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Life if full of a million things that we remember and cherish, enough to not even fill "One Gargantuan Monkey Fist". This is a collection of those special,unique and funny events my life, thoughts on technology, F1 and the ying-yang of relationships.

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Who is more confused ? - Indians in the USA explained


This is Part 2 of Indians in the USA explained, please read this if you have not done so. http://clrkn.blogspot.com/2005/07/indians-in-usa-explained.html

It is a well understood concept that the ABCD's are generally perceived as the confused ones. It is a statement every Indian will make (the ones who spent a considerable amount of time in India).

But honestly, after spending close to 3 and a half years in this country, I beg to disagree.

ABCD's are American's, they know what they want, they don't have a problem "breaking the rules". They could love Dal Chaval, the good looking Indian women and classical Indian music, but that does not mean they are confused. They simply happen to like certain things about their homeland. At the end of they day, they still are American and do not feel guilty doing things.

As compared to people like me, who have brought into the American culture where I have one leg on the shore and one on the boat.

Like for example, I like to go out drinking, hang out with my buddies and try "ethnic" food. Things that I would never be able to do, atleast not twice or even thrice a week if I were back home with my parents around. No its not about what they would say, but more about the respect that exists between us.

But then, when I come back home, I always go to bed craving for curd rice and some pickle. Its just me, I like doing stuff, but I can't get over my need for certain Indian things. For someone who used to take South Indian food for granted, now I drive four hours to get some decent dosas.

It does not end there, the problems creep into every aspect of my life, right from me not removing my sacred thread even when I swim to what kind of music I listen to. Green day is amazing, but why not Rehman once in a while.

As an Indian, I am in a fix, I can't sell myself out to the American culture, I am selectively pleased by their culture, but I can never see myself doing certain things, like survive on bread or variations of it.

On the other hand, I can't stop being an Indian, how can I ever give up rice and curd and pickles. I have had many American friends look at me like I was crazy for eating such a "weird" concoction.

so here I am stuck in the middle and often find myself more confused than those so called ABCD's. So the next time you decide on using that word, think about it for a minute, who is more confused, it is you ? Or is it them ?

9 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I don't know Kartik, it just seems too hypocritical. We (me too) diss it and at the same time embrace it (both cultures) For example, Indians who come here and wear clothes that spit "AMERICAN" are scorned upon by some other Indians but when people from other countries wear Indian "costumes" we think its neat that they wanna accpet our culture blah blah. It just is hypocritical you know. Take the best of both worlds is what I would say and for crying out loud stop the showing off amongst Indians as to who is more Americanized. Its bullshit!

5:49 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

What am I supposed to type now...You Mo Fo or Votha Mairu..

Shit... I am totally confused...
Gawd! Karthik, I totally understand what you mean;-)

-Prabhu

10:08 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

ha ha, good one..

Now...What does the word "desi" mean?

Aren't the American's the real "Desi"s in this part of the world?

Dei Para'desi'NNu Prabhu kathardhu kekkudhu, but that is true.

~Barath

7:18 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Dei,

Even they are not desi's:) The Original were all burnt alive:)

The Americans who live now in the US are ABBD(American Born British Desis) or AMDD(American Born Dutch Desis) .. and the Red Indians(Native Americans) should be writing blogs discussing why people are so confused.

Ennamo da Madhava onniyum puriyala

-Prabhu

3:38 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I meant the Original *Desis* were all burnt alive

Sorry !

-Prabhu

8:17 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

hi karthik! come out with more such posts.

-Padmini

1:55 AM

 
Blogger Soumyadip said...

Often I find the desi desi's (the ones still in India) more confused than their American born brethren. They are at home but try to imitate American ways, ending up being neither here nor there. The so called ABCDs atleast have an excuse of being born into an 'alien' culture.

5:24 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

excellent analysis karthik.....very subtle way of putting the facts out....as soumya points out, what i see in chennai is funny.....to be precise its whacko.....after staying in america for 6 years, i know very well about the culture et al.....the "real" desis acting out american ....oh man, you must come here and see it to believe....

9:46 AM

 
Blogger ilaiy said...

It is totally up to you .. There is no confusion and no use comparing .. Each person has his own individuality which is totally different from each other ..

./thanks
ilaiy

5:36 PM

 

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