My Promised Land

Like most Indians especially hooked on to Friends and Sex and the City, I also dreamt of someday landing on the shores of USA. My dream started turning into reality. And like most dreams that do that (turn into reality), it was no ways as good as you thought it would be! But after a nightmarish plane journey (more on that later), I reached USA. And was it the effect of the severe nausea and delirium(after effects of 24 hrs suspended in mid air) or anything else I don’t know I half expected Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlie to come striding down in their Manolo Blahniks to greet me. I didn’t expect people from friends as I had seen the season finale and I had had some closure. But there were no Manolos and no Blahniks. There was only a cleanliness so unnatural and so uncharacteristic (of India and esp Mumbai) . I was like “Hellooo?? Did Naseeruddin Shah make his directorial venture about coming to this over sanitized and western commodized India??” Because they are the only 2 things I find missing in my homeland, at least in the immediate space, closest to me.

I wrote to my parents, “We met people of many nationalities. All are friendly and polite and blah blah.” My amazement at the politeness levels lasted for a day or 2. Soon that politeness became ‘cloying (definition: annoyingly sweet)’ I am not used to people thanking me for my patience after waiting for 10 mins in the queue of the bank.

All the houses are in picture perfect order. They dot the picture perfect landscape. Oh how I longed for the mayhem, the chaos, the utter ruckus on the streets !! And did I meet anyone like Carrie et al?? Umm, all I can say is that the ladies here, nowhere resemble the SATC brigade. There are no sizes 2 here like Carrie. They are a lot bigger (lets make it a hell of a lot bigger) than anyone in SATC. They probably resemble Tulsi and Savita of Kyunki Saas bhi kabhi Bahu thi

Is this is a satire on the dirt in India or on the traits of Americans, I ask myself?? But I amswer myself this is just a random thought by a very homesick person who is separated by many miles and 2 oceans from her home (even if it were smelly and noisy) and her current abode (which many will regard as a heaven on earth ). As I conclude, I can only think of the saying
“It is a very dangerous business stepping out on the road in front of your house, as you don’t know where it will lead you. –Bilbo Baggins”