JAINA Convention 2017 07 Edison NJ

SR No.: 527540
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Federation of JAINA
Publisher: USA Federation of JAINA
Publication Year: 2017
Total Pages: 176
Language: English
Classification: Magazine, USA_Convention JAINA, & USA
File Size: 51 MB

Page 172

Guess What?
Our Story:
- Both my husband and I were born and raised in the US
- Growing up in the 80s and 90s, there wasn't a large number of Indian Americans in media or public eye. Basically, all Indians were "doctors and engineers". Today, you see an Indian person on every network, in every profession from being a dj to being an athlete. Growing up, we didn't have any role models. We were raised in a western culture but our parents also did not know how to mix the two cultures. All my life, as a girl, I'm forced to do well in school and get a good job. Then when I finally do so, I'm all of a sudden asked to put all that aside and find a nice Indian Jain boy. What?? So confusing!
- From the age of 24-27, I had been introduced to many Jain boys by my parents. It was always so awkward and uncomfortable.
- At 26, I was promoted and asked to move to Seattle with my company VP. My parents were very concerned. "How will you find a Jain boy in Seattle?" Again, very confusing, I was doing so well in my career, what I had been raised to do all my life!
- I attended the JAINA conference in 2005 and hated the JNF (old Jain Milan name) meetings. It never worked and it was always so forced. I didn't have the right attitude either.
- 3 weeks after JNF, someone emailed me because they had a work conference in Seattle and they wanted to meet up. They received my info from the JNF booklet. I was so embarrassed and dreaded the idea of another awkward jain blind date. But I agreed to meet him.
- We met for dinner and totally hit it off. He was in UK at the time and I was in Seattle and he had to fly out the very next day. We kept in touch over the phone, met 3-4 more times in person, and got married in less than a year from meeting.
- Today, we have been married for 11 years and have two kids.
The reason why it worked for us is because in our first mtg, we were able to talk below the surface level (where do you work, and what do you like to do) and we got into our