On Wed, Apr 23, 2008 at 4:19 PM, Bharat wrote: > > A friend of mine, sent this very dismal story for > reading... have a dekho at it... > > ONE BEDROOM FLAT... > > WRITTEN BY AN INDIAN SOFTWARE ENGINEER.. > A Bitter Reality > Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2008 10:49:56 -0400 From: "Venantius Pinto" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > I am doing this to dissuade others from compulsive knee jerk analysis of the woeful stories one hears about Indians in the U.S., which later become part of existential lore. Often these stories happen to be written by those living in India masquerading as disenchanted individuals in the US/ or who have left the US ? who are suddenly into deep introspection. > Mario wonders: > Venantius, > Thankfully, such woeful stories are few and far between. Besides, such pathos can just as easily take place within India. > It seems as if the individual featured in the dismal story sent to you chose to carry on his shoulders the incredible weight that comes from clinging to his native identity in a land where the happiest immigrants seem to be the ones who have intellectually assimilated into their new cultural environment while still having the strength to appreciate their own culture and heritage enough to inject its best features into the new culture that they have chosen to live in, thereby benefiting both. This is more easily achieved in the highly diverse immigrant-populated-USA than in most other countries. > For those like him, the glass is always seen as half empty as opposed to half full. > I like your pithy advice, "I say just live your own lives, keep in touch with old friends if its worth it, and just be." I might add that I have always found keeping in touch with old friends to be well worth it. > And, I might also add, as one who has come face to face with my own mortality, it never hurts to count one's blessings every waking day. > One part of your post reminded me of the Hindi-speaking heartland where I grew up, where we used the phrase, "Khandar se patha chalta hai ki imarat buland thi" when appreciating the still evident beauty of a gracefully aging woman:-)) >