Sunday Stalking

     I walked into Borders determined to get in and get out. I quickly grabbed my book and power-walked to the check out. As I retrieved my credit card from my purse, the cashier uttered, "Um, there's a line." I looked behind me to see a line of people, wrapped around every corner, almost reaching the middle of the store. I am not sure how I missed this clearly evident line, but I shamefully walked to the back embarrassed for my mistake. Being the dedicated reader I am, I waited in line for a good half hour. Behind me, I noticed an Indian woman. She wore a white coat and jeans and carried a simple, beige purse. Her dark skin and black hair was the only hint to her heritage. I did not mean to stare but I felt curious as to see what book she was buying. The book was some sort of guide for the INS Citizenship Test. Then, the woman answered the phone and said, "Hi Baba." I knew she must have been talking to her father since Gogol called his father Baba as well. I was so bored waiting in line I could not help but to listen to her conversation. She attempted to describe to her father what Borders was. She kept repeating "Library Baba" and saying simple phrases such as "books." She had a prevalent, heavy Indian accent. After she hung up the phone, she let out a long sigh.     
     I couldn't help but feel sorry for this woman. Whether she was buying the book for herself or her father she clearly felt flustered by her phone conversation. I imagined myself in her position and how it must have felt for her to educate her father on the American lifestyle. I assume she must have to explain a lot to him if he did not know what Borders was. I remember feeling annoyed and frustrated with Ashima at the beginning of the story. Her stubbornness towards accepting an American lifestyle bothered me. The situation in the Borders line today caused me to reflect on my past feelings. I would feel so alone and isolated if I lived somewhere where I had to pass a test in order to belong. My heart went out for this woman and the struggles she must face every day.

An A+ Rating

     After watching “The Namesake” movie, I found it interesting how the producers decided to elaborate on the Indian culture and tradition of Gogol’s family. For instance, rituals and ceremonies followed Gogol and Moushumi’s wedding and the death of Ashoke, I was interested to see if the makers of the movie correctly portrayed the Bengali traditions. I researched some of these and found that the movie did a very nice job.
     In Bengali weddings, people dress in bold, bright colors to acknowledge the joyous day. The bride blows into a conch shell and the woman guests participate in ululation. Our class giggled at the funny noises the women at the wedding made with their tongues. Yet this high-pitched clicking noise is one of the main rituals at the wedding. Elders also sprinkle husked rice onto the newlyweds’ heads. I remember watching Gogol and Moushumi exchange leis to one another. This ritual is called Mala Badal when the bride and groom exchange garlands of fragrant flowers to one another. This symbolizes acceptance for one another. 
     After the death of Ashoke, we see Gogol getting his head shaved and Ashima washing out the red dye on her forehead and in her part. In the Bengali culture, the first-born son of the dead father has his head shaved for mourning purposes. Ashima removed the red jewel on her forehead, called a Bindi, to show that she no longer has a husband. In the movie, Gogol, Moushumi, Sonia, and the rest of the Ganguli family traveled to India to spread Ashoke’s ashes. At the ceremony I remember seeing all the guests in white robes. This is a typical death ceremony ritual. Family members dress in all white, except for the wife who dresses in a brightly colored sari. 

What I See When Ella Doesn't Know I'm Watching

     As I sit here on my couch with strep throat, I can't help but to blog about my Amish cleaning lady, Ella, that I have watched and analyzed for the past ten minutes. My mom leaves her a note usually saying something along the lines of, "Please clean the stove top today and help yourself to a sandwich or an icecream bar in the fridge." However, the note does not say anything about blasting the T.V., turning the stereo on, making phone calls with our landline, or heating up the butter noodles in the microwave that my mom left me for lunch. Although I do not have much knowledge on the Amish culture, I know that Ella has broken some sort of rule. This brings me back to the idea of traditions that I can not seem to shake from my mind.
     Will traditions some day disappear entirely due to modern technology? Personally, I think yes. Ella is only 19 years old. As much as she has worsened my already pounding head with the excessive noise levels coming from the kitchen, do I really blame her? Can I feel frustrated because she wants to see what the world has to offer? No, I cannot. It is human nature to feel curious about things that we know we cannot do or cannot have, such as Ella using the microwave or watching reality T.V. This circumstance reminds me of "The Convergence of the Twain." Our class came to the conclusion that the iceberg hitting the titanic was inevitable. The disaster was completely unavoidable. Likewise, I feel modern technology will inevitably sweep traditions away. Technology remains a superior force over us. We could be writing these blogs on paper, yet we choose to write them on the computer. We could hand write our data sheets, yet we choose to type them. What does this say about our world today?

A Seemingly Unsuitable Affair

     Throughout chapter 10 of The Namesake, Lahiri mainly focuses on Moushumi's discontent with her marriage. This leads to her affair with a former lover, Dimitri. I feel Moushimi has relations with Dimitri for one reason: he brings back fond memories from her past. Lahiri describes Dimitri as "a small, balding, unemployed, middle-aged man" (266). Lahiri creates situational irony with her description of Dimitri. It seems unbelievable that Moushumi would cheat on her husband with such an unfortunate looking man. Yet, Dimitri more or less encompasses traits that Moushumi idealized in Graham, her ex-fiancé. Like Graham, Moushumi met Dimitri unexpectedly and was immediately swept away by his charm. In contrast, Moushumi met Gogol through an arranged blind date from her parents. Moushumi has detested arranged marriages to Bengali men from a young age. Right of the bat, Moushumi felt apprehensive dating Gogol for this fact. Furthermore, Dimitri parallels Moushumi because of his love for traveling and reading. While in Europe, Dimitri sent "her books he'd read and thought she might like" (260). Moushumi keeps these books and revisits them periodically. I feel Moushumi cannot let go of previous relationships she has had in the past. I dislike Moushumi for this reason. I feel she feeds off male attention, indirectly characterizing her as promiscuous. However, I feel some sort of sympathy for her because she feels genuinely unhappy with Gogol. Dimitri does not have any jealousy towards Gogol and seems very relaxed and laid back. Dimitri represents an escape from Moushumi’s chaotic marriage with Gogol.

The Importance of Traditions

     During our class discussion, we touched on the importance of a woman taking her husband's last name. In chapter nine of The Namesake, Moushumi does not take Gogol's last name: "But the thought of changing her last name to Ganguli has never crossed Moushumi's mind" (227). Every student that spoke said they did not feel bothered by Moushumi's decision in the least. Yet, I felt extremely bothered by this. Especially despite the fact that Moushumi did not give a valid reason for her decision in my opinion. In my family, every woman has taken their husband's last name. Today, I feel society accepts woman who choose to keep their maiden name because of business circumstances or personal reasons. Yet, in my personal life, I strive to maintain family traditions. I would feel I offended or disrespected my husband if I refused to change my name. If I love the man enough to marry him, why would I not take his name? I definitely stereotype woman who keep their maiden names as not fully committed to their relationship, like Moushumi. For instance, I babysit for a family on my street whose mom and dad have different last names. I feel awkward addressing them differently. Sometimes I accidently call the mom by her husband's last name. She does not correct me, but I always feel bad for my mistake. I feel it is much more convenient and comfortable to address a married couple by a single last name. However, this tradition may seem outdated to many in our modern day society, so I will strive to act less judgmental towards these woman like Moushumi.