From Asia to America

I think everybody should go live in a different country for some period in their lifetime. It will give them a new perspective on a lot of things. I was originally born in Madras (now known as Chennai) in India and lived there for 17 years. Then I moved to a smaller city called Coimbatore in the same state for college and lived there for 4 years. After that, I moved to the US in 1994 and have lived in the US since then.

I have always liked the US since I moved here (that is why I am still here, right?), but it took a lot of adjustments. Contrary to what lot of Americans think, it is not that big a deal to go live in a different country (if it is, would so many people do that?). There is a saying in Tamil that goes something like the whole world is your place and everybody is your friend. I try to live by that motto. My first flight was my trip from Madras, India to Kingsville, Texas. I had to clear the customs in Dallas and had to change terminals there to catch the domestic flight - I thought it was a little too much to have trains inside the airports to go from one terminal to another (I still think so but at least I am used to it).

My flights were delayed and I was fairly sure that I am going to get lost as nobody will be there when my flight finally gets to Corpus Christi. But somehow the airlines had notified the people who were going to pick me up and they were there. My first stop in the US was a 7/11 where we stopped to get a drink. I got a big cup of Coca Cola and having used to drinking a little bit of it out of a bottle in India, I thought this was heaven.

I came to this country with $2300 and no real source of income, and with the plan of going back home after two years. Thinking back, it seems like a pretty crazy thing to do. But luckily, I got an assistantship to University of Louisville and transferred there after one semester in Kingsville. Since then, things have worked out for the best. Surely, this is the land of golden opportunities, where somebody can come up very well from nothing.

Initially, there were lot of culture shocks. In India, adults don't kiss in public (at least, not when I lived there) - so that was a big deal and I could not help stare (no, I don't do that now!). Eating meat and drinking was prohibited in my society but here people do that so casually. That made me wonder what is right and what is wrong. Is that all purely geographical? If so, then why bother?

Language is another thing. I had to really really concentrate to understand American people talking, and they had to do the same with me (they thought I talked too fast). But now it has got easier, but still I have my moments.

The best thing I like about the US is the presence of various cultures. I have made good friends with people from Germany, Sweden, El Salvador, Japan and of course, different places in the US. I also like the personal freedom in this country a lot although lately it seems to be getting curtailed.

Most of the times it feels like I have two homes and that feels good. However there are some times when I feel like an outsider in both the countries and that feels like limbo. I am planning on visiting India next week and that will be very interesting as I think India is changing (and looking more like the US) a lot everytime I visit (but writing about India is for later).

Last but not least, I want to thank my parents for letting me go to the US against all odds and my uncle for helping me at the right time against everybody's better judgment. I also want to thank the innumerable folks in the US that have made me feel right at home. Here's to the Land of Opportunities!

Nithya