The tall green coconut trees, serene backwaters, friendly locals and delicious food of Kerala will instantly make you feel at home. Recently, a 74-year-old American stranded in Kerala amid the coronavirus induced lockdown refused to return back home. He fell in love with God’s own country and wanted to make Kerala his home. In yet another heartwarming incident, an American woman has a special Instagram account dedicated to all things Kerala. Aparna Mulberry brought up in Kerala to an American father and Chilean mother did her schooling in Kollam. She lived in the Amritapuri Ashram with her parents. On shifting back aboard, Aparna wholeheartedly embraced her Malayali culture. And this lady now unites Mallus across the world thanks to her Insta-account Inverted Coconut. Read on to know more.
Aparna Mulberry Completed Her Schooling In Kerala
Aparna’s parents first met in India. They got married and went back to the USA. Aparna was born there. When she turned 3, the family moved to Kollam in Kerala to stay at the Amritapuri Ashram. During her schooling, she was the only white student in her class. So, Aparna used language as a means to connect to people. She learnt the local dialect from her friends and immersed herself in the culture growing up. But at the age of 15, her family moved back to the USA.
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After Shifting Back Abroad She Started Her Insta Account Inverted Coconut To Connect With Her Malayali Roots
Aparna who embraced the Malayali culture and even fluently spoke the language felt a little lost. She experienced a major culture shock from what she had growing up. In order to stay true to her roots, Aparna started an Instagram account. She named it Inverted Coconut. Aparna stated to The New Indian Express, “Non-resident Malayalis would often tell me that they feel brown outside and white inside, but I felt exactly the opposite. Hence the name for the Instagram handle. The goal was to speak in Malayalam, have fun, motivate others and be proud of one’s roots, language and heritage.”
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The Instagram account with 96.1k followers is a total hit among Malayalis situated across the world. Through her fluent Malayalam, her relatable videos she has connected to the gorgeous country and its warm people. Currently, Aparna Mulberry resides in a French village with her wife Amrita Sri. Accoridng to TNM, she continues to visit Kerala to meet her friends, spend time by the beach and gorge on the delicious local food. For Aparna, home is Kerala. And we aren’t surprised!