduism offers so many different ways of connecting to God. It’s a religion for the mind and the body. I find the meaning behind the mythology fascinating, and strangely enough, believable. India has really helped me define what life and death is all about.
5. Clothes
I adore wearing Indian clothes. The colours, the design, all the jewellery and accessories. I feel transformed.
To all my Indian readers: Please do tell me what appeals to you about your country. I know there has been plenty of discussion in the blog about some of the undesirable aspects of India. Now, let’s show India some love!
Related Posts:
- Funny Photo – Gas Delivery in Mumbai
- How to Gain Entry into an Elite Mumbai Bar
- Honour Killings in India
- What I Like Most About My Husband
- My Favourite Reminders of India
- My New Year’s Resolutions 2009
- Answers to Questions About My Life in India #1
- My Parents’ Reaction to My Relationship and India
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
“ That is not always true 
...
{ 131 comments… read them below or add one }
← Previous Comments
@@Amit
i wrote:
“Human’s wanting for “more”(read GREED) is one of the prime causes of all sufferings in this world……..terrorism , climate change , deforestation, broken homes ….and etc etc etc etc.”
i wanna add that all of these are because of THE WEST. PERIOD.
Ronny: “Why do u need any other thing when you are happy with what u have got?”
This is the great conflict. If you are happy with what you have, you don’t do anything. Where do you get the motivation to work hard from?
Ronny: “Human’s wanting for “more”(read GREED) is one of the prime causes of all sufferings in this world.”
Absolutely true. But truth doesn’t effect the conflicting nature of the world we live in. As far as suffering goes, we should know better, the human life is great suffering it self, no matter if you are content or not.
As far as the earth is concerned human beings because of his greed and selfishness do more damage to it than any other life on the planet.
“Look at the movie AVATAR…”
Who made it?
“Once upon a time , Indians were like the NA’VI people.”
Why is the western acknowledgment so important to Indians? BTW what’s NA’VI people?
Even future exploration of space would lead to abuse of other planets so I dont think a human can live on other planets. Maybe for a little bit after that lack of oxygen, pressure etc would put an end to his thirst. The forces out there are too powerful. No human can conquer space or time.
A human beings worse enemy isn’t a natural disaster. It isn’t animals or plants. It isn’t life from other planets. It isn’t some devil that lives in hell. A human beings worse enemy is his own kind.
@@Amit Desai
Where do you get the motivation to work hard from?
Let me give an example.
In Japan ,most people work for 12/14 hours (at least in big cities).
Many Japanese kids dont see their dad/mom often . Maybe,during weekends when they are obviously tired after working hard throughout the week.
My question is : whats the point? Of course , more money and development , but at the cost of good family time and also happiness that comes with it.
But in India,most people work for less than 8 hours . Return home early and see their kids grow and enjoy being surrounded by family.
A personal question:
Imagine your childhood. Which kind of parents do u prefer????
Also read Sharell’s post:
“How India Helped Me Find My Purpose in Life”
Ronny, “Imagine your childhood. Which kind of parents do u prefer?”
As a child, I don’t have such a choice and I don’t think about such things at that time. And as an adult I do have a choice, but I also know the fact that it’s just a personal preference.
to answer you question, I will prefer a nice combination of all.
And as an adult I do have a choice, but I also know the fact that it’s just a personal preference
Spot on.
Anyways , which university u went to?
“Anyways , which university u went to?”
I have been to many, as was confused for long. I went to a technical college in India (Surat), then I went to University of British Columbia (Vancouver) for a while, then went to University of Manitoba, and University of Minnesota (U.S) as a visiting student and graduated from a University called University of Winnipeg.
Sorry, I also went to BVP (Poone) for a few month. But I think I got kicked out.
@@Amit Desai
Dude , i think your CV will be an interesting read.
So many universities….haha…..even many professors dont have experiences in so many Univs…..hahahaha
Yeah, And that is only for one bachelor’s degree (of course, I changed many faculties and discipline). This is what one of my previous employer asked, “is there a place where you haven never studied or worked?”
I said “yes, it’s you company”.
Ronny, “even many professors don’t have experiences in so many Univs”
I should have been awarded a special degree in a field called “bachelors of art in messing about” or “bachelors of arts in Univ Experiences”.
@ Amit Desai:
If your employers ask, you can tell them your university is the same, it just changed its name five times. In India, they’d probably believe you.
