Tag: Travel diaries

8 Things I Miss About Travel During Stay At Home Due to COVID-19

Are you missing traveling as much as I do? The stay at home situation is teaching me not to take things for granted, including travel.

I have always loved traveling for as long as I can remember and I find that the best way to learn and grow yourself is to travel.

Photo clicked by me – Hong Islands- Krabi, Thailand.

Travel is something which helps you get out of your comfort zone and many a times I have had positive as well as negative experiences which have brought me out of my comfort zone, encouraged me to travel more and helped me to understand more about life.

“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” -Gustav Flaubert

So here are 8 things I miss about travel:

  1. The Anticipation

The feeling of anticipation I get, when I visit a new place for the first time, is something I am currently missing. It makes me hopeful and happy when I know I am going to visit a new place!

2. Last Minute Packing

This one is strange, since I NEVER have liked packing. Whether it is moving homes or countries or traveling, all of which I have done often, the one thing I absolutely don’t like is packing my stuff. Whenever I do travel, my packing is almost always done last minute, since I cannot make up my mind completely before that 😀 So I always am rushing to pack my bags, last moment, every single time, which annoys my husband very much since he is quite a meticulous planner. 😀

Strangely enough, ever since I am at home, I am missing packing my bags and going to discover some place new. I miss the last minute rush and craziness of it all!

3. The Culture & People

I am a people’s person and I love discovering new places and different cultures and I like to interact with the local people and observe them. I find each travel experience teaches me something new and helps me broaden my horizons. This is one of the primary reasons I love traveling, since it teaches me so much about the world!

4. Airports

I love airports and the sense of being in transit and the vibe of it all. I really enjoy having a cup of tea/coffee before I board the plane and I love to observe people as they rush through to different destinations.

In fact, I am one of the few people who loves a longer transit time in between flights. Of course, not all airports are that interesting or well developed, so it also depends on the airport whether I enjoy my time there or not.

My favourite airport is of course Singapore Airport. There is absolutely no competition there! I haven’t heard of or seen a more creative and interesting airport than Singapore Airport! The next one which I like is Mumbai International Airport!

5. Nature

Whenever I travel, I make it a point to visit some scenic place. I love connecting with nature. The lush green trees, the chirping birds and the ache I get when I walk too much. I feel calm and refreshed and energetic connecting with nature. I miss that feeling right now.

Also, I am a sea person and like they say, I need a dose of ‘vitamin sea’ when I travel. Watching the waves, feeling the sun and wind on your skin and the sand underneath my feet, is an incomparable feeling.

I miss my dose of nature & sea!

6. The excitement of being in a place for the first time

The thrill of going to a new place for the first time, being amazed at the new things I tumble upon and the feeling of wonder on discovering something new, I miss that.

7. Photos

How obvious is this one!! Every girl likes getting clicked and so do I. For me though, my love for photos extends beyond myself. I love to capture the food, the place, the people, nature and everything else that I can, in my photos. I love capturing photos since photos are memories for me. Memories I cherish and I wish to treasure.

I also love sorting out the unwanted photos on my phone and keeping the good ones. For me, travel and photography go hand in hand and any place I travel to, is incomplete without photos!

8. Coming Home

Although, I love traveling much more than an average person, I also love the feeling of coming back home. Home is like a safe space for most of us, isn’t it? I love coming back home enriched with wonderful experiences and a new perspective on life. Unwinding at home after travel is a great feeling and I miss it.

No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.” – Lin Yutang

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These are a few things I miss about traveling. As I write this, I feel the urge to travel again!

I hope that we all overcome the Coronavirus Pandemic and are able to travel, make new friends, collect more memories and learn more about each other!

“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.” – Anthony Bourdain

When was the last time you traveled & where?

What are things you miss about travel?

5 Interesting and Quirky Facts about Singapore

Heyya peeps! So I have been living in Singapore for more than a year and I have realised how little I have shared my experiences of living in Singapore as an Indian.

I had previously shared a post mentioning about the challenges I faced when I started living abroad. You can read about them Here.

I want to share more about living in Singapore.

Now, Singapore is a country mainly known for it’s tourism. However, the tourism part isn’t the only thing that defines the country. What many people don’t realize is that most people residing here, citizens or expats have a life apart from the touristy bit.

Today I shall share 5 unique things about Singapore that you may not have heard about.

  • ‘Singlish’

The first thing I noticed when I came to Singapore is the language. While the official languages are English, Mandarin, Tamil and Malay, there is a unique language that locals speak here. It’s called ‘Singlish’ that is Colloquial Singaporean English.

