(This has no relation with the scores of Indians who have built their own respectable lives in US or elsewhere in the world and living a dignified life - some of whom are my good friends; this is about an Indian soul that sold itself to America and wishes that the unsold 'Indian' souls did not exist)
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Place: The dining hall of a decent Indian hotel
Occasion: A luncheon hosted by Pardesi
Audience: 8-10 strong group of friends and relatives, with myself honored with the fortune of sitting next to the host :o
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Pardesi: You have been abroad sometimes?
Self: Yes, a few times , , a couple of times to and a few times to country...
Pardesi: Oh okay. So you have visited all... kind of... 'laid back' countries, 'easy' countries... eh?
Self: hahha... hmm
Pardesi: Have you been to Germany?
Self: No
Pardesi: Germany is very tough country. Equally tough is America. They are workaholic. They work from morning 8 till evening 8.
Self: Is it? But I heard they usually start early like 8-830 and close by 5-530?
Pardesi: (with an emphasis) No no no no... you are mistaken. They may appear to close by 5 but they actually continue working :o
Self: Is it? hmm
Pardesi: And in America they are very particular about time, you know? 10o Clock means 10o clock only.
Self: O, yes, I know. I always appreciate it...
Pardesi: Really? But here in your India, 10 may become 11, 12, 1 or even 2.
Self: Sometimes, yes, we do skip, but much depends.
Pardesi: No, it's always. You must have heard about IST (Indian Standard Time)... HA HA HA HA HAAA...
Self: (smile)
Pardesi: Many of my Indian relatives are settled abroad, I always prefer to meet them in America or some European country, rather than in India, you know? It's always convenient to meet them there than here.
Self: Hmm... (after a long pause) Which is your native?
Pardesi: I was... er... born and brought up here in a place called Hubli, but I studied for sometime in a place called Mysore and then in Bangalore before I went to Mumbai on my first assignment and then to Delhi before I flew to England and then to America.
Self: Oh, that's nice. Then you must be speaking Kannada at home.
Pardesi: (with a straight face), hmm, rarely, a little, broken, you know? But we speak a lot of Marathi, Gujarati, and even Hindi at home - when we feel bored with English that is.
Self: Where do you live in America
Pardesi:
Self: Hmm.. I have many good friends around there. Must be having a good Kannada community there right?
Pardesi: Hmm... we have a good South Indian community, but we don't discriminate between Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and all. We all celebrate Onam as well as Pongal.
Self: You must have attended that famous Kannada convention... AKKA
Pardesi: Yeah, I have heard about that, but have not been there
Self: Hmm.. (long silence)
Pardesi: You know? There's a big myth even among Americans, that Indian guys are very intelligent, genius etc... But I have never bought that, you know?
Self: Is it?
Pardesi: I asked a few Indian professors also here in America "Is it true?"
Self:...
Pardesi: They said no, that's an absolute nonsense. Where is the originality in India? No significant inventions, no significant contribution to science and technology, no significant discovery, nothing. They are just using and supporting what the West invented. They are in demand just because of cheap labor. Now that also they are losing out to China etc.
Self: That may be true as far as IT-BT is concerned, but India is not all about IT-BT...
Pardesi: (Little agitated) What else? What else, you tell me. But for IT-BT who would even look up to India?
Self: Hmm... (long silence). You are also in IT?
Pardesi: No no no... (Proudly) I am a scientist.
Self: Oh, is it?... Then, who does the inventions for you there?
Pardesi: What? (quickly recovering), Well, not all Indians are like that. There are exceptions, you know?
Self: hmm (smile and long silence)
Pardesi: You know what? Americans are always straight forward in their outlook and talks. They don't like round about talks. But Indians are never like that. They just beat around the bush - never speak out openly.
Self: Hmm... sometimes that helps, you know?
Pardesi: How?
Self: Certain things can't be told straight on the face, especially to our own brethren :)
Conversation broke, as the lunch was served - A long, silent and filling one.
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