Parth's 340 Blog

 Random Post 1 If you don't already know by now, I love cricket. The sport, not the bug. So, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that even though I am in the US, and my country, India is playing in India, I stay up at night to watch their matches. However, this random post is not just about my love for cricket. This random post is going to be about an exemplary cricketer who just recently made his debut for India. The cricketer I am referring to is Yashasvi Jaiswal. Now at first, I let my ego get in the way and I was hesitant to write about Yashasvi because he's younger than me, only by a couple of months, but still. However, rather than being arrogant, I've now come to terms that I should instead be taking inspiration from this incredible individual who had to go through so many challenges to go and pursue his dreams of playing cricket and at the highest level, which is to play internationally for India.  Yashasvi making his debut for India From selling street food to play...

 Book 1, Post 2  After reading "American Like Me" by American Ferrera, I know now that I am not alone. The narratives within the book have helped shift my understanding of identity and belonging. The book almost felt like a group therapy session because of all of the different stories being told. My favorite story was by Kumail Nanjiani, the Hollywood actor as I was able to relate to his story the most. Kumail, like myself, moved to the US for college so learning about his story and the culture shock that he faced was good in a way. For my own selfish reason, it reminded me that I am not alone, and all the culture shock that I faced as a freshman who moved from Dubai to the US, it is normal. I just wish that I had been told this earlier as it would have certainly made feel a lot more comfortable in my own skin. I particularly love the title as it's so apt.  Even though my parents didn't immigrate to the US, they did however, move to Dubai for a better life for me and ...

 Understanding Cricket: A Guide for Perplexed Americans By: Parth Suri Welcome, my American friends, to the wonderful, wacky world of cricket. No, we're not talking about the bugs, but the sport that has billions of people hooked. "Cricket is only second to soccer to being the most-watched sport globally" (GBH). Have you ever watched cricket and thought it was like a mysterious thriller, but in a language you don't understand? Well, no worries, Parth is here! Buckle up because I will give you a crash course on cricket so that you can be the life of the party and impart your cricket knowledge! After that warm welcome, let me explain why I am the perfect person to decode the mysterious world of cricket for you. Being Indian, I have cricket in my DNA - it's like being with the inherent ability to automatically dance to Bollywood songs. But my qualifications to explain you cricket don't just stop there. I've been swinging a cricket bat ever since I can remembe...

 American Like Me: Reflections on Life Between Cultures  I am so glad that 'American Like Me' by American Ferrera was one of the books as part of the Random Thoughts series. This is mainly because this book has always caught my eye due to its title. 'American Like Me' symbolizes that there is no one true meaning of being American, but each of us can have our own identities and we are all American.  Being Indian but growing up in Dubai and now spending the past 4 years in America due to USC, the book particularly resonated with me. Even though I've only just started reading the book, so far, the anthology format which brings together a diverse set of voices has in a way made me feel comfortable with being uncomfortable about my identity. When I first got to USC, I would often feel weird or an outsider because back home in Dubai if anyone would ask me where I am from, I would say India, but as soon as I landed at USC, I realized that the question 'where I am from?...