Singlish has managed to capture a bit of all the languages that are official in Singapore as well as the original languages of the first migrants who came here, such as the Hokkien or Teochew languages. To top it all, it has also managed to get two words included in the Oxford English Dictionary, lah and sinseh.

Some of the Singlish elements are contagious and I have often ended up using them myself. For example, using Can instead of Yes, Cannot to say No and Lah to put emphasis at the end of a sentence. I love the lilt of saying lah and often end up saying ‘Can lah’ in a lot of my conversations.

Mastering the full range of Singlish expressions and way of speaking is very tough and difficult for expats.

Thus, Singlish is one of Singapore’s most unique facts and a clear sign of its identity and brings everyone together under a common language.

  • Multiculturism

I am an Indian, so multiculturalism isn’t a new concept for me, but when I landed in Singapore, I wasn’t expecting it to be this multicultured. I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered the fact.

You can see Chinese Buddhists, Chinese Christians, Indians (South Indian Tamils are majority), Malaysians, Indonesians and Filippinos all living together in harmony in Singapore.

In Bugis, Singapore, there is a Lord Krishna Temple which is a Hindu temple and Kwan Im Thong Hood Chu Chinese temple adjacent to each other and one can see tourists as well as locals of all cultures visiting both temples to get a glimpse of the culture and grandeur they possess.

  • Krishna Temple
  • Adjacent Kwan Temple

Thus, Singapore is quite multicultured and I feel it is often not given enough credit for being so.

  • Cats Paradise

Singapore is a paradise for cats! Cats are considered lucky in Chinese culture and most Singaporeans are kind and loving towards them.

Almost every residential area will have a few stray cats and few local dedicated persons will feed the cats on a regular basis. Hence, the stray cats here are quite healthy and great to play with, like I discovered. My fondness for these cats has only increased with passing time. Cats are mystical, full of wisdom and although may appear aloof intially, once they get to know you, they show you love in their own distinct way.

I am amazed at how well taken care of the cats are in Singapore. Of course there are people who have been cruel to these harmless creatures, especially in an area called Yishun, but other than that, most stray cats here are well-taken care of and loved by many.

Also, in many of the Chinese shops and homes, you can find the Maneki-Neko (beckoning) Cat figurines. Also, called the waving cat or lucky cat. Some of the sculptures are electric or battery-powered and have a slow-moving paw beckoning.

So if you are an animal lover or a cat lover, keep a look-out for these cute and gorgeous creatures!

  • Hawker Centre Culture

Singapore has several hawker centres or ‘food courts’ which provide good quality food at afforable rates. As a result, most Singaporeans don’t really cook their meals at home but have it at these centres.

These hawker centres are not much known to the tourists who opt for the expensive restaurants. There is nothing wrong in that. We all love fancy restaurants, but the hawker centre culture is just too vibrant to be missed, even as a tourist. You can visit it just to be amazed by the variety of food and general atmosphere of these centres.

As a vegetarian, I always hunt for vegetarian hawkers and I do find vegetarian food at most centres, if not all.

The best part of these Hawker centres is that the government supports the thriving of these centres, hence they can afford to give the best food that they can.

Also, regular checks are made at these centres, which usually takes care of any hygiene concerns.

Did you know, Singapore is the only country where Hawker Stalls are awarded Michelin stars? so you can have the world’s cheapest michelin star food in Singapore! Few names- Outram Park Fried Kway Teow, J2 Famous Crispy Curry Puff, etc.

So the next time you visit Singapore, don’t miss out experiencing the Hawker culture!

  • Car Parking

While buying a car in Singapore is extremely expensive and can make one go broke, those who do own cars and park them in Singapore, have a unique and systematic style of parking them.

Almost all Singaporean locals park their car in reverse, so that it’s convenient to take your car out, once your work is done.

They really do have amazing reverse parking skills I tell you!

So those were few interesting, fun and unique facts about Singapore. I do hope you visit the country soon and whenever you do, lookout for these quirks!

Bali Diaries 3: Off-beat beaches & more. An Honest Indian’s Perspective

Hey friends! Continuing the Bali Series on my blog, I am sharing a few more places in Bali for which you can schedule a tour or book a driver.

If you have missed the previous posts in the Bali series, here are the links-

Part 1

Part 2

Moving on, in this post I am sharing the beachy side of Bali with all of you. We visited the off beat and lesser known beaches in Bali and I would love to share more with you.

