Vaishali A. PatelOct 10, 20212 min Pitrupaksh / Shraadh#WhyDoWe Do you know what Pitrupaksh or Shraadh is? If you grew up in a Gujarati home, chances are you saw your elders or parents...
Vaishali A. PatelOct 9, 20211 minFeeling Better When Dressing Better#WhyDoWe I recently discovered something I had no idea about myself: I actually feel better when I LOOK better! For me, that means...
Vaishali A. PatelOct 8, 20211 minDesi Calendars#WhyDoWe Have you heard of a "Datto" Desi calendar? This is another example of "tell me you are Desi without telling me you are Desi"!...
Vaishali A. PatelOct 7, 20211 minJanmashtmi Celebrations#WhyDoWe What did Janmashtmi Celebrations look like when you were younger? For me, it was staying up untll midnight, welcoming the...
Vaishali A. PatelOct 6, 20211 minDressing in "chaandalo" or "bindi"#WhyDoWe Tell me you are Desi without telling me you are Desi... One of the things I looked forward to as a young girl in the 80s -...
Vaishali A. PatelOct 5, 20211 minAre you just in it to win?#WhyDoWe Are you part of the race? Do you care if you win or lose? During one of my morning readings recently I came across this...
Vaishali A. PatelAug 26, 20211 minJada BlanketsLet's keep in touch on language learning and culture - join my email list!dd#WhyDoWe Tell me you are Desi without telling me you are...
Vaishali A. PatelAug 19, 20211 minGoing All-Out for Birthdays#WhyDoWe So, tell me you are Desi without telling me you are Desi. 🤣🤣 For the longest time I thought this is how everyone in the...
Vaishali A. PatelAug 19, 20214 minFestivals and Celebrations during Shraavan Mahino#WhyDoWe NAAGPANCHAMI Many of us are scared of snakes. That makes sense, as many snakes are poisonous! However, in a farming country like...
Vaishali A. PatelAug 17, 20212 minShare Your Debt and Sorrow #WhyDoWe Would you tell people in your circle if you were in debt or terminally ill? “Dukh ane dard ek beejaa saathe vehchavu” (Share...
Vaishali A. PatelAug 17, 20211 minRotli #WhyDoWe Tell me you are Desi without telling me you are Desi... Rotli no dabbo - Roti dabaa I remember when we spent our summers in...
Vaishali A. PatelAug 17, 20211 minDo You 'Act' Your Age? #WhyDoWe "Act your age" "Aa ummare aa badhu naa sobhe ("This doesn't suit you at this age") "At this age focus on Bhakti, raising...
Vaishali A. PatelAug 17, 20212 minOombaraa Pujan #WhyDoWe Have you seen women around you cleaning the door frame (Oombaro) and putting kumkum dots or divo by it? Why do we do...
Vaishali A. PatelAug 17, 20212 minRaising Daughters Like Sons #WhyDoWe "I have raised my daughter like a son” (Maari dikari ne dikaraa ni jem moti kari chhe) hmmm... How about “I have raised my son...
Vaishali A. PatelAug 17, 20212 minJudging Those Who Don't Speak English #WhyDoWe We look the same, we dress the same, we eat the same food, then why do you say he is Bengali, Sri Lankan, Pakistani? And why are...