Its the 4th of July here... my first ever in the United States..... so it seems appropriate that I pen down some of my thoughts about this country that is going tobe my home for the next 3 months....

Firstly, unlike what the world believes Americans are really really nice people... they are very curious about India and have a lot of respect for other countries... nowhere have I heard an American say (yet at least) that India is so backward or you must be so better off coming here... and for that I am really glad... I am slowly becoming friends with Americans and I hope to have this friendship for a long time....

I love American pride in themselves... the July 4th weekend was all about being proud of being an American... there are news programmes that talk about all the good things America has done... and how as a nation they have helped millions.... and most of it is true.... there is so much that this country has given the world.... and is still giving... and that cannot be taken away from them... or the Americans... this is a country that built itself up from nothing and hence they deserve to be credited with that....

I am a bit confused about American system though... it is confusing cos this systems seems to be as close to a corrupt system as can be... and I am not talking about Government alone... even the private sector... everywhere I saw, people were getting jobs cos they knew someone who knew someone..... and if you want to be in the government (which ordinary people can be without passing a test like our IAS) then you have to have good connections... so a Chelsea Clinton will always be ahead of the pack...or you have to always be ready to lend a hand... or just reach out to someone and prove to that someone how recommending you would be the best thing to do.... I am not sure whether I will be happy with that .... I want the freedom to be able to get the job I want cos I have merit.... not becos someone recommended me... or that someone didnt recommend me..... I would feel lost......

The judicial system also seems right for corruption.... right now the hearing for a supreme court judge is going on... and she is appointed by the Obama administration... but what I didnt comprehend was that she was going to be appointed as a judge in the highest court in the country when she had hardly had any experience in courts, she had hardly had any experience as a judge in any of the lower courts and her only reason for being there was that the President thought her to be a suitable candidate... and the reason for that is that she is as close to Democractic party principles..... so she will get appointed and she will remain in office as long as she wants and that is how the Government influences the judiciary.... wow... in India that would be a sure shot for disaster... and the most corrupt Supreme Court ever.... I really dont know how this system has worked well over here...

what stunned me even more is that - America discriminates between Men and Women in the work place! Yes, women and men get paid differently for the same work.... no need to say women always loose out... I am shocked... how can that be in this country??? How and why are women tolerating it?

What is even more educative is that lawyers actually ruined a part of the society here... the entire society is so litigous that people are actually scared of doing many things... in a way it is good... on the other hand, doctors are scared of malpractice... so they want insurance coverage which drives up the costs..... I am not sure whether this is advantageous to anyone to have so many lawyers fight for more money....in some ways the highly clogged legal system in India is a deterrent to may non serious litigants... not really sure...


Someone asked me "your life in India seems like a lunxurious life - the driver, cook, maids etc".... and they were contemplating coming to India... and my response was ... Yes my life is luxurious in many ways... but in many many ways it is also insecure.... I am scared for my liberty, I am scared for my freedoms as a woman, I am scared cos of my religious identity, I am scared cos of my ability to be me...there is no protection in my old age... the Government does not look after us..... social norms dictate evry move in India..... and God Forbid the religious bigots get hold of the Government again then I am going to be scared every night of my life..... I am not protected in my own country..... Everyday we trust God and move around..... so to that extent India has a lot to offer but has not yet offered its citizens feeling of being protected and certain about their rights... something to take back from my time in the United States... give citizens the certainity of their rights...

I also realised that the notion that we have in India that US is a ticket to good life is so based on the stories carried back by the Desi Americans.... and I used to always challenge it, in many fight such notions saying how dare you make it look like we are all trying to escape our country?... now I realise that the generation of Desi Americans who did make it to the US were genuinely not given any opportunity in our country to prosper... no jobs, no money, no hope... they just left... and when they entered a country that offered them all this and more it was but natural that they would come back and potray stories of a better life..... cos it was a better life - FOR THEM! So it is no wonder that even today it is the Desi Americans who are the first ones to criticise India and say that India is a backward country.... or say that Americans have sorted it all out.... I used to get offended by these statments - not just from DEsi American - any Indian who went abroad and tried to make it look like they have escaped hell.... now I understand the psyche a bit better... they left a very different India.... they didnt leave todays India... and it is upto me to be a more understanding Indian... and perhaps show my Desi American friends that India as they knew it or their parents is different.... we are changing and that change is a wonderful opportunity for every Indian to be a better person... to build a better India.... and Desi Americans can provide the much valuable insight into that process of transformation.....

cos, India is very tolerant.... we are ready to be flagged down sometimes.... sometimes it is a sign of compassion for another person.....