I am a woman, married....woman..with 2 children. I live in Trivandrum, Kerala, India. I spent the last 10 years of my life in the most powerful country in the world, the United States of America. Having come from a remote corner of Trivandrum, gone to Govt schools for all my education including Engineering, as part of a poor family, I know how hard life can be at times.
Around the age of 13 I got really serious with my studies, because that's what you are expected to do as you approach S.S.L.C (10th grade). I studied well, stood top in the class, or near top for the next 8 years. And I did get my campus selection, because that's what you are expected to do, and started my first career. Well, after 2 years on the job, I got married because that's what you are expected to do and quit my job to join my husband in the US, again you know why so, because that's what you are expected to do.
Later after a decade of marriage and having good careers in the US, my family relocated back to India. I realized I didn't want to become JAI (Just Another Indian) throwing garbage at other people's backyards (or living room!), spitting on streets, cutting lines (queues, mind you!), or nod YES to whatever a relative says. I wanted to use the best of what I learned in the US and I did so. My husband fondly started calling me a "NEO" with a bit (or a lot) of sarcasm every time I dumb the peanut paper (you know the kind they use to wrap peanuts at a peanut vendor) in my Coach Purse so I can throw it in my home trash can instead of throwing randomly hoping somebody will clean it.
Now when you want to say something, what do you do? You tweet or you fb it. But to me, I am not offended by my dear husband calling me NEO to make fun of my ways. Because hey, I am not saying I want to be an American, I want to dress up like one, I want to start acting like one, or I want to wear less clothes. I am just saying, I want to be a better person by applying manners I learned elsewhere. What's wrong with that.
So I decided to start a change..by writing a blog. How about a bunch of us *us meaning a group of ONE at this moment* apply the things we learned - just the good for community things - right here in India? can we do it? I don't know. It's a worth a try.
Watch out for updates.
Thanks for reading.
SmS.
Around the age of 13 I got really serious with my studies, because that's what you are expected to do as you approach S.S.L.C (10th grade). I studied well, stood top in the class, or near top for the next 8 years. And I did get my campus selection, because that's what you are expected to do, and started my first career. Well, after 2 years on the job, I got married because that's what you are expected to do and quit my job to join my husband in the US, again you know why so, because that's what you are expected to do.
Later after a decade of marriage and having good careers in the US, my family relocated back to India. I realized I didn't want to become JAI (Just Another Indian) throwing garbage at other people's backyards (or living room!), spitting on streets, cutting lines (queues, mind you!), or nod YES to whatever a relative says. I wanted to use the best of what I learned in the US and I did so. My husband fondly started calling me a "NEO" with a bit (or a lot) of sarcasm every time I dumb the peanut paper (you know the kind they use to wrap peanuts at a peanut vendor) in my Coach Purse so I can throw it in my home trash can instead of throwing randomly hoping somebody will clean it.
Now when you want to say something, what do you do? You tweet or you fb it. But to me, I am not offended by my dear husband calling me NEO to make fun of my ways. Because hey, I am not saying I want to be an American, I want to dress up like one, I want to start acting like one, or I want to wear less clothes. I am just saying, I want to be a better person by applying manners I learned elsewhere. What's wrong with that.
So I decided to start a change..by writing a blog. How about a bunch of us *us meaning a group of ONE at this moment* apply the things we learned - just the good for community things - right here in India? can we do it? I don't know. It's a worth a try.
Watch out for updates.
Thanks for reading.
SmS.
