Eshayna's WRIT340 Blog

It is hard being a brown woman in a white world. Padma Lakshmi, the author of  Love, Loss, and What We Ate, and I face the same struggles of not being Indian enough and not being American enough. We both fall somewhere in the middle. Through Lakshmi's parent's divorce, she switched between her father's house in the US and her mother, Vijaya's, house in Chennai, India. The constant push and pull between the two cultures is what added to her isolation as a child, which carried into her adulthood.  However, her constant was food. Whether that be the classic American TV dinner or flavorful home-cooked meals from her Amma, she found herself indulging in the comfort of food. I personally related to Lakshmi's connection to food, as I never realized the importance of my mother's cooking until I moved off to college. When you are in the absence of good home-cooked food on those long-tiring school days, you finally appreciate the warm food you received as a child.  I real...

Michelin Star Meals at Trader Joe's!! Recreate these affordable, quick Trader Joe’s meals in your college kitchen By: Eshayna Madan “Grrr” your stomach roars against your silent class. Not only are you hungry, but your stomach is angry at you for not feeding it. Day after day of eating McDonald’s fries, Kraft Mac and Cheese, and only one meal a day, you leave your stomach craving some whole foods that will keep you satiated for the next couple of hours. What should you do? Well, luckily you clicked on the right article. I have been in this situation numerous times, and have found the ultimate solution: Trader Joe’s! Trader Joe's is your gate to achieving gourmet at your fingertips. Get ready to embrace a tasteful journey where budget meets brilliance, and everyday ingredients yield high-quality meals that will keep your tastebuds asking for more. As a foodie, I am always looking for high-quality meals, but as a student, I am looking for something quick and cheap to eat. To bala...

The book I chose to read is Love, Loss, and What We Ate by Padma Lakshmi. As a South Asian woman of color, I try to find representation through all forms of media I intake. When I saw a South Asian author on the book list, I was intrigued to read the book biography. Once I found out the book was a memoir about an immigrant navigating a creative career in the United States, I knew this was the reading I would relate the most to.  Through this book, I hoped to gain a sense of reliability and comfort. Now being away from home, it is hard to stay connected to my culture. I am not as in touch with the Indian traditions my parents enforced at home or the food my mom made for me. Looking at Lakshmi's experiences, I want to learn from her experiences and more importantly her failures. I really appreciate Lakshmi's vulnerability through the first couple of chapters of the memoir. She is not afraid to admit the mistakes she has made in the past, with falling in love with a married man. ...

Social media is a daily part of most people’s life. People scroll past hundreds of posts per day. Yet, strategizing individual social media posts is the job of people around the world. A great example is me! Last year, I worked as a Social Media Manager for Salvi Media, a marketing agency in Chicago. Salvi Media's mission is to convey the story of Chicago-owned businesses through content . Their main project is The CEO Series, where the top CEOs in Chicago share their tips for business success . Through my time with Salvi Media, I juggled many hats: Community Storyteller Influencer Assistant Community Storyteller Build relationships with clients Create a community of marketing professionals Tell the stories of local Chicago businesses I was part of the company for a whole year after they extended my summer internship. I decided to stay part of Salvi Media because of its commitment to telling local stories for small businesses . Imagine reading a book. The story you understand throu...