It's been two years since I came to the US of A and a year since I started blogging. When I started writing I felt, oh wow, I have so much to write. The deeper I got in to blogging, I realized it was way harder than I had imagined it would be. Today as I lie comfortably in my apartment, blank and confused, shedding a few nostalgia-laden tears, I cannot help reminiscing over everything, in a flash.
Realizing the American dream, such a cliche isn't it!!! Why does this American dream even occur in the first place? Community, parents, peer pressure? Why?!! What dares people in the sub-continent to dream, pursue and conquer? I wonder where we get the strength from. To take on the challenges of settling down in a foreign land, is definitely something. But why did I start off and where? I come from this residential area in Bangalore called Malleswaram. Every house in this area has at least one Non-Resident Indian. I keep telling my mom that Malleswaram is filled with single parents. Single because somewhere down the lane, their children hopped on to the bandwagon of "foreign land dream pursuers" and left. Left, some would say, is a harsh way of putting it. Now a days parents want their kids to leave, the long list of software companies in Bangalore would fire employees if they refused to go abroad, and if some one wanted to stay back in India and work, they would be judged!! Do you see what sort of pressures our generation faces. A harmless next door neighbor, going about doing his own things, is also in some remote way, a threat to your own survival!! The fittest being in this day and age is truly a piece of art I must say, for to survive in today's world in not easy.
On the brighter side of things, my dearest cousin gave birth to a baby girl :)!! I had forgotten how preciously pink babies can be!!! When babies are born, family gets augmented and one realizes the true meaning of the concept "family". My cousin and I grew up together to say the least. As single kids to our respective parents, we shared almost everything in common, expect for the fact that we were two entirely different people. We almost agreed on nothing and fought each other with all our might!! We did very different things and ended up choosing totally different life styles. In all this, we never went over a month without seeing each other. Of course, once she got married and went to live in Baharain, things changed. Once I came to the US of A, things changed furthermore. It has been three years since I saw her in person (The numerous webcam conversations don't count, duh!!!). Nothing is ever going to be the same. What's more, we now have a baby too!! :) I saw my niece on the webcam (Again and yet again, thank God for that damned thing called skype!) and I heard her cry :)!!! That feeling was amazing. It's even more scintillating because it is Supreetha's child. If you have known someone all your life, like I have known Supreetha, then you would understand what I am going through. I just pray to God that I can age gracefully, become a cool aunt, while Supreetha becomes the strict mom and that one day we can narrate our story to our precious girl!! And on the same day, I will show her this blog post and probably go through another run of nostalgia....
Realizing the American dream, such a cliche isn't it!!! Why does this American dream even occur in the first place? Community, parents, peer pressure? Why?!! What dares people in the sub-continent to dream, pursue and conquer? I wonder where we get the strength from. To take on the challenges of settling down in a foreign land, is definitely something. But why did I start off and where? I come from this residential area in Bangalore called Malleswaram. Every house in this area has at least one Non-Resident Indian. I keep telling my mom that Malleswaram is filled with single parents. Single because somewhere down the lane, their children hopped on to the bandwagon of "foreign land dream pursuers" and left. Left, some would say, is a harsh way of putting it. Now a days parents want their kids to leave, the long list of software companies in Bangalore would fire employees if they refused to go abroad, and if some one wanted to stay back in India and work, they would be judged!! Do you see what sort of pressures our generation faces. A harmless next door neighbor, going about doing his own things, is also in some remote way, a threat to your own survival!! The fittest being in this day and age is truly a piece of art I must say, for to survive in today's world in not easy.
On the brighter side of things, my dearest cousin gave birth to a baby girl :)!! I had forgotten how preciously pink babies can be!!! When babies are born, family gets augmented and one realizes the true meaning of the concept "family". My cousin and I grew up together to say the least. As single kids to our respective parents, we shared almost everything in common, expect for the fact that we were two entirely different people. We almost agreed on nothing and fought each other with all our might!! We did very different things and ended up choosing totally different life styles. In all this, we never went over a month without seeing each other. Of course, once she got married and went to live in Baharain, things changed. Once I came to the US of A, things changed furthermore. It has been three years since I saw her in person (The numerous webcam conversations don't count, duh!!!). Nothing is ever going to be the same. What's more, we now have a baby too!! :) I saw my niece on the webcam (Again and yet again, thank God for that damned thing called skype!) and I heard her cry :)!!! That feeling was amazing. It's even more scintillating because it is Supreetha's child. If you have known someone all your life, like I have known Supreetha, then you would understand what I am going through. I just pray to God that I can age gracefully, become a cool aunt, while Supreetha becomes the strict mom and that one day we can narrate our story to our precious girl!! And on the same day, I will show her this blog post and probably go through another run of nostalgia....
