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Living out a culture context

Would you adopt the culture you were born into? Or would you swear allegiance to your "origins"?

by

Sushmita Bose

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Published: Thu 24 Mar 2016, 11:00 PM

Last updated: Fri 25 Mar 2016, 2:43 PM

What happens if you were born and brought up in a different country, where the prevailing ethos is somewhat/vastly dissimilar to your "alleged" roots? Would you adopt the culture you were born into? Or would you swear allegiance to your "origins"? Or, would you eventually create your own comfort zone, borrowing bits from the "global village"? It's a confusing situation, right? I've heard countless stories about bouts of anxiety parents grapple with as they fear their kids might "turn out different" (deviating from the set of values mom and pop were brought up on). The kids, at times, couldn't care less about said professed roots and do exactly what they want. The parents, at times, try and realign their own thinking; many times, they can't. What ensues is a fascinating sociological conundrum, which we try and explore this week.
Konstantina Sakellariou was a corporate high-flyer, till she decided to tread the path less trodden and do something she always wanted to do: climb mountains. She has returned to Dubai after a hiatus, with an armful of exciting stories of her adventures. Meet this rather exceptional woman.
When I go grocery shopping, I look for expiry dates. I'm fanatical about getting, say, milk or bread, packaged the same day; even a day-old tag isn't good enough. I guess I am "label conscious". But I also tend to miss out on other info labels provide: ingredients, preservatives used (or not), calorific value (okay, that I do check occasionally) and so on. Read about the intricate "truths" of food labels. In Bollywood, be filled with nostalgia for 'tragedy queen' Meena Kumari, and in Travel, have a 'furry' encounter in Phillip Island, Australia. All this and much more.
Enjoy reading wknd. and have a great weekend!