Embrace the Cliché!

First things first: the name. Those who know me will wonder about my choice of name for this blog. I am known to avoid the cliché, going so far as to make up a complicated cross-referenced metaphor in order to stay away from one simple, well-known one. So as I was looking for a name for my blog, I considered my options. I needed something short and catchy. Also something that would convey its focus on the day-to-day issues of being a global Indian mom.

First, I considered the super obvious. Have you ever noticed that so many books and movies have either the word monsoon or masala in them? Movies with masala in their title, that have nothing remotely to do with cooking, and books that are ‘Monsoon-something or other’ that have very little to do with the weather are not at all hard to find. The word Masala has more than one meaning. Wikipedia offers the basic : “a mixture of many spices in Indian cooking;” adds “a style of Indian movie” to that, and ends by noting that ‘Masala’ is also the name not only of a South Asian queer organization but, believe it or not, also that of a village in Southern Finland! Take Monsoon next. The word refers to seasonal winds blowing over the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea and the heavy rains that come with it. Words have many meanings and Monsoon and Masala are in there with the best of them.

And why are they so popular? Masala and Monsoon are handy catch-all words conveying everything from a combination, a mixture or a mood, ranging from excitement to melancholy. Even better, they instantly communicate Indian-ness. So, while I personally eschew the use of both those words, I totally sympathize with those authors and filmmakers who were prevailed upon by their publicists to incorporate these over-used words into their respective titles.

So back to my own choices. Having almost instantly rejected the two M words, I searched for something more esoteric that would serve my purpose – and came up empty. Oh, there were a few options that seemed to deserve consideration, but in the end, it came down to the basics – convey the essence of the blog as well as its focus on Indian-ness in as catchy a way as possible. And so, as my own publicist, I had to tell the auteur in me to embrace the cliché and choose what works. I chose Chutney as a compromise – I happen to love all chutneys; like masala it means a tasty mixture of ingredients, and the final qualification: it conveys Indian flavor.

And so ladies (and gentlemen, if you’re out there) I present to you Chutney Moms!