Raj Thandhi infuses an Indian touch into her personal lifestyle blog Pink Chai Living which showcases her entrepreneurial spirit, passion for writing and love of motherhood. Readers can find home-style Indian food recipes, fashion & beauty tips, travel guides and even DIY project guides. But the heart of the Pink Chai Living blog is perhaps the family & lifestyle section which celebrates raising a young Indo-Canadian family in Vancouver.
Raj Thandhi is also the founding member of North America’s first South Asian Blogger’s Network (SABN) which links up South Asian bloggers of all kinds from health & fitness enthusiasts to die-hard foodies.
Define Pink Chai Living:
Pink Chai Living is a space for me to share my attempts at adding an Indian touch to my everyday life. It’s almost a behind the scenes look at my efforts at infusing culture into our family life, home décor, dinner hours, and everything in between.
Why did you start a blog?
While I’ve been blogging for over 4 years, I started the Pink Chai Living blog about 2 years ago when both of my grandparents fell sick at the same time. I had this sudden rush to start capturing the recipes, traditions, and cultural stories I’d learned from my grandma and mom over the years.
What about the Indian culture do you try to share?
My family originates from Punjab in Northern India and tend to share Punjabi holidays, traditions, and recipes. I also have a real soft spot for the artisans of India and love to try to share projects that focus on the dying arts of India like phulkari embroidery, sheesha (mirror) work, and other textile arts.
How do you incorporate your love for family and motherhood into your blog?
My family and kids are just a natural part of my writing. I test my recipes on them first, include them in DIY projects, and try to have ongoing conversations about culture with them. These things just naturally end up on the blog!
How do you utilize social media to further brand your blog?
Social media has been the driving force behind connecting readers to my blog. I share my blog posts, behind the scenes images, and day to day adventures through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. I’ve actually had the pleasure of becoming friends with several readers who connected with me over social media.
Favourite Bollywood movie?
Impossible to pick just one! The first that popped in to my head is Dil with Aamir Khan and Madhuri Dixit. I’m a sucker for 90’s love stories.
Favourite Indian dish?
Amritsari kulchi.
Favourite Indian eateries?
Since I live in Surrey and I have to say we kind of have the best Indian food anywhere outside of India I never venture over the bridge for desi food! If you are on my side of the river check out; Tasty Indian Bistro for their thali, Apna Chaat house for Dahi Bhalla, and Navraaj Sweets for Amritsari kulche.
Favourite family activities in Vancouver?
In Vancouver we love visiting the Aquarium and walking around Stanley Park, stopping at Soirette for macaron, walking Robson Street (my daughter loves shopping), Science World, and Capilano Suspension Bridge.
What was the idea behind starting the South Asian Blogger’s Network (SABN)?
My friend Salma and I felt that there was a need to bring South Asian bloggers together and create a community where we could talk about our unique struggles and promote each others content. We love that we are meeting so many amazing bloggers and our readers are benefitting by finding new content.
Advice for someone thinking of starting a blog or trying to grow one?
Develop your own voice and don’t try to replicate a successful blog. There are so many amazing blogs out there, and it can be really tempting to do what someone else is doing, but what will really make you a hit is using your own unique voice!
Photo credit aziz dhamani / @pinkchai
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Interview by Amar Mirchandani @amarmirch