On being inducted into the "Iyer123" group recently, I made my debut with the under-noted piece ten days back. As is my wont, a jumbled version surfaced, replete with encrypted signs here and there. Lest readers get the impression that those were unprintable words deliberately blocked by the Moderator, I am re-sending it with a copy to the Thatha Patty group as, what with GV's observations and Saikrishnan's instalment 1 of his experience, we seem neck-deep into a "US mode".
* * *Joining the Mainstream*, by V.V. Sundaram *India Currents, *December 2008 On arrival at an US international airport, I rushed to pick a trolley, ahead of the other guy, in the style we are used to in India. My son asked me to relax and wait for my turn. All through the drive home thereafter, he gave me a dressing down on the ‘do’s” and “dont’s” while in USA: be courteous, helpful, mingle, make friends [Be a Roman when you are in Rome]. l took these in the right spirit and followed them. To begin with, I threw to winds my customary dress code, and switched over to shorts. Back home any senior citizen in that attire would attract a second glance - less in admiration than in ridicule. We knew we should say *Hi* when there was an eye contact with a passerby. We practise this, more so during our daily morning walk. One weekend our son decided to join us. When we greeted unfailingly all the six or seven morning walkers who passed by, he clarified to us that when he briefed us what he actually meant was that *if there was an eye contact* then we should greet, and not make it a point to establish eye contact with everyone that passed by. “You are too late,“ we corrected him. All of them were regular walkers and that we had already established rapport - not only with them, with their accompanying dogs as well. Speaking of dogs, the other day during our walk, a lady stopped her car and asked us if we saw her Beagle, which had been missing since early morning. We said we had not seen one, but promised to get back to her on spotting it, if she cared to give her mobile number. The very next day, we spotted a dog - or, the dog spotted us, to be precise. It followed us through all the rounds, our best gimmicks to outsmart it – a sudden left turn, right turn, a roundabout, brisker pace short of running - of no avail. It followed us up to our doorstep. We guessed this must be that dog looking desperate to get to its owner and seeking our help. (On such occasions our ability to read the minds of such carnivorous mammal is at its best.) We rang up the lady and, meanwhile, offered the dog a bowl of milk to keep it on indirect leash till the lady came. She rushed in, but said this was not Beagle. We felt sorry for her. The following weekend, during the course of our window-shopping in a Mall, we stumbled upon a shop that traded dogs, cats and other pet animals. We went in, and saw one cage marked Beagle. ‘Here is the Beagle that the lady had lost’, we told our son victoriously. Guessing that I was all set to dial the lady’s number again, he hastened to clarify: ‘Dad, Beagle is a breed and not the name of a dog.’ Saddened though, we consoled ourselves that we had at least the intention to be helpful – and, well intended is half done. Within the national community, we got opportunities by the dozen to interact, thanks to the host of ‘bring your parents also’ kind of invitations that my son and daughter-in-law received. On all such occasions my solitary aim was to look around for someone to make friends with, in my age group – the senior citizen clan or thereabouts. The neighbourhood. The take-off was a little slow but sure. Confined to home as we are for most part of the day, the interaction has been more with the homemakers than with their husbands. Beginning with a hi, how is it going, the weather is pretty warm isn’t it, the relationship has graduated to exchange of home-made eatables each specialized in, followed by exchange of information. One of them has adopted two African-American children, and two Caucasian kids. Another has sponsored the education of two Nepalese children up to the college level. The senior is about to reach college level and she sought our views on getting him admission in a medical college in India. With the date for our departure nearing, Cathy, Sandra, Julia, Eleana, and the other neighbours have all become so friendly with us that they, on their part, are keen to visit India as we are to welcome them. They no longer identify India with snake-charmers and elephants. As for my wife she has already mentally re-decorated our guest room for such a possible visit. It is a small world, isn’t it? V.V. Sundaram Phoenix 28 October 2011
