The Indians Abroad

Overseas Living: NRIs & India abroad

Posts Tagged diaspora

Chumma Stuff

Mar 19

Posted by admin in Culture & Society, Entertainment, India, Non-Resident Indian, Short Story, india abroad

Neal had a biology exam that day, right after the lunch hour. So, he was in a rush from the very minute he walked into the cafeteria.

The place was crowded more than usual, it seemed. Looking for a place to sit, so he could gulp down the chicken burger, he scanned all the sitting area. That’s when he saw an empty spot next to her.

She was sitting alone, lost in her own world; eating and reading at the same time.

Their previous interactions were brief, nothing more than ‘hello’, ‘hi’ or ‘how are you’? He mostly saw her in the library, sitting in a corner, minding her own business, always busy with her books. Sometime she would sit alone but most of the time, her American friends surrounded her.

There were only a few Indian girls on the college campus, Henna was one of them.

“Hi Henna”, he said approaching the vacant seat.

“Hi, how are you,” she said with a slight smile. Her eyes went back to the book after a quick greeting.

He started to dig into his burger and fried. She kept reading, and eating.

“What are you reading?” he asked, trying to break the silence.

“Chumma”, she paused, “stuff”, she added without lifting her head.

All confused, he waited but a silence followed. ‘What kind of stuff that might be?’ he thought to him self – ‘chumma stuff!’ Read the rest of this entry »

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Unmourned Death of a Mother Tongue

Feb 21

Posted by admin in Consciousness & Awareness, Entertainment, Non-Resident Indian, Short Story, india abroad

The dusk crawls on the suburban town of Fairfield. The evening chill of February is starting to feel on his wrinkled hands.

Arjun sits on the park bench, watching over his grand-daughter playing on the swings nearby.
“Let us go now, Pooja” he paused, “It’s time to go home”. He speaks with a broken English accent. Over the years he has adapted to the foreign tongue, the only language his grand kids understand.
“Not yet Grandpa! Can you push my swing please – one more time,” says the little girl with big black eyes, as she struggle with the slow-down of the swing.
“We have to go now, Pooja; the sun is going down.”
“It’s still light. One more push grandpa, please!”
Her delay tactics continue; she winning the every round of the bargain to go home.

After a few more swings and a long bargaining, they finally walk off the park. She skips along the sidewalk; their long silhouettes dragging behind them.

“Mom said you are making us a big kite. When can we fly it?”
“Soon. As soon as the winter is over and spring arrives.”
“Cool!”
“Look at the beautiful sunset, beta!” he points to the sun on the far western horizon as they turn the corner, their two story bungalow within the sight now.
She casually looks at the sunset. Unimpressed, she skips along. Read the rest of this entry »

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Desi fundas 101: Education a fundamental driver of Indian success abroad

Feb 19

Posted by admin in Consciousness & Awareness, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad, personal development

The big red letters on the front of our school used to read, in two languages:
In Punjabi: “Vidhya insaan di teesari akh hai!”
In Hindi: “Vidhya insaan ki teesari aankh hai!”
Meaning: Education or knowledge is the 3rd eye of a person.

Growing up, we all knew that some of the rules should not and could not be questioned; rules like:

  • Respect your books. Stepping on a book, even by mistake is a sin. A book never belongs under your feet.
  • Education is your priority number one.
  • Respect your teachers….

If you look around, you can always find many neighbors or colleagues that sacrifice so much to educate their kids. Many of them may not have enough to afford three meals a day, but they damn make sure that their kids go to schools – good schools, including the prestigious schools or colleges abroad.

The same priority on education is equally true for Indian Americans, British Indians, Indo Canadians….and other Indian families overseas. Read the rest of this entry »

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Indian head wobble – the desi nod

Feb 16

Posted by admin in Consciousness & Awareness, Culture & Society, India, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad

The way many Indians and nod their head is often described as the ‘Indian head wobble’ or ‘Indian head bobble’. If you live outside India, it is not a widely understood body gesture.

What is Indian head wobbling?
For those who are not familiar with the term, the head wobbling is a motion that is somewhere in between the up-and-down nod, and the sideways head shaking. So, it is somewhat rotational motion of the head – a light head shake combined with a head roll.

