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.

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."