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Hindi vs. Urdu, the Debate Continues Posted by Rachael on Nov 8, 2016
Many people have debated the differences (and similarities) of Hindi and Urdu. Some people believe they should be considered separate languages, while others are of the opinion that the two languages are essentially the same in terms of basic vocabulary and grammar; their differences lie only in their writing systems (Hindi is written in the…
Special Part 4, Indians in America: Popular Literature Posted by Rachael on Oct 31, 2016
Since my last post on Indian Americans in popular T.V. and film, I’ve had a nagging feeling that we have some unfinished business regarding our three-part (now four-part 😉 theme: Indians in America. Of course, it’s impossible to cover all of the topics that could fall under this umbrella, but I wanted to address one…
Part 3: Indians in Popular American T.V. and Movies Posted by Rachael on Oct 24, 2016
In this third and final installment in a series on Indians in America (the first and second parts explore Indian immigration to America and the many “Little Indias” to be found here), I wanted to talk about the contributions Indian-Americans have made to popular American television and movies. Mindy Kaling Also known by her original…
Part 2: Indias in America Posted by Rachael on Oct 17, 2016
नमस्ते सब लोग/Namaste sab log (Hello everyone)! As part two of the three-part series “Indians in America” (the first part looked at the history of Indian immigration to the United States), this blog talks about some of my personal experiences with “Little Indias” in the U.S.! These microcosms of different Indian cultures have grown up…
Part 1, Indians in America: An Action-Packed Saga from 1635 to the Present Posted by Rachael on Oct 10, 2016
Welcome (आपका स्वागत है!/Aapka svaagat hai)! This is the first part of a three part series on Indians in America. I hope you enjoy this blog! (मुझे आशा है कि यह ब्लॉग आपको पसंद आयेगा!/Mujhe aasha hai ki yah blog aapko pasand aayega)! Immigration to the United States from what we now call the Republic…
Let’s Celebrate Navratri! Posted by Rachael on Oct 3, 2016
नवरात्रि की बहुत शुभकामनाएँ (Many good wishes on Navratri)! Hindu communities in South Asia and beyond are now celebrating Navratri, a festival whose name is made up of two parts: नव: A Sanskrit prefix meaning “nine” (in Hindi: नौ) रात्रि: A Sanskrit word meaning “night” (in Hindi: रात, fem. noun) This is an extremely apt…
3 Romantic Bollywood Films Hindi Lovers Can’t Miss Posted by Rachael on Sep 26, 2016
This week, we’ll talk about some famous Bollywood films that feature love in major ways so we can learn how to express this vital emotion in Hindi! Umrao Jaan (1981) उमराव जान This classic film stars the bombshell Rekha or रेखा (yes, she’s one of those actresses who only needs one name to go by)…