Yes, that was precisely what was on my mind, when we decided to make the move. For the first time in my life, I was going to travel half way across the world to live in a country that is developed, as against my still developing one, that is multi ethnic, that is advanced and considered a superpower. I was going to live in the land of opportunities, the land where people from all over the world want to be, the land of the country called the United States of America!
Ironically, when I was in my early twenties, I believed that India ( my native country) had everything I wanted, it was there that I wanted to live and better my life and that of my family. But as years went by, there was this craving to go live abroad and experience a new culture. I think it stemmed from the inner desire to widen my horizons and what better place to do it than in the melting pot of the cultures of the world. And so thanks to my darling husband, we did it, we moved to one of the most pristine, intellectual and ever evolving city, Seattle. Considered to be really cosmopolitan and liberal, I am yet to experience it through and through. But the first month itself has been a revelation of sorts! American culture per say is not really new to me, what with watching enough sitcoms, movies and music but still to see all of it in reality is like being a child again.
The absolutely clean roads, the freeways and the fast moving cars, the unfathomable number of cars, trucks and humongous other road runners, the over friendly smiles, the impeccable adherence to rules, the display of individuality and confidence, the dignity of labour, the high priority given to privacy, the dependence on systems, the supermarkets and their pregnant aisles and counters and the spirt of entrepreneurship gone berserk, I can say! The list is endless. Sometimes I spend time just marveling at garbage trucks and their operation and the construction of an apartment complex next door. The precision and the diligence is awesome! ( I had to use this word, after all I am in the US of A!) I love the fact that houses have dishwashers and dryers! It is great that they encourage self reliance and you learn to manage your house, repair small things and become as independent as you can. I don't know if this is good or bad, but irrespective of the weather outdoors you are cocooned in your house at temperatures most comfortable to you! I know it is a necessity when temperatures drop and it is a marvel how humans have made it possible but sometimes I think I will miss being in tune with the outdoors as much as I used to in India.
It is but human to compare and there are things which I feel are so much simpler and straightforward in India. You don't have to stress for shopping back in India, there is enough to choose from but at the same time not overbearing. Here, the only explanation I have is that it is purely a consumerist driven economy, anything that can be marketed, will be. Just the sizes of the stores for grocery, for shoes, for clothes, for automobiles is amazing and to think that it is sold to one fourth the population of India is ridiculous! No wonder people spend like crazy and are forever caught in the debt trap! I also wonder how the economy sustains itself, but that is for a different blog post! Because I don't think it is sustaining but living off on others' hardwork! The other thing that is so different from India is that everything is glorified here! The smallest lake will have a name, history and preserved title! Where as back in India, a whole city like Hampi, will be something you will chance upon if you are on the road to somewhere and you happen to pass by that! The tiniest farm will have 'picking' season and for every small thing my son does in school, he is told he has done a 'great job' ! I wonder what I should tell him when and if he really does something deserved to be called great! Most of all, I miss friends and family. I know relationships don't happen overnight but what I mean is I can't wait to get started on the journey of forging new relationships in my new home. I think deep down it was for this that I wanted to live abroad. I want to have friends who are from different countries, who have different thoughts and cultures. That is what I crave to experience and see the world from within as I call it! Hoping to start that journey soon and promise to keep you posted!
Ironically, when I was in my early twenties, I believed that India ( my native country) had everything I wanted, it was there that I wanted to live and better my life and that of my family. But as years went by, there was this craving to go live abroad and experience a new culture. I think it stemmed from the inner desire to widen my horizons and what better place to do it than in the melting pot of the cultures of the world. And so thanks to my darling husband, we did it, we moved to one of the most pristine, intellectual and ever evolving city, Seattle. Considered to be really cosmopolitan and liberal, I am yet to experience it through and through. But the first month itself has been a revelation of sorts! American culture per say is not really new to me, what with watching enough sitcoms, movies and music but still to see all of it in reality is like being a child again.
