Amreeka Post

Ok! I have to do a देहाती in अमरीका post. I mean its a tradition. I know its practically 2010 and both you and your  'co-brother' have been here. Anyway will try to keep this short.


Biggest achievement so far: Managing to avoid listening to 'New York Nagaram'  even once. Proud of me for that.


Best 'wow' moment: I have had two, the first was the day I landed, and was on the way to the hotel. Utterly unimpressed with JFK airport (and coming from the Hyderabad airport, can you blame me?), and when we hit the expressway, I suddenly caught the Manhattan skyline...that was like wow.... but.


It was day 3, and here I was looking for my subway station so that I could reach 'home'.  I was searching for '42nd Street' station, and was walking while reading my printed out walking directions (courtesy google). At one place, I stopped to take a moment, and looked up.


And there it was.... Times Square. In all its glory
And that was... Wow!!!


First 'am home' moment: Again, there have been a couple. The first was on day 3, when I reached New York Penn station, without looking at or asking for directions.Now my commute to Madison Avenue everyday has become a routine. I walk 'on autopilot' through the streets and from the Port Authority Bus Terminal to the 42nd Street station.  


But the winner is surely when I gave precise directions to an American lady. 


Best Musical Moment: Since we are  giving a nomination and a winner format apparently. The nominee includes, listening to "O Saaya!" (from Slumdog) and "Chaiyya Chaiyya" while riding the metro....i mean the subway...or whatever. But the winner was...


Listening to "Tera hone laga hoon" from Ajab Prem on the iPod, on a cold winter evening walk, when it started snowing lightly and there were loads of dry maple leaves on the empty street. 


Biggest Peeve: American patience. Seriously. And these are New Yorkers, who are supposed to be impatient and rude and all. The other day, we were in a long queue waiting for the bus. And  the lady at the front of the queue is reading something. The bus arrives. The lady continues reading. The bus driver does not honk. The people behind her do not say "Aage jao, diktha nahi he kya?". One lady ahead of me did say "Ah. the bus has come. Its a shame she hasn't seen it yet.". We waited for about 5 minutes, till the female decided to look up, notice the bus and the queue moved. 


And don't get me started with the kids. The kids.... especially in supermarkets. Screaming, shootin spitballs at each other, grabbing food and eating it, riding the carts like the were gokarts, and did I mention the screaming? 


Oh crap! This has turned out to be a rather long post.. will shut up now. Stay tuned for more Amreeka Posts.