A kindly gentleman by the name of Mahendra contacted me recently and asked if he could write a post about me for his Marathi blog. I was surprised and honoured, and of course agreed.
If you can understand Marathi, do visit Mahendra’s very interesting blog. In only a short amount of time, the blog has become deservedly popular amongst its loyal followers.
Here is the link: http://kayvatelte.wordpress.com/
The post about me has been published, and you can see it there. The funny thing is, I have no idea what it says yet. I have to wait for my husband to read it to me, but he’s been so busy with work — coming home late in the night, and leaving again in the morning!
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Sharell,
Don’t know if you remember me, we exchanged mails earlier during Nov’09.
I’m a Maharashtrian myself and have gone through Mahendra’s post on your site in detail today. He’s captured every important point/ post / observation from you blog & as well used photos, at the appropriate points.
Don’t know if you’ve noticed, I found atleast 24+ people commenting there, that they’ve started reading / subscribing to this site of yours.
Needless to state, I read your this site/blog atleast once a week.
Enjoy … Nandu
Sharell, I normally follow Mahendra’s blog and from the post of his blog about you, I reached your blog and found it very interesting.What he has written about you is the summary of your many articles which explains the journey of your life to India and believe me, he has made it very interesting.
Do keep writing.
Ah, I will have to dig out my ‘How to learn Marathi’ in a month book
(which of course I never applied myself to…). But coooool you are so famous!!
plz excuse the spelling mistake ..and grammatical errors…..though i m a maharashtrian my marathi is just abt manageable….tried my best to translate …..
so here it goes…….
————————————————————————————
Lot of Maharashtrians have settled in America and Australia.Women too follow their husbands and live abroad on dependant visa.Why look further, my sister is BE+MBA(Finance) and lives abroad as a
housewife.She was used to doing a lot of work in India and now she has absolutely nothing to do in
US. She took up a course in Finance just becos she was fond of studying. BUt if you dont have other interests, staying abroad can be boring.
different country, staying alone the entire day….what to do?? its difficult to pass days..
also since aircrafts have a luggage limit, you cannot carry all your favorite books along.
Visinting social sites is an option to keep urself occupied, but then how long?…there is a limit.. have u ever wondered ..if a foreigner marries an Indian and decides to stay here, how will her life turn out to be?
An Australian girl, Sharell Cook, travels from Melbourne to India on a holiday. An accountant by profession, she falls in love with an Indian guy, marries him, and decides to settle in India. The cultural differences are so great that one might feel like leaving the country. But she falls in love with the country.
She writes in her blog about her experiences in India and how she struggled to adapt to the Indian culture. Its a beautiful blog called ‘Diary of White Indian Housewife’.
How did i reach her site. Through google reader, which recommended her site. So through google uncles recommendation, i clicked, the blog opened.I read other posts also but her blog i kept open in google reader. She has written all her experiences in her blog. An every post is 100% true …she has written from her heart (dil se).
her experiences in India, learning hindi, and how people react when she speaks hindi and many other posts which make this blog very interesting.I myself read this blog regularly.
i read somewhere on her blog that, she enjoys touching feet and folding hands and she has shared many other similar stories.
people keep their homes clean, but throw waste out of the window. She has written a post on this that how she finds it very surprising. For us its normal to throw waste out of the window…but it hurts her vision. there is notice(it has been observed flat owners B..) in her complex which she has posted in her blog.
Why is cow considered sacred in India.In one of her blogs, she has also commented on the Upanishads. she also writes about the mosquito swatting bats(the ones wich u get near CST and Churchgate) with the same ease as with her other posts.:)
In india having a house maid is a neccessity and not a luxury.One of her posts speaks about her interaction with her maid servant and how she shud behave with the maid. i cudnt stop from commenting on her post….just to see that no one takes advantage of her…surprising enuf..this Sharell hugs her maid servant
In india its very common to visit someone without appointment. Someone rings the doorbell and we have to open the door and face the person, the restlessness after thinking that she is dressed inappropriately and the simplicity in her behaviour after seeing other women dressed in the same way is beautifully expressed in her blog.
She once went to her inlaws and the men were sitting outside. The women were chatting in the kitchen. At that moment she was offered beer but she refused becos it wudnt look good. She mentions in her blog that she so really wanted to drink that day. What is mean to say is.. there is truthfulness in her blog.
Ok friends all this is fine…but her quest doesnt stop here….she travels from chennai to mumbai in an auto…she herself drove the auto..i m not kidding..in 13 days she travelled from chennai via mysore, banglore, murdeshwar, mahabaleshwar, goa etc …and covered around 2000 kms. she has written a blog on this and also posted pics on facebook. the link to the pics is there on her blog.
now back in mumbai u dont get to ride an auto everyday…but one day while returning back home late in the nite….she got a oppurtunity to drive an auto…she has blogged abt it as well.
there are many other posts too…such as wearing toe rings etc…the topic of one such post speaks abt how immediately after marriage she went to the market to purchase a toe ring so that she cud wear it and bridge the cultural gap.
