Questions, Questions…

The top two questions a resident Indian would ask an expatriate Indian (in this case, Siva), also referred not-too-fondly as a NRI are incidentally the same my parents have been asking me for quite some time now. I still have no answers. Or rather they don’t understand my answers. Chances are they will never.

People, if you were in India recently, what else were you asked?

PS. The second question is not necessarily followed by ; more than India but I guess, it is implied, which isn’t fair.


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  • http://twilightfairy.rediffblogs.com Twilight Fairy

    hi.. how’s u?

    BTW checked http://simonworld.mu.nu/archives/056986.php and noticed that the date is dec’2002!!!

  • http://www.20six.co.uk/PluggedIn Venusian

    No one asks the ‘Bush’ question anymore. Now, the attitude on the sub-continent(and the rest of the world) is..you had your chance to prove that you don’t approve of his policies…you have made it clear how much you disapprove by putting him back in office !!!!

    As for the second…..dumb question !!! Much to love about America. Just had a friend who left here and washed her lungs upon arrival in NY. Spoke to her last night and the only thing she could rave about was ‘fresh air’ and ‘non-smokers’ !!!!

  • Parmanu

    1. How do people in Germany treat you? Are they racist?
    2. When are you coming back?
    3. How cold is it there?
    4. Have you learnt the language?
    5. Are there many Indians there? Do you have enough friends?
    6. How is the Deutsche Mark doing? (Answer: Turning in its grave, probably).

  • http://ipatrix.com Patrix

    Twilight – I hadn’t noticed that earlier..I wonder why, considering I wasn’t even blogging in 2002.

    Venusian – Guess ppl have come to terms that there are at least 58 million dumb ppl to put him back in office. Washed her lungs in NY?? wonder what will she do in the smaller cities :)

    Parmanu – Coming back question also ranks a close third and asked more often as years pass. The language question will definitely come up in a non-english speaking country. Guess you said yes to that one.

  • http://broodingdude.rediffblogs.com Kiran

    Well it should not be difficult to understand why people love the place they earn their daily bread at – especially if one is treated well enough while that is happenning. If you generally talk to a Desi in the US (ok, maybe about 50% of them), and say the Americans are rather broad-minded about accepting us in their midst, the standard reaction would be “You dont know… there are some red-necks.” – I have met some native Americans who apologetically tell me that if I were to go to some villages or small towns in the US, people there would not like me because of my color.

    Well rascism in the form of love for fairness is so deeply imbibed into our own culture that we have a brand like Fair & Lovely on top of the charts. So of course I understand! :) (OK I deviated a bit!)

  • http://ipatrix.com Patrix

    Kiran – No probs. There are bound to be some bad apples everywhere. Shiv Sena tried to hound out South Indians from Mumbai. Wouldn’t that count as discrimination too? In America, except for old-timers, Desis tend to habitate the bigger cities where often the immigration population is higher and subsequently so is the tolerance level. Standard of living and respect for your identity also makes a difference.

  • m

    they actually laugh and say to me……oh you americans deserve bush……you people voted for him

    and then tney say……..how do you live with the food you get in america……..

    i seem to get feelings of pity and sympathy rather than envy…….perhaps my friends there have the best of all worlds.

  • http://ipatrix.com Patrix

    M – I haven’t yet met anyone who has seen me with eyes of pity and sympathy for living in America but maybe they are the ignorant ones.

  • http://www.20six.co.uk/PluggedIn Venusian

    Regardless of what one may think of US foreign policy, the fact remains that Americans are probably one of the ‘least’ racist people on the planet.They may not have a clue what is happening in other parts of the world, but by and large, they are extremely friendly…even when they are tourists….(loud perhaps…but friendly)…:)

  • http://ipatrix.com Patrix

    Venusian – True. But if you venture out in the interiors of America, they are as hostile as the ppl in moffusil areas of India. Exposure to other cultures and people matters.