What does it mean?
Does it mean yes, or does it mean no?

Simply put, it means ‘yes’, but is it really that hard to understand??

Well, for those who are not exposed to Indian culture and desi body language, it is a confusing response. Read the rest of this entry »

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NRIs’ misplaced nostalgia of good old days

Feb 1

Posted by admin in Culture & Society, India, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad

If you listen to the first generation of Indian Americans abroad – especially those who migrated long time ago – they paint a very bright and picture of their past memories of India:

“Those were different days – happier times. We never cared much about anything – anything but friendship and good company. The schools were parties – a meeting place where all the good and bad schemes were hatched…”

“All summer we played cards under the big shade tree next to the pond….And, when we got bored of cards, we played marbles, or took a nap on a cot. No air-conditioners could compete with the monsoon soaked eastern breeze of summer days. Those were the days….!”

The first generation of immigrants misses the homeland of India more than anything. In most of the week-end parties or social gatherings, talking about good old day is one of the common topics. The nostalgic discussion intensifies after a few drinks. The memories of childhood, the growing up, the friends back home, the food, the aimless wandering…well, there is no end to the journey down the memory lane, the memories of past left behind..

Yearning for the past is a human nature. We always cling to the memories of yesterdays. Regardless where we live, the nostalgia is nothing more than trying to hold on to the past. The past is not easy to let go, even though we all talk about moving on. Living abroad just adds one more dimension to all this – the living in the past. Read the rest of this entry »

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Abroad, You never feel at Home

Jan 28

Posted by admin in Culture & Society, Non-Resident Indian, Short Story, india abroad

Yes, it happened; it was bound to happen. I ran out of ideas.
I ran out of ideas to write about.

Not that my previous ideas were too special or too brilliant. Even the brilliant idea from last night – writing about a new-comer’s experiences – was very ordinary.
She is new student I recently ran into. From her experiences in America, I was hoping to get some new material for my blog.

“So how do you like in America?” I asked eagerly, hoping for a long story.
“Ah, it’s not all that bad, just about the same as I expected,” Dismissively, she said in a monotone.
“So, what is it that you don’t like it here, or dislike the most,” I rephrased the question, hoping to get something more.
“It is not much different; about the same as I expected,”

She was not helping out.
I paused. It cannot be; it is a new country, a new place all across the ocean.
“How about the language?” I pressed on.
“No, I speak English at home in Bangalore. I can speak many languages, but English is what we use the most.”
“Wow”, more disappointed than surprised, I did not know what else to say.

I was getting nothing’ no ideas, no new observations from the eyes of a new immigrant to USA.

“I liked the chicken burger”, she said with a light touch of satisfaction in her voice.
“What chicken burger?”
“The one from McDonalds, we just had, with French fries”
“Oh yeah, you like that kind of fast food?”
“I don’t like it, I love it!” she likes to say it. 
“So, you don’t get it back home?” I have not been back to India for many years.
“We do; you don’t know? We have everything there, McDonalds too?” Read the rest of this entry »

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Why do NRIs return to India?

Jan 15

Posted by admin in Culture & Society, India, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad

Main R2I (Return-to-India) reasons for NRIs abroad

Over the years, a reverse trend is starting to take shape. More and more overseas NRIs are returning home, and others are considering the option. The reasons for R2I – return to India – vary from personal to business to emotional; some of the main ones are:

More job opportunities in a booming Indian economy: As Indian economy keeps on growing, year after year; there are more opportunities available in India compared to old days. The IT field continues to expand, creating demand for international professionals. The economic revolution that started in 1991 has reformed India into one of the major players on the world stage.

Slow down in America and other developed countries: The global markets are going through some of the worse economic recessions of all times. The unemployment in USA is at its highest in many decades. The bleak outlook in job markets and uncertain future abroad is one of the reasons for many immigrants to consider returning home.

Going back ‘Home’:The sense of belonging makes a big difference when deciding on the future path. It feels good to be back and going back to the roots - being a part of our own culture, our own society is a major psychological boost. Read the rest of this entry »

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Manmohan Singh continues NRIs courting: Voting Rights and Brain Gain

Jan 13

Posted by admin in India, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh continues to remind NRIs abroad that they are always welcome back home in India, perhaps more than ever before!

