Good Indian Girl, Sort Of: Karishma Shah

FREQUENT FLYING, ICE CREAM QUEEN, HOSTESS EXTRAORDINAIRE

karishmashahI currently reside in: San Francisco

What’s your favorite hangout in SF: Press Club. An urban winery with a dance floor, what more can you ask for?

I currently work as: Marketing (formerly Community and Events) Manager at Airbnb.

I do this because: I believe in sharing, the transformative power of travel and empowering people to live their best life.

What are some Indian traditions you still follow? Greeting elders. If I’m meeting your grandma or grandpa, I will bow down and touch their feet.

Bollywood or Hollywood, and why? Definitely biased towards Hollywood because of the sheer variety of content, but I feel nostalgic for 90s Bollywood every once in awhile.

Favorite movie? Good Will Hunting

What’s your favorite thing about Indian culture? Way too tough to narrow it down. Language, food, music, dance, art, clothing, tradition. We truly have it all!

What’s one piece of advice your parents have given you that should probably be or are abiding by? No matter how old you are or how much money you make, you should ALWAYS give back. On my eighth birthday my parents threw me a huge birthday party. They had one catch: I could only accept donations. As a normal eight year old I was really looking forward to collecting shiny new toys but agreed to this compromise. After my birthday my parents took me to a homeless shelter. As I walked in they told me that the money collected over my birthday was used to feed everyone in the room that night. Looking around I saw kids just as old as I was. I can still recall an immense feeling of gratitude that I carry with me to this day.

So are you a Good Indian Girl? I can make my round rotlis, play the harmonium and read Gujarati, but I also find myself daydreaming about future tattoos, bungee jumps and trips around the world. I’m sure that lands me in the “Sort Of” realm!
We are inspired by your love of community and jet-setting lifestyle, Karishma! To learn more about Karishma, check out her website at www.karishmashah.com or follower her on Twitter@KarishmaShah.

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