The Curry Pits Blues

This post will serve as an open letter to all those first generation Indian children in America:

Dear Middle School Indian American,
I know sometimes going through this change in your life can be difficult. Your voice is changing, hair is appearing where it's never been, and mom and dad seem to be getting more and more annoying. There are probably two experiences you are having right now. 1) You're going through an experience in your life where your physical body and your emotional mind are changing. For the next few years you will probably resent your parents at times, and that's okay, you'll get through this. Mom and dad are good people and they understand this change, they went through it too (even though it may not seem like it).

And 2) You're a bi-cultural adolescent. This is hard to conceptualize, maybe hard for you to understand, and most definitely difficult for your parents to comprehend. Yes, you have body oder (we call that BO in the US). And yes I know you use deodorant, your friends were nice enough to get you a stick, but buddy, it's not your fault you still smell. It just so happens that the food you eat goes in and decides to come out through your pores. Don't lament, and don't think a viable option is to stop eating mom's food. That will hurt her feelings, and put a dent in your practically already empty pockets. Your best bet is to weather the storm until you get to college and you can choose your own diet. Apply deodorant twice a day and try to mask the curry smell with some cologne. You'll get through this. Don't heed much to those other kids' teasing, you'll be their boss one day. Plus you know more languages than them, and dude, that's hot!

In closing, see this time in your life as an experience you can only have once. Make mistakes, try different deodorants (who knows one could really work- if so, let me know what the name is), and no matter how many times you feel different from everyone else remember that every kid your age feels that way- it's a right of passage.
Cheers,

-A sympathetic International Student

My shirts tell me each day that the curry pits have set in. No matter how much deodorant I use, it wont go away. But... I'm starting to get used to it.

In other news, Andy leaves tonight- I will miss him dearly. Soon the Germans students will be arriving and I will have new international student friends.

(BTW check out my newest pictures)