Teaching Indian values to children - how is it in other parts of USA?

[renuka]

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Yes, isn't that the beauty of USA, the land of immigrants? :couch2: (comfy)

Yes USA too has handsome hunks..so its indeed beautiful...I like Tyson Beckford!

 

[Vaagmi]

Renukaji,

I am amazed at your capacity to quote such songs at the drop of a hat. You are very resourceful with that. I would say a sabbaash and enjoy the scene that pans out before me in my imagination:

A Doctor's consulting room. Doctor is Renukaji.

Enters a patient with severe stomach pain.

Doctor asks him to go and lie down on the patient's couch for examination. The patient obeys.

Doctor gets up from her chair and starts dancing and singing "randakka randakka randakka randakka whoa whoa whoa" and approaches the couch. The patient is dumb struck. His pain has gone away.

The doctor continues

Chalo Chalo Ji Lak Lak Gao Lo
Chalo Chalo Ji Mauj Bana Lo
Chalo Chalo Ji Nach Lo Gao Lo
Pakad Kisi Ki Wrist

And We Twist
We Twist
We Twist
We Twist
And We Twist
We Twist
We Twist

whoa whoa whoa.

The patient gets up and thanks the doctor, pays up and leave dancing and mumbling "randakka randakka randakka". LOL.

No offence meant. Just laugh it away if you can. I hope you won't send Tyson after me.

 

[krish44]

after reading all the posts , I am unable to make out what indians in america want.

they suffer from an identity crisis.

either they should be americans adopting the way of life there and become comfortable or they should retain their
indian values ,stay aloof and return to india after a few years of work.

riding two horses is never a good idea.for the generation which has gone to US from india they have this

predicament.

for the generation , born and brought up there , it is unwise to thrust anything indian on them.

they can get easily get assimilated there. in any case,no one is going to miss them in india. so why bother them ?

they are many people of indian origin settled in south america or west indies. they hardly think of returning to

india.only the US indians appear mixed up considering periodically the indian option. It only complicates their life

 

[sangom]

Shri krish44 Sir,

Though the thread is titled as "Teaching Indian values to children - how is it in other parts of USA?", I get the feeling that there is no one thing called "Indian Values" and that what is being discussed here is, purely, Tamil Brahmin values. In this context, I may inform that a girl who was born and brought up in US and given enough of this Indian values, now is adamant that she will marry only a non-Indian US boy!

 

[prasad1]

Krishji,

I am unable to make out what indians in america want.they suffer from an identity crisis.

We all suffer this identity crisis. A TB in Delhi or Mumbai also has to go through this process, only the distance is farther.
When ever the family culture is different than the community culture, this crisis will arise.
Like Sangomji said there is no Indian Values, it is all personal values, and they get compromised over time.

 

[JR]

after reading all the posts , I am unable to make out what indians in america want.

they suffer from an identity crisis.

either they should be americans adopting the way of life there and become comfortable or they should retain their
indian values ,stay aloof and return to india after a few years of work.

riding two horses is never a good idea.for the generation which has gone to US from india they have this

predicament.

for the generation , born and brought up there , it is unwise to thrust anything indian on them.

they can get easily get assimilated there. in any case,no one is going to miss them in india. so why bother them ?

they are many people of indian origin settled in south america or west indies. they hardly think of returning to

india.only the US indians appear mixed up considering periodically the indian option. It only complicates their life

Dear Krish ji,

What is the condition in which 'Identity Crisis' will appear? Only when someone has not an identity with a formal set of values. So on contrary to your accusation, I perceive only those children born to Hindu parents here who do not attend such schools as potentially having identity crisis when they grow up.

Besides, living in the West does not mean one has to compromise their own unique set of inherited values and embrace Christianity or Western ways, for that also has its own set of problems.

Even the Irish here teach their girls 'tap dancing' paying hefty $$ and observe Irish festivals such as 'St. Patrick's Day' and send children to Sunday schools. Same with Muslims, Jews, African Americans and the rest.

