Monday, October 23, 2006

Hindu Mommy

Just want to extend a big thank you to Hindu Mommy for her very helpful blog. As an Indian mother bringing up kids here in Canada, I find Hindu Mommy's posts always very informative and useful.

In her own words:

"...This blog is an effort to reach out to other Indian parents trying to raise their kids outside India and also a general placeholder for any information I may like"

Do visit her blog, I am sure you'll be very pleased you did!

Also, want to thank her for the wonderful "Diwali Dhamaka" event she organized recently which included two random prize drawings, I am one of the lucky winners and will be receiving Meena Pandya's "The Indian Parenting Book: Imparting Your Cultural Heritage to the Next Generation". I am very excited about the book because this is exactly what I need, thank you so much Hindu Mommy!!!

What Amazon had to say about the book:

For Indian parents juggling two careers and two cultures, while wondering how and what part of their cultural heritage to pass on to their children, now there is help. In this book, Meenal Pandya has offered insight into raising culturally balanced children who are both confident about their own heritage and respectful of other cultures. In these pages, you will find:  How to celebrate Indian festivals creatively in your own home  How to turn everyday matters into opportunities to teach cultural values to your children  How to decide what values are important to you  How to address some common misconceptions about India and its culture  What are the significant Hindu Samskara ceremonies and when to perform them  How to select Indian dance and music classes for your children

8 comments:

Bookfool said...

Wow, Lotus, this has been your month for winning books, hasn't it? Congrats to you!!!

I'm in my country of origin but have a very, very slight idea (by comparison) of what it must be like to raise children in a foreign environment as the Deep South of the U.S. is a unique culture, very different from our midwestern upbringing. It was hardest, I think, for the children during the time when they realized we don't hunt or fish, etc., so they weren't a part of a lot of the local traditions. I could still live in my own little world (hubby was gone a lot) but they had to deal with parents who weren't willing to change--I'll shoot a photo of a deer but I won't kill one!--and I'm sure that was rough. It must be a thousand times harder when you move as far away from home and tradition as Canada is from India. We're a mere 500 miles from family, at least.

I hope this book is as big a help as your online friendships!!

Beenzzz said...

This looks like a wonderful book, Lotus. How perfect for someone outside of India who wants to continue their cultural practices. You have some great recommendations. I must read this!

Lotus Reads said...

Hello, bookfool and thank you for your comment and understanding! Yes, while it is hard being an immigrant at times, it is harder still being separated from one's family (in my case,my closest family is over 12,000 miles away), also, it's always very interesting walking the tightrope between two very different cultures. Someday I may want to write a post about that! :)

I've heard about the South having a very different culture from the rest of the US and I find that so fascinating - is the South to be your permenant home or will you one day move closer to your family?


Hello, beenzzz!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I haven't received the book prize yet, but from all that I have read, it does seem to be a very helpful book. I will share more after I read it. I also get a lot of tips from Hindu Mommy's blog.

Lotus Reads said...

Oh, and bookfool, yes, it does appear to be my lucky month, maybe I should buy a lottery ticket, eh? :)

Anonymous said...

LotusReads:

Congratulations once again. Hope you enjoy the book. I'll mail it to you as soon as I get it from the publishers sometime this week

Lotus Reads said...

Thanks, Hindu Mommy! I'm sure the book will be most useful and informative. Thanks so much for hosting the Diwali event!

Bookfool said...

Lotus,

If anything, we'll probably end up moving much farther from family because my husband's field is kind of limited. Michigan, New Hampshire and Illinois are three possibilities. We do hope to move out of the South, eventually but will wait at least till the youngest graduates from high school (that would be 2011!).

12,000 miles is a long way from home!!! I'd love to read a post about what it's like living so far from family.

Lotus Reads said...

bookfool If you do end up living in Michigan we might be able to visit each other - Windsor,across the brige from Detroit on the Canadian border, is only a 3-hr drive from my place! :)

Writing about living so far away from family might be a very helpful exercise for me - thanks, bookfool, I might try it!