Before visiting the beaches, we visited one last temple near Ubud and then head to the beach. Read on to know more…

1.Goa Gajah Temple Bali

Entrace of the Goa Gajah cave and Hubby posing in his sarong 😀

Now, of all the temples we saw in Bali, this one turned out to be my favourite in terms of actual sightseeing of the deities. It is a small temple located close to Ubud so you can hire a scooter and go there as well. It is also called the Elephant Cave.

Me at Goa Gajah Temple

Inside the cave are deities of Lord Ganesha and the Trimurti Shiva Ling of Lord Shiva. Both the deities exude very powerful vibes if one is sensitive enough and can feel them.

  • Lord Ganesha’s Idol
  • Lord Shiva’s Trimurti Shivling

So yes, this temple despite being lesser known, is definitely worth visiting.

Entrance Fees: IDR 15,000 ( $1.39 SGD, ₹ 71 INR)

2. Pandawa Beach

Beautiful Pandawa Beach

The Pandawa Beach is one of the lesser visited beaches in Bali. It is also called as the Hidden Beach.

Enjoying the calm at Pandawa Beach

It is an extremely beautiful, calm and soothing beach. We spent more than two hours at this beach.

It is named after the ancient Indian and Hindu history of the Pandawas who were Indian warriors in the Mahabharata. One can see huge statues of theirs constructed as one enters the beach.

The only thing we disliked here is that there was an entry fee to this beach as well.

I mean we understand temples etc, but who pays to go to a beach?

Nevertheless, it is surely a wonderful beach and I felt totally detoxified and calm after visiting this beach. So much of blue! Totally therapeutic! 🙂

Entrance Fees: IDR 15,000 ( $1.39 SGD, ₹ 71 INR)

3. Nusa Dua

After the above two places, we made a short visit to Nusa Dua beach. The tide was pretty low so we couldn’t enjoy the beach water per se, but nevertheless we had fun drinking Balinese Coffee at a Pirate themed beach cafe there. It has lovely Pirate themed structures and boats which one can climb and click photos with.

Yay I am sailing 😛 Pirate themed ship @ a cafe in Nusa Dua

Overall it is a hit or miss depending on your schedule.

4. Sanur Beach

Sanur Beach

This is again one of the lesser known beaches in Bali. We didn’t schedule a tour for this one since we were staying in Sanur itself for the last two days of our trip and the beach is walking distance from the hotel we stayed in. Sanur is located in the South of Bali and is closer to the airport than Ubud, which makes it convenient.

Sanur Beach

The sanur beach is again a really beautiful beach, although it’s beauty differs from the Pandawa Beach. It’s really fascinatiing to visit different types of beaches and enjoy them and appreciate the diversities of nature.

The Sanur beach has really cute boats as well alongside the beach, which make it a pretty sight.

Colourful boats @ sanur beach

We spent a lot of time at this beach, since it was the last day of our stay in Bali and we wanted to absorb all the goodness of the beach before we went back. We had some coconut water from a fresh coconut and some watermelon juice as well, from one of the cafes in Bali.

  • view
  • Even better view 😀

It definitely is a must visit if you just love to sit by the beach and admire the views.

Me posing @ Sanur Beach

We walked alongside the beach and waded a bit in the water as well. Quite fun.

Hubby Flying 😛 @ Sanur beach

So that’s it about the beaches in Bali that we visited. We purposely stayed away from the popular Kuta and Seminayak beaches since they are very touristy and crowded and hence we visited the above beaches.

Sanur beach

Beaches in Bali are beautiful no doubt, but I would say they are not good for those looking to swim in deep waters since the water is pretty rough. Overall they are just the perfect place to chill, relax and spend some time in the sun. (Don’t forget your sunscreen :D)

Read the final part of my Bali Series and decide for yourself whether Bali is really worth visiting for you.

Ending the post with a yummy breakfast spread we had in Sanur, before we headed for the beach 🙂

Breakfast at a Cafe in Sanur

Bali Diaries 2: Touring around. An honest Indian’s perspective

Hello peeps. I am back with my Bali series of articles. Yesterday I shared with you all the 4 places to visit in Ubud, on foot or scooter. Today I shall share with all of you a few places around Ubud, in various parts of Bali, for which you need to schedule a tour or book a driver.

In case you missed the Part 1 of the series, click ‘Here’

Now Bali is a huge island, quite contrary to what few people believe. It takes quite some time to travel from one place to another.

