This was really beautiful, especially the "None of us were born Kannadigas." As someone who wasn't taught Kannada as a kid and has been trying to relearn as an adult (online and isolated after a lot of searching for classes), this really captured a lot of the complicated half-feelings my relationship to Kannada and Kannadiga culture evokes. Love your writing!
I just discovered this essay and I see myself in it, many times over. Right down to the details like speaking a Kannada-Tulu-English mongrel language, because that is what spills out of my mouth even to this day. Incredible.
Wow, I loved this! This dilemma of your aunt's of Kannada 'purity' after four decades away: that such a loss can sting and be the ways of things, too--or not even quite a loss? A process. Adjust, just a little. The windowless back room of langauge, what a great image. Read a lot of Lahiri but not that one, will track it down. Thanks for writing!
This was such an interesting read. My father was born a few years before the boundaries between Maharashtra and Karnataka were re-drawn so his family speaks Kannada but their village landed on the Maharashtrian side of the border so he learned both but spoke Kannada at home. In spite of my mother's urging (she did not speak Kannada herself) he refused to teach it to me and my siblings so we learned only Marathi and now I find myself in the same position as your aunt after many years of living in the US of losing my Marathi slowly.
hi uma, thank you for reading, and for sharing this. i do believe languages can be practiced and relearned, if you have people to speak them with—do you feel that way about marathi? i also know that there’s often shame associated with choosing to let your home language go, even though there’s nothing wrong with that decision either.
This was really beautiful, especially the "None of us were born Kannadigas." As someone who wasn't taught Kannada as a kid and has been trying to relearn as an adult (online and isolated after a lot of searching for classes), this really captured a lot of the complicated half-feelings my relationship to Kannada and Kannadiga culture evokes. Love your writing!
so sweet, thank you namita! good luck w your kannada relearning
Just heard of Pushpamala N yesterday for the first time when I saw some photos at MOMA and now I've been treated to this lovely essay. Thank you!
Also had my first exposure to Kannada lit last year when Nabeel recommended "Ghachar Ghochar" to me. Addictingly good and can't wait to read more
if you like ghachar ghochar, the same author has a new book out in the US this month, sakina's kiss, really good
I just discovered this essay and I see myself in it, many times over. Right down to the details like speaking a Kannada-Tulu-English mongrel language, because that is what spills out of my mouth even to this day. Incredible.
thank you for reading it, i love that you had a similar experience
Wow, I loved this! This dilemma of your aunt's of Kannada 'purity' after four decades away: that such a loss can sting and be the ways of things, too--or not even quite a loss? A process. Adjust, just a little. The windowless back room of langauge, what a great image. Read a lot of Lahiri but not that one, will track it down. Thanks for writing!
Just yesterday my Uber driver asked me what languages people in India and wish I could’ve sent him this essay! Fantastic 👏🏽
This was such an interesting read. My father was born a few years before the boundaries between Maharashtra and Karnataka were re-drawn so his family speaks Kannada but their village landed on the Maharashtrian side of the border so he learned both but spoke Kannada at home. In spite of my mother's urging (she did not speak Kannada herself) he refused to teach it to me and my siblings so we learned only Marathi and now I find myself in the same position as your aunt after many years of living in the US of losing my Marathi slowly.
hi uma, thank you for reading, and for sharing this. i do believe languages can be practiced and relearned, if you have people to speak them with—do you feel that way about marathi? i also know that there’s often shame associated with choosing to let your home language go, even though there’s nothing wrong with that decision either.
This was touching for me, an "outsider" with a brief peek into Karnataka! Thank you for expressing this!
Loved this—I have to find that essay by Jhumpa Lahiri.
i looked and couldn’t find it online! but if you’re thinking about this, i do recommend her essay collection on translation
I’ve actually read it! It was just a couple of years ago, and pre-babies haha. I’ll have to get it from my library again.
This was beautiful!
thank you, janey <3