This article happened to pop-up on my feed on Facebook.
There might be millions of reasons to move back to the United States, but these reasons that the writer provides shows what he lacks more than what life in India lacks - namely, a 'pair'. Halfway through it switches from problems to his complete inability to cope with them, and that is what cheeses me off (more on this later). We are all guilty of one or more of those reactions - just as the writer was before he first moved to the US. The result of sensitization to such issues should ideally result in tackling them and attempting to sensitize others.
Each of his problems are centered around situations that software-professionals in India would not encounter in the Western world. Domestic help is almost unheard of, unless you are willing to part with half your salary. As is a driver. Here is an article that I googled - about $30,000 a year. While this article pegs the average salary of the software-professional at $90,000 - about three-times more than that of domestic help. In India, that number would be closer to maybe six- or seven- times.
There is a hell of a lot of 'redneck', 'black' and 'Hispanic' jokes in the US. 'Oh, so which part of town do you stay in' is most often an oblique enquiry into your 'social caste'. Oh, and you probably can't afford a maid, so there's no point of getting into 'how to keep her in her place'.
Po-ta-to or Po-tay-toe. Either way, it's still carbs.
Coming back to what cheeses me off - why is something that should be on a personal blog show up on the New York Times international pages. Is one man's personal tryst being unable to stop himself from being 'de-humanizing' and giving up worth the space and the attention? Is his shortcomings of being unable to be forgiving and tolerant and patient the best way to emphasize the Indian mentality?
Honestly, I'd love to write a piece on how it is uneconomical, non-eco-friendly and plain silly to use paper to clean up and watch a major Indian paper lap it up. Or a piece of how plunging necklines and rising hemlines in summers makes it quite impossible for the average Indian software-engineer to wear loose bottom-half clothing. Or the insanely irritating habit of randomly smiling and saying hello to complete strangers on the street. But, then again, that is what most of TOI seems to be anyway...sigh!
PS: The water is too cold in winter is not a valid excuse. In Europe everyone seems to have access to running hot-water (scalding even).
6 comments:
Outside newspapers are suffering from an unhealthy obsession with all things India. With time, hopefully, this too shall pass.
toilet paper article is eagerly awaited. please do write it. if nothing, we have The Hindu's open page.
@Ra : I guess so. I think it's generally to do with being J. Bloody!
@lunasa: Ah, you make am appearance again - under the shroud of anonymity. Yes, eventually, once I get enough alcohol inside of me.
anonymity shynonymity... you probably already know who i am. and if you don't, i won't be the one telling you.
No, I don't know. Really. You should leave a cryptic clue to your identity. That whole hunt could be another blog post.
you probably won't like the answer. and that's the last thing i'll say on that topic :-/
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