So when you decide to book any kind of tours please keep in mind you will have to take into consideration the time to travel from one attraction to another. So I would suggest you all to book places by grouping them together, e.g. North Bali attractions,East Bali Attractions or South Bali attractions,etc. So one day maybe you can do the north, the other day the south etc. Also, it depends a lot on where you will be staying in Bali. Following this grouping of places reduces the travel time and makes you less fatigued. This idea was followed by us, thanks to my genius husband.

We did two scheduled private tours booked on Klook, Both the days, we had two different drivers.

On the first day when we decided to tour around we decided to see the Northern and kind of westernish/central part of Bali.

We booked a private car and driver to travel to these spots. I would definitely recommend traveling with your own booked car instead of going with people in a tour like other countries. Why? Because first of all it’s quite cheap to book a private tour in Bali, so why not and second of all you are away from the hustle bustle and scurrying of other people and can decide which all places you would like to visit and how much time you would like to spend at each place.

We highly recommend this driver called Roy. His contact no for any bookings is: +62- 817383656 ( This is just a good will gesture from us. We found him to be funny, witty and he was very friendly and spoke with us throughout our journey. We were never bored throughout our journey all thanks to him. We even had 2 cups of ‘Sumatra’ Coffee at his brother’s shop at Tanah Lot and they didn’t charge us. Such a nice man! )

We began our tour in the morning at around 8 am and reached back by around 7 pm. The traffic in Bali also makes the time shorter or longer, so best to start early in the morning to reach back in time.

So here are the 4 places we saw that day:

1.Taman Ayun Temple

It is also called ‘Pura Taman Ayun’ Temple. It is surrounded by a wide, elegant moat, which in the earlier days was the main temple of the Mengwi kingdom, which survived until 1891, when it was conquered by the neighbouring kingdoms of Tabanan and Badung.

The temple was built in 1634 and extensively renovated in 1937. It’s a spacious place to wander around.

We went in the morning so there were only a few tourists like us around and it was quite calm and scenic.

Shrines at Taman Ayun Temple

The inside of the temple has basically shrines which are covered by huts and the signature multitiered design.

Taman Ayun Temple

We spent around 45 mins at this place.

There is an entry free which you will have to pay to get inside.

Entrance Fees: IDR 20.000 ($2 Singapore Dollars/ ₹97.79 INR)

I would suggest not spending more than 45 mins exploring this place since there are even more beautiful places than this one to explore. But yes, it’s a good place to visit to get the feel of ancient Indonesian culture.

2. Ulun Danu Beratan Temple

This temple is one of the places in Bali which I really liked. It is located in the middle of the lake, hence it is also called as floating temple, but it depends on the high tide or low tide to see it in floating form.

Nevertheless, it is very picturesque and the entire campus is quite huge. The lake is beautiful and the view is breathtaking. The air is fresh and you feel amazing as you breathe in the fresh air and feel the wind blowing across your face.

The only thing we didn’t like here is that the actual temple is closed. One cannot visit the inside of it. You have to view it from the outside only.

So the entire entrance fee is mostly for the view. Yes, you will see a picturesque garden, lovely lake, the boats are cute and make for a good scene and the temple looks beautiful from the outside. So yes, go there more for the views than visiting the actual temple.

❤ Mesmerizing nature

As Indians, we really are used to our temples being open for all, so this was a bit of a disappointment.

Apart from that, I would say this place is really very beautiful for all your photos and nature gazing.

Ulun Danu Beratan. Just for Posers

It definitely is a must visit temple in my Bali recommendations. I would say you can spend an hour or little bit more at this place.

Couldn’t take my eyes off this

Entrance Fees: IDR 50.000 ($4.87 SGD / ₹244 INR

3. Jatiluwih Rice Terraces

The Jatiluwih rice terraces comprise over 600 hectares of rice fields following the flowing hillside topography of the Batukaru mountain range. These are well-maintained by a traditional water management cooperatives dating back to the 9th century.

Jatiluwih is derived from two words. Jati means “real” and Luwih means “good” or “beautiful”. So even the name in the local language lets you know this place is beautiful. When you drive the narrow, winding road to Jatiluwih, you’ll see the beautiful panoramas along the road. This area is the only place in the world that has three annual rice harvests.

This place is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The greenery is truly overwhelmingly beautiful and the entire place is truly breathtaking.

The roads to reach the Jatiluwih Rice terraces are small but once you are here, you feel rewarded for your travel.

There are tracks made for tourists to walk amidst the beautiful greenery. There are maps placed to direct you as well.

