Return to India myth #2: India will feel like home after the US
by neo
Perhaps the most unsettling realization for Neo after his return to India has been this: For the rest of his life, he will almost certainly feel different from the local population – no matter where he stays in the world.
Of course, “the need to feel at home” wasn’t in the list of “top 10 reasons for Neo’s move to India” – “being waited on by maids”, “Indian-Chinese food”, and even “better sports timings for Cricket and Soccer” are better candidates for membership in that nebulous list.
But many of Neo’s friends who are contemplating their return tell him that “the need to feel at home” is important to them. Neo hopes for their sake that they will feel more at home in India than Neo has. But thus far, the old truism has held true – you can go back, but you can never go home again.
Neo is not one to state the obvious, but India is nothing like you remember. It is hungrier, scarier, wealthier, funnier, poorer, sexier, tastier and more globalized than you ever thought possible (Neo says this as he eats the best tortilla chips and salsa of his life – in Bangalore).
You had the best tortilla chips and salsa of your life in Bangalore? :O Where? Where??
Been reading for sometime. Finally decided to de-lurk :) Like your articles and your sense of humour.
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Nothing like the promise of tasty salsa to lure out even the lurkiest, eh ? Welcome! :-)
Don’t remember the name, but it’s this open-air beer place in UB City’s “food court”. When I asked the waiter what appetizers they had that were not fried, the waiter said the cook makes his own salsa that I must try. Simply awesome, although I’m sure the fantastic weather added to the taste as well. :-)
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I started reading your blog recently. And enjoying it thoroughly while my daughter is taking her afternoon nap. We moved back in dec. end from San Jose and are in B’lore. So the story is quite familiar.
Well, you must try our chilis on old airport road for the Rs. 95 bottomless tortilla and salsa.;)
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//It is hungrier, scarier, wealthier, funnier, poorer, sexier, tastier and more globalized than you ever thought possible//
You spoke my mind.
g
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I just came back from there and I agree too with that last statement… why did I feel that I may not fit in?!
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Salsa in B’lore! I do have to try it. I am Mexican and marrying in 6 weeks to a Bangalorean and will be visiting the mighty city in July for the first time. Please let me know more. Love your blog.
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Congratulations on your marriage!! Well the tomatoes taste very different in India, so it will probably take some getting used to (like everything else in India :-)).
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I can completely relate. Diaspora has definitely done a number on me, and much like yourself, I can never be home again.
The vegetables taste real and their colour divine, yet I find myself hungrier than ever. And that golgappe taste that I had hyped up and longed for, is nowhere to be tasted.
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I could never figure out why you can eat crappy pizzas and burgers in a clean, air-conditioned environment, but to eat authentic pani puri (golgappe), you have to stand on the street and fend off flies. Maybe that’s a good research topic for someone’s MBA ? :-)
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Though a rhetorical musing.. the thesis indeed would be a very short one..
In a hygienic and air conditioned environment there isn’t enough of your money left over for food, hence they feed you flavored cardboard.
On the road side all your money goes towards your food, thankfully they (yet) don’t charge extra for the flies ;-)
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I like your blog and writing style! After reading yours, I realize I need to improve on my own.
Totally agree about being back but never being home. I am not home in the States, a place I grew up in as a teenager, and not here in India either. I still fight for home but maybe you are right – I will never be home no matter where I live, not anymore.
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I’ve started realizing that “Home” is more and more an intellectual state of mind, and less a geographical location. In theory, given a can of beer, a laptop, fast internet, and lots of time to read my favorite bloggers/twitterers, I could feel at home in Bangalore Airport – wait, I *am* at Bangalore airport now. :)
-Neo
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[...] Return to India myth #2. Neo is absolutely right when he says the [...]
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[...] Return to India myth #2. Neo is absolutely right when he says the [...]
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[...] Return to India myth #2. Neo is absolutely right when he says the [...]
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Well my story is little different.
I didnt come to US to earn money or to buy a luxary car.
It was a hard time in India those days and the money was not enough.
Everyone started thinking that I am useless.
Indians have a habit of poking their nose in other’s business and criticizing others no matter where they themselves stand.
I just had to prove it to my parents and relatives. I came to US on H1B, worked here, got greencard.
There was a time when I started losing hopes of US greencard and applied for canadian immigration.
After getting my Immigration to Canada, I worked in Canada for more than an year.
During that time, I got my greencard and went back to US. Reason ?: More jobs in US than Canada.
Every single day of my life, I felt like going back to India but I wanted to go back with an US passport. Because I may lose my greencard if I dont stay in US for certain amount of time every year.
Now why US passport is important ? You can never trust the Indian economy. What if tomorrow the Indian job market goes down and lose your job ? You would recieve same attitude of Indians once again.
You cant even do odd jobs in India as people look down on you.
But you can do an odd job in US and use that money in India (incase it is needed).
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you can go back, but you can never go home again.
-so true and well said. I can never feel India as my home anymore. I am back in India after a decade, but, home (read heart) still remains in the states.
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