Being ethnic...

It took me month to sort out my travel plans to Washington D.C. I was fully prepared to deliver talk on my topic in one of the international conference. Mind full with academic works and excitement to meet different research scholars and academicians such as Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum. First day in DC went on strolling around the street and checking out some of the tourist attractive places. The best part of it was the well organized museums, memorials, US capitol and parks. One can never get bored, as each step has something to checkout and wonder about. The most interesting museum among all was the US Holocaust and the American Indian Museum. The

conference started on the 2nd day, heart full with excitement to see Georgetown University. The most beautiful and interesting  was the old Gaston hall building of 1782. The campus was looking lively the students was seen busy organizing small events and cheering each other. It was wonderful to meet so many scholars from different parts of the world. After having a full academic session, I used to return to the place where I was put on called Westfalls church. I was staying with the Odiya family I know from my child hood days. The 3rd and 4th day went on attending lectures, plenary session, networking with different scholars. The conference end on the 4th day paying good bye to all scholars and professors I was interacting for constant 3days.

Every evening after the conference we used to visit different families for some social gathering. I never thought that I would meet so many Odiya families in the US. The huge Odiya gathering in a house-warming party was giving me a feeling of Odiya diaspora in the US. It was amazing to see all Odiya delicacy and traditional attire worn by each and every female present in the function. There was Indian music  and kids giggling and playing with each other just like how it is in India. I was betting within myself the perception carry by most Indians living in India. Its a common perception among those people who live in India, that people who immigrate out of the country forget their culture and language. They assimilate with foreign culture and people to get themselves diffused with other culture and leaving their own. Spending few days in Washington DC and meeting so many Odiya families proved those common perception wrong. It was amazing to see family keeping themselves update with each and every Odiya festivals. Each of the family has some plan for the gathering and celebrate the festival with whole hearted. The Ganesh Chaturthi was round the corner I

could able to smell the festive feeling in each and every family.

It was more like an diaspora where people  have the sense of belonging within themselves. It is so very important to have that feeling of ethnicity within ourselves that keep us lively and cheerful in a foreign land. I would like to thanks some of the beautiful Odiya families I came across during my visit to the US. Most importantly I would like to thanks a friend with whom I was staying at and who introduce me to so many Odiya families.