3 weeks hence

its been 3 weeks since i landed in chennai. more accurately, i waited 10 hours at mumbai airport, 3 more on the plane, thanks to air india, and reached chennai 14 hrs. later than scheduled. in india, this much time spent in public yields many incidents:

i was expecting to be hassled by customs/police (for no particular reason). Instead, when i left my wallet with a stack of money at the mumbai security check, it was returned to me promptly, with an admonishing talk by the local pandu to be more watchful. this was a pleasant surprise.

2 tamil girls of age about 20-25 were playing some memory game sitting next to me at the airport. their whole conversation and mannerisms were almost childlike and innocent. i cant imagine two 25 year-old american girls sitting together and discussing such harmless things as these two were.

i tried using the W/C but it took me some wanderings at the airport to find a clean one. i dont know when cleanliness as a way of life will come to india. it cannot be soon enough.

when the plane was held up without obvious reason on the tarmac, the full ingenuity and wit of the chennai-bound crowd was displayed in their exasperated comments. while the order in the western society generally moves one to mind your own business, the chaos here inspires one to collective and individual action that makes everyday living more dynamic. this was my first reminder/realization that life in india is more colorful and interesting. true, such action is not always pleasant, but i believe it is what makes some indians yearn for more exciting surroundings than a peaceful suburb in america. nothing much happens in day-2-day life in america..in india, there are stories to tell everyday.

since i now live with my parents for a while, the quality of food intake has gone up immensely. things are more ordered/structured with other people in your home, as opposed to living alone when you can pretty much make up your own lifestyle. stuff like banks, offices, etc. involving waiting on another person is certainly more trying here than in the US, but it is not any less transparent because rules are explained very clearly, advice is given freely (which is good in such matters) and the staff is business-like if still a far cry from the eager politeness in the US. basically, one has to show a little more patience with procedures that strike you as obviously inefficient or managed by somewhat incompetent people.

dealing with personnel in private enterprises is totally different. they are quick, accommodating beyond US-conditioned belief, and professional. they are also kinder than the front-desk force in the american services, though sometimes they have to be because procedure and order breaks down here also, and they had better be sympathetic to the customer's needs.

as i said earlier, i will only recollect my experiences and feelings in real time (roughly) without much analysis. i hope a trend will emerge as a function of my personality and some definite facts/truths.

all in all, thus far, i am happy to be back in india, satisfied at work, and very happy to be with family again.
i still fear for my future here, on account of financial reasons and a desire to live in a cleaner environment.
however, family and familiarity with minute aspects of local culture cancels this out. there was always the possibility in my head that i would not like it here and would be deciding to go west again at the soonest. that possibility no longer exists. after 3 weeks, i am in a state of equilibrium. i am adjusting quickly and liking the small things here that i could not get in the US. time will tell more...