JOIN USAdding colour and warmth
The foreign nationals, who have made Bangalore their home, not only attend the Page 3 parties and wine tasting sessions but also join their Indian friends in celebrating every Indian festival including Christmas. “It’s an experience of a different kind,” say the foreigners, who think Indians add a lot of colour and noise to every festival and that Christmas is no exception.
“The food, decorations and the spirit had an Indian touch to it,” they say.
Metrolife spoke to a few Indians and foreigners who celebrated this Christmas together. They say that it was an experience of a lifetime.
Beth Chapman and husband Jeff Samstad from the United States who have moved to Bangalore for a job, say they feel at home in the City. Beth was invited to cake mixing sessions by an Indian family and helped in the decorations as well. “Christmas here is very different from what happens in the US. Here we cooked together, put up the tree and the crib. There’s an Indian touch to everything. It’s culturally very different. The food is the best part of Christmas,” says Beth.
She says that this Christmas, her children’s nanny, who is a Tamilian, bought gifts for her children and something small for Beth as well. “I was moved by her gesture. We get invited to the nanny’s house for a Christmas feast every year. We couldn’t make it this year, so she bought us each a gift. It’s the spirit of giving and sharing that I admire most,” says Beth.
Priscilla E Rajan, a content specialist and Traffic Quality Analyst who’s dating Antony, a Frenchman, says she decided to stay back in Bangalore to join Antony for Christmas. Priscilla confesses that she celebrated Christmas in French style.
This Christmas, Antony dished out an elaborate French feast for her. “It was just like how it is in the French movies — special. Antony made some authentic French meal and coupled it with different types of French bread and wine,” says Priscilla. They even watched a French movie. Antony, who couldn’t join his family back in France, says, “I thought I would treat Priscilla to some real French food. And it reminded me of how we spend Christmas back home.”
Joby celebrated Christmas with a few of his foreign friends in the City. According to him, Christmas means different things to different people. “It’s all about food and fun for the foreigners. There’s never a dull moment in their company,” Joby wraps up.