How universal is the Saas-Bahu relationship drama!

I can't believe how universal the Saas-Bahu (Mother-in-Law or MIL & Daughter-in-Law or DIL) drama is.....

Every woman I have met in the past 4 years who lives with her husband and his parents have very similar experiences! Just the degree of things vary....

I actually am curious these days about this relationship.
I'm an Indian working woman (my husband and i met in college...got married. So we had a "Love" marriage. We're from similar communities though not the same...but there was no drama from either family on us getting married (except, as my husband told me later, his mom was initially realllly shocked that he had gone ahead and found someone on his own (especially since he's the only son and child!) ).

My husband and I have been staying with his parents for over 4 years now...and frankly, I do enjoy it but it can also be frustrating. And it's very comforting to know that there are so many women out there who go through the same! \

Of course, his parents really are wonderful people....but many times I think they would have preferred a DIL who is more docile and nods her head to what they say rather than someone like me who can many times speak out an opinion that doesn't agree with the majority's!

I'm also not a great cook. And i tell hubby that on weekends I really try to learn from my MIL. But we clash in the kitchen on many things like she wants me to cut onions a certain way (!!) and I say "why not this way" and she just gets quiet! I know this is really trivial right...cutting onions...but really, when you hear the same things over and over again for 4 years, it can get frustrating.

So this year I've decided I have to learn to "Let go".....seriously, just let go. She says something, I want to be able to nod my head...breath slowly...not get irritated...and just let go.....

More than a year later...

...Hmm..I'm back because my hubby said "Do you have a hobby...like a real hobby..something you passionately like and want to do and are willing to set aside the time for?"

I was about to blurt "I like to read you know" - but then I really wondered, what did i realllly like to do? (Introspection revealed my reading habits were sporadic - could go a few months without touching a book and then read like 4 books in a month).

I honestly don't know...maybe this year I should focus on finding something.
If I look at the folks around me: My MIL likes to cook (she's fantastic and can cook really anything under the sun...she also thinks she's the most fantastic cook alive and nobody can beat her ;-))

My FIL (Father-In-Law) watches TV 8-10 hours a day - and can rattle offnows whatever there is to know about politics, movies, cooking shows...

Hubby can think, talk, eat and sleep cars & bikes.

Hmmmm....