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Monday, March 14, 2005

X=X+1 Syndrome

I am not sure how popular this syndrome is. I read about this syndrome just before I came to US for my higher studies. The syndrome goes like this. You come to US for studies or for a job. Settle here. Like the standard of living and the money which you earn. You get married, your spouse gets a job here, you have kids. They like it here, grow up as american kids. Now you are a kind of person who resolved to come back to India. You are patriotic and you love your country. But going back now seems to be less of an option as you think of your carear, money and most importantly your kids, they like the US. You think its better for them to live here and lead a good life. Time goes by, its 10 years since you got married and settled in the US. Now you think of going back. You have enough money, but something tells you, you should postpone your return to next year. You are in the middle of a big raise in your carear and you dont want to spoil that. You are ambitious and you want to achieve a good position in the company and in your life. This is definitely not the time to think about returning to India. This happens every year when you think about it. And time runs by, you are living in the US for the past 25 years. The x=x+1 syndrome was with you for the past 15 years. You postpone your trip everytime you think about it. After 25 years, you can never go back. All your friends are settled in different places. You have new friends here and no friends back in India. All your relatives whome you knew 25 years ago are all old or not living anymore. A new generation of relatives are in and you dont know any of them. For them you are "someone who went and settled in the US". Most probably a story told to them by their parents and relatives whome you knew when you left to US. You cannot relate to the new generation. In short you have no one whome you can say "you are close to them" in India. On the other hand you cannot say US is your country, afterall you were not born here. Deep down in your heart you are still Indian. In the end you feel you lost your roots.

Is this good or bad? Is this real or a fiction? Has this happened to people settled here? Is there a different ending for this story?

6 Comments:

Blogger saranyan r said...

ennado yetho manirathnam padam maadhiri aarambikkara :)

it all depends machi. if you need more money, then stay here. else go back. the rest is pure bull shit.

3:01 PM  
Blogger Narayanan Venkitu said...

Oops...I think I fall in this category..!

1:10 PM  
Blogger Anusha said...

Somewhere, it is also the thought of giving up all that you have built for yourself in the time here, and starting from scratch back home, where you know circumstances can be far from conducive. Anusha here, nice blog!

8:06 AM  
Blogger The Last Blogger said...

I cant make a genuine comment yet, since I have been party to the same story myself. Someday when I have an answer, I will tell you.

7:39 AM  
Blogger Badri said...

Awesome blog.Where are you now?

10:27 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Gud one !!ths blog wl definitely get one thinking..esp. someone whoz plannin to settle abroad:) donno abt US Sree, but as per my experience in UK, its actually the comfort tht one gets used to.. after living thr for a few years, i guess no one wl want to travel in a local train esp. in mumbai to commute to work :)

12:56 PM  

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