Hard to believe that am the same one who once was so caught in the blogging fever. Looks like its not only me, also friends out there have their last posts dated 2010 :). Just as Orkut gone Facebook born, are there any new born Blogger sites or the whole idea of blogging has become so old fashioned?? If you happen to know, please do tell me as I've never been in touch with the world of writing.
So, why am I here all of a sudden after years? You might have to read this blah-blah blog to find out :). I am just back from a nice long vacation in India. Weeks flew off like days and my brother's wedding kept me busy more than I thought it would. Friends, cousins, family, home food, pani puri, shopping, chit-chats and what not. And should sure mention the extra special care we got wherever we went.
I have heard stories of how some people change after their stay in US, of how they carry water bottles, talk in pounds, miles, gallons and degree Fahrenheit when they get back home. Hmm, I didn't change I thought to myself. But then there was this funny incident that happened. I had left my fully drained phone to charge all night. Next day, just as we were getting ready to go out, I pulled the phone from the charger. Why wouldn't it charge?? I checked the converter pin and everything seemed fine. My cousin who was watching this, came and plugged the phone back in, laughed out loud and guess what? I had forgotten the switch. Damn, I had forgotten to switch it on. I couldn't stop laughing at myself. But by then I had already become the victim of the comment I hated to hear, "You are in India dear, not US !!"
And then a series of such things happened. I didn't know my son's weight in kgs, it was really embarrassing when the nurse looked at me like that in the hospital. Struggled to use the gas stove's lighter and the difficult of all was getting my son to enter the toilets. That's not it, had to hear comments like why don't you teach him Tamil at home. You should help him adapt to any kind of food etc etc. You'll not believe but a close one even said that I had no right to comment when we were having a discussion on expenses. Because I earn in dollars, I had no right to comment :(. Huh..
In almost every sentence I say and everything I do, there was this cousin who could easily say, this is not US dear !! Again and again. I became so cautious day by day, had to think so much before I utter a word or do something. I really didn't like hearing that comment, even for fun. It didn't feel like home anymore :(. After all home is the only place where you need not think before you talk.
All the way back in the flight, thought so hard about this. I had the same struggle when I had to learn to talk in miles and pounds. I had the same struggle when I had to get my son adapt to the language and food in US. When he spends 12 hours outside the house, how could I expect him to talk in the language he hears just a couple of hours. May be its still my fault of not teaching him, I don't know. When for a year or two if someone is so used to plugging in a charger without having to switch it on, is it not natural to forget what she had been doing before the 2 years. I earn in dollars but I have to spend in dollars too, how come the close one didn't understand. Pondering over and over on these, can't believe am saying this, home didn't feel like home anymore :(.
Maybe that is why people who come here never want to go back. Money and comfort may not be the only reasons. Just as how it takes time to adapt to any place, it takes some time to adapt back at home too. I wish I could adapt faster in the next trip and I wish my close ones will understand this in the next trip.
This whole blah blah.. whatever.. may sound trivial for some, but am sure there are people who might have felt the same way I did.
I have heard stories of how some people change after their stay in US, of how they carry water bottles, talk in pounds, miles, gallons and degree Fahrenheit when they get back home. Hmm, I didn't change I thought to myself. But then there was this funny incident that happened. I had left my fully drained phone to charge all night. Next day, just as we were getting ready to go out, I pulled the phone from the charger. Why wouldn't it charge?? I checked the converter pin and everything seemed fine. My cousin who was watching this, came and plugged the phone back in, laughed out loud and guess what? I had forgotten the switch. Damn, I had forgotten to switch it on. I couldn't stop laughing at myself. But by then I had already become the victim of the comment I hated to hear, "You are in India dear, not US !!"
And then a series of such things happened. I didn't know my son's weight in kgs, it was really embarrassing when the nurse looked at me like that in the hospital. Struggled to use the gas stove's lighter and the difficult of all was getting my son to enter the toilets. That's not it, had to hear comments like why don't you teach him Tamil at home. You should help him adapt to any kind of food etc etc. You'll not believe but a close one even said that I had no right to comment when we were having a discussion on expenses. Because I earn in dollars, I had no right to comment :(. Huh..
In almost every sentence I say and everything I do, there was this cousin who could easily say, this is not US dear !! Again and again. I became so cautious day by day, had to think so much before I utter a word or do something. I really didn't like hearing that comment, even for fun. It didn't feel like home anymore :(. After all home is the only place where you need not think before you talk.
All the way back in the flight, thought so hard about this. I had the same struggle when I had to learn to talk in miles and pounds. I had the same struggle when I had to get my son adapt to the language and food in US. When he spends 12 hours outside the house, how could I expect him to talk in the language he hears just a couple of hours. May be its still my fault of not teaching him, I don't know. When for a year or two if someone is so used to plugging in a charger without having to switch it on, is it not natural to forget what she had been doing before the 2 years. I earn in dollars but I have to spend in dollars too, how come the close one didn't understand. Pondering over and over on these, can't believe am saying this, home didn't feel like home anymore :(.
Maybe that is why people who come here never want to go back. Money and comfort may not be the only reasons. Just as how it takes time to adapt to any place, it takes some time to adapt back at home too. I wish I could adapt faster in the next trip and I wish my close ones will understand this in the next trip.
This whole blah blah.. whatever.. may sound trivial for some, but am sure there are people who might have felt the same way I did.
Good writing style Betsy! I enjoyed your blog. I still talk in "dollars" a lot after 5 years of moving back to India! Many people eventually move back to India due to job & family reasons. But USA will never be taken out of us! :-)
ReplyDelete- Patrick.
Thank you annan. I can hear you :) Moving back to India after 10 years would have sure been a difficult decision for you. Oru 2 yearske adapt panna kashtama iruku. :)
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