Comments:
Geeta Padmanabhan on February 25th, 2008 at 4:15 am #
Beautifully brought out, Isheeta. Thoroughly enjoyed reading it! Now that you have found out how to root yourself in the swiftly-blowing cultural winds, may be you should step out and see how young people like you can engage with the society around. I’m sure you have a lot of suggestins to make, projects to involve in.
Archana on February 25th, 2008 at 3:16 pm #
It’s through your experience we feel closer. Thanks for taking me home. Hope to read more of your articles.
Malathi Mohan on February 26th, 2008 at 4:06 am #
I love the way you showed all of us how vulnerable you were to the change, yet how positively you have accepted it in your youthful, philosophy.You are definitely a path finder. God bless
dr alok gupta on February 26th, 2008 at 4:45 am #
dear isheeta,
Renu on February 26th, 2008 at 5:18 am #
loved your article it was truly very touching and inspiring at the same time.
Betty in San Diego on February 26th, 2008 at 3:51 pm #
Wow Isheetah. I love your article. You are a very strong and open minded young lady. I am so glad to have read this..
Sunny on February 28th, 2008 at 7:48 am #
i find your blog pretty interesting. I also have a blog and i was thinking that maybe we can link to each other. Let me know what u think, thanks!
Arem on February 28th, 2008 at 11:56 pm #
Very well written and expressed article. A must for any Indian living abroad to read. It let’s you know about dealing with the ‘extremes’ - which is what India is. In truth India is beautiful if you can see it in its ‘totality’
Pepi on March 7th, 2008 at 12:55 pm #
Hey! My name is Prarthana Ramdas, and I got your url through a friend… Basically, I’m 19 years old and in the same situation as you! I lived in Holland for 16 years, and then moved to Chennai 2 years back… that was out of choice because my sister and I wanted to experience life in India. I was so determined to love it, because it was a method of establishing my identity… The first year and a half was incredible… I made a group of amazing friends who stuck by me through everything, I got a car, a licence, and an independence previously unknown to me and meeting my family every weekend was absolute bliss… Then I struck a bit of a rocky patch in my studies and since then it’s all been very touch and go… It took me so long to admit that there might actually be things about India that I disliked, that when I finally did it all came pouring out… Your article brought all of this out, but also reminded me that India is India - the key to acceptance is, like your mom says, having a sense of humour… your article really has a sense of the joie de vivre that I had last year, which I seem to have lost along the way… I hope I’ll get it back now! Thanks for reminding me of things that I forgot
Usha on March 7th, 2008 at 3:58 pm #
Hello Isheeta, Great job in writing this. You have made the older generation, first generation and second generation so proud of being indians all over in the world. I am good friend of Archana and your url was forwared by her to all of us in the Netherlands. I shall certainly ask my children to read your article and i am sure it will make them think and react on it. This article has truly brought out the true colours of India and the world of extremes very well illustrated.
Pepi on March 13th, 2008 at 10:23 am #
hey!
Kulbhushan Sharma on March 24th, 2008 at 8:09 am #
Dear Isheeta
Seema Aggarwal on April 9th, 2008 at 11:32 am #
Really loved your article, i am going back to India this year after living in England for 12 years. I am feeling very scared and very excited. Got two children 12 and 6 any ideas how to get them prepared for the move.
Lakshmi on April 30th, 2008 at 4:55 pm #
Adjusting in India is good for you and your parents. We are in the same boat as you . We moved back to Hyderabad from Silicon Valley, California after living there for ten years. When we were in US , we loved India and the thought of moving back made us emotional. But , now we regret our decision. My kids are 19 and 15 years age.Its not peanut butter or the bath rooms we regret for , its the studies in India that bother them , and its the roads condition that put me depressed. I am so scared to drive here in HYD , actually so scared to go out , there are Manish Malhotra designer stores here in HYD , but you don’t find a parking , and you don’t come home with out a scratch or dent on your car. I can’t have a sense of humor , when my car is being damaged every time i go out. The infrastructure is still not on par with the population of India.My kids are in the best schools of HYD city. But they are not any way closer to the govt. schools in US.If you are sick you can’t cook , you need a dinner from out side , you need to drive 30 minutes. I am living in the new development of the city , we thought living in out skirts of city will help us escape the pollution. But we are paying price for that. No door deliveries, no relatives visit you since you are in out skirts , Railway station , Bus facilities are far away , so you can’t go other towns , since reaching those facilities will take two hours in this traffic.If you can live in heart of the city with all the pollution that should be ok. I have changed four drivers in two months even paying Rs.7000/- per month. I feel like I am stuck in cage. I used drive to San Jose to San Francisco for work. Life was so much easier there with a full time job and kids. Here life is difficult even if you have maid and driver, coz , they are not punctual. My kids feel sleepy in the schools during the lectures , be’coz they try to read the theory with out practicals. Studies have become boring for my kids . We decided to go back to US once my kids graduate here.I do not want to disturb them in the middle . My advise is to NRIs , do not move to India, unless you have a strong reason like family responsibilities or getting laid off and there is no way to find another job.
Mrs. Tassmer (nee' Brankowitz) on May 8th, 2008 at 10:57 pm #
Is this the same Isheeta who attended Hanby Middle School? I was your science teacher, and you wrote very well then, as well. This article was very articulate and inciteful. My friend, Reema, is going back to India to live with family for a year and I hope to visit her over there. I will have her read your article. Thank you!
Nihar on June 13th, 2008 at 6:11 pm #
Your narration is heart touching in many ways. Something great about your article, while I can’t express. A pride..A Learning..and finally A Great Insight..Bravo..:-)
Satya on July 4th, 2008 at 4:51 pm #
Good to know that Dilliwalas also have hearts and have time to think for destitutes. And I will NOT agree that North to South it is the same. My experience was not that romantic about Delhi. It was Year 2000 and I had to go from Rohini to ISBT. I had to pick up a bus near Rajiv Gandhi Cancer hospital. A person had met with an accident and he was in a pool of blood. He was crying hard. The culprit had already fled the scene. What was shocking - not a single soul came forward when I ran towards him and asked for help!!! I was sweating profusely and my shirt was colored with his blood by that time. And there I was, standing shell-shocked. Finally, I called a friend who was staying nearby and managed to send him to hospital. They say “Dilli” = “Dilwalon ki Dilli” (For people with hearts, Delhi is the place). You can say that one incident does not tell all about a city. But honestly, this incident shook me and my faith on Delhi. Perhaps, Delhi has changed over the years. I wish it would have. And contrast this with Chennai, a place where I stayed for 5 and 1/2 years. I can not speak Tamil well, just managed there. Initially, I felt like running away. But, the warmth, honesty, care and sincerity was just great. And over the years, though I have had my shares of issues with language, water, being a non-vegeterian etc, Chennai will remain very very close to heart. When I look back at Chennai, I can say it is one of cities in the world with a heart. Now in Bangalore. Do not know much about it, but one thing I can say definitely - It is slowly going the Delhi way (considering Year 2000). May God forbid! What good for is a city if it does not have a heart? Post a comment
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