DIFFERENT STROKES -Cultural Identity

We need to get drenched in the waves of change that time has brought and refresh our thinking. On one hand it is important to respect our own community and culture while on the other hand it is equally necessary to be accepting and tolerant of cultures alien to us as well.


At some point it becomes absolutely essential to cross the threshold of our age old beliefs and customs to overcome our limitations in outlook…That’s when one embarks on a real journey to transcend cultures to make a big difference in the world and to bridge the gap between people alien to each other. Cross-cultural interaction is called for in this respect. The more people we meet the more our thinking, reaction and response to them undergo a metamorphosis. Then the dark night of intolerance gives way to a new dawn of acceptance and understanding.


Doubts about each other creep with lack of knowledge of each other which steals our reasoning and ability to think. That’s when we in feel over protective and defensive about our own community and without reason adopt hostile and rigid attitudes towards the opposite. Sooner or later false thinking brings wrong conduct. There is a strong need according to me to go beyond beliefs and norms of our cultures to cross over the barriers of rigidity. On this challenging path of transcending cultures and embracing each other, we have to meet at least half way if not entirely to be on the same wavelength. We must try to accept each other with our differences and different identities.


We in India are blessed with myriad of different rich cultures and over the centuries India has welcomed and assimilated different cultures and religions. Tolerance is therefore a rich historical legacy of the Indian people which enable them to transcend different cultures. In my own personal case, I’m the offspring of two different cultures with my parents being from different religions. Yet this difference in cultures never created doubts and conflicts in my upbringing or identity. With this as part of my upbringing , I found ready acceptance and being accepted during my exposures to Japanese, Spanish, Scottish, American, Afro American and many other cultures. According to me all should focus on strong bonding between various communities and not on the weaknesses and differences that may separate them at times. We all should be willing to learn to appreciate each other.


Therefore I would welcome the widest participation from people all over the world to share their experiences and views as to how cultures can be transcended harmoniously. One needs both the similarities and differences in cultures to retain the true flavour and original identity of each culture. Yet all can still flow with each other and confluence together…


Different strokes by different people from different cultures can help in creating a richer piece of art with richness of cultures from all over the world… One picture is more than a thousand words…We can weave a carpet of mutual understanding through acknowledging each other with our different cultural identities and cultural thoughts.

WRITING IS AN ART-INTRODUCTION

Writing is an Art in itself… Some may find depth of feelings and emotions in it while some may decide its abstract while others may not understand it at all…Every piece of art is viewed and interpreted by different people in different ways according to their perceptions. But a piece of art still remains art.

I have always been interested in writing. Writing completes me…In good times and bad I have always poured my emotions on paper. Writing my feelings on paper represented a source of solace and comfort to me. Situations and people inspired my thoughts. Sometimes I wanted to pen down things that I wondered about. I was taught that wonder is the beginning of wisdom… I would share some of my writings with my family as a child and my father always guided me and added finishing touches to them while my mother served more food to my thoughts over endless sessions of tea. Since childhood I had a vivid imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge and imagination itself led me to writing. Also the person with imagination is never alone.

I always tried capturing my thoughts on paper to reveal them in time. Heartfelt moments and delicious memories gain meaning and form when described through writing. My situations and experiences inspired poems and thoughts in me that were hidden until now. I would always absorb everything around me to release it on paper later. A lot can be revealed to the world by a writer.

I think that somewhere there’s a writer hidden in all of us. Search yourself and you’ll find an author residing in you. We all have a story to tell sometimes about others or sometimes about ourselves. Thinking inspires writing. Some of us think aloud and voice our thoughts to the world in terms of writing while others talk to themselves instead of sharing it on paper.

I have created my blog not only to converse with the world but also encourage interaction of thoughts and exchange of ideas and opinions. I invite you to share your valuable knowledge and expression with me as well.