Abdullah K: “If your employers ask, you can tell them your university is the same, it just changed its name five times. In India, they’d probably believe you.”
I sense the intended sarcasm here.
hay friends u r reading shairali ”s blog or chatting what she has asked or written u should answer or write on that if u wanna chat than go to some social networking site
I truly enjoy your blog on India. I was born in India, but moved to the United States at the age of 7 months. Therefore, I am basically an American, but my heart for India. I have been to India few times, but have not really experienced the true side of India. Your blog definitely provides great inspiration in discovering this magnificent country with excitement. Thank you for dedication to India.
Congratulation on your marriage. You are an attractive person.
Hi Div, thanks so much for your good wishes, and appreciating my blog. I’m glad it’s been a source of inspiration to you! India definitely has much to discover, it’s impossible to get bored here!!
FOOOOOOOOOD!!!!
India is a foodie’s heaven!!!! i cant imagine being anywhere in the world and getting such fantastic food – vegetarian, mughlai, north indian, south indian, from dhoklas to utthapam, from papads to pickles, and chaats!! and hundreds of kinds of sweetmeats and sweet dishes!!! – and all very decently priced.. nope nowhere in the world….
COLORS AND NOISE!!l
Like you say, the thing about India that’s most annoying is also the most entertaining!!! Everyone honks, everyone gets into a fight in the middle of the road, everyone plays bollywood songs at every street corner, in every shop and in every taxi..and even in autos!!!
like my mom says, that if she were to move to the west now, she would either get really bored, or go mad with the discipline, propriety and the SILENCE and orderliness over there!!!
Musings of an armchair “lukka”:) :-
Q: Why did Sharell move to India ?
A: I think the answer is in some of her writings. At age 31 she was working as an accountant with decent govt. salary and great benefits. But, she was experiencing a “jagged end” of a long term relationship. With the death of that relationship, out went her future and she lost her mooring. Different people deal with loss differently, can one comprehend why some kids commit suicide for lack of marks in 10th grade ? The point being no one knows how people might react to their sense of loss. In Sharell’s case she lost it, went into a funk and was depressed at work and anything which reminded of her original life. May be she is not even aware of it, but for her the only way to regain happiness was to live a life which is as far away and different from a life she could have had. India is just a means to her desire to escape her past. Instead to pink-white she now prefers dark-brown, instead of cleanliness and order she now prefers dirt and chaos, instead of bland meat and potatoes she now prefers curry of legumes, instead of security of the future with good benefits she now prefers uncertanity of existance. But, the mind cannot tolerate the truth so the reason is dressed up in spirituality and such mumbo-jumbo.
Yes and no, durrani. I’m well and truly aware of my reasons for everything. It was all a long time ago (5 years) that all that happened. If I was just running away (which I may have been at the start when I desperately needed a change of environment), the frustrations of living in India would’ve got to me by now and I would’ve gone back. I don’t prefer brown skin, dirt etc at all (I definitely don’t prefer dirt!). It’s just the circumstances I’ve found myself in. It just happened that living in India worked out in my favor, so I stayed. The first month that I moved to Mumbai I got a job that i LOVE — that is what is keeping me here more than anything. I find it fulfilling. If I didn’t have that job, I probably would’ve gone back to Australia in the first year and taken my husband with me. Now I have a book deal, and have to turn down writing work because I’m so busy. So forget the idea of delusions. Why work as an accountant and hate it (I hated it for years), when I can work as a writer and love it? My future is secure enough. I’m not at all concerned.
What do you mean, could’ve had?. I had it for a long time, and did not like being an accountant. So why not try something different, since I had the opportunity.
Sharell, what you mentioned in this post is very true. The clothes, cultural diversity, commonplace things and complex intertwined nature of Hinduism with Indian music and life is quite unmatched. Best part has to be the food. Variety of flavors from simple to most complex recipes are something one doesn’t get to see that often. But India has it’s own share of problems. If you ever get chance, there is a YouTube channel called journeyman pictures. http://www.youtube.com/user/journeymanpictures Some videos are quite saddening and true. Indian society is very cohesive but at same time, individual freedom, care of sentiments, ego of young child are completely ignored. On one hand families are cohesive yet there is too much intervention, as you may have noticed. There is an India that a lot of Westerners perceive to be fascinating. The booming India, the developing superpower. But grassroots are still where they were 100 years ago. Corruption, lack of education, language based politics and racism, intolerance, infanticide and a lot of other issues still exist. Western world allows one to preserve one’s individuality. I missed that in India. To me, it’s an ancient land with rich history which desperately needs a remodeling.
