People...

Dunno y am I writing this… just for the sake of it.. starting my first blog..

To pen down my thoughts… to share it wid my frnds. To receive comments… good ones always expected :P

To explain how much I am struggling wid my sleep in office.

To write down.. how much hungry I am right now! To tell how much I miss my family, my friends, My India…

My mom being in the study of astrology, I have always seen people ask about..

"pardesh gaman yog" as in "when wud I go to USA"…

I have seen the study behind all these… but I never found out whether I fall under that "YOG" of Pardes gaman category!

I didn't know that I did!!! Finally I am here…

Everyone are strangers over here… but still there are "Hi and hello… good day.. how r u doing?... " greetings from almost every stranger I have met in America…

These are manners / etiquettes… Quite Strange! I am not used to it :P .. born and brought up in Mumbai.. I am very used to the casual behavior in Mumbai! Like "dhakka kyu maara be"…"Sorry boss" …. "shaani samajhti hai kya apne aapko".. "fulltoo Yeda hai"

So… I just bumped into this world of etiquettes! Oh lord… save me!! when will I get to here those 'Tapori' dialogues again.. Nevertheless, I have started learning all these manners… its always good to be like this!

Staying away from family for work is so different from staying away for a vacation!

Apart from missing my family… becoming emotional.. crying buckets on most of the India phone calls… I have changed a lot!!

I think I have become more responsible… I always said.. I helped my mom in kitchen.. also in other household matters.. but I was never responsible for anything…

Here in USA I am responsible…

For my home.. for paying bills… for my work.. for my security… relationships.. everything everything…

So wat??? all Bachelors staying away from family are responsible for all these things….

Wats the big difference when u r in America? I ask myself.. there's a difference… I can't explain.. but yes there is a difference.. and it matters a lot!

The difference is POPULATION… I guess..

Ofcourse.. India is highly populated compared to USA.. but those are statistics!

I am talking about the amount of interaction with people…

I dunno who's my neighbour.. I am not the only one…. None of us know!

I have not seen children play in the open area of society!... ofcourse there r parks.. nice playing courts… but very few players… In India I have seen children playing in every gully!

My society doesn't have a security guard (as in WATCHMAN.. hehehehe).. we have secured gates working on remote ..

My canteen doesn't have a canteenwala… there r vending machines in break room… there r no kaamvaalibais… there r washing m/c.. vacuum cleaner.. dishwasher.. blah blah blah.. especially while shopping.. we don't have dukaanwalas.. no bhajiwalis.. Its all in grocery store.. pick for yourself.. no dukanwala is going to put forth beautiful outfits for u to choose.. u search for urself in the whole big Store!

Yes, People matter a lot!.. in that day today interaction, we actually become a part of somebody else's life even if we share something for 1 min.

Here, we do not always follow those manners.. but a small conversation wid someone in train/bus .. if we see a cute baby ..we start playing wid that baby.. an absolute stranger's kid!... then.. complaining about long queues with a person standing next…those chai time chitchat in office break… We also strike an interesting conversation wid our doctor.. even when we r not feeling well …wid our running nose ... we still talk.. don't we?

Are we Indians a lot talkative??????? Or do we like to poke are nose everywhere!

Ummmm… hmmmm I think .. we r talkative.. we want to share and listen abt everything! This talkativeness.. this sharing.. emoting .. amongst so many people… giving opinions abt so many things… thinking abt so many… all of these come to a stand still.. when one is in America!

I can't explain, wats the big deal.. if we don't have such people around... But I have to stay alert if I don't have people around… In India even if I stay away from family … there's always a feeling .. that "people are there around me" to help or to guide… Even if I have to search an address.. that "kisise bhi puchh lena" mind set is always there.. here in USA I have to be prepared .. well equipped with information… I have to be on my toes in case of managing finance… I need to plan way ahead of time.. I need to plan whether shud I go swimming,,, or gym,, which weekend to watch which movie.. planning even for trips… which I never did in India.. trips were always planned just 1 day ahead…thx to my dear frnds!!! :D

I am answerable for everything I do, I own, I think, I earn, I enjoy! I am now Actually a 'responsible woman'… which I wud have never become if I wud have continued to be in India… maa ke aanchal mein chupi ek ladki (sounds quite filmy ;)) but that's true! I have grown up.. I have changed :-) .. for the better!