Welcome To InstantElla

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InstantElla is about me – complex, even quirky! My best, most creative thoughts come to me in the shower or the split seconds before I wake up from bed. I believe everything in life is Art! Netflix has ruined me. I love Fridays and everything caffeine. I’m funny yet serious; a romantic, turned pragmatic; somewhat traditional even chivalrous in my outlook yet chic when it comes to fashion & dress sense; oriental by birth but uber western in upbringing and (pop)culture; Catholic by religion, yet logical and analytical by nature. Overall, a ‘variant’ and ‘person of interest’! Hopefully you’ll see these elements showcased in my writing.I graduated in History Honours, love ancient mythology in general and Greco – Roman mythology in particular. A child of the 80’s I was brought up on a strong dose of America and British pop culture and you’ll see a lot of modern music, movies and TV shows referenced in my blogs. I love experimenting with fusion cuisines and creative arts. I am passionate about health, family, lifestyle and perspective.

This blog is a place where I get to share all the things I love with you! Welcome to InstantElla!

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Hi, I’m Louella ( lu-el-la: of Teutonic-German origin meaning “ renowned female warrior”). Before we go off the deep end into introductions, here’s some trivia behind my name. My parents named me after the famous American singer – composer, Pat Boone’s song ‘Louella’ and the Christian Jesuit Saint St. Ignatius of Loyola whose feast day happens to be the day I was born. My friends and family call me ‘Lou’ or ‘Ella’ and I have grown comfortable with all 3 variants of my name.

That said, I was born in India, and am of mixed south east Asian (Myanmar) and Indian heritage. I now live in the U.S and relocated to marry the love of my life, my husband!

 

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Moving to a different continent leads to changes in lifestyle, careers, food habits. It also leads to self- discovery, an absorption of new cultures and an appreciation of the sometimes extreme, sometimes subtle differences between the past and now, the new and the familiar. I’ve always loved writing but sacrificed it for what I then thought was a better paying but maybe not as satisfying career in business. For me writing has always been a means of expression and self-discovery, a story telling of sorts. It also engages me in research and growth, broadening my horizons. While moving to the U.S does not define who I am, it has been one of the most significant turning points in my life. I was excited and overwhelmed and I wanted to capture (and retain) all of this through my writing.

My husband, Andy, a professional web developer, designer and blogger himself (http://andysowards.com and http://infinigeek.com/) had always encouraged me to blog ever since we first started dating. We first came up with the name ‘…..so one day’ a catchy but generic name for a blog. Unfortunately, that domain name was already taken. We were drinking home brewed coffee at the time and suddenly Ella’s impulsive nature kicked in or maybe it was the ‘instant coffee’ but I found a combination of the two very appealing and ‘InstantElla’ was born! So, while Andy is my inspiration to explore the opportunities and world of blogging, the paradigm shift when I moved to the U.S and the accompanying motivation to document my experiences, adventure and discovery is what finally kickstarted InstantElla. I hope you enjoy & find inspiration from it!