In my observation, children should know where they hail from and this presents them with a true and clearer picture of who they are - so in case of Indian/Hindu children, that they are Hindus hailing from the lineage of immigrants to USA. This only adds interest to the variety in usa, does not act against the spirit of usa!

Cheers,

 

[renuka]

Renukaji,

I am amazed at your capacity to quote such songs at the drop of a hat. You are very resourceful with that. I would say a sabbaash and enjoy the scene that pans out before me in my imagination:

A Doctor's consulting room. Doctor is Renukaji.

Enters a patient with severe stomach pain.

Doctor asks him to go and lie down on the patient's couch for examination. The patient obeys.

Doctor gets up from her chair and starts dancing and singing "randakka randakka randakka randakka whoa whoa whoa" and approaches the couch. The patient is dumb struck. His pain has gone away.

The doctor continues

Chalo Chalo Ji Lak Lak Gao Lo
Chalo Chalo Ji Mauj Bana Lo
Chalo Chalo Ji Nach Lo Gao Lo
Pakad Kisi Ki Wrist

And We Twist
We Twist
We Twist
We Twist
And We Twist
We Twist
We Twist

whoa whoa whoa.

The patient gets up and thanks the doctor, pays up and leave dancing and mumbling "randakka randakka randakka". LOL.

No offence meant. Just laugh it away if you can. I hope you won't send Tyson after me.

Ha Ha Ha..funny.

I somehow remember songs very well..even as child if I hear a song I never forgot it..in fact I remember all the songs of Engelbert which my father used to play when I was just a kid.

Hindi songs..Tamil songs..Malay songs etc..I remember them all once having heard them.

So far I have not sang any song for my patients but since I wear a doctor's white coat and when I take a walk outside the clinic sometimes young Indian males sing the ever famous Tamil song "Hello Doctor..how do you do Doctor?" from movie Kadhal Desham.

 

[krish44]

Dear Krish ji,

What is the condition in which 'Identity Crisis' will appear? Only when someone has not an identity with a formal set of values. So on contrary to your accusation, I perceive only those children born to Hindu parents here who do not attend such schools as potentially having identity crisis when they grow up.

Besides, living in the West does not mean one has to compromise their own unique set of inherited values and embrace Christianity or Western ways, for that also has its own set of problems.

Even the Irish here teach their girls 'tap dancing' paying hefty $$ and observe Irish festivals such as 'St. Patrick's Day' and send children to Sunday schools. Same with Muslims, Jews, African Americans and the rest.

In my observation, children should know where they hail from and this presents them with a true and clearer picture of who they are - so in case of Indian/Hindu children, that they are Hindus hailing from the lineage of immigrants to USA. This only adds interest to the variety in usa, does not act against the spirit of usa!

Cheers,

As far your next generation born and brought up in US is concerned,, the indian past of their parents as such is no

relevance to them . It is just a baggage they have to carry of the past. it is just information to be stored with little

or no utility for living in US, when they transact with other americans, they will be as equal american citizens with

same american way of bringing up. it is simple to be accepted as an american with values of freedom ,democracy

and equal rights believing in capitalism and free enterprise . why complicate it by thrustng indianness on them.?

 

[JR]

As far your next generation born and brought up in US is concerned,, the indian past of their parents as such is no

relevance to them . It is just a baggage they have to carry of the past. it is just information to be stored with little

or no utility for living in US, when they transact with other americans, they will be as equal american citizens with

same american way of bringing up. it is simple to be accepted as an american with values of freedom ,democracy

and equal rights believing in capitalism and free enterprise . why complicate it by thrustng indianness on them.?