Her BLog: if u start reading it once , u may lose track of time…..every post is worth reading…if u read it once u will start following….This post is incomplete without saying thnx to sharell……i sent her a mail….she said i cud use her pics…she was not offended in any way….and that is the reason i cud write this post…
i m writing a small comment below for her to understand…
Hi Sharell,
Thank you very much for allowing me to use your pics on my blog in this post..
Mahendra
————————————————————————————
Kaaku (aunty), you’ve done a very good job as i read ur above post on Mahendra (kaakaa’s) uncle’s blog…. your expressions suits exactly to we Indians… keep it up…. ‘ll be happy if you come and enjoy our colorful culture…
Have a very happy life…!
- विशल्या!
Sahil, thank you very very much for taking the time to translate that for me. I really appreciate your efforts. Mahendra certainly has done an outstanding job of what he’s written. While I was reading the translation, I could hardly believe I was reading about myself. He’s made me and my life sound so interesting!
I’m really delighted!
Vishal ji, thank you so much for your positive feedback. It’s very reassuring and encouraging to know you think that. I’m definitely inspired to keep it up now (and do even better!).
Hi Nandu, yes, I do remember you!
I did notice the comments on Mahendra’s blog post but of course couldn’t understand them — so I’m glad to know what they mean now (and flattered to know people want to read my blog regularly). Mahendra did tell me that he got a very positive response to the post about me, which I’m really pleased about. I still can’t believe I’m THAT interesting though! 
Hi Mahesh, thank you as well for the encouragement to keep writing. It really helps to know that people enjoy reading my ramblings.
Sometimes, I get worried about sharing so much of my life with the world. But if people find it interesting then it makes it worthwhile. 
Sahil, “plz excuse the spelling mistake ..and grammatical errors…..though i m a maharashtrian my marathi is just abt manageable….tried my best to translate”
You have done quite well. I used to speak Gujarati as my first language. Today, if you tell me to translate anything in Gujarati, I would suck more than any one else,
Cathy, please send that book my way when you’re done (after a month, right?). I need to learn too!
Fame is scary — people know so much about me now!!!
Hey Hi Didi (Sister)
Your blog is really good…I like it….I just started reading it…..I read Mahendra Kaka`s blog regularly……Thanks to him too…..Have Happy life in India….
Hi Sagar bhai, welcome to my blog! I’m glad you like it.
I can’t read Marathi, but I love that first picture on the site from your wedding. Congrats on the write up!
Sharell
nice blog.. i like it
read about u on Mahendra’s blog
Have a very happy life…!
Salute………….!! for what you are doing with innormace respect with the culture of India and attachment with this region…!! Thanx…for being part of our nation..
http://akhiljoshi.wordpress.com
Salute ….. for being part of our region………attachment towards culture and nation…….. with great respect and trueness..!!
Thank you so much for your kind words. I really feel welcome here in Mumbai!
Sagar bhai?
Wow, you have got one more brother,Sharell!!
In India, we’re all each other’s brothers and sisters.
Yeah, that’s the part of some national anthem as well. But it really sucks. I couldn’t loose my virginity in high school because of such ideas imposed in India, especially Gujarat is worst.
That’s right, and it has wide reaching implications.
“In India we are all each other’s brothers and sisters”…..
….Seriously?!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! OMG!
Then I am definitely lookin’ overseas for a partner…..(Just Kidding)
Funniest thing we’ve heard in a loooong tiiiime…….Oh Man! Seriously?
Btw, Why did Cathy drop “EVil” in the last post’s comments? Decided to turn a new leaf, Eh Cathy? C’mon…..
I care less about such ideas. But in many schools in Gujarat (including mine), There is huge celebration of “Rakhi”, and boys and girls are encouraged to engage. The problem arises in high school, specially for men, when you know that you are now brother for a few hotties…Sadly enough, most men are ready to forget this fact (anything for sex
). But many women remember it…(I think I know why)…
“That’s right, and it has wide reaching implications.”
What do you mean by that?
Dr Death, didn’t you take the pledge at school?
“India is my country and all Indians are my brothers and sisters. I love my country and I am proud of its rich and varied heritage. I shall always strive to be worthy of it. I shall give respect to my parents, teachers and elders and treat everyone with courtesy. To my country and my people, I pledge my devotion. In their well being and prosperity alone, lies my happiness.”
http://www.foolonahill.com/KVpledge.html
Amit, nothing more than what you alluded to — that it makes having relations between people rather challenging mentally!
Let me ask you something which I have asked a few white girls. (Of course I am not interested in knowing about your past sexual experiences).
So let’s assume that if you have had sex in high school or earlier. If you look back now, would you ever regret that? (Recently, one white girl told me that she often feels that it was not necessary at all).
Sharell
I am really impressed. You are so cute and adjusted yourself here in India. You are great. Thanks to my friend Mahendra who introduced to all of us Maharastrians. Enjoy life here
Y
Aw, that’s a really sweet and nice way that Mahendra summed up your blog on his blog! You really do have a very enjoyable blog and I also like to recommend it to people I think might be interested in reading it.
