Originally posted by Ramy25
dunno about that anu, but in my school, it's us kids who
step forward, choreograph the routines and perform. and you know what, i
went to india 3 years ago for wedding and ummm everyone there couldn't
even do a single step of our raas (i'm gujju...lol hence the raas aka
stick dance ..lol i love it. it's so much fun! We sweat it out during
navratri๐ and then the next day at school we're all so sore
walking from one class to another๐คฃ).
anyhow, my point is that it all depends on your
parents and family and how much they instill the cultural values in you.
I know gujarati (only talking wise...i can't read or write) because my
grandparents and my parents talk to me in it. I know hindi from movies
and such.
Cultural shows are quite boring i agree. I'm not talking
about those...because i don't perform in those. I don't even like to go
to those now.
Besides, I didn't say that dancing to those songs is
the only way "we" connect to the culture. Obviously not!
You see
it's like keeping a balance between the two types of cultures. I think
my grandparents have had a big role in instilling "indian culture" in my
brother and I and My parents have had a bigger role in showing us how
to balance the ethnic culture and the culture of the country we're born
in.
You're Gujju? LOL how come your name is Amy then? :S...I guess I haven't heard that Gujju name before...
I thought Raas/Garba was the dance with the claps and Dandiya was the one with the sticks, no?
I understand what you are trying to say, Amy...I have enough cousins born and brought up here that I've observed too...they're like you...they can speak the language...sing shabads in the gurudwaras, do bhangra at their college competitions...the whole laundry list...but I still think most of these things are surface level only...they don't REALLY give you a genuine understanding of the MEANING of your culture...
I think we'll just have to leave it at a difference of perspective...to a person born and brought up in India, this would never look like full on genuine identification with culture...it seems more cosmetic...but I guess it works for you guys cuz you are your own community of kids born here so you all bond over this kind of stuff in whatever way you do...it's a different community...