I think the children will eventually get there, Krish ji. Honestly as parents, we are all bewildered by the diverse set of people and principles our children are exposed to. Our goal, as a Hindu Indian American, is not to make 'another Indian' out of teaching kids Indian values, but quite the contrary, to instill in them a sense of healthy pride over what 'they inherited' from their parents and their way of living - which might guide them to make certain wise choices and most importantly, to recognize and avoid making inappropriate choices. But, to tell you the truth, no one knows how life will turn out to be inspite of all our attempts in teaching any set of values to children. They may assimilate about 25% of our values, and then their offsprings might know none. So when I see it from that angle, it is only a losing game, of losing one's identity as a Hindu and an Indian as generations spring forth. But this is where I believe individual destiny and karma comes into play. Who knows, my grandchild may be a White American Christian, but may be otherwise super well-off! And my children may not feel they lack anything out of this configuration. Anything can happen, but as I said, it is purely to impart children a set of values and a system of worship popularly known as 'religion', only this is within the reach of what we can contribute to the children in helping them make wiser decisions and only time and their own individual destiny decides who they are.

 

[Vaagmi]

I think the children will eventually get there, Krish ji. Honestly as parents, we are all bewildered by the diverse set of people and principles our children are exposed to. Our goal, as a Hindu Indian American, is not to make 'another Indian' out of teaching kids Indian values, but quite the contrary, to instill in them a sense of healthy pride over what 'they inherited' from their parents and their way of living - which might guide them to make certain wise choices and most importantly, to recognize and avoid making inappropriate choices. But, to tell you the truth, no one knows how life will turn out to be inspite of all our attempts in teaching any set of values to children. They may assimilate about 25% of our values, and then their offsprings might know none. So when I see it from that angle, it is only a losing game, of losing one's identity as a Hindu and an Indian as generations spring forth. But this is where I believe individual destiny and karma comes into play. Who knows, my grandchild may be a White American Christian, but may be otherwise super well-off! And my children may not feel they lack anything out of this configuration. Anything can happen, but as I said, it is purely to impart children a set of values and a system of worship popularly known as 'religion', only this is within the reach of what we can contribute to the children in helping them make wiser decisions and only time and their own individual destiny decides who they are.

JRji,

There are different varieties of PIO settled in US and Europe.

1. There are people who had their young formative years in India as part of a Hindu family and yet has learnt absolute nothing about their traditions, culture value system etc., These are unfortunate individuals who had monsters of a parent who failed miserably in their duties to their children. These individuals (let us speak about only brahmins here) would have left their poonools in the coat hanger at home or better worn it whenever they needed a tool to scratch their back (Kamalahasan et al). They would declare it too proudly with a false sense of pakuththarivu bravado among their friends. Such people will give "unconditional love" as an opiate to their children too and let them live a licentious life in the western society and would also claim that "living one's life" is an individual's choice. I consider such people as hopelessly lost. Their karma load is such that they have wallow in whatever darkness they are in. There is no use trying to argue with such people or reason it out with them. They are supremely confident that they are right and we are wrong. Sin is always sweet and enticing. These people(brahmins) will lose their indianness and brahminness completely in course of time and will just end up in the melting pot of civilizations,cultures and values called the US as a tiny mashed morsel. I write them off and have no time for them.

2. There is another group of people. These people too have spent their formative years in India. They had matured parents who gave them the full knowledge of the culture, values and traditions of Hinduism. These people have also gone and settled down in US because of the money-making opportunities there and the support they get for their knowledge in science and technology. Such people are bewildered by the sheer size and over-powering attractions of the culture there. They are helpless as the circumstances they have chosen are like the Ghost of Dr. Faustus. I am able to see a thread of helplessness and sadness in your words. This helplessness has naturally lead to giving up blaming karma. And there is hoping against hope that the times to come will be nice indeed. We live on hopes. I would suggest to you this(not advice):

1. Keep bringing up your children the way you were brought up by your parents.

2. Plan, if you can, to get back to India after making enough money.

3. Send your children to schools in India after they reach the 5th class. This is the time when the core value system gets formed and school, teachers, peers etc., contribute more than parents and home.

4. If you have your parents healthy entrust your children to them in India as day scholars learn better values than the hostellers.

5. Have long conversations with your children all along so that you understand what is going on in their mind, what is happening to them outside the home, how they are thinking about various things etc., Just be on the periphery but be well informed. Avoid poking your nose into everything as the temptation will be too high to resist. See from the periphery how they come to terms with themselves and the world and how they wrestle with their problems. A sharp and decisive intervention to help once in a while will be okay as long as it is not going to be overbearing.

