Ohh America!!
Born and brought up in the city of Calcutta, i was tuned to life at a distinctly unique frequency. This city on the banks of the Ganges taught me everything that i grew up to be. From the sweet tooth that i have to the hot head teen that i was, Calcutta gets credit for it all.
My typical day as a student here would begin at 3:30 am in the morning. Study began straight out of bed. 2 hrs given to books and then u get ready for school that began at 630. At 2 pm school ended and then began the vicious cycle of tutions. By the time i used to reach home it would be time for dinner and bed.
Work life here is no different! If a person works for 9 hrs he at least spends 3 hours on the road. After a full week of doing this comes family time and personal time.
Cut to 2011. I work in the US . My day starts at 6 and office ends at 6! My brain is at peace and i have time for a lot of things that i never thought i would have. The cities out there are far far away from the rush and people do actually greet each other, even though they are complete strangers.
The stark difference in the time that one has for one self is what changes everything. In the din and bustle of everyday life, LIFE has taken a back seat. The basic premise of education is that it gives you power to think, power to analyze and power to distinguish the right from the wrong. But if you do not have time for any of this then in my honest opinion it defeats the purpose of being educated. Education is not what a piece of paper says about you. Its about who you are and more importantly who you aspire to be.
Today when i walk slowly on the road, maintain my distance with the person in front of me in a queue or talk softly with a smile on my face, its not what the foreign country has done to me, its how things should be. Roads in America do not clean themselves but its the people who don't throw things on them, help it keep clean.
It has been written many a times that rather than asking what the country gives me one should ask what one has given to the country. To my dismay the question that i see being asked is ...who cares? Petty personal goals take precedence over the good of the masses. Its not only the leaders that show this mentality but for the most part the people on the road carry the same thinking.
Just like a child stealing a candy when his mum is not looking, shows that he is not yet ready for being independent, small acts of dishonesty talk a lot about the character of the individuals. People are ready to swear and curse on the drop of a hat. Man, if you don't have the heart to forgive what greatness do you aspire to achieve? Letting go is a characteristic of a thoughtful mind. Revenge is for the devil.
In this land of greater than 4000 years of history the erosion of faith kills me. The faith in the victory of the good over the evil, the faith in the act of being good and the faith that if i do no wrong, no wrong shall happen to me as well. This was the principle that was inculcated in me and i believe in majority of the Indian youth. Today i find it missing. I find it difficult to fathom that people have no time for introspection. They have no time to look at what they wanted to become and what they have become.
It is important to keep things in perspective. It not only helps you know who you are but helps you keep your feet planted on the ground. The over achievers are not the loud mouthed leaders but the quiet souls who know what they are doing and why they are doing.
Ohh America!! Why did you give me so much time on hand that i could differentiate with my own brethren. I hope i do not become an out class and in the words of Lord Buddha get to follow the Middle Path!
Born and brought up in the city of Calcutta, i was tuned to life at a distinctly unique frequency. This city on the banks of the Ganges taught me everything that i grew up to be. From the sweet tooth that i have to the hot head teen that i was, Calcutta gets credit for it all.
My typical day as a student here would begin at 3:30 am in the morning. Study began straight out of bed. 2 hrs given to books and then u get ready for school that began at 630. At 2 pm school ended and then began the vicious cycle of tutions. By the time i used to reach home it would be time for dinner and bed.
Work life here is no different! If a person works for 9 hrs he at least spends 3 hours on the road. After a full week of doing this comes family time and personal time.
Cut to 2011. I work in the US . My day starts at 6 and office ends at 6! My brain is at peace and i have time for a lot of things that i never thought i would have. The cities out there are far far away from the rush and people do actually greet each other, even though they are complete strangers.
The stark difference in the time that one has for one self is what changes everything. In the din and bustle of everyday life, LIFE has taken a back seat. The basic premise of education is that it gives you power to think, power to analyze and power to distinguish the right from the wrong. But if you do not have time for any of this then in my honest opinion it defeats the purpose of being educated. Education is not what a piece of paper says about you. Its about who you are and more importantly who you aspire to be.
Today when i walk slowly on the road, maintain my distance with the person in front of me in a queue or talk softly with a smile on my face, its not what the foreign country has done to me, its how things should be. Roads in America do not clean themselves but its the people who don't throw things on them, help it keep clean.
It has been written many a times that rather than asking what the country gives me one should ask what one has given to the country. To my dismay the question that i see being asked is ...who cares? Petty personal goals take precedence over the good of the masses. Its not only the leaders that show this mentality but for the most part the people on the road carry the same thinking.
Just like a child stealing a candy when his mum is not looking, shows that he is not yet ready for being independent, small acts of dishonesty talk a lot about the character of the individuals. People are ready to swear and curse on the drop of a hat. Man, if you don't have the heart to forgive what greatness do you aspire to achieve? Letting go is a characteristic of a thoughtful mind. Revenge is for the devil.
In this land of greater than 4000 years of history the erosion of faith kills me. The faith in the victory of the good over the evil, the faith in the act of being good and the faith that if i do no wrong, no wrong shall happen to me as well. This was the principle that was inculcated in me and i believe in majority of the Indian youth. Today i find it missing. I find it difficult to fathom that people have no time for introspection. They have no time to look at what they wanted to become and what they have become.
It is important to keep things in perspective. It not only helps you know who you are but helps you keep your feet planted on the ground. The over achievers are not the loud mouthed leaders but the quiet souls who know what they are doing and why they are doing.
Ohh America!! Why did you give me so much time on hand that i could differentiate with my own brethren. I hope i do not become an out class and in the words of Lord Buddha get to follow the Middle Path!
It sounds to me like you have gotten to experience the beauty of both worlds, and that it has taught you well how to follow, & live, the Middle Path... It is a valuable lesson that not everyone learns.
ReplyDeleteOh!! Thanks Jessica. I constantly question my self and try and keep things in perspective. As i said above, it helps me be modest too!!
ReplyDeleteThanks again for the comment.
You are such a thoughtful, beautiful soul. If you do find yourself following the Middle Path, at least you'll be hanging out with some pretty awesome people. Thank you giving me a look through your window on the world.
ReplyDeleteThanks Piper!! I am glad you liked it.
ReplyDeleteVikash--I never thought about our clean roads. Now, I will. You are fortunate to have experienced so much and to have the balance of mind to consider it. Thanks for the article. Nice meeting you.
ReplyDeleteThanks Texanne! When i was in school we had a chapter in Hindi which taught us that "Flowing water gathers no moss ---- The one who wonders around the world gets closer to GOD" I consider myself lucky that i get to live this life and my parents have brought me up well enough to appreciate the differences that i observe.
ReplyDeleteThanks a bunch for your comment.
Must I say, aptly expressed feelings for every Indian...relating to every Indian!
ReplyDelete