My stock answer to this last question is that its not a question of better or worse. Life in the USA is different. I give up some aspects of life found in India for some other aspects that I can only get in the USA. Every trip to India brings this tradeoff into sharp focus.
Its been two days since I have returned and the one thing I miss the most is the people. I do not mean just family/friends but just the random hub hub of people everywhere. Strangers walking in and out of the house, people on the streets, in the restaurants. My suburban street in the USA is dead by comparison!
City life in India reminds me of a jazz concert. There is a framework within which the musician has to stay but the rest is made up as the band moves along. That's exactly how I feel about living in India. You can make all the plans you want but you must be flexible. Improvisation is the order of the day! In contrast life in the USA seems like a classical concert. Beethoven's 5th is going to play out in exactly the same way every time you hear it!
There are enough aspects to life in India that I do not miss but I have learned better than to point out these flaws to my friends living there. They do not need to hear this from me; somebody who in their opinion has escaped for a better life! After all nobody likes an outsider to pass judgement on their condition, however dire it might be.
Excellent balanced view of this topic. I think many of us can relate to this topic. Along the lines of "...but I have learned better than to point out these flaws to my friends living there", I also often find that folks living here keep talking about how great life is back in India compared to here but then never do anything about it. The key is to make one's call about where one wants to live and then enjoy it rather than keep second guessing it and making life miserable for oneself.
ReplyDeleteReally good analogy with the types of music.
ReplyDeleteAfter moving back to India, my opinion continues to be that there the life here is not better or worse...it is different. And enjoyable despite the "flaws" that we are talking about.