By Anjum Choudhry Nayyar
Yashodhara Lal says it’s through writing she can take the ordinary and make it hilarious. As a mother of three, that’s a talent! A marketing professional and author by day and mom by nite (and day!) Yashodhara has 10 years of experience in the marriage domain and lives in Gurgaon with her husband Vijay and the three small children they call Peanut, Pickle and Papad. Yashodhara began her journey in writing in 2006 with her blog – yonearthnot.blogspot.com, described as a serious attempt to take life less seriously. She is the author of ‘Just Married, Please Excuse’ (www.justmarriedpleaseexcuse.com), a humorous story about marriage.
Yashodhara began her journey in writing with her blog -described as ‘a serious attempt to take life less seriously’ -now at www.yashodharalal.com. She is also on twitter @yashodharalal.
We talked to Yashodhara about her life blogging and what keeps her inspired:
Why did you start blogging?
I started blogging in 2006, primarily because I had always wanted to write and make people laugh. Blogging proved to be a great first and rather easy step to take – so my blog was born, called Y On Earth Not, with the tagline ‘ A serious attempt to take life less seriously.’ And eventually, this blogging played an important role in my getting to publish my first book, ‘Just Married, Please Excuse!’… so blogging is something which is likely to always be a part of my life.
What do you blog about and why? What is your blog about ?
I blog about my daily life as a mother-of-three struggling to write her second novel, while trying to find sufficient time for her family. I write with a rather liberal dose of humor. So it’s everyday, relatable incidents but described with a perspective that makes you smile, if not giggle!
What inspires you to write?
My life. My kids. My husband. My work as an author. My sabbatical during which I’m trying a whole bunch of new things, including Zumba and guitar lessons.
South Asian moms sometimes have different cultural challenges and expectations coming from a culture so heavily entrenched in family, have you ever blogged about cultural issues and what kind of response did you receive?
The most basic premise of my blog is my life with my family, and various issues regarding this have been much discussed in the mom-blogger community – whether it is working Moms vs Stay-at-home-moms, the role of the husband, living with your in-laws, living with full-time help, and so on. By and large, the debate has usually been constructive on our blogs, although there are times we have to agree to disagree on issues. The important thing is that things are talked about a lot more these days, thanks to blogging and social media.
What role has social media played in your life?
Social media is an integral part of most of our lives, I think. I also happen to be a marketing professional, in the world of internet brands, so I tend to look at social media through that lens a lot and can see how it’s changing equations and relationships. For me, it’s a great window to reconnect with others – but should ideally be used with care. More care than most of us currently exhibit, for sure! I love being connected. But as an author, I’m also discovering the importance of Disconnecting. To be able to focus and just write.
What misconceptions do you think are out there about South Asian moms?
Probably that we aren’t as connected, aware or modern as we really are. We handle a whole lot of things, and we do it well. When we have to make choices, we do – they aren’t necessarily ‘sacrifices!’. I’m guessing a lot of people don’t really get that.
What is the best part about blogging for you?
I believe that it is my blogging that led to my first book ‘Just Married, Please Excuse’. (sample chapters on www.justmarriedpleaseexcuse.com). The feedback I got on the blog led to my sharpening my writing and getting the determination to sit down and write a whole novel!
It’s also a great way to build connections and stay connected – I especially love the mommy-bloggers I’ve met through blogging.
Do you have a blog? Are you a blogging momma? or do know a great South Asian momblogger? email us and your story could be featured! editor@masalamommas.com
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