By the time we reached Jatiluwih, we were famished and were looking for a place to have our lunch. There are only 2 places to eat over there, one of which,the owner and staff were missing (Lol) so we were forced to go to the pricier one. It was called warung Dhea.

The food even though pricey, was worth the money would say, since the quantity of food as huge, and we also got to eat our lunch over looking and taking in the beauty of the rice terraces.



Post lunch, we spent about 2 hours at the place, exploring the rice terraces and simply being awed by the beauty of the nature.

Entrance of Jatiluwih Rice Terraces- I love these letters

We even found cows and bulls kept in shades, mooing away to glory and since both of us being animal lovers, we played with them for quite a bit of time.

Cuties

One can actually spend an entire day here, since the rice terraces are quite huge and I was so sad to leave this place and move on to the next.

Nevertheless, with a heavy heart, we said goodbye to Jatiluwih and moved on to the next and final destination of the day.

Entrance Fees: IDR 40.000 ( $3.83 SGD/ ₹ 195 INR)

4. Tanah Lot Temple

Tanah lot temple

We arrived at the final destination of the day for us. Tanah Lot Temple is probably one of the most well known temples in Bali, which is why you will find a lot of tourists here. The place is quite crowded with lots of tourists going in and coming out.

At high tide, waves flood the causeways making it impossible to cross. At low tide, you may cross to view the rock base where the legendary ‘guardian’ sea snakes dwell in crevices.

Onshore temples include many other temples as well.

We didn’t know that there are temples other that Tanah Lot to see, when we went there.

Beautiful isn’t it?

Also, my main disappointment was that did not get to spend more time exploring the place as much as I would have loved to, since I had read about Tanah Lot and was wanting to see this place ever since we decided to go to Bali.

The short 30 mins we spent at the temple were memorable and I would recommend spending over an hour here.

Selfie time. Behind me is Tanah Lot Temple

The sea is ferocious as it splashes the Tanah Lot temple and even though the tide was down and people were wading in the water, walking across to see the temple, I somehow did not get an impulse to.

The overall history and vibe of Tanah Lot gave me the feeling of being
“awed and inspired” at the same time.

I wish the tourists who visit this place give it more respect and so do the authorities, because as an empathetic person who feels vibes, I felt this place giving off strong vibes, powerful.

This one is really a candid one. Was just admiring the beauty of it all.

Of all the places I visited, I felt this was the temple that should have been closed to general public, not the other ones.

To anyone reading this and planning to visit Tanah Lot, please be respectful of this place and it’s history. Show your humility and I am sure you will carry lots of blessings back with you! 🙂

Entrance Fees: IDR 60.000 ($5.79SGD/ ₹ 292 INR)

Please note: The parking fees are separate in the places above and the prices keep changing.

Also, most of the temples have attire rules in Bali. It is preferable to wear something below the knees and covering your shoulders. Even if you want to wear shorts it’s okay, they will hand you a Sarong when you go in. Rules vary from place to place and temple to temple.

Thus, our day ended after visiting these 4 places. It was indeed a great day, which I shall never ever forget.

I hope my today’s post proved to be an insightful read for all of you.

Stay tuned for more posts coming up in the Bali series.

Catch you all soon.

5 stereotypes about India and Indians debunked.

India.. We are a complicated yet simple country. Full of idiosyncrasies yet normalcy. Full of chaos until you learn to find the peace. We are a land of variety, a land of different cultures, lifestyles and food habits all amalgamated into one country.

Ever since I have moved to Singapore, I am often asked, “What race are you?” and when I tell them I am an Indian, I often come across answers like “Oh, you don’t look Indian” or “You are too fair to be Indian” or “You don’t sound like an Indian”

All these interactions, led me to ponder upon a few things and I have realized that there are a lot of stereotypes about Indians which need to be shed or clarified.

1.Indians are brown or black

Now this is the most common form of sterotype (or racist comment) that I have come across. People are obsessed with skin color all the time. (Yeah it happens in India too, but more so, here.) I don’t understand how somebody’s skin color defines them. Nobody automatically becomes superior or inferior based on their color. A person isn’t defined by color, yet somehow people judge talent and intelligence based on it.

Also, not all Indians are black. We come in all colors from fair to chocolate brown and I think all of us are equal and should be judged solely on our talents and other soft skills. Color should not be the deciding factor at all.

2. India is a country full of slums, snake charmers and poor people

While this is true to some extent, I disagree that our whole country should be stereotyped as that. Today, India is a fast developing superpower with more and more markets investing in the country. We are knowledgeable about a lot of things and are upto date with what is going on in the world.