6. If you have entrepreneurship in your genes, think of starting a school, college or University in India exclusively for the children of PIO brahmins in US alone. The place can be anywhere on the slopes of western ghats or Himalayas. Considering the cost elsewhere in the world it will be still dirt cheap to start here. And there will be several advantages because they would come from the same background of PIO Americans.

Just some loud thinking.

 

[mkrishna100]

1. There are people who had their young formative years in India as part of a Hindu family and yet has learnt absolute nothing about their traditions, culture value system etc., These are unfortunate individuals who had monsters of a parent who failed miserably in their duties to their children. These individuals (let us speak about only brahmins here) would have left their poonools in the coat hanger at home or better worn it whenever they needed a tool to scratch their back (Kamalahasan et al). They would declare it too proudly with a false sense of pakuththarivu bravado among their friends. Such people will give "unconditional love" as an opiate to their children too and let them live a licentious life in the western society and would also claim that "living one's life" is an individual's choice. I consider such people as hopelessly lost. Their karma load is such that they have wallow in whatever darkness they are in. There is no use trying to argue with such people or reason it out with them. They are supremely confident that they are right and we are wrong. Sin is always sweet and enticing. These people(brahmins) will lose their indianness and brahminness completely in course of time and will just end up in the melting pot of civilizations,cultures and values called the US as a tiny mashed morsel. I write them off and have no time for them.

Vert True Vaagmiji

I very much resoante with what you have written as I find many of my cousins who are settled abroad in USA are facing the biggest crisis in their life in handling their grown up kids in USA . They are exactly what you have written in your post .

 

[JR]

Dear Vaagmi ji,

There is absolute truth in what you write. I envy all those parents who are blessed with a return trip to India for good. But in my family, my husband is totally against going back and settling in India, for reasons he alone can justify. And besides my son is 19 yrs old now and having spent his entire lifetime growing up in a different culture, he won't accept to go to India. As for me, my honeymoon with America is over long since and I am in a mood to rather go 'kshetratanam' to different pilgrimage spots in India and would love to live there. So it is hard for me to start a school, etc for NRI children. But I will keep in mind the rest of the pointers you gave.

The sadness part is quite genuine - leaving out my family, I believe every Indian/asian family who are living in the West have to face at some point in their future generations' choices, that their culture gets merged with the predominant Western culture. If not in 2nd generation, maybe in 3rd or 4th or 5th generation. Returning back to India is the only choice.

Best regards,

 

[prasad1]

But in my family, my husband is totally against going back and settling in India, for reasons he alone can justify. And besides my son is 19 yrs old now and having spent his entire lifetime growing up in a different culture, he won't accept to go to India. As for me, my honeymoon with America is over long since and I am in a mood to rather go 'kshetratanam' to different pilgrimage spots in India and would love to live there. So it is hard for me to start a school, etc for NRI children. But I will keep in mind the rest of the pointers you gave.

The sadness part is quite genuine - leaving out my family, I believe every Indian/asian family who are living in the West have to face at some point in their future generations' choices, that their culture gets merged with the predominant Western culture. If not in 2nd generation, maybe in 3rd or 4th or 5th generation. Returning back to India is the only choice.

Best regards,

JRji,
I have been out of India for the last 45 years. We visit India every 2 years, and have visited most of India except for the NE. I have investigated living in India. I have come to a different conclusion. Then again I am not a romantic, I am a realist.
I am retired from my profession, but have various business interest in USA. My child is older and in good job here, I would rather stay close to her. Both of us are the youngest in our family, and some of our relatives are in USA. India as a tourist destination is ideal for us. If you really try to live on your own (family), with out the help of local people who make it happen for you on your visit, you too will find out that you do not fit in the present society of India. The things that you yearn for are not the same on present time. It is not like the "good old days", then again it never was.