During his visit to USA in November, Prime Minister used the term “brain gain” instead of “reverse brain drain”. Thanking the Indian-American community for their contribution in building bridges between India and the United States, he invited the Indian diaspora worldwide to return home.
“Let me take this opportunity to extend an invitation to all Indian Americans and non-resident Indians who wish to return home to India in one capacity or another,” said Manmohan Singh. The Prime Minister said that Indian-Americans no longer had to make a choice about whether to work in India or America, “Modern technology and our flexible policies have opened possibilities of working in both places.” Read the rest of this entry »

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13 Unlucky reasons to go abroad!

Jun 8

Posted by admin in Culture & Society, India, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad

NRI Tips: Worst reasons to leave India and go overseas!

As discussed in a previous article, there are many good reasons to go overseas; but there are plenty of bad ones too. Some of the worst reasons to go abroad are:sxcparadise_torn_paper_white

  1. Illusions of Paradise: The overseas land of riches may be rich, but it is no paradise by any means. Especially for a new immigrant, the challenges could be overwhelming.
  2. Blind Job hopes: With global recession everywhere, the unemployment rate in Europe and America is highest in decades. The demand for foreign work visa is actually down.
  3. Second try might work: If going abroad did not work the first time and nothing has changed, the chances of better encounter on second try are minimal.

    4. Read the rest of this entry »

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Top 10 reasons to go abroad!

Jun 1

Posted by admin in Culture & Society, India, Jobs and Occupations, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad, personal development

NRI Tips: 10 best reasons to go leave India and go overseas – From desi to desi-NRI!  :)

No matter where it leads to, our journey always starts at home. There has to be a good reason to leave the comforts of home- the family, the culture, the country. sxc-big_step_to_success_2501 Here are the ten best reasons to leave home and go overseas:

  1. Travel: Traveling to visit different places is one of the best reasons to go abroad. It is a fun and exciting experience to go places, and finally coming back home after the travels. It is the best of the both worlds. If one can afford it, traveling abroad is always full of adventures and new experiences. Traveling is something we don’t do enough.
  2. Education: Good schooling is a big investment in our future. One should never under-estimate the value of good education, it builds the base of our lifestyle; it pays life-long dividends for every penny we ever spent on studies.
  3. Family: Many times, family sponsorship is a reason to go abroad – to unite with rest of the family. The immigration rules allow spouse (and in many cases parents along with their younger siblings) to be brought over in many countries.

    4. Read the rest of this entry »

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Brown vs. Brown!

May 26

Posted by admin in Culture & Society, India, Non-Resident Indian, Race Relations, Short Story, india abroad

The line at the grocery store was quite long, but it was moving quickly. The whole process of check-out seemed quite animated – the clerk scanning the items, the customers sliding the credit card through the card reader, signing the digital pad, collecting the items along with receipt, and leaving. The clerk, his name-tag confirming his ethnicity of India, seemed quite efficient at his job.
At my turn, I stepped forward and followed the sequence. After the scan, I started collecting my items. I slid my American-Express through the card-reader, getting ready to leave as soon as the clerk hands me the receipt.
Then, out of nowhere, the clerk announced politely, “Sir, can I see your card and an ID?” Read the rest of this entry »

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NRI Tips: Key hurdles to overseas adaptation and adjustment!

May 24

Posted by admin in Communication Skills, Culture & Society, India, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad, personal development

NRI Tips:  The habits that hinder our adaptation abroad

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” ~ Maria Robinson

Immigration from India is often considered a grueling process, probably one of the hardest thing ever for a new NRI; right?
Not really, it is just the start :) . Once we get to our new destination abroad, -USA or Canada or England..- the things are not as we imagined. As mentioned before in NRIs and India diaspora – the key challenges abroad!’, the most difficult part is adjusting to the new society, the new culture; and then building a career that matches our professional background and education.
Why is it that so many of indians find it so hard to adjust abroad? Even after years, we feel strangers in the land that is dubbed a ‘melting pot’ of multi-culture society.

