Acceptance...

Recently i came across a lot of Indians who have settled abroad (basically America, Australia and Singapore). Most of them have been born and brought up in India and then went abroad for either higher education, work or both and have managed to successfully live there for almost 2-6 years.

Obviously, these are the people who basically like it there and have adjusted well. They came with a dream and have fulfilled it.Most of them have a desire to go back to their native land someday but are clueless when. I respect these people because its no easy task to have a flourishing career in a foreign land. I have very closely interacted with many such people at different times in my life.

I have observed a very paradoxical behaviour among most of them. Though, some are still non-immigrants, that said, they are not first citizens of a respective nation they are working/studying in. Therefore, logically lack a sense of belongingess but the irony is they show and portray such a strong sense of belongingness towards the foreign country that its impossible to know their national status.

Its strange, how human being starts owning a place in his mind, where he has lived for few years. Any remark against their (current) country is taken personally. For a person like me, who has her feet planted in India and abroad most of the time, have definitely experienced the pros and cons of staying in India and abroad. There are a hundred things which are better here and maybe less but still, a lot of things much better in India.

My question to these people is- why get defensive??? Why not just accept the fact that life is good in India too but maybe not how they wish it to be. Just because their so called 'second home' gave them everything they ever desired, doesn't necessarily make 'not so good' things 'good' abroad. Liking certain things abroad which are not so 'likable' is plain acceptance not choice.

I am not biased about India or any other country but the only point that i am trying to make is be vocal about your true feelings and be yourself in accepting what you are and not what you think you are!!

The religious side in me urged me to find and visit a temple in Minneapolis. So, the other day i went to a Balaji Temple here. It seemed basically like a two floor office space which was converted into a temple.

The temple fulfilled all the criteria of being a holy place namely, the beautifully decorated idols, camphor smell, striking aarti plate, prasad, chants, priest, etc but still i missed the 'feel' of a holy place. This absence of emotion was due to the shape of the building and an office type entry and exit .
I realised, how even the shape of a building contributes to the holy 'feel' which we are so used to in India. Generally speaking, the temple buildings in India are tall with either a large or a small mount or a stupa at the top with a big entrance.

As i was going to the temple, i wanted to carry some flowers or sweets. Since the only flowers accessible here are in the form of bouquets or single roses and the sweets are frozen, tinned and insipid, i decided to just carry some cash. To my surprise, i was amazed to see others offering bouquets, frozen sweets and also some stale looking-fresh sweets.
Later, this wasn't overwhelming but maybe i thought practical and convenient.
My idea was not to compare temples in U.S. with India, as i understand it cannot be the same. Rather on the other side, its good to know that some Indians are still initiating to keep their culture alive but sometimes certain feelings overpower your logical side.

This whole experience was definitely different which doesn't imply it was unlikable but just plain "different".