America: A bird's View.
"I think that 7 weeks in any country , should be a sufficient time to cut across a pre-liminary understanding about a country and its culture. "

This is how i started writing this blog and now i am in USA for around 15 weeks. Infact when i started writing the blog it started with 3 weeks in USA ,then it changed to 4 ,5 and so on. After seven i just gave up. All this can be attributed to my ever changing perception about the country. I came to this country with a biased perception but an open mind (hope that is not a oxymoron). Soon this turned into a unconditional love for this country which within weeks changed and i became a big critique of this country and it kept changing with time. What changed with all this was my blog too. I could have very well put an end to my miseries by taking a diplomatic approach by concluding that every country,for that matter every thing, has its share of black and white. But there was something really bullish in me that was hell bound to make out which is a better place. If not that, i was searching for reasons to prove wrong people who have come to US and haven't given going back a thought. Not that i want to demean them or i don't respect their opinion. Its just that,in my personal opinion ( which may not be always the right one) their decision is not justified. But after 15 weeks i feel like giving up on what i would call a mis guided zeal. But whatever it is, like any successful or unsuccessful venture i too did have my share of observations ,which i would like to jot down. Before i start organizing my thoughts i would like to mention two things, firstly the title for this blog has been borrowed ( inspired) from another blog that i read few days back on the same. Secondly i am going to opt for a more structured form of writing (like bulleted text ,headings) rather than the normal paragraph style thanks to my friend somdatta, who like a true friend said at my face that my writing was un organized ,after reading my last post.

First cut : My first reaction coming before and on landing at Newark International Airport. From up above, its all the same. But the difference becomes visible in quantums as soon as you are close enough to the land to see some details, you see long rows of vehicles moving neatly on roads, which seem to have been etched on the ground with the same order and perfection with which you drew lines and circles with your high school geometry instruments. And they all intersect in orderly junctions, or just go above each other as flyovers. You descend further, and you see the houses. Arranged in clean blocks, all with unifrom sloping roofs. From up above, the city looks as planned as one in a city planning computer game. Cities in India look like those in computer games too, though more like after they have been invaded and ruined by the enemy.

My inferences : Honestly speaking , i was in no shape to keep my head spinning with the sub zero temperatures. But given a more favorable climate i would have inferred - "Congratulations America. So this is what a developed country looks like. I am impressed. May be another 75 years and India will be in the same bracket."

Things that Impressed me :

Cleanliness : I have just fallen in love with the well managed sewage ,sanitation and waste disposal system here. Except for some restrooms in NYC , i found most of the public sanitation arrangements could jolly well be mistaken as any 2 -star hotels back home. I am really impressed to find how people don't litter or throw waste in the highways. I would beg to differ with those who would say at heft fine is the reason for not doing so . I think its more to do with the attitude towards public property and general hygiene have hefty bans back home also but who cares???

My inference: Hats of to the system full marks to them. But at the same time i understand that implementation a system of the same stature back in India is not being inhibited because of will or attitude but because of the population density. Take for example some the restrooms in NYC , somehow a place where i could see 10 people in a group ( very unlikely in US of A) , which are pathetic compared to the general standards in this country. So i would like to believe that when we can get over our resource problems our population crunch we will be able to strive for such excellence.

Courtesy : This is one thing that i will cherish and take back with me when i go back home. The wonderful gesture of courtesy people here show in very simple and small things, right from wishing you to keeping the door open for you or giving way in an elevator etc. I enjoyed imbibing these qualities in me and when i go back home i would love to turn them into a habit. The only thing i am not sure about is that how successful i will be while making way for people in a crowded mumbai local train : D. Similarly here you have offering unsolicited help for taking your snap if you are walking down the lane alone taking snaps of the buildings and other stuffs. I would never try doing that back home simply because if someone does that to me the first thing that will come to my mind is that the person is after my camera. And if i do the same to other i can bet the other person going to think the same.

