Skip to main content

Story of a 16 year old in America

I was 16 yrs of age, having just graduated from 12th, when I first visited the US. Memory is fuzzy about the events more than 20 years back. However, re-living past memories is sometimes fun and this is the primary reason for starting this multi-part series of my experiences in the US.

Let me set up some of the events that happened prior to the start of the long trip to the US from India. I underwent hernia operation, got my 12th results and went through a visa interview.  Between advices given by well wishers about what to expect and what to do in the US, I was a confused lot.

I am shy by nature (or at least I was at the time) and hence, a bit apprehensive about how I would be received by my relatives there.  I supposedly had met briefly in India, but didn't recollect much. Having studied in Porbandar and having gone through my school primarily talking in Hindi, I was a little embarrassed by my command over English.  In hindsight, I think my doubts over my command of English were unfounded.

When the day arrived, my mom and I boarded the Panam flight that would take us to JFK airport in New York and from there to Detroit Metro Airport where my aunt and cousins would come receive me. As soon as I boarded the flight at an insane hour, I promptly fell asleep.  I don't know how much time had passed, but when I woke up, the flight was on the ground. I thought I had arrived in the US.  That was not to be since, the right engine had caught fire and we had to disembark.  We were made to stay in Centaur (near Mumbai airport).  I was excited to see my cousins, aunt, uncle, dad one more time. I remember practicing how to ride an escalator.  Yes, those were the days!

I don't quite remember what happened when I arrived at the Detroit airport but do remember my cousin came to pick us up in a van.  I remember being in awe of a clean city.  When I reached my aunt's place, another one of relatives had recently arrived in Canada from India.  He was visiting Detroit at the time.  I remember taking off on a walk with him.  We walked & talked for quite a bit before we realized we are not in the greatest of the areas in Detroit. I don't think I even thought about anything bad being there in Detroit or the US. I would later find out there was a lot to be careful of.

More in the next chapter... Feedback welcome!


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Abhinav takes his first wicket

Last weekend, more precisely on Sunday October 14th, Abhinav took his first wicket ever.  He got some boy out leg before wicket.  I have heard the story about a million times about how he ran up real fast and how the batsman try to pull his ball and how the ball hit his back leg and the coach declared him out. It was pure joy and innocence on the face of Abhinav that I saw, something I wish I still retained.  Sometimes, I feel this is what sports are all about or rather should be.  His tiny 6 year old friends told him that they will inform everyone in their school bus that Abhinav took his 1st wicket.  I know many say that you should teach your kids to win at any cost, to make them winners.  I tend to disagree. I have always believed that means to an end are more important than the end itself.  I try to inculcate the same in Abhinav.  Play the sport the right way and respect all the players even when they may not be as good at the sport as yo...

What beautiful weather!!!

It has been blustry and damp since last night.  While coming back from work, we had rain all the way home on Airport Road.  At night, winds started howling and I love the sound of winds blowing through the small crevices in the closed windows.  The wind was and is cold even this morning.  My son finally ordered me to put some socks on for him, something he has not worn in close to 6 months. My son had his second day in nursery at Vibgyor School in Marathahalli yesterday.  The school decided to split kids in his playschool class between 7 sections of nursery.  So, now all the friends of my son are split up.  He hated his 1st day of school.  However, for the second day, a friend of his from our apartment complex got admitted into his section.  I thought that would make a difference!  No way!!  Both were crying incessantly.  It was like triveni sangam of Ganga-Jamuna-Saraswati in full flow from the eyes of the two.  Luckily, an old teacher of DS saw him crying and took him to the class.  ...

My kid's notes

Just like any father, I feel proud when my 5 year old son does something that makes you go "damn...how does he get these ideas?". Recently, he wrote about our trip to my hometown of Porbandar in his daily notebook that he has to ready in school. He had gone to see Peacocks and saw a lot of them. Here is what he wrote about it and then drew a picture. Looking at the picture, the peacock on the right is standing with his feet firmly planted on the ground. However, the peacock on the left has bent his legs and is getting ready for take off. I was zapped since I didn't expect such thinking from him.