Punjabi Pride

I am so happy to be Pubjabi. I only wish I was more in touch with it.

Yesterday I watched the Hindi movie "Jab We Met" with Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor (who is cuuuute), and my new it song of the moment is the movie's "Nagada Nagada," not just for its crazy upbeat-ness, but because the swirling colors, thumping dohl and energetic bhangra encompass just what I love about my culture.

Every time I see a Punjabi song or Punjabi wedding scene, my face lights up with excitement that my wedding (hopefully) will get to be just like that. Granted a lot has to happen before that day will ever come, but that's a very different topic for a whole 'nother post.

While Kanika didi's wedding had its own hiccups, I still remember when the barat came, banging dohls, dancing family and all. Look at the wedding video and you'll see the smile never left my face. I know I might not be the most in-touch with my culture; the one time I attempted to perform an Indian dance I ended up in the hospital. But that doesn't stop me from having some fierce pride in being part of the loudest, brashest, most fun-loving Indian cultural sub-group there is. Yes I may speak more Hindi than Pubjabi (which doesn't actually mean much, given how broken my Hindi actually is, especially after five months of straight Spanish), but there isn't any other culture I'd want to be a part of. Which is why I'm over-the-moon excited for Rishi bhaiya's wedding in August. (Well, that and the prospect of meeting all his British-accented Punjabi friends :-P).

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