One of the key reasons for our failure to adjust even after years – is the isolation from the American society and western culture; our inability to adapt to the local language and norms. Many of us find it hard to carry on a real conversation with locals; the conversation that involves local slang and local style.
Here are some of the main reasons that hinder a desi immigrant from being a ‘Roman while in Rome’; the key habits that won’t let us adapt to overseas’  life: Read the rest of this entry »

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O Karma! Where Art Thou?

May 21

Posted by admin in Consciousness & Awareness, Culture & Society, Entertainment, India, Karma, Religion, india abroad

As she has planted, so does she harvest; such is the field of karma.~Sri Guru Granth Sahib

Me and my karma often talk to each other. Well actually, I do most of the talking; I am hoping that my karma listens, at least . ‘The karma has a mysterious way of responding’, so I am told by everybody since childhood. I have never been able to figure out how it works…..
To solve these mysteries of karma and to improve upon it, I have tried some out-of-the-box ideas for a long time. I even once befriended a Punjabi with the same name – Karma; however I found out that my karma had nothing to do with my desi friend, so we have drifted apart since. Now and then, I still get calls from him, some times in the middle of the night due to time difference with India. He mainly calls me to send him some money; it will clean or improve my karma he says. I tried it a few times a while back, but I did not win any lottery; nor did it help me with any other signs of karma cleaning.
I noticed that my overseas karma is no sharper or better than what it was back in India. Everybody told me that going to America was a sign of good kismat; I thought my good karma would follow the glory of my new NRI status. However, I am not very happy to report that the whole thing – going to America – may be a bit over-hyped. My karma was quite sluggish, especially during the first year of my ferengi experiences. Just like most of new-comers, I have had my share ofhurdles and challenges abroad. Read the rest of this entry »

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The NRI dilemma: This country or that home?

May 17

Posted by admin in Consciousness & Awareness, Culture & Society, India, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad

A choice between comfort of overseas and home country

“No matter under what circumstances you leave it, home does not cease to be home. No matter how you lived there-well or poorly.” ~ Joseph Brodsky

Non Resident Indians (NRIs) are the expatriates from India who have migrated to other countries in search of better future. These NRIs are happily settled in their adopted countries, but often frequent their homeland, India, to visit their friends, families and the memories they have left behind. In most of the cases, the NRIs are citizens or permanent residents of the countries they have migrated to, but consider India as their true homeland.
Most of these overseas Indians or NRIs are well settled in the new country. The new culture, the new life and the new comforts have created a strong bond to the new land. Majority of these NRIs bring their loved ones over to live with them and often have the whole family living abroad. Even though the ties with the past remain, the family – especially the younger generation - has a strong attachment to the Western lifestyle. This is the natural influence of local culture and social settings; the natural effect of the long term exposure to the western society. Read the rest of this entry »

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Bollywood + Hollywood = New fans abroad

May 12

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment, india abroad

Bollywood gaining new fans overseas with Slumdog Millionaire like approach

Bollywood-the Bombay (Mumbai) movie industry- is one of the biggest film production location in the world. There is no shortage of all-time-classic stories, romance or melodrama in the long history of Indian movies. It is not new that many of the Bollywood movies are churned out with English themes in varying tones; some of the major trends over many decades have been:
1. Indian movies with Indian stars in western settings, with a clear cut bias against western society; as in ‘Purab Aur Paschim’.
2. Patriotic movies linked to Indian freedom movement against British rule; such as ‘Kranti’ and ‘Lagaan’.
3. Movies based in a western country or a western society with local social and cultural issues; like in ‘Bollywood Hollywood’ and ‘The Guru’. Read the rest of this entry »

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Desi work ethics: Key to success abroad

May 9

Posted by admin in Culture & Society, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad, personal development

