The $ conversion confusion
It's been a week since I've been home and lots of things are running through my mind. Good thoughts and not so good thoughts. I'm glad I'm home and in a place where I get to be with my family 24*7. But there's certain things about me that's changed and I'm not entirely sure what to think of that. Do people really change when they go overseas, live there for a while and return? I mean..are all those jokes we make about 'NRI's really true?
Just the other day, I found myself going for the hand sanitizer in my bag after shaking hands with someone. There was this other instance where I wouldn't go out of the house because we ran out of sunscreen. Come on now...I was used to this 'Indian' lifestyle for 22 odd years before I went to the U.S. three years back. What has changed from then to now? I find myself replying in English as opposed to my native tongue when people ask me something and there's times where I answer diplomatically as if my being crude and point blank was going to lead to the next world war. While it's perfectly normal wishing someone we barely know a very good morning if you're in the U.S. I find myself doing the same thing here too. People go 'wait..I don't know you..stop acting crazy and talking to me you weird stranger'
It annoys me that people don't stop when the light is red or if they honk incessantly but if we rewind a few years back, I was one of them too. I just loved composing my own tunes with the honk when I was driving. The sight of cops gives me a jolt now even if I'm not doing anything wrong but my heart knows the cops here don't use speed guns and there's practically not a speed limit when you're on the freeway(or do I say highway?)
Ok here's another thing..I was at the American embassy the other day and the security guard asked me to go to the 'first floor' and I found myself loitering around at the 'ground floor' only to be whisked by the security on account of 'suspicious behavior'
There's so much more that comes to mind but I'm really not sure if I should worry or if I should just take these things as they come and deal with it. I guess I'm slowly being exposed to a new culture, new customs and the only way for me to continue about would be to go with the flow. Interesting perspective really, now that I'm thinking of it. Alright..I'm off to get a bottle of 'packaged drinking water' because regular water is just too mainstream for me *wink wink*
Alright 'driver anna'(chauffeur?) , get that bottle of sanitizer. I need to clean my hands now.
Cheerio,K