I have friends who "returned to India" come back to USA. Unless you return to India in your younger days to good job then it might be dream come true, otherwise it is just empty feelings.
I have had friends who sent their children to India for schooling and cultural protection incur the wrath of these children for making their life miserable.
Instead of riding two boats moving in opposite direction at the same time, make the jump and stick with it. Keep your options, life may throw a surprise, be prepared for it.

 

[sangom]

JRji,
I have been out of India for the last 45 years. We visit India every 2 years, and have visited most of India except for the NE. I have investigated living in India. I have come to a different conclusion. Then again I am not a romantic, I am a realist.
I am retired from my profession, but have various business interest in USA. My child is older and in good job here, I would rather stay close to her. Both of us are the youngest in our family, and some of our relatives are in USA. India as a tourist destination is ideal for us. If you really try to live on your own (family), with out the help of local people who make it happen for you on your visit, you too will find out that you do not fit in the present society of India. The things that you yearn for are not the same on present time. It is not like the "good old days", then again it never was.

I have friends who "returned to India" come back to USA. Unless you return to India in your younger days to good job then it might be dream come true, otherwise it is just empty feelings.
I have had friends who sent their children to India for schooling and cultural protection incur the wrath of these children for making their life miserable.
Instead of riding two boats moving in opposite direction at the same time, make the jump and stick with it. Keep your options, life may throw a surprise, be prepared for it.

I fully agree with the above sentiment/advice. A person goes to US or some other foreign country, in the first place, because he/she has no hopes in India, or has some better future abroad. Therefore, once you decide to go abroad and also get citizenship, house, etc., bear children and bring them up there, in that foreign country, it is but commonsense to continue there on a permanent basis, unless one will lose enormously by not returning (this may be applicable only to people like Rahul or Priyanka Gandhi at present!).

By coming back to India, leaving our children back there I don't think we will get any benefit by way of karma load lessening or our children going astray in a licentious society, etc. After all, the same God Sriman Narayana is supposed to have created the whole universe and not only Tamil Nadu and a small group of people living therein, is it not?

Hence, it stands to reason that people who don't have any compelling reasons to leave US or the other foreign countries should continue there itself. (Some people are less fortunate; their children get teased very much based on skin colour, jobs are lost, huge properties back home stand the risk of being usurped by close relatives, and so on, and hence they return.)

 

[prasad1]

My close relative who grew up in the North tried to move to Chennai 5 years ago. He did not fit in, the culture was different. He was not prepared for the "perceived" rudeness of Chennai street people. In UP and Rajasthan you address your children with respect. He knew everybody from Dhobhi to Mayor in the town he lived before moving to Chennai. In Chennai he was nobody. That was difficult to accept, he returned back to his town to resume his life in 6 months.

I agree with Sangomji's post#39.
Your Oasis Surrounded by Zen Gardens Might be a Mirage.

 

[Vaagmi]

I did it and many of my relatives did it. We were not very greedy. We made enough money- a fortune by Indian standards-and returned to our beloved India. And there is a lot of money to be made in India itself. There are opportunities aplenty here. We did it deliberately knowing fully well what we were doing. I have many of my relatives , youngsters who are now in US and Germany, who tell me almost the same thing-that they will return. For these youngsters there is no mirage. They are hard nosed and down to earth practical. They are people who seek and pursue happiness.

They are people who are able to see the funny side of any grave situation and laugh at it as they handle it efficiently. They enjoy the ever-changing 'entropy' and variety in the life here. The chaos has a beauty of its own because there is a overall scheme here. I enjoyed it and so I returned.

I felt cut and sized in those alien lands. And that was eerie.

There are those who can not return. They would not accept that it is an optionless situation for them. They will instead say "sour grapes".

 

[JR]

I don't know about others, but for me, inspite of a million other Indians living and working here, I always feel 'Indian' in any situation - at a workplace, and while at my son's or daughter's school situation talking to other parents, while socializing with Americans. I think this feeling is just a 'me' thing... I always feel alien here. I feel alien to the culture too irrespective of having spent the prime of my life for 20 yrs now. I do not watch American shows, they feel little 'too odd' for me/culturally way-off, except for some comedies, some Hollywood info and news. But the sad part is whenever I visit India, I feel equally alien there too. The TV shows and soaps, the common people all don't seem 'genuine' to me for some reason... So I think I am a total misfit, I neither belong here nor I belong there... I am happy my husband and children have their own 'home' atleast... otherwise it is scary! LOL.

