Escape Into The World Of Books ..

 

There are times I just want to check out and live within my bubble world. I want to block out terror attacks and lying Presidents. I want to block out election results, senate hearings and gang rapes. Even my refuge in cricket is not a safe haven. The euphoria of India winning against Pakistan was nullified by the defeat against Sri Lanka.

When the world begins to cave in, I escape into the world of books.

My book club just finished reading Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s book, Americanah. I enjoyed the book for the insights into immigrant experiences in the US and also for what happens to immigrants when they return to their countries. The book is the story of Nigerians but in so many instances I could see similarities in a global immigrant narrative. Indians in the US have similar struggles. In fact, they are a notch better only because they are brown and not black. The book was an eye-opener about the difference between Black Americans and African Americans. It is a book about race, it is a book about the ease and difficulty of adjusting to American life and it is a book about the superiority US returned people feel when they return to their home countries.

In an amusing way it also is a book about hair. I had not given a thought about how black people deal with their hair but the decisions about relaxers and braids, afros or corn rolls is cultural, difficult and in some cases dangerous for health too.

It’s amazing how dealing with hair can impact relationships.

The protagonist is a black Nigerian from a stable and well-off background who hits rock bottom when she gets to the US and crawls her way up. Her character blogs about race and being black and in that sense I identified with her. Blogging is a powerful tool especially when there is a base for comparison.

Someone doing a great job with contrasting cultures is Shaun Jayachandran. This Calgary born Indian American has turned his passion for basketball into a unique opportunity to spread education in India. A chemistry teacher by profession, he has also coached basketball and founded Crossover Basketball and Scholars Academy to spread hope using hoops. The son of immigrant parents, his mum was an orphan in India and managed to get a scholarship for high school and college. Her story is what motivated him to do something for underprivileged children in India.

His program teaches kids about leadership, team-building and helps in character development. Crossover has had tremendous success in reducing the number of children dropping out of schools with many of them going on to study further. There are no employees and everyone involved in the program is a volunteer. It speaks volumes about commitment and the desire to make a difference.

I met another Indian American trying to make a difference: Megha Desai. Through her family foundation, this social entrepreneur is changing the lives of marginalized people in Gujarat. It was during a family vacation to Macchu Picchu, sitting in the cradle of civilization, that a lively debate on legacy, evolution and making a difference ultimately sowed the seeds for the family foundation. Initially they focused on promoting Indian culture and later diversified into education and health. With roots in Gujarat, growing up in Boston and working/living in New York, Megha decided to focus her work in these areas.

While at Columbia, she was a part of a community outreach programme and vividly remembers a young girl she was tutoring who was always late. When Megha realized the extraneous circumstances the girl was living under, she managed to elicit help to ease her burden and the girl went on to complete school and college. Making a difference is important to Megha which is why they did not undertake large projects and preferred writing small cheques, keeping a personal eye on their projects. Eventually they decided to go public and are now ready to ramp up to the next level. One of their recent projects is called Asani, a livelihood project making sanitary napkins, addressing health issues while at the same time empowering women.

Like Shaun and Megha, there are other Indian Americans trying to empower the underprivileged in India and I respect and applaud all their effort.

When you live far away from India, you become overtly appreciative of Indian culture.
I was in Philadelphia recently. As a museum junkie, I invariably found myself absorbing the exhibits at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. At the Perelman building, I was pleasantly surprised to see a Phulkari display from the collection of Jill and Sheldon Bonovitz. Growing up in India, I took for granted our rich textiles. My knowledge about Phulkari is limited to the fact it comes from the state of Punjab. I learnt much more about the rich history of Phulkari after visiting the Perelman museum.

Meaning floral work, this kind of embroidery was done using silk thread on rough cotton fabric. It had multipurpose functions from bridal garments to shawls, bedspreads to religious coverings. The tradition of phulkari started dying post partition with many beautiful fabrics lost during that phase. Phulkari is now undergoing a revival. The exhibit had some clothes designed by popular Indian designer, Manish Malhotra. In fact, many well-known Indian designers are trying to revive ancient textiles, which is heartening.

Continuing my love affair with Indian culture, my week was rounded up by a concert at Rubin museum by Kirana Gharana stalwart, Sanjoy Bannerjee and his discipline, Namami Karmakar. Shelly and Donald Rubin’s passion for Himalayan art led to the creation of the Rubin museum in 2004. It is a gem right in the heart of Chelsea. Rubin holds many events such as movie screenings, music concerts and discussions as well as special exhibitions. This was my first Rubin event and I look forward to attending many more.

Talking about looking forward and I am counting down the days to the release of Jab Harry met Sejal; a new Bollywood movie with Bollywood badshah Shahrukh and Anushka, directed by Imtiaz Ali. In the meantime, I anxiously await the outcome of the India / South Africa match at The Oval on Sunday.

Monique Patel
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