Distance Maketh the Heart Grow Fonder
An Indian by birth with dreams of making it to any European country during my growing-up years was a passion that has incessantly clouded my mind, fortunately, not my judgment. Well, it was a dream that I had gradually begun to realize would never unfurl into reality. But it did, and for all the good reasons. The journey, however, is not gonna be an easy one; the only way now is forward.
The good thing about dreams is that you get to paint a world of your own, where just about everything is perfect—making choices that suit you best at the time, a safe haven, as stupid and silly as they are likely to be perceived in the real world.
Most Indians, to an extent even me, build our thoughts about living abroad based on merely how the media portrays things and hearsay; can't really pass the buck entirely onto them, when the choice, wise or otherwise, is made by our fickle selves; and that's just the way the cookie crumbles!
Whether we admit it or not, but somewhere within us we do live under a false belief that India is not as out there in the world as we want her to be, in fact, we have not wasted a second in demeaning her by comparing and piecing her out, discussing the flourishes of other habitats. You know, there is this interesting line from Julius Caesar that's so true—"The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones"; to put it simply, we ridicule India for all that it might not be, but India probably has more variety than most others. Sadly, we realize these things when we are no longer living there. I wouldn't mind sharing a few about what I miss:
I miss my family back home.
I miss the plethora of food, especially the junk food. Trust me, there is none like it!
I miss the festivals.
I miss the rich culture and heritage.
I miss the country of colo(u)r.
I miss seeing saree and salwaar-clad women.
I miss seeing families living together under one roof.
I miss the autorickshaws, metro trains, over-crowded buses and traffic.
I miss the traffic police, though they aren't really the most efficient ones.
I miss the guys employed to fill petrol in our two, three, four, six, and eight-wheelers.
I miss the Papa and Mama shops that throng the streets.
I miss the whole hustle and bustle of Indian life.
I miss the historical aspect of India.
But most of all, I miss the soul of India.
It's all self-service out here, honeybuns; love it or leave it! Optimistically, it does have its pros and cons.
Agreed, India might not be "out there" right now, but she's getting there steadily. She has survived a lot more than we can fathom; cut her some slack, you know!
Agreed that there is a lot of "cleaning up" to be done, but she's getting there.
Agreed that she might not be the cleanest in our list, but she's getting there.
Agreed that she might not be the safest country, but neither is any other country.
There's something addictive about India that I simply can't place a finger upon, you know; you gotta "feel" her to understand.
Don't forget to add "India" to your bucket list; good, bad, or ugly, you will love the experience!
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”
― Marcel Pr
The good thing about dreams is that you get to paint a world of your own, where just about everything is perfect—making choices that suit you best at the time, a safe haven, as stupid and silly as they are likely to be perceived in the real world.
Most Indians, to an extent even me, build our thoughts about living abroad based on merely how the media portrays things and hearsay; can't really pass the buck entirely onto them, when the choice, wise or otherwise, is made by our fickle selves; and that's just the way the cookie crumbles!
Whether we admit it or not, but somewhere within us we do live under a false belief that India is not as out there in the world as we want her to be, in fact, we have not wasted a second in demeaning her by comparing and piecing her out, discussing the flourishes of other habitats. You know, there is this interesting line from Julius Caesar that's so true—"The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones"; to put it simply, we ridicule India for all that it might not be, but India probably has more variety than most others. Sadly, we realize these things when we are no longer living there. I wouldn't mind sharing a few about what I miss:
I miss my family back home.
I miss the plethora of food, especially the junk food. Trust me, there is none like it!
I miss the festivals.
I miss the rich culture and heritage.
I miss the country of colo(u)r.
I miss seeing saree and salwaar-clad women.
I miss seeing families living together under one roof.
I miss the autorickshaws, metro trains, over-crowded buses and traffic.
I miss the traffic police, though they aren't really the most efficient ones.
I miss the guys employed to fill petrol in our two, three, four, six, and eight-wheelers.
I miss the Papa and Mama shops that throng the streets.
I miss the whole hustle and bustle of Indian life.
I miss the historical aspect of India.
But most of all, I miss the soul of India.
It's all self-service out here, honeybuns; love it or leave it! Optimistically, it does have its pros and cons.
Agreed, India might not be "out there" right now, but she's getting there steadily. She has survived a lot more than we can fathom; cut her some slack, you know!
Agreed that there is a lot of "cleaning up" to be done, but she's getting there.
Agreed that she might not be the cleanest in our list, but she's getting there.
Agreed that she might not be the safest country, but neither is any other country.
There's something addictive about India that I simply can't place a finger upon, you know; you gotta "feel" her to understand.
Don't forget to add "India" to your bucket list; good, bad, or ugly, you will love the experience!
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”
― Marcel Pr
There is no place like India. Nice to meet you here friend.
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