My family always appreciated my writing and encouraged me to go in the direction of sharing it with the world. But I was hesitant for quite sometime as I did not feel that the world would comprehend what I’m trying to voice. But over the time I realized that since I view writing as an art I must share my art with all even if it is not interpreted and appreciated by some or goes unrecognized. I strongly felt that my art i.e. my writing should be given a chance, irrespective of the outcome that whether it is admired or critically appraised. As it is like faith needs no proof, an expression of a writer’s art does not need proof of recognition not if you’re an artist. Anything particularly art, knowledge, thoughts and writing are wasted if not shared. One should not express one’s thought in silence… Most of the times, we can lead people to believe through our writing. Thus I always considered writing to be very powerful.

Words have been buried deep in my heart for so long now. My friend Arun who is a Senior Manager / Marketing Head-Web Initiatives Mahindra Holidays encouraged me to reveal these words to you all. He gave me the canvas to paint my emotions. It seems he did not want my words to be left unsaid. Now my words and hidden thoughts will surface in the form of poems, stories, experiences…A journey of thousand miles must begin with a single step and my family as well as Arun encouraged me to take that first step in the journey of writing by believing in me.

Words that you may not be able to find in yourself and voice…I will narrate for you. In the journey of writing our thoughts can travel together…Life is void and meaningless when expressions are not shared. Writing is nothing but a guided dream. Hence lets live this dream or give a dream to each other through our exchange of writings…In between the lines we may find something to inspire, motivate and strengthen us. The heart of melody can never be put down on paper I hear but still I will attempt to give a true form to my expression. Nothing is open for discussion in life but in the world of writing everything invites discussion.

 TRAVELS IN INDIA
LADAKH
(THE BUDDHIST TRAIL - Cultural Heritage Of Ladakh)

Ladakh Festival

Hemis Gompa

Ladakh so rich in Culture and History with it’s magnificent ‘Gompas’ (monasteries) and stark but beautiful landscape will forever hold a special place in my heart…I will always remember fondly the generosity of the people of Leh and the kind hospitality of the Army which made my trip so memorable. They were simply the perfect hosts eager to interpret the culture and explain the history and lifestyle of Ladakh to me.All of them contributed so much to my trip in terms of memories and wonderful experiences.

My experience there has left a deep impression on my mind and I know that I will go back there time and again. Once one visits Ladakh one falls in love with it forever…According to me Ladakh is purely Heaven on Earth…The untouched serenity of the place and the simplicity of the people there brought a lot of calmness and happiness to me. Ladakh being home to Buddhism too would always be a spiritual retreat for me in my lifetime…

My visit to Leh completely revitalized me. I felt a sense of belonging even though I was visiting for the first time. All whom I met during my stay there helped create a beautiful experience for me.I wanted to know more about the time my grandfather (1958-1962) and father (early 1970) spent there. Everybody helped me get acquainted with the people who had interacted with my grandfather long time ago.

While I was in Leh, I visited the monasteries which conceal gold statues and ‘thankas’. I particularly enjoyed visiting ‘Thicksey’. The prayer wheels at the entrance have always been a source of delight to me… I thoroughly enjoyed my drive on the way to the gompas too. The clear blue sky, fresh air, stone walls and houses in the villages made the journey more beautiful. On my way to the gompas we stopped a couple of times so that I could take pictures of the stunning scenery, ‘Shey Palace’, ‘Stupas’ and landscape. The majestic and pristine white imposing structure of Shey Palace perched so high and glittering in the sun looked so ethereal and it captured my heart and soul immediately. We passed ‘Karu’ village on the way to ‘Hemis Gompa’ and I found the view of ‘Karu’ village exceptionally picturesque and refreshingly inviting. The vast expanse of land gave a sense of openness and made me feel free in the true sense.

