While growing up in a small township, watching planes roar in the sky, was ( & still is, to some extent) a totally heavenly experience. With limited resources, trains were the only option for travelling. One visited Foreign countries if there was plenty of money or on student scholarships or if appointed overseas for a job.
Would always hear my aunt and granny talk about some cousin who studied well in college and got scholarship for further studies at U.S, Canada or Australia or U.K. Well, I liked everything English. Early morning BBC news that my father tuned into the radio everyday was the wake up call to get ready for school, and which aroused an interest in mastering the accent. There was some magic, a sort of rhythm the way the newsreaders spoke. Or some sort of ....how should I say that - well, in colloquial Hindi we might use ' Bramhavakya' which means God's words. The sentences in English, spoken in Native English accent was Bramhavakya - 1. English to some extent in India, is Power, like it or not. And I was a victim ( not knowing how to speak the language, for a long time ) 2. When you spoke the language with Friends or family, you got a mixture of attention, awe and respect. Of course you were looked upon as 'Modern', 'cool'.
However the thought of pursuing studies abroad never crossed my mind till my Master's, as the township where I stayed, didn't have many students who were going out for studies overseas. So less motivation therein. There was an opportunity to write a Research paper after my Masters, which if accepted, would give me the ticket to study at Oxford. Well, I opted marriage over a career as a researcher. Now, after decades of raising a kid - job - family, I am on a Foreign soil.
And at an age, when one is comfortable, staying with known faces, known addresses, peer age men and women. Staying amongst Foreigners and in Foreign soil, away from family - I am figuring out, as each day goes by. Well, since 'have always been open for a change, this's a beginning. Back home, the NRI status was sort of glorious. What a change !- country hopping and frequent air travel apart from vacationing at exotic overseas locations becoming easy. However I wasn't prepared should I say ? - for the 'Internet era NRI'.
You are 'connected' to each one in your family on social media and Whatsapp in particular. You ' belong ' to ' family ' or ' friends ' groups. The 'belongingness' to family and friends 'Online' is so much that its as if you are in India; - when in Reality, you are not. And that's, well, weird and sometimes painful. You get homesick reading the family posts on ' where r u? M reaching in 10 - what's next weeks' plan.....etc' to 'get together pics' and what not ? On one hand it feels good to know what's happening on the home front, while on the other, I think, ' Do I really need to be knowing what everyone is up to or what one thinks, on a day to day basis' ?. Not to mention the disagreements et al., when you don't have the liberty to meet up face to face and clarify, if needed. Where's the charm of meeting up after long time and then share incidences, happenings ? Where's the benefit of Time ? Logically, its the cheapest form of getting things done, while staying distances apart. Well, the dilemma continues....while I have come up with my own strategy of avoiding home-sickness. I have started training my mind to broaden up the definition of home - The Globe can be your home ' and the people around you, well, they can be friends and family as well. After all Foreigners are also people like you. Well its really heartening to note that skin color and languages apart, People are People and relationship platform for people all over, IS still the same. People do share common Human values. The other day I saw a European grandmother and grandfather walking up their three grandchildren in the Botanic gardens, with the same delightedness, my in-laws and parents back home walked my son to the nearby parks, when he was small. And I do have the liberty to fly home and see my people.....till I am home one day, seeing them face to face, everyday.
