Recently I went back to India for a vacation after more than a year and half. It was a welcome break and more than anything it was good to be back home sweet home : )
It was afternoon when I landed in Chennai and climate was not so hot and thankfully it was good for most part of my stay there. One thing I immediately noticed was of course traffic.
On the way from airport to home, I seriously thought traffic was bad and people were driving crazy, wondering how did they change so much in just a year and half. But I was told the traffic hasn’t changed at all just my perspective has. I used to make fun of my friends who tells me how different it would be when you go to India after an year for the first time. Just being used to traffic here in US for one year, you will see the difference and feel awkward. But it was just for one day, after that I was back to where I truly belonged and I was driving on the roads as crazily I was before. On the way though to compensate for the crazy traffic outside, enjoyed the sweets mom has bought to the airport, it was good to see them after a long time. Reached home just in time to see my sister who was “seriously” preparing for her afternoon exam and wished her best as she left. She has grown a lot in a year and was good to see her and hang around with her.
Spent first two weeks going to my native place and other places down south Tamil Nadu. It is always fun and this time around it was more fun as we went with cousins and aunts and also now you go with a different perspective. Other than that met friends and relatives and went around Chennai.
Most of the days relaxed at home, having good food, watching TV and sleeping. Went back to those good old days and did exactly as I had wished here : )
While here in US, I thought I have changed a lot but your character is defined by the environment you are in and mostly while in Chennai I was as I was before. I understood that culture, environment and people around you influence your behavior and its very different out there from what it is here but to me both are equally fine.
There are two things I felt has changed from the time I was there. One is really the traffic as I have told before. But one another thing which may seem silly is Ear Mufflers. Oh man! I have never seen any new thing being used by people before in this scale. Every other person was wearing one and I don’t know how it caught up among people in every place in Tamil Nadu. Every shop was selling them and it was really cheap. Although being in cold place like Virginia here, I never used them, so it amused me when everyone was using it. It made me wonder, is this real indication of how the climate has changed and effect of climate change?!
Overall, it was fun and relaxing but dint know how days had passed and suddenly realized I will be leaving back in few days. It was sad to leave but at least I dint feel bad to be back here, I should thank those who make home away from home here. Don’t know when I will be back home but till then these memory of it will be there for sure.
PS: Post title is inspired from the book “2 States” by Chetan Bhagat, which saved me in the long flight on the way back. It is a story of a boy and a girl from two different states in India getting married, it was a good read.
Nice post. I like what you said ‘we are defined by the environment’. I wrote a similar post but giving more emphasis on cultural differences. http://veetrag.net/2009/12/27/cultural-differences-india-us/