Posted on: 22-11-06 21:49:31
*One Extra Bedroom........A Thought Provoking Article*
I dont know if it is true but it is written beautifuly. Its for all indiansstaying abroad for more money without their family. Worth reading the article.
*ONE BEDROOM FLAT... AN INDIAN SOFTWARE ENGINEER'S LIFE*...- A Bitter
Reality As the dream of most parents I had acquired a degree in Software Engineer and joined a company based in USA , the land of braves and opportunity. When I arrived in the USA , it was as if a dream had come true. Here at last I was in the place where I want to be. I decided I should Be staying in this country for about Five years in which time I would have earned enough money to settle down in India ..
My father was a government employee and after his retirement, the only Asset he could acquire was a decent one bedroom flat. I wanted to do some thing more than him. I started feeling homesick and lonely as the time passed. I used to call home and speak to my parents every week using cheap international phone cards. Two years passed, two years of Burgers at McDonald's and pizzas and discos and 2 years watching the foreign exchange rate getting happy whenever the Rupee value went down.
Finally I decided to get married. Told my parents that I have only 10 Days of holidays and everything must be done within these 10 days. I got my ticket booked in the cheapest flight. Was jubilant and was actually enjoying hopping for gifts for all my friends back home. If I miss anyone thenthere will be talks. After reaching home I spent home one week going through all the photographs of girls and as the time was getting shorter I was forced to select one candidate.
In-laws told me, to my surprise, that I would have to get married in 2-3 days, as I will not get anymore holidays. After the marriage, it was time to return to USA , after giving some money to my parents and telling the neighbors to look after them, we returned to USA ..
My wife enjoyed this country for about two months and then she started feeling lonely. The frequency of calling India increased to twice in a week sometimes 3 times a week. Our savings started diminishing. After two more years we started to have kids. Two lovely kids, a boy and a girl, were gifted to us by the almighty. Every time I spoke to my parents, they asked me to come to India so that they can see their grand-children.
Every year I decide to go to India . But part work part monetary Conditions prevented it. Years went by and visiting India was a distant dream. Then suddenly one day I got a message that my parents were seriously sick. I tried but I couldn't get any holidays and thus could not go to India ..The next message I got was my parents had passed away and as there was No one to do the last rights the society members had done whatever they could. I was depressed. My parents had passed away without seeing their grand children. After couple more years passed away, much to my children's dislike and My wife's joy we returned to India to settle down. I started to look for a suitable property, but to my dismay my savings were short and the property prices had gone up during all these years. I had to return to the USA ..
My wife refused to come back with me and my children refused to stay in India . My 2 children and I returned to USA after promising my wife I would be back for good after two years. Time passed by, my daughter decided to get married to an American and my son was happy living in USA . I decided that had enough and wound-up everything and returned to India . I had just enough money to buy a decent 2 bedroom flat in a well-developed locality.
Now I am 60 years old and the only time I go out of the flat is for the routine visit to the nearby temple. My faithful wife has also left me and gone to the holy abode. Sometimes I wondered was it worth all this? My father, even after staying in India , had a house to his name and I too have the same nothing more.
I lost my parents and children for just ONE EXTRA BEDROOM!! Looking out from the window I see a lot of children dancing. This Damned cable TV has spoiled our new generation and these children are losing their values and culture because of it. I get occasional cards from my children asking I am alright. Well at least they remember me.
Now perhaps after I die it will be the neighbors again who will be performing my last rights, God Bless them. But the question still remains 'was all this worth it?'
I am still searching for an answer................!!!!
*--- By an Indian SE who was in US.*
Good thing you didn't post this as a "True Story"
http://www.canadiandesi.com/read.php?TID=5763&page=1
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Are you there?
Quote:
Originally posted by BlueLobster
Good thing you didn't post this as a "True Story"
http://www.canadiandesi.com/read.php?TID=5763&page=1
Hmmm, I thought something sounded familiar.....
Thanks for letting me know. My search word selection was not up to the mark before I posted.
Mercury
There are lot emotional email exchanges like that. There is one big group of people who are very much emotional attach/weak/lonely out of home. Even they live 1000 km away in India they feel same. This is state of mind.
There are big populations of Indians who living like dogs even after making good money all over world just because they will go back to India. They never enjoy any good day here, just wait to get free lunch or bring own rice/yogurt /spicy pickle every day all 365 days.
There is another group of here who come on temp work visa from Indian IT Companies. They stay in bad neighbor hood of city with 3 guys in 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom flat. Never enjoy anything here but remember to take laptop/camera/handy cam to back India. These people always yell on US/North America but want to come all time by sucking manager's ass in India.
Keep away from these sick people otherwise they will leave some %age of virus in you.
"There are big populations of Indians who living like dogs even after making good money all over world just because they will go back to India. They never enjoy any good day here, just wait to get free lunch or bring own rice/yogurt /spicy pickle every day all 365 days."
Little bit sounds like an arrogant/biased comment on some community. Each one with their own situations and problems, one cannot come to a generalised conclusion.
Rahul Singh,
Though your comments sound bit impudently (I'm getting used to the Canadian way of complaining either the language of the rest of the world or atleast the arrogance that is just visible to their arrogant peeking), Heck!! its a public forum atlast to write how you feel than sugar coating crap.
Any how, I've liked some of your posts. I was really looking to write a concurring post on your comment about the Dowry system (such a monster lurking behind the ego-serving, trade centric arranged marriage system), some how I felt I need to compile my views and post at once. I'll atleast open a thread....
You've touched a raw nerve ( I suppose) by bringing the substandard life style created by Desi amid the better environment around. I am talking about the atmosphere in US (not Canada, I know the pain here). There are couple of reasons to back it up and I will just write them in bits and pieces in place of comprehending to make my post larger.
- H1B to USA - Stash quick Dollars - move back India.
- H1B to USA - beef up resume with US experience - back to middle east or India to earn better $$$ - bask in US experience credits while working in ME / India.
- Never had an exposure to the life style of burning all your income for outfits and apparels and on and on.... For several south Indians, earning is synonymous to saving much of it.
- On a temp. B1 visa for a year.
- More over the lifestyle of Desis from north is different from south (both lifestyles have their own + / - ). When ever I go to my North desi buddies home, be it is just a rented apartment still I used to find the atmosphere quite affluent but a crunch in his savings $$ where as it is just otherwise to my south desi buddies..
- Once people have settled in US with Green card, their lifestyle changes (atleast for many of them).
I understand that I'm leaving this post in a sort of incompletion, but it does bring couple of facts behind the dingy lifestyle into spotlight.
Good luck to all.
Quote:
Originally posted by rahul_singh23
There are lot emotional email exchanges like that. There is one big group of people who are very much emotional attach/weak/lonely out of home. Even they live 1000 km away in India they feel same. This is state of mind.
There are big populations of Indians who living like dogs even after making good money all over world just because they will go back to India. They never enjoy any good day here, just wait to get free lunch or bring own rice/yogurt /spicy pickle every day all 365 days.
There is another group of here who come on temp work visa from Indian IT Companies. They stay in bad neighbor hood of city with 3 guys in 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom flat. Never enjoy anything here but remember to take laptop/camera/handy cam to back India. These people always yell on US/North America but want to come all time by sucking manager's ass in India.
Keep away from these sick people otherwise they will leave some %age of virus in you.
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The cowards never started,
The weak died on the way,
Only the strong arrived.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yK1i9cLAMM