My visit to Pang Gong Tso Lake was worth remembering too. It interested me the most… It was certainly adventurous but brought with it the most beautiful moments as it brought me so close to nature. I even stopped to take pictures of the 'Yak'. My travel to the Lake reconnected me with nature and reminded me how intimidating yet so beautiful nature could be. It revealed the mysteries of nature to me in the vibrant shades and colours of the landscapes and deep blue water. It was the most amazing experience for me to watch the changing colours of the mountains as the sun passed them and the various shades of blue and green that the lake reflected as the sun rays touched them.

A short but relaxing walk along the ‘Sindhu River’ on my last day there yet again reminded me of how amazing and beautiful the gift of nature is…The area was scenically stunning.

I also enjoyed my visits to the shopping area (market town as it’s referred to) where everyone was so generous and invited me for tea all the time which made the shopping trip all the more pleasant and personal. The delicious taste of the cheesecake I had at ‘German Bakery’ still lingers on in my mind and the atmosphere at the various Cafes and restaurants I visited there are just unforgettable. I had the most exceptional food experience at some of the restaurants there specially ‘Bon A Petit’. The ambience there matched the mood of the evening.

I enjoyed the tranquillity and peaceful environment of the ‘Shanti Stupa’ too. The view of Leh from there was just breathtaking…As the sun teased the mountains by hiding behind them, a new beautiful picture of the mountains unfolded itself being enveloped in the darkness. It fascinated me to see how the mountains stood apart from the sky and exhibited an alluring remoteness. There were some Japanese tourists there at the time that were playing the drums and the sound of the music echoed in the stillness of the evening as if beckoning the mountains to come greet us. The haunting music made the entire atmosphere very spiritual even in the absence of chanting. It rejuvenated and renewed my tired spirit and soul considering it was my first day there.

Ladakh festival made me go back in time and get in touch with what it must have been back then when people were adorned with those beautiful costumes. The dances were very impressive.Each step and movement were so deliberate and graceful that it reminded me of some sacred ritual of ancient times.

I sensed in my days there that while we may have forgotten the art of living the people, the inhabitants of Ladakh knew how to cherish this precious gift of life. What we have lost in the cities, they have preserved in terms of values, sentiments, lifestyle, traditions and cultures. Julley Ladakh !

CULTURAL INSPIRATION

Just when I’d given up thinking everything nice and beautiful in my life was destroyed forever, life gave me a real chance of happiness, fame, wealth and recognition. In an instant my life changed when I was selected for the prestigious Cultural & Teaching Exchange Programme in Japan (JET Programme). My dream to represent my country and to contribute in bridging the psychological distance that exists between two cultures was fulfilled.


I had lived in Japan earlier on when my father held a diplomatic appointment there. But going back as a teacher was the most rewarding experience for me. I am what I am today in life because of that experience. The Japanese thought teaches one the value of truth, honour, and discipline. I have also imbibed these values in my life and it serves its purpose till today.


Faith also was instrumental in making my dreams come true. It is important to believe no matter what and that’s when things really happen. One should never feel defeated even if life crushes you. Even in difficult and trying times I strongly held on to my dreams.


I always drew my inspiration from my elders. One draws inspiration and strength from other cultures as well. Fine examples of strength are the people of Japan who despite having suffered in a Nuclear War rose from the ashes like a Phoenix. I reconstructed my life too after several setbacks, disappointments and failures. Despite the setbacks I have attempted to find meaning in the simplest mundane things and believe that there’s a divine design in whatever comes my way.


Indian and Japanese cultures have taught me to respect traditional values that bring peace and serenity in times of stress. One should optimistically believe that there are great chances waiting ahead to transform one’s life.


Destiny gave me that chance when I needed it the most. If one is strong, if one believes Fate may sometimes reconsider and actually give you what you desire.Life is what you make of it. Positive attitude can make life meaningful.


India like Japan has a rich heritage of spirituality, meditation and quest for inner peace. My experiences transcending two cultures enrich me to successfully tackle and overcome the challenging setbacks that come my way. In short the ‘mantra’ lies within your own self to achieve self realization and muster inner strengths to face adversity and challenges that comes one’s way.