The days raced by as they usually do. I chatted with one of my mechanical stream college mates who completed his MS recently and is now working in: (surprise) solar energy technology. Surprise because now almost everyone is into IT – be it mechanical, civil, commerce etc.
We talked for a little over an hour and I couldn’t help but smile each time I thought about the incidents he narrated that happened recently. After spending three years in the US, he went back home to India on vacation. He was happy with few things and upset with many. An amusing incident was when he smiled or wished strangers “good morning” and they returned a blank (or even angry) stare in acknowledgement. It was a nice habit that you pick up in the US – wishing people you see in the bus stop, in shops, the waiters, drivers, colleagues and just about everyone you cross; bare minimum was a smile. But back home you would get long stares in return as if you had committed a sin in public. Here passengers thanked the bus driver while departing the bus and the bus driver would reciprocate with a smile. It kind of lifts your day when a stranger smiles or wishes you – it has the power to make you forget bad thoughts. In the first few days I was circumspect; wondering why people in the bus stop were wishing good morning; a couple of times I even turned around to check if there was someone standing behind me to whom the wish was intended!
There were certainly some good things one could pick up in the US even though most people back home would usually only talk of the bad things in the US. Life here is 'interesting' is the only word that comes to mind; some good things, good money, luxury life and all but you felt alien in this foreign land. It must be pretty tough for those living away from the heart of the city in US since you get sucked into boredom and loneliness very easily. And even stepping outside home is the same as being inside because there is nothing except highways and deserted streets. And the more you think of it the more lonely you'll start feeling especially if you are alone at home!
Just as I was lost in my thoughts another college mate rang up; he was in IT and posted onsite in some remote rural location in US. He spoke about the same boredom and loneliness I was thinking about – and why was he still here? Money. “Make some money now and then go back home and settle down” was his reply. And there was lots of money to be made – Indian IT was booming and the best money to be made was by working at the client location onsite. His time pass was movies and TV – and there was enough on TV to keep you busy – hundreds of channels, many movies playing on them, option of ordering a movie on demand etc.
Sadly enough when I arrived in the US, I thought I could play in the Indian stock markets but the time zone differences meant that the markets opened when it was midnight in New York! I did try to keep up a few days but found it really tough – at least luck was on my side; a few things which I bought and later thought would cause a loss took a U-turn; as the month end approached my profit was increasing. The markets were one of the ways to break the monotonous daily routine and was proving fruitful!
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