To be or not to be...

The following might seem to be a explosion of pessimistic thoughts from a frustrated soul or a immature ramblings of a sambar sadham/appalam/curd rice/pickle-eating Typical South Indian(TSI). Fortunately or unfortunately, this is how I am able to think when some one pampers me with dollar note allowances :D

Here's nothing but a collection of what a TSI encounters in his day to day life in the US of A- the paradise of NRIs with a thirst for money.

Bay Area as far as I heard and seen is the most Indian part of West coast, and much safer place than many other locations in US. In that way, I was lucky to have landed up there twice, that too in the best season which is almost like the one in Bangalore/Delhi in India. Especially my place was full of Indians, most of them Gujjus and Andrawalas.... Optimistic na? :P

Americans are very courteous or appear to be so always. You keep walking on the road and out of somewhere a "Hi" pops up. You turn around to see that its some American uncle/aunty whom you haven't even seen before any time. And you think about your double bedroom apartment in India where you can hardly recognize your neighbor when you meet him outside.

And they are happy to see happy faces around them unaware of the turmoils you have gone through on that day. I was walking back home one weekend when an old man told me "You dropped something".. When I turned around in astonishment, he laughs saying "Its your smile". I was like "Enna koduma sir idhu!" Just then I realized how serious I had been looking all the while.

They have abundance of water resources and the power to create new ones. Still you get only tissues in most places to keep yourself clean. Its not a problem for them any day, because all they eat is dry breads, coke and lot of other stuff most of which TSIs like me cannot even thrust below the throat. But for the amount of oil, spices and gravies we Indians take in everyday, we would need a whole bunch of tissues and picking up them so much anywhere would be looked upon like an odd act.

One major confusion that most people face is that of directions. The left hand steering and the reversed driving pattern would get anyone totally mad for few days until you get used to it. Most times you end up taking the bus in opposite direction in a hurry and finally realize it only when the route is totally new.

You gotta thank the bus driver even if driving you in bus is what he is paid for. And even if you are a regular traveler and you get in and get down at the same stop for many days, unless you raise a stop request, the bus will not stop for you to get down. Old people and handicapped get highest privileges, and if you barge into a bus (like you do in India) when an oldie/handicap is getting down, you would be looked upon like a traitor and worst case would hear an unpleasant "Wait.. Step off" from the driver.

When our people get immersed in Subway, McDonalds, Taco Bells and pizzas, most non-Indians love eating spicy Indian food right from South Indian Dosas to exotic North Indian dishes. And most Indian buffets will find equal number of non Indian population as the Indians.

People(read NRIs) consider it as a big fuss when a new entrant Indian complains about chill weather or wears a jacket. But for a TSI who has spent most of the life in hot and humid climate, even a 16 degrees would be a cold weather until he gets used to it. Unfortunately, no one understands this and keep speaking of their adventures during last winter ending with a scary note "How are you gonna stay here in winter?"

If you are a regular bus traveler, you would frequently encounter variety of strange people. There will be depressed people, who either keep taking to themselves or who talk uselessly with people around. If you get into any conversation with them , you are done because the talk will not stop until you or the other person gets down from the bus.

Then there will be drunkards, especially on weekends who keep mumbling some nonsense with all bad words in English interspersed in between. Unless you share their drink or talk in their wavelength they would not consider you worthy to even sit near them. Apart from this, I have seen some strange characters like the chinese mottai lady who carries half a dozen huge polythene bags of clothes back and forth for no known reason and the fully-covered-in-rags guy whose face is also covered completely with a black cloth all the time.

One more interesting scene is that of couples, who irrespective of the time of the day start feeling their love for each other and stop caressing each other front and back, left and right in public. This can be seen not only in buses or any public gatherings, but even in shopping malls when looking through the racks. I can't understand how could one feel love when looking at Tropicana and Kellogs :P

Leaving office @ 7 PM in India is a proud feat because it means that you are lucky enough than your fellow software coolies who might be slogging till 10 PM or midnight or even after that. But leaving @ 7 PM from your office in US makes you feel like you are the most pitiful soul in the office who is slogging late hours for completing the work :D

Some Indian aunties(aunty => more than 50 yrs of age) and uncles who gave birth to NRIs :D unfit themselves into unusual outfits that you really feel sad for their wannabe American style. There are of course lots of aunties who roam around in sarees/salwars with all essential accessories to protect themselves from heat/cold.

They have no work than to roam around and find similar poor souls, after their sons/daughters are away to office and their grand children to play schools. May be, this in in a way better than your parents staying 1000s of miles away while you calculate every cent and talk to them through calling cards.

But whats the use of the dollars you earn in a country of strange and weird people, when you can't spend proper time with someone you love and care for and be near them when they need you?

That's precisely(!! :P) to be or not to be onsite!