I Renounced my Indian Citizenship to Get a Visa

We are spending Christmas in India this year. It’s time for Sonali to meet Sasmita’s family. But visiting India requires a visa. I’ve received multiple Indian visas in the last 10 years. The process requires many documents but is straightforward. I thought it would be simple this time as well. I could not have been… Continue reading I Renounced my Indian Citizenship to Get a Visa

I say ‘dies,’ Sasmita says ‘expires.’ The words signal a major cultural difference.

Earlier this summer I read a fascinating article titled ‘Death, Redesigned.” As I read the piece, it struck me how vastly different the West views death and how Sasmita and Indians view death. The story begins with Paul Bennett, the founder of Ideo, a design, marketing, and branding firm in San Francisco Bay. It’s famous for among other things,… Continue reading I say ‘dies,’ Sasmita says ‘expires.’ The words signal a major cultural difference.

The First Christmas Knowing my Indian family

Sasmita and I celebrated our third Christmas holiday season together in 2014. But it was the first Christmas that I actually know my Indian side of our family, the Nayaks. As I wrote about here, Sasmita and I visited them in June 2014. We had an Indian wedding ceremony and stayed in her village, Alligonda at her parent’s house for a… Continue reading The First Christmas Knowing my Indian family

My brother-in-Law Ajit: The Nayak’s Great Family Tragedy

Ajit Nayak is my brother-in-law and he is mentally and physically disabled. Since I’ve known Sasmita, I have heard stories about her brother who is two years older than me and his disability. One day this summer, my father-in-law Valentine and I were chatting about life in Village Alligonda. He began telling me about Ajit,… Continue reading My brother-in-Law Ajit: The Nayak’s Great Family Tragedy