India and USA

What I miss about India

1)Not having to smile at strangers if I am not in of my best moods.

2)Wearing a Salwar/Sari without people asking me what is special.

3)Eating Indian food everyday.

4)Good filter coffee

5)Going to the temple whenever I feel like .

6)Cousins and relatives dropping over without having to schedule visits.

7) Holding my best friend's hand without fear of being perceived as "gay"-even hugging ( yes i said hugging and i am damn straight!)

8)Not having to repeat my sentences to shopkeepers because they do not understand my Indian accent.

9)Watching an interesting commercial( what is with these mindless competitor bashing commercials in the US?)

10)Branded as an "immigrant" and treated different.

11)Having house help.

12)Travelling in trains.

13)Long summer months where summer was actually warm.

14)Knowing all my neighbors and being treated like family by them.

15)Vendors selling vegetables ( and numerous other things) at your doorstep.



Also, what I like about living in the US

1) The independence- in every sense of the word.

2) Drinking water RIGHT out of the tap.

3)Coming back home late in the night and not being judged.

4)Living alone in a city on my own and not feeling even a wee bit handicapped because I am a woman.

5)I can independently go anywhere I want-- all I need is my Google maps.

6)Any city I go,if I need something,I know which shop to look for (eg:- medicines --any city will have Walgreen's/longs drugs etc).

7) Even at 2 am and even if there are only 2 cars in the road, the drivers still obey the traffic rules.

8)In my 5 years here, I have not been subjected to eve teasing in any form!

9) No contrasting opinions from relatives - I ( and the HD) take all my decisions.I don't think I could have managed this in India.

10)I get to taste various cuisines right in my town.

11) No Power cuts or mosquitoes.

12)Drive through fast food places everywhere :)

13)People speak only one language-English- no matter which corner of the country I go to.

14) Saturdays AND Sundays are considered weekends ( in India, I had to go to school/college on sat :( ).

15) Most public toilets are CLEAN!