I Wanted to Be Like Jephthah's Daughter/As Told By Joanna Soans

 My Family Background

I was the fifth of six children born to Benjamin and Marcelina Soans in Udipi, a city on the west coast of India.  Our mother tongue is Tulu, a language spoiken by about two million people.  However, like most people in Udipi, our education was in teh Kannada language.

Marriage and childbearing have always doninated life in this area.  Growing up, I do not ever recall learning the Tulu expressions for "singleness," or "loneliness," or "homesickeness."  It was as if these conditions did not exist.  Our family, for example, shared a home with my grandparents, uncles, aunts, and dozen cousins!

Next time: I Wanted to Be Like Jephthah's Daughter/As Told by Joana Soans - My Family Background -Conclusion

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