 

[renuka]

I don't know about others, but for me, inspite of a million other Indians living and working here, I always feel 'Indian' in any situation - at a workplace, and while at my son's or daughter's school situation talking to other parents, while socializing with Americans. I think this feeling is just a 'me' thing... I always feel alien here. I feel alien to the culture too irrespective of having spent the prime of my life for 20 yrs now. I do not watch American shows, they feel little 'too odd' for me/culturally way-off, except for some comedies, some Hollywood info and news. But the sad part is whenever I visit India, I feel equally alien there too. The TV shows and soaps, the common people all don't seem 'genuine' to me for some reason... So I think I am a total misfit, I neither belong here nor I belong there... I am happy my husband and children have their own 'home' atleast... otherwise it is scary! LOL.

Dear JR,

Why do you say you neither belong here nor there?

May be becos you constantly compare yourself with the surrounding and when you find a difference you start to feel out of place.

When I visit India I do not feel out of place becos I know my purpose there is for a visit and to have fun and not to start feeling familiar or get personal with anyone or anything.

Yes..its different from back home here but the difference does not make me out of place but it is just a new experience.

If we look at everything as a new experience we will never feel out of place.

 

[krish44]

My theory about places on earth .If I can accept myself the way I am . I can be happy and comfortable anywhere.

I have the same sense of belonging in delhi ,chennei ,bengalore ,for that matter singapore or europe.

I find a place to stay comfortably. I mingle happily with the locals , use their mass transport-buses , rail or cab, talk the local tongue if possible, enjoy the local food or

movie. I make no distinction between home or hotel. some hotels in chennai or bangalore are more than a home for me as I go there on repeated trips and my

comfort level is very high with the staff there as I know them by name.on a phone call , I can book my stay and move in

ultimately it is a matter of bonding with human beings.

why feel uncomfortable with anyone and feel out of place

 

[krish44]

JRji,
I have been out of India for the last 45 years. We visit India every 2 years, and have visited most of India except for the NE. I have investigated living in India. I have come to a different conclusion. Then again I am not a romantic, I am a realist.
I am retired from my profession, but have various business interest in USA. My child is older and in good job here, I would rather stay close to her. Both of us are the youngest in our family, and some of our relatives are in USA. India as a tourist destination is ideal for us. If you really try to live on your own (family), with out the help of local people who make it happen for you on your visit, you too will find out that you do not fit in the present society of India. The things that you yearn for are not the same on present time. It is not like the "good old days", then again it never was.

I have friends who "returned to India" come back to USA. Unless you return to India in your younger days to good job then it might be dream come true, otherwise it is just empty feelings.
I have had friends who sent their children to India for schooling and cultural protection incur the wrath of these children for making their life miserable.
Instead of riding two boats moving in opposite direction at the same time, make the jump and stick with it. Keep your options, life may throw a surprise, be prepared for it.

prasadji
your post appears most realistic and pragmatic.

one cannot put the clock back and hope to see india one left behind 45 years back.

life and times change

one has to have the pragmatism to accept change and not live in dreams of the past . worser still to foist that old indian way of living , thinking and traditions on the

next generation born and brought up in america. they will never forgive what you do to them. the damage caused thus is irrepairable

parents think they have some special duty to inculcate some special indian values in their children.

children subjected to such cruelty abroad are going to hate their parents for a lifetime for what they are trying to do to them.

 

[renuka]

Dear Krish ji,

I was thinking today that as we age we tend to think of good old days becos in reality the future is running out.

A very old person does not think of the future becos the future for a very old person means Death!

So the mind goes back in rewind mode and thinks of childhood and good old young days and the mind of an oldie remains frozen back in time.

