Chapter 10: A Journey of cultural adaptation

" Belonging is the delicate balance between honouring where you come from and  embracing where you are."_ Anonymous.

Growing up as a Malayali girl in Chennai, I constantly felt a difference between my home life and my school life. At home, we watched Malayalam movies and listened to Malayalam songs, but at school, my friends talked about Tamil songs and movies, which I wasn't familiar with. No matter how hard I tried, I never felt fully included in their conversations.

My food was different too, and while everyone loved it because it was unique, it also set me apart. I remember teachers asking about the Kerala rice I brought, which was much larger than theirs. While people often asked me for Onam treats or Kerala special foods, I appreciated the curiosity but there were times when I felt lonely and left out.

I often wished for a Malayali friend who would make me feel included. But after the COVID-19 pandemic, things changed. I started watching Tamil movies, listening to Tamil songs, and gradually began to appreciate Tamil culture and food. I felt more included than ever before.

Now in college, I finally have the Malayali friends I always dreamed of, but it feels different. Having spent so many years trying to fit in with Tamil friends, I now find myself more aligned with them. Adapting again to a new environment and culture is challenging. When my Malayali friends say something negative about Tamilians, I feel offended, forgetting that these were my thoughts as a child before I knew and accepted them.

It is really hard to adapt to a culture that you are not part of, but it's also a journey of finding where you truly belong. In my experience, I have realized that being open to new cultures has enriched my life, but it has also made me question where my heart truly feels at home.  And so, I find myself not truly belonging to one world or the other, but instead, to the beautiful space in between where both cultures meet.