Indian work ethics are worth preserving, especially during hard economic times

When it rains it pours. Only yesterday, the economy was flourishing in America. Everybody was spending away – buying bigger houses, bigger cars and probably bigger shoes. After all, you need extra room for the bigger ego. :) There is a common saying in India that roughly translates to, ‘Size up your sheet before stretching your legs’; it basically means that you should spend within your means.
The American affluence over last many decades ended up creating complacency amongst many, leading to carelessness; many got used to spending beyond their means. And whenever there was a need for money, there was always a bank ready to lend; if nothing worked, the second mortgage was easy to get even if you did not qualify. The home equity line-of-credit was right there for the taking. Things were very rosy.
However, just as a basic law of physics and our mortal existence, everything comes to an end. With time, the tides turned and balance started to shift; a downturn in economy exposed the loopholes in the complacent financial system. The rest is a history: the banks could not recover the loans from the careless borrowers; the falling house prices put a lid on borrowing against the houses…. The mighty capitalist infrastructure, that stood number one in the world, came under the direct assault from capitalism itself. The problem could have been easily averted if everybody had stick to the basic common sense -‘Size up your sheet before stretching your legs.’

The first generation immigrants from India are often negatively stereotyped for their frugality, hard-work and for being too cautious. The fact is that these traits are a commonsense for survival in the new land. Many Indians migrate with only a few items in their possession, with a few bucks in their pockets. The qualities to preserve, work hard and to tread carefully are part of the basic defense mechanism against all odds that they have to put-up with in the beginning. Read the rest of this entry »

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I am not racist, but my brain may be!

May 7

Posted by admin in Consciousness & Awareness, Culture & Society, Race Relations, india abroad

NRI Tips: The unconscious bias and the depth of racial issues abroad

There is no dispute that America is one of the richest countries where entrepreneurial spirit strives for excellence; freedom of speech is respected and encouraged. Every work place preaches and teaches diversity but the society as a whole continue to struggle with racial discriminations and racial biases.
Many have undertaken the noble task of investigating and researching racism and race relations in America. I outlined a few very basic aspects of it in a previous article ‘ABC of race relation in America’. Some of the interesting studies of modern days blame this human behavior of discrimination on ‘unconscious bias’. The studies point to the fact that the racial bias is linked to our subconscious behavior where we discriminate, unknowingly to a large extent, even when we don’t mean it.
So it is not your fault entirely, it is the brain of yours that is messing with you! :) Read the rest of this entry »

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The ABC of Race Relations in USA – India Abroad!

May 5

Posted by admin in Culture & Society, India, Non-Resident Indian, Race Relations, india abroad

NRI Tips: Race relations of American society for a newcomer

Most of us leave India and go abroad for work or education. There is an ever-growing line of Indians going overseas to find utopia – looking for the land of their dreams. Going abroad is considered the best stroke of luck; every pundit will tell you that your stars are aligned perfectly for a great future overseas! :)
However, those pundits may not know everything about your stars or your future. Some may have warned you about the challenges abroad before, but it is hard to believe anything negative about the land of riches with so many promises; many Bollywood movies are witness to the prosperity abroad :) !

The reality is that living overseas is very different from living in India- your homeland. The overseas society and the culture provide an eye-opening experience for the new immigrants.

India is a multi-cultural society, people with different languages and customs living in a diverse setting; but they all come from the same race for most of the part. American society, on the other hand, not only has different religions and languages, but also different races. The white majority is followed by rest of the minorities- blacks, Hispanics, Indians, Asians and so on. Even though this multi-race society seems to mingle well at work and in many of the social situations, the racial biases can be seen and encountered on a daily basis. Read the rest of this entry »

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Paradigm of a promise- NRIs’ promise to return to India!

May 2

Posted by admin in Culture & Society, India, Non-Resident Indian, india abroad

NRIs Abroad – An unfulfilled promise to go back to back to India

“So when are you coming back?” is a common question that everyone asks when you are getting ready to leave India to go abroad. Some ask it because they want to know your answer; others ask it because this is the common question for the time of departure. Without thinking for a second, the answer always is, “I shall be back soon, back for good in a few years.”
This is how the departure is justified; confirming that it is temporary, confirming that he or she will be back. This is not out of nowhere, the response is generally based on a promise that every NRI makes, the promise to go back home one day. This is not my promise or your promise, this is a promise that most of us make to ourselves when leaving India.  This is the promise that makes the circumstances of family separation tolerable. Read the rest of this entry »

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