Then he starts finding fault with the present and its lack of values.

So I feel if we try to hard to restore the glorious past of any kind..that shows that the person feels he has no future or his time is running out or may be death could actually be very near and the subconscious senses it and tries to make himself feel better by remembering the past.

Only a brave person who does not fear anything dare stay in the present.

BTW once I had seen an elderly lady aged 99 and she was having some minor ailment and she was so scared that she was going to die.

I usually reassure those who are afraid by saying "dont worry..you will live to a 100 years"

But for this patient I did not know what to say..cos she was 99 and if I say she will live up to 100 that means she only has 1 year to live!

So I told her dont worry..you will be alright.

 

[prasad1]

prasadji
your post appears most realistic and pragmatic.

one cannot put the clock back and hope to see india one left behind 45 years back.

life and times change

one has to have the pragmatism to accept change and not live in dreams of the past . worser still to foist that old indian way of living , thinking and traditions on the

next generation born and brought up in america. they will never forgive what you do to them. the damage caused thus is irrepairable

parents think they have some special duty to inculcate some special indian values in their children.

children subjected to such cruelty abroad are going to hate their parents for a lifetime for what they are trying to do to them.

Thanks sir,
I fully appreciate your post.

 

[JR]

Dear JR,

Why do you say you neither belong here nor there?

May be becos you constantly compare yourself with the surrounding and when you find a difference you start to feel out of place.

When I visit India I do not feel out of place becos I know my purpose there is for a visit and to have fun and not to start feeling familiar or get personal with anyone or anything.

Yes..its different from back home here but the difference does not make me out of place but it is just a new experience.

If we look at everything as a new experience we will never feel out of place.

Dear Renuka,

Out in the West: The life of a very shy person (myself) is very hard indeed. :sad:
Out in the East: People behave differently, which comes to you as a 'culture shock'. You come across prying mamis, boastful mamas, rude autorickshaw walas, to-the-face insults, all more likely and frequent to you in the East than in the West. :mad2:

 

[sangom]

.......if we try to hard to restore the glorious past of any kind..that shows that the person feels he has no future.........

Just as an aside, does this apply to governments?!

 

[tbs]

Here where we live (MA, USA) there are nice private non-profit organizations such as 'Shishu Bharathi' that cater to the needs of parents wanting to teach children Indian values and languages. Currently Shishu Bharathi offers its services in 3 places within MA and there are total of 1000 - 1200 children. In other states such as NJ, I heard that equivalent organizations such as 'Bala Vihar' offer their services, but whether they are as successful as SB, I don't know.

SB offers the following services:

1. Teaching of languages - Tamil, Kannada, Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, maybe a few more.

2. Teaching of Indian culture - I should perhaps say 'Hindu culture' - SB teaches children about various festivals, freedom fighters, panchatantra tales, national flag, national anthem and such.

3. Grades KG to 8 addressed.

4. Gandhi Jayanthi, Jawaharlal Nehru's birthday, Independence Day, Republic Day are observed.

5. Teachers operate on a non-paid voluntary basis. However, this is a great opportunity to build-up the resume to aim for teaching profession at schools.

6. Indian Day and some other functions like this are observed every year when all 3 individual schools unite and spend the day with cultural programs and activities.

7. Children are trained in drama, and dance programs to participate in other outside activities such as to participate in 'New England Tamil Sangam' (NETS) for Pongal festival, etc.

8. Great opportunity for parents to get to know and interact with other Indian parents.

Besides the above, even the local temples offer cultural activities. For example, at the Ashland Sri Lakshmi Temple, there is 'Stotra class' for youngsters every Friday.

So, I should say, the children have a routine that very much reminds being in India.

They say, "the more the merrier", it is so true when coming to having lots of our folks together in one place. Such activities and organizations become a possibility!

Cheers,

Jayashree

hi

im part of bala vihar in USA too..im teaching and closely associated in bala vihar in our temple....

i was doing for last ten yrs.....i can understand your concern...i heard chinmaya mission doing

very well and conducting with curriculam in USA...