The absolutely clean roads, the freeways and the fast moving cars, the unfathomable number of cars, trucks and humongous other road runners, the over friendly smiles, the impeccable adherence to rules, the display of individuality and confidence, the dignity of labour, the high priority given to privacy, the dependence on systems, the supermarkets and their pregnant aisles and counters and the spirt of entrepreneurship gone berserk, I can say! The list is endless. Sometimes I spend time just marveling at garbage trucks and their operation and the construction of an apartment complex next door. The precision and the diligence is awesome! ( I had to use this word, after all I am in the US of A!) I love the fact that houses have dishwashers and dryers! It is great that they encourage self reliance and you learn to manage your house, repair small things and become as independent as you can. I don't know if this is good or bad, but irrespective of the weather outdoors you are cocooned in your house at temperatures most comfortable to you! I know it is a necessity when temperatures drop and it is a marvel how humans have made it possible but sometimes I think I will miss being in tune with the outdoors as much as I used to in India.
It is but human to compare and there are things which I feel are so much simpler and straightforward in India. You don't have to stress for shopping back in India, there is enough to choose from but at the same time not overbearing. Here, the only explanation I have is that it is purely a consumerist driven economy, anything that can be marketed, will be. Just the sizes of the stores for grocery, for shoes, for clothes, for automobiles is amazing and to think that it is sold to one fourth the population of India is ridiculous! No wonder people spend like crazy and are forever caught in the debt trap! I also wonder how the economy sustains itself, but that is for a different blog post! Because I don't think it is sustaining but living off on others' hardwork! The other thing that is so different from India is that everything is glorified here! The smallest lake will have a name, history and preserved title! Where as back in India, a whole city like Hampi, will be something you will chance upon if you are on the road to somewhere and you happen to pass by that! The tiniest farm will have 'picking' season and for every small thing my son does in school, he is told he has done a 'great job' ! I wonder what I should tell him when and if he really does something deserved to be called great! Most of all, I miss friends and family. I know relationships don't happen overnight but what I mean is I can't wait to get started on the journey of forging new relationships in my new home. I think deep down it was for this that I wanted to live abroad. I want to have friends who are from different countries, who have different thoughts and cultures. That is what I crave to experience and see the world from within as I call it! Hoping to start that journey soon and promise to keep you posted!
4 comments:
Very well written Rathi. The sheer scale of everything in this country is overwhelming. The options that you have are crazy.
I have been here for more than an year now, go to a business school where I have classmates from 35 nationalities. I consider myself fortunate to create some unforgettable memories with my batch mates from all around the world.
However when it comes to developing long-lasting friendships-the ones you would want to keep for life, it is still a challenge. The cultural barriers which our generation believes to have overcome are substantial in reality. For me, It's a process of rediscovering myself.It starts with building a deeper understanding of my inner self and absorbing as much as I can from the new world around me.
Good luck with everything. Hope you get to experience the US of A just how you would want it to be.
Excellent post!
I agree with you point about self reliance. At first I used to crib and complain about the fact that we had to manage everything on our own. Now I love it! The sense of ownership and independence is amazing.
As for glorification.. I agree that with kids they do go overboard sometimes. When they grow up in an environment where everything they do is great, they might have a tough time adapting to the real world where you have to be the best at something to really be recognized. All we can do is prepare them for the harsh reality that they don't always win. Sometimes you lose, sometimes you fall back. But most importantly, they should be able to learn from the experience and move on.
I do like the glorification of places and historical buildings here! Every morning I drive by houses built in the the 1700s and I love how they have those little plaques describing the house. They are so well preserved with lovely gardens..it just brightens up your day! And the sense of history is great for kids to learn about where they live. I wish we had more of this in India.
I can imagine how wonderful your experience must have been, Yachana. Going to school with so many different people is in itself the beginning of the journey of self discovery. And I can understand that cultural barriers are hard to cross but I strongly believe that humans around the world are the same. With a little bit of patience and common interests we should be able to make good friends! Good luck to you too!
Thanks Vinii. Yes, no doubts the stress on history is a great thing but I think it comes from the fact that this country is relatively new and has no real strong historical background to really rely upon whereas for India, we have 5000 years of history! We are bound to get a little bored and in many ways lot of people in India still live like they were in history :)
As for children, I sure hope we find the right path, and I think we will because our parents did instill some great values in us!
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