Also, a large part of the poverty has to be blamed on the British Rule in India which lasted for 150 years, due to which we lost most of our resources and a whole lot of wealth. Despite this, we are recovering quite fine and managing to make our mark in the world.

Marine Drive, Mumbai.

3. All Indians are into Information Technology (IT) or Work as labourers or do odd jobs.

I agree most of us are really good at IT and I considered taking it up as well at some point. However, we have educated ourselves in a lot of other professions including finance, journalism, arts, dentistry, medicine and everything else on the planet. I am a physiotherapist who blogs. So yeah. A lot of diverse professions out there. Kindly don’t fit us into one box. A lot of Indians hold MBAs and PhDs. India also has plenty of business schools, and the government is working hard on providing quality higher education. The education system in India is competitive and challenging, and children are given exams from a young age. Children commonly go to extra tuition after school just to get ahead, especially in big cities.

Since the population of India is vast, Indians usually have very good exposure to hands-on experience and treating patients in medical and physiotherapy related fields.

4. Indian food is all about naan and butter chicken

Well while this may be the most common available food outside India, Indian food is if I may so, most varied in the entire world. Every city, every village, every state has a unique culture which defines it’s cuisine.

Even the spices we use vary and all our spices have a lot of health benefits.

The next time you drink a ‘turmeric latte’ or ‘chai latte’ remember they have been adapted from India where, since centuries every kid is advised to drink turmeric milk (haldi doodh) and Chai is our official drink. Hah!

Also, a large number of Indians, (including me :D) are vegetarian, so Indian food is like paradise for vegetarians and vegans.

The cuisine completely changes from North to South and East to West. It mainly depends on the climate and the type of crops that grow in that region. So yeah, if you haven’t gotten my point by now, Indian food is vast and not similar at all.

5. Indians worship cows and have 330 million Gods!

Well, this stereotype is true I would say and I will proudly say I love this stereotype, but not the way it is depicted by the world.

Why do Indians worship cows??

The Indian cow possesses motherly qualities and is given a human like status.

The milk of Indian cows contain A2 milk protein (unlike A1 milk in jersey cows) which is similar to a human mother’s milk. The urine and cow dung of these Indian cows is also very beneficial and used for a lot of purposes in Indian villages and helps prevent a lot of diseases and provides immunity. Hence, Indians worship cows, because they are selfless animals asking nothing in return except love and care.

Why do Indians worship so many Gods & Goddesses?

Lord Ganesha (dagdusheth halwai ganpati, Pune)

330 million gods in India! Gods and goddesses with multiple heads and arms! What kind of crazy religion is Hinduism? Actually, it’s not what it seems. While Hindus do believe that god is in everything, it’s all manifestations of the one source and creator of reality — Brahmaan, that is the Universe. Therefore every living and non-living thing is viewed as sacred. Each of Hinduism’s many gods and goddesses also represent individual aspects of Brahmaan. For example, Lord Ganesha is worshiped for good fortune and removing obstacles. Goddess Laxmi is worshipped for prosperity and wealth,etc.

an image of Lakshmi Devi

So there you are. I hope I have clarified a few of the many stereotypes about India and Indians.

To my fellow Indians who are reading this and wondering how can we change the way the world views us I have a few tips:

  1. When in “Rome do as the Romans do” which means, whichever country you are in, do your best to learn more about their culture, habits ,behaviour and cuisines. Follow the rules, keep yourself, your surroundings and home clean and civilised.
  2. Don’t roam in groups or clans and mingle just with Indians. Most Indians do this. Don’t sit and just befriend fellow Indians. Make friends who are not Indian so that you grow and get to know much more about other people and break the barriers.

Overall. if most Indians who stay abroad would come out of their shells and interact more with people of all races and cultures, I think a large number of stereotypes can be broken. Be more willing and open to adapting new habits. Afterall you are currently staying in another country, the least you can do is be open-minded and show eagerness in mingling with the people around you. Of course that doesn’t mean we are forgetting our culture, but just enhancing our knowledge and lives by making new friends and learning about new cultures.

So that’s all I have to say for now. Whoa, that was a long one after a long time.

I would say, India has its flaws, it’s share of crimes and corrupt people, yet that part doesn’t represent our country. We stand out by our human values, our hospitality, our honesty, our love for peace, our knowledge and of course yoga and spirituality.

So let’s all be ‘global citizens’ and more adapting and accepting of each others cultures.

Till the next post,

Dream, Imagine, Be Crazy, Be You.