A Butt of jokes
One U.S. Desi is a software guy
Two U.S. Desis is a lunch group at work
Three U.S. Desis is a bitching session about the U.S.
Four U.S. Desis is four software guys, heating tamarind rice in the
office microwave, cooked that morning, in their shared one bedroom
apartment, