Wei Wong - Post 3

We’ve been in Coimbatore for about a day and a half now and we aren’t leaving for another day. The culture down here is so different from that in Mumbai. Also, getting used to the jet lag and the food has definitely been interesting.

The women in Mumbai were more liberal and relaxed than the women here in Coimbatore, especially those we came in contact with at Somaiya University. We visited another university yesterday, the Karpagam Institute of Management Studies, and were well received by all the students and faculty. We had a chance speak with several of the students in small groups after the welcome ceremony, and learned all about how life is here for them. We spoke with Nithya, Lakshmi, and Priyanka, all two-year MBA students.

The girls explained that they were only allowed to wear saris or salwar kameez, instead of tailored jackets and suits. They are more respected with this type of wear, especially because of the Tamil culture. I learned that they follow the Tamil “bible,” which is more of a book of sayings and poems that they follow their lives by. The women are VERY traditional, living in joint families and accepting whatever comes to them. They do not argue, and when disagreements do occur, they will accept what happens. The entire family is involved in decision making, and arranged marriages are mostly common. Nithya spoke mainly for the group, with Lakshmi chiming in every once in awhile. Their accents were more difficult to understand than those accents in Mumbai; Prof. Gupta explained that it’s because of the culture and how fewer of them watch western shows.

The girls were studying to get their MBAs so that they could run their own businesses. Nithya explained that learning to manage their businesses also meant being able to manage their families, and that it wouldn’t be difficult to manage both because of the joint support received from the joint family. All three of them agreed that their mother is their role model, since it is whom they look up to. Marriage is especially important; if they don’t get married right after getting their MBAs, they will be asked to do so.

Compared to Mumbai, these women are considered conservative, especially in social terms. Family is extremely important overall, and education for women is becoming increasingly prominent. They are more accepting of their way of life, and are quite happy living this way.

I’ve been having a great time here, meeting lots of new people and making connections. It is quite exhausting at times, but I’ve gotten used to the time difference. I have to admit, I wouldn’t mind eating my rice with chopsticks and having less spice in my food, but that’s the cultural differences. I can’t wait to share all my stories with everyone! (Oh, I have to note that they are all crazy drivers down here. And Winnie and I were locked in our room yesterday till they got us out. More stories to come.)