Foreigner bahu not uncool!

A growing number of Indians have taken the plunge in a cross cultural wedding A cross racial marriage would earlier have people reacting with, "Wonder how long this survives!" But today, men and women prefer dating a foreigner to an Indian. Thanks to the rigid traditions in an Indian marriage, unrealistic expectations from the spouses in India, social networking sites and the flexible Indian professional. Pauravi Mistry, a social worker married Paul Hefner in the US. She says, "The Indian family system is never open to accept a woman who has had a child from previous marriage. The expectations of being able to play the role of a 'bahu' or a 'jamai' in the west is nil compared to what the in-laws expect from an Indian wife!" Deepan Patel, a professional in the US married Katherina Muellers, from Germany. Says Deepan's father Dilip Patel, "The acceptance of both the families to adopt two different cultures. And there is no guarantee of a lifelong relationship anywhere in the world." Ragin Patel, a professional who lives with his wife Jane in London says, "My wife would not think twice to take up a project overseas. But had I been married to an Indian girl, she would be expected to cook and I would be under pressure to earn money. Morality issues being low in the west is a myth." Says Surnish Nirula, a software consultant who is married to an American, Jarucia Jaycox, "The biggest plus of marrying a foreigner is that the communication is open ended." At the end of the day these couples share the same values, have a willingness to work on live-in relationships, extend their courtship for months without bringing the whole 'marriage' question and they feel that the prospects of finding a 'companion' without strings attached from the parents are brighter!