How did an American collect unusual fans during the pandemic to give Instagram lessons in Malayalam?
Born to Chilean-American parents, Aparna Mulberry is now a social media creator settled in France, where she lives with her wife
She may not be Keralite by birth, but Aparna Mulberry can definitely speak Malayalam as efficiently as any native of God's own country. This incredible linguistic story dates back to the time her Chilean mother met her American father in India in late 1980s. They were two people in search of life's meanings and a spiritual guru. India is where they both headed, and that's where the Mulberry romance blossomed. "They fell in love, they travelled together, and even got married in India," says Mulberry, 31. The newly-weds moved back to America, where Aparna was born, but they had to return to India. They were compelled to. "They felt this strong urge. A lot of Indians don't get it, but for people in the West, your land is magical. Westerners come here in search of an internal power that is higher than themselves," she adds.
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In 1992, the couple signed up to stay at spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi's ashram in Kollam district of Kerala, and Aparna was enrolled at a local school. "I was the white girl. It was really odd in the beginning, because everyone knew I was different. Communication was a huge barrier, too. So, I spent two years learning the language." By the time she turned six, expressions like "enthada (what men?)" and "nanni (thank you!)" were part of her vocabulary. It was a happy time. "I think I've had the best childhood. When I tell my American friends about the joy of growing up in Kerala, they are surprised. I tell them how the entire classroom would eat lunch together on a big table under a canopy of trees. We never used cutlery, and enjoyed local food with our bare hands. It was like gorging on this humungous Indian thali, where curries were plenty and the food delicious. In America, no one would touch your food if you ate without a spoon."
Mulberry says she misses sharing a lunch of local dishes with her school friends
This was now to be her "forever home", she thought. But just when she graduated from Class X, she moved back to the States. "I was only 15, and it took merely two weeks to send me off. My father had moved back to America when I was six, and he missed me. Obviously, mom was heartbroken, but I needed to spend time with dad as well," she recalls.
And then came the second culture shock. "The next two years in the US were very difficult; it got me closest to depression. The high school was exactly how they show in the movies—there were cliques, and if you were not a popular kid, you would be facing a terrible time. For them, I was the white girl from India. They constantly wondered why I didn't look Indian, but never bothered to ask about my amazing experiences in your country."
Mulberry studied at Vivekananda Public School, and soon shifted to the English medium Amrita Vidyalayam for primary and higher secondary schooling
On the first day of her last year in high school, her father gave her a piece of advice that changed her life. "He said, 'Aparna, you have had a different upbringing than the children here. In order for you to feel confident, you need to embrace your true self, embrace the Indian within you. Let the spark shine; if they like it, it is fine, if they don't, it is still okay. But never forget your roots'. Something shifted inside me. The next day I turned up in school as myself, without any makeup, smiling and greeting everyone how I would have done in India. And gradually, I earned respect."
Mulberry, who is now married and lives in France with her wife Amrita Sri, is a regular traveller to India. The pandemic, however, ruined her plan to meet her mother and friends in Kerala. Mulberry is also apologetic about not being able to speak fluent Malayalam anymore. "When I speak to my Keralite friends, I end up talking in English. I don't like it," she says.
So, in February, right around the time the world began to reel under the effects of the pandemic, Mulberry started an Instagram page she called Inverted Coconut. With over 96,000 followers, the account is a hit 10 months later. The plan is simple—speak Malayalam as often as possible and stay in touch with Mallus across the world. "I've met Malayalis who have settled in the US, and they call themselves, 'coconut'. Brown on the outside, but white and western on the inside. And I thought, I am the exact opposite. Inverted Coconut seemed like the most accurate name for the page," she laughs.
Among the hundreds of posts she has put up, the most popular one is about her sharing how it took years for her to be open about her gay marriage. She writes: "Though I have been an open and proud member of the LGBTQA+ community for over 12 years in the West, I was always worried how my fellow Malayalis would accept me. I hope this does not change anything for you or how you see me…I am still the same warm friendly girl who will always love your country and language."
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