Tamil Television (Part 1?): Bigg Boss

I was going to write about three or four different shows in this post, but had too much to say about just one. I'll try to continue the series with more U.S.-perspective insights on the fascinating world of Tamil television. ------ Tamil TV exists in a variety of genres: news, soap operas (known here as …

Cultures of Gift-Giving

As an eager young freshman at the University of Rochester, I had my heart set on a degree in Anthropology and enrolled in Anthro 101 my first semester. To this day, it stands out as one my favorite classes in college, and I continue to believe that Anthro 101 should be a required class for …

The Kolam, and thoughts on community arts practice in India

One of the most exciting parts of the Pongal season is the display of colorful kolams drawn in rice flower outside homes. Kolams - also known as rangolis - are a tradition of welcoming good fortune at the beginning of each day. Drawing them is one of the first tasks a woman does in the …

Learning to Live in a Joint-Family System

Living with my in-laws during this Pongal trip has meant experiencing the joint-family system first-hand. It is a way of life that is so foreign to the individualistic, capitalistic society of the United States, and though I can appreciate the values of communal living and tend to disavow individualized capitalism in principle, the practice of …

A Tamil Reception: “Happy Married Life!”

A continuation of the tale of my wedding in Pondicherry. Catch up with my other posts about the civil registration, the planning stages, and the Buddhist ceremony. After the ceremony, I was hurried backstage to change from my white sari into the red one. My husband went into the other dressing room to change from …

Even Buddhist Weddings Need a Little Drama

So far I've written about the Indian Special Marriage Act registration process, and the excitement of planning a Buddhist/Tamil wedding in three months. This chapter is about our Buddhist wedding ceremony, including traditional rituals and unexpected drama.... We were supposed to meet at the marriage hall at 6pm, for the ceremony to begin at 6:30. …

Changing Diets

As I’m sitting here writing this now, it’s mostly because I have a huge craving for a Little Debbie’s oatmeal cookie sandwich. I can’t have one because A) they don’t sell them in Pondicherry, B) I don’t buy big packs of snack food because we don’t eat that much of it and it goes stale …

Wedding Preparations, Part 3: Beauty

With the logistics in place and arrangements coordinated, it was time to think about the accessories. Dress Shopping for saris was one of the more surreal parts of planning for the wedding. Of course, I’ve been conditioned with Say Yes to the Dress, and this idea of going with at least a couple of other …

Wedding Preparations, Part 2: Arrangements

After setting our wedding date, there was still a lot of planning that needed to be done. I often was not convinced that we would get it all done in 3 months, but no one else (except my mother) seemed that concerned. So I let my in-laws handle it, and in the end, of course, …

Wedding Preparations, Part 1: Logistics

In the U.S., the time and care and planning that you put into a wedding is culturally amplified as highly crucial. We have professional wedding planners, thematic Pinterest pages, mail-order magazines, and trade shows. There’s not only Say Yes To The Dress (classic) but also that really weird and recently-renewed TV show Four Weddings, where …