Sharell, this post is reminiscing to me. The morning prayers, crowded local train, fast food(have you tried vada pav?), clothes all of these are good parts. But India suffers with racism. Language based racism, infanticide, population explosion, corruption, lack of education have plagued India since Brits left. Indian society is quite cohesive but an individual’s ego is hurt since childhood. There is absolutely no personal space which is irritating to me. Too much intervening is one major issue. If you get time, take a look at this http://www.youtube.com/user/journeymanpictures. There are certain videos about India which can be disturbing but are very true. India could really use some remodeling. Grassroots are still where they were 100 years ago. India seems like a giant hypocrisy to me where rich is getting extremely rich and poor is dying without water.
Five Things (in no order):
, thinking OMG this is happening around me?
1. People are really interesting – I love talking to other Indians. Particularly their cultural and linguistic peculiarities. Like subtle variations on traditions or even their prejudices/nicknames about other Indian communities. I’ve rarely met a boring Indian, ask them about their pre-marriage life and you’ll get the most amazing stories some downright illegal and many intimate details about their relatives. I find Americans and Brits lead pretty dull and mundane lives (apart from the well traveled ones) or maybe they are much more guarded towards foreigners.
2. Indian Politics/Current Affairs – Never a dull moment. Ranges from hilarious to bizarre to depressing to truly uplifting. The newspaper reads like Sidney Sheldon meets Fredrick Forsyth. British and American broadsheets and news are snooze-fests in comparison. You feel like you’re part of a country that could go either way at any time
3. Hinduism – Sort of how a Catholic might feel in the Vatican.
4. Contributing towards society – If you’re in a developed country then you get the feeling you’re leading a selfish insular existence. Just by being in India means your taxpayer money is going towards building a school or a new water pump for a village somewhere. So many other people depend on you, the dhobi, servant etc. You genuinely feel part of the “India story” – the slow brick-by-brick march towards a better life in a secular democratic way without plundering some other country’s resources like imperialism or enslaving people into robots like communism. Life is purposeful and not just about satisfying your hedonism.
5. Things are still really cheap (outside Mumbai) – You can get great tasting food in the country and entertainment without spending an absolute fortune. I can’t say the same for top range things in the USA or UK.
India is really mystic for the people out there… who never visited and once they visit they fell in love with….
Wow, nice post Sharell ! Although I’ve been traveling a lot across Europe, I now realize how much I still have to see in India. India is almost like a huge continent and the culture, tradition, climate, landscape, people etc. change every 200 km you travel. It’s truly a case of “unity in diversity” and “diversity in unity”. As you have been touched upon by the mystery and spirituality of India, I would recommend you to read this book “Bhagavad Gita – As it is” by Bhaktivendanta Srila Prabhupada. It has helped me answer so many mysterious questions about life, the purpose of life and given me a new perspective.
I have to go with you on this one. Political news are the most wholesome entertainment in India. Barring the enlightened few, Indian politicians conduct themselves like 11 year old children. Following their antics often feels like navigating the world of Alice in Wonderland.
Abdullah:
Lol I agree. Lok Sabha TV is great for laughs too. Every so often, some dude in khadi raises an incredibly cliched slogan and everyone rushes to the well. The speaker is then reduced to saying “aap sab baith jaiye! Kripya baith jaiye..”(everyone sit down! Please sit down).
It’s actually very funny to watch until you realize that these are the duffers who’re supposed to run our country. It gets kinda depressing after that.
I voted for the congress candidate from the New Delhi constituency (Ajay Maken). And I felt like “crap, who the hell am I voting for ?”. But he sounded like the best option compared to the others.
Hey Sharell. Just found your blog. It’s very interesting indeed, the reasons you chose to live here and I do think you’re very brave.
Even native Indians like me can sometimes experience cultural disconnect in our own country when we note from one place to another but your type of disconnect is of course in a different league altogether.
It seems that you’re doing quite well though, despite challenges and that’s marvellous.
The very best of luck to you!
← Previous Comments