Sharell, Mahendraji is among the Top Marathi blogger. I am his follower from the day one I started blogging. I came to know about your blog from his post only and really want to thank him for sharing such a great blog of yours. Sharell, liked your blog and writing style (which is Direct Dil Se..
)
Sahil you took efforts to translate that’s a good thing but you should be ashamed of yourself for saying
“though i m a maharashtrian my marathi is just abt manageable”
Hello Dr Death
The post about the Holy Cows was from Cathy Indian @heart if that is the one you are referring too …..
Sharell,
Thanks for referring my blog.. I had been following your blog since almost six months. In this period have read almost all the polsts .. and to tell you the truth- i am impressed!!!
Thanks for allowing me to use your photographs on my blog.. Its great pleasure to know you…
Oh my God Sahil! Thanks dude! You’re a life saver for me who cannot read marathi at all.
Thanks. Way to go Sharell. Great thoughts.
If Sahil was able to translate that so well, I think his Marathi must be more than just manageable.
In regards to this, one thing I’ve noticed is that people often excuse themselves if they think they don’t have perfect knowledge of a language. For example, my husband, born in Mumbai (but parents from Orissa) is able to understand and speak Marathi (along with a number of other languages), but he still feels uncomfortable having a conversation in Marathi with a true Maharastran — because he says he doesn’t have perfect knowledge. I find this absurd because my Hindi is appalling in comparison, yet I have to still talk to people in Hindi while making so many mistakes! 
Mahendra ji, you’re most welcome. It’s fantastic to have such a cultural exchange and meet great people like this!
Catch, I’ve been born and brought up in New Delhi, India. I’m an Indian. I too, find it hard to read Hindi at times. In fact, I would never buy a Hindi newspaper, magazine or book because I cannot read Hindi.
Should I be ashamed too?
Hindi used to be easier to read when I was in school. Now if you ask me to read hindi, I’d have a hard time reading it. Thanks to focusing on just English as I was growing up.
I guess I should be ashamed.
Very weill artical about Sharell. I am really surprised to see blogs written in Indian regional languages. I never thought it would actually exists. You get to know many things by visiting Sharell’s blog. Thx
Hey Didi, don’t call me as Vishal “ji”….! Because I’m not yet of 18 (and doing 2nd year engineering in IT
) too… that’s why you just simply call me as “Vishlyaa” (विशल्या!)…. 
By the way, you now very popular blogger among us… And thank you very much for displaying India to world as what it become really…!
thanking you…
)
(sorry for my very weak English too…!
- विशल्या!
“If you can understand Marathi, do visit Mahendra’s very interesting blog.”
I took this advice and was dismayed to find the current blog entry is an adulatory commentary on Golwalkar guruji (second supreme leader of the RSS) and a one sided view of the violence surrounding the India/Pakistan partition. Not very good company to find oneself in.
About the oath….Sharell,
We used to giggle and laugh our butts off whenevr we were asked to recite that. And when it WOULD be recited, I wouldnt give a damn….Coz I found it rather stupid anyway. Dont think that I was a spoilt brat….I had no intentions of disrespecting that oath.
It was just that I found it rather contradictory to what I saw REALLY happening around me. Had we still been fighting for our nation’s freedom today, I would have recited that oath. But NO, I do not believe in UNCONDITIONAL RESPECT….and from my personal experiences I can tell that all elders are NOT worthy of respect…..Respect only those who deserve it.
Unfortunately, “the rich and varied heritage” of my country has become its biggest disadvantage. It is this variety that gives our politicians the license to exploit and appease one section of the society at the cost of alienating the other…..I need not say more.
And No…..The world is certainly not an ideal place. In fact, its nothing more than a MASQUE. So my happiness certainly does not lie in the happiness of my “people” (The CID official who wanted Rs 3000 /- as bribe to get my passport papers ready……The bribe would have made him HAPPY…..But I certainly wouldnt have been celebrating).
Singing “WE ARE THE WORLD” with your neighbour is the best you can do when it comes to changing the system. I really thank Michael Jackson for having written and arranged that song……A real good way to “feel-good” after a rather forgettable ordeal in the anarchic jungle that our system is.
Hey Sharell!It was really nice 2 read abt u on Mahendra’s blog!Good 2 know dat ur story inspires so many ppl.U shud definitely go 4 a book nw,it’ll b a bestseller of its time!Keep blogging,keep inspiring!
Hi Sharell, I am reguler reader of Mr. Mahendra Kulkarni’s blog ‘kayvatelte’ who wrote about you on his blog . He made me curious to see your blog and I am really fascinated to read couple of articles here. You are really enjoying your life in India. Now we are watching India through your eyes. Great writing. Keep it up!
Hi,
I just read about your blog, on Mahendra uncle’s blog. The name of your blog “Diary of a White Indian Housewife” itself is clicky.
I went through all your blog in last couple of hours, and its really amazing! You have narrated India quite beautifully and am glad that you too found it to be beautiful. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS!
Yet another thing which impressed me is, you adopted Indian culture pretty well.
Over all, YOU ROCK!!
Looking forward to “read” India as seen by you.
With Regards,
Prabhas