It’s been two eventful months since we landed in the USA; a
land so foreign and yet so familiar. Foreign because it’s my first time to
actually come here; familiar because it has been part of my world almost on a
daily basis thanks to all the TV, movies and anecdotes shared by my mother-in-law. What did I expect? I
expected everything to be shiny, gleaming and new, technologically so advanced
that I had never seen anything like it before. Was it all that and more? Read
on
What I loved most
I loved the independence this place gave me. My biggest fear
was that I would be marooned in the new country, unable to move around on my
own without someone to perhaps drive me around. I needn't have been
afraid. Within the first ten days of
landing I took my first train ride – alone (unless you count the 3.5 yr old
with me) and from there it just got better and better. Path rides to New York,
a ferry to World Trade Centre, light rails for shorter distances and loads of
walking around on the beautiful side-walks that criss-cross the city.
A unique experience
The shopping trip to the Ikea furniture store was certainly
an experience like never before. In India we would walk into the showroom,
choose the product and have it delivered home with someone coming to assemble
it shortly. Here we first had to select the product, write down all the code
numbers (I had no idea what the husband was actually writing down) and then go
down to the warehouse. At the warehouse, there were numbered aisles (ah! Now the
codes started making more sense) from which we had to go and pick up the unassembled pieces of furniture in
cardboard boxes. A sprained wrist later – the hubby, not me, we managed to
collect everything and send it for shipping. The next shocker-having to assemble this all
together, patience never having being one of my virtues, it was again left to
the husband to painstakingly put together the bed, with dozens of tiny little
screws, nuts and bolts. A whole days work, phew!
The thing I
hate
Well, hate may be a strong word but it is kind of tiresome
to start almost from scratch again, from stocking the kitchen larder to buying
all our furniture. Undeniably retail therapy has its perks but it can be
unpleasant to have these pangs of longing for your fruit bowl or baking dishes,
sigh!
What makes my heart
sing
Getting out of the house and seeing people from different
races, ethnicities, countries, just makes me happy. I grew up in a very
multi-cultural atmosphere as part of the big naval family but the US just takes
it to another level. I have arguably heard more Indian languages on the streets
of Jersey City that I have heard in Bangalore.
What I thought I
would miss but don’t
My much bigger house and my maids, and that’s probably
connected. It’s the first time in my life that I am staying in a house so small
with just one bedroom and a bath. On the plus side it’s easy to clean and adequate
for our little family. It will probably get cramped when friends or family come
to visit but we haven’t got there as yet. As for my maids, I am happy to
replace them with the dishwasher, dryer and vacuum. Disclaimer- that is the
unemployed me talking we will see how it goes once I get a job.
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