My inference : All the above is possible only because people have a high happiness quotient here. I am in no way trying to criticize the behavioral trait. All i am doing is assigning a reason for why its possible to be so courtesy. I could not imagine or even expect back home a person struggling up with the day to day basic necessities of life , trying to reach office in haste and then doing such gentlemen like gestures on the way. So i would again say congratulations USA for having the previledge to be a developed country.

Infrastructure & governmental Regulations : I would break away from my till now practice of drawing inferences later. In this regard, i would conclude to the absolute certainty about the ease of life, the high quality infrastructure and how well the government manages the whole system is quintessential of a perfect system. I can atmost attribute India's lack of infrastructure to its late development , but no way i can find an excuse to the corruption back home. ( not even attributable to the poor class over there) . I am sure at some stage corruption does exists over here also , but the plethora of corruption back home really sucks. If at all i can take back something from here, i will take away this system.

Provisions for Handicapped : Another thing that impressed me is the provisions that have been made in most (if not all) places for Physically challenged people. Every parking lot has special handicapped parking. Big retail outlets like Wal - Mart have special moving carts for them to move around and shop without much trouble. I am quite impressed.

My inference : My point is not that India should follow the same ( i would be most happy if they could) but i know its virtually impossible with such a big populations to implement this. But what i am appalled is that why big retail outlets in India who have gone ahead idealizing most of the American concepts have missed such a important thing.

Non -interfering Life style : What attracts me most here is the freedom and independence to do what you want and without having to care for what others think. Yes , what others will think?? This is something that looms over every decision that i make back home, but here no body cares. So i can walk into a ladies store and and look at the most weird ladies dresses without having to think about what others are thinking. I could never do that back in India. In some sense i think this gives scope for much more creativity. i feel good when i see people come into office with an extra pair of clothing, they take break from their work and go for a small jog in between. Some how corporate India is still not ready for this.

My inference: While i agree with all the above and really appreciate the benefits of such a social trait. I still feel people here are quite narscissitic or self centered."I" always takes precedence over "we". Somehow i cannot imagine how i have never spoken with my next door neighbor in my 4 months of stay here. I think this is one area i feel happy with the way things are in India. I am happy to be surrounded by so many people. I enjoy every moments of the get together we have with all my cousins, aunts ,uncle's and neighbor's.

Work Culture: This one things many of us are very fond of or speak highly of about the work culture here i have found this unique but not special. I can term this atmost as one way of approachig for a good work environment and that doesn't make it neither the only way nor the best way. People come to work early and make it a point to leave early.I start my day late and call it a day late. Does that make a difference. As long as both of us are working close to 8 hours a day and are leading a healthy personal life ,its ok to take any one of the approach.But there is a hidden agenda in the former working hours which i appreciate and that is here both the parents share an equal responsibility in raising up the kids unlike india.

My inference : As we progress and with more and more women in India switching from becoming housewife's to working women we will also have to adopt such an working environment.But i still stuck to my point that none of the two models can be called superior to other.As far as office politics and rat race is concerned that exists as much here as back home. The only difference might be , we have a fierce competition back home due to resource crunch.

Public Library System : No two ways about it that this is something that is magnificent. If i complete all literary works of Bernaud Shaw, it will be courtesy this system.

Things that leaves scope for improvement!!

Gratuities : I had heard long before i came here that in US ,you have to pay gratuities for everything.What amuses me is that if i browse through the pages of the oxford dicitionary and search for the meaning of the word i see the following definition "A favor or gift, usually in the form of money, given in return for service." I find it very strange as all my childhood i have been brought up with the concept that you should not accept any monetary favors from any one. In India we usually tip a person whom we think is less priveledged and needs help. I cannot understand that in a country like USA ,where every body is a manager( not worker) and labour costs are so high that even a simple mechanic charges at 65$ per hour ( must mention i am billed as at 75$/hr) why do restaurants and other places have a column for gratuities in their cash memo's. I have been told that the concept of gratuities started coz the State found that workers in restaurants and other places are not paid properly. Here in lies the catch, if USA with such a small population and huge resource cannot ensure non polarization of wealth ,then that's i feel disappointed.

Average Intelligence and Technology dependence : We always had a perception that India has the best brains and people here are if i may put diplomatically have some catching up to do in terms of intelligence. I would say that its partly true and partly false. I found the people who make key decisions or the so called managers here extremely intelligent and have the correct instinct.That is one of the main reasons why America has progressed a lot. But what really sucks is the lack of common sense amongst the IT personnel here. Sometimes specialization and compartmentalize of knowledge helps in smooth workflow. But once you overdo it ,it becomes bottleneck. Thats exactly the problem with IT industry in America. People usually are scared to think out of the box or be innovative or may be too much dependent on technology. But having said this, all of these is compensated by the extremly efficient decision makers that this country has.

Primary Education : The Point here is not how good with regards to infrastructure the primary education is. But i have serious apprehensions about its efficiency. I believe the course and curriculam may be easy and lucid for the students but definitely doesnt make out intelligent kids. In contrast to that the secondary education here is just too good with places like harvard,Mit etc.

Things on which i am neutral or confused.

I am Good: This is one phrase i practice everyday while starting from my office as i used to learn my mathematical tables in junior school. But unlike School , i screw up every day . Whenever the first person asks me " How are You" ( and remember in USA you don't need to be aquainted with the person to ask him this) . I either end up mumbling and saying I am good else i calmly say I am fine. I am extremly confused why people would say i am good and not i am fine. I have no issues with the former ,but its just that i get a bit confused at the end.

Honesty:
People say that American's are honest. I would say neither American's nor britishers nor Indian's for that any country are honest. It is people who are honest . Its people who are good or bad and it has nothing to do with which country you belong. Some one said that in America unlike india you don't have to bother about the meter or charges when you get onto a taxi. I couldn't disagree but at the same time i also cannot compare the lifestyle and socio-economic status of a cab driver in US with one in the streets of mumbai. And just as an FYI , a chunk of new jersey taxi drivers are either from India , B'desh or Pakistan. They behave in the same way as the american counterparts. Credit Cards: While the US credit history is a very efficient and secure system what amuses me is the over stretched focus on credit history. Whats even more irritating , that in order to have a credit history you need a credit card and in order to obtain a credit card you need a credit history. i found the egg or chicken puzzle more easy to solve than that.

Last but not the least and infact the most important and something my mother is most concerned about and every time i call she subtly tries to know if i am dating a blonde or not. But the point is big, back home there is a huge perception and i would say mis conception about all the nasty things (sex) happens here. Infact, all my mails that i have recieved from most of my friends back home, the only querry was " Did you do it". Some of them have come here recently and realised that its not what is shown in bollywood movies.

But at the same time i would be naive if i say that nothing happens here. I would like to believe that sexual freedom here is much more. The only thing that i am not sure whether its good or bad. Because i feel i am not the correct person to pass a judgement on this as i will start always start at a biased point of view. Simply because my answer to the "did you do it" questions remains No because that's the way i have been born and brought up with. Thats what is embibed in me and not a decision i have come to on my own. So i would keep this issue as open to personal preferance. But the point is that there is a huge mis conception on this issue back home. America can be as good as posh mumbai and also can get as dirty as mumbai. Its again more to do with how you are brought up and what you see around you. Nothing to do with whats right or whats wrong. But just to put an FYI, i don't know how many of us know but prostitution is legally banned in US but constitutionally approved in India. Strange it may sound but thats the truth.

I think for a person who has been here for 15 weeks ,this is a more than enough understanding i had. There are many areas where i may be wrong ,or may be i will change my idea after a few days ,but this is what i feel precisely at this moment of time.
There is one thing that is sure is that whenever i go back home i will take back lots of interesting experiences and lots of good things from this country. But again at the end of all this , Home is where it was. India has a lot of problems and probably i wont enjoy all the comforts and luxury that i enjoy here, but somehow its still my country and i am what i am.

P.S The blog title has been hired/stollen/borrowed/inspired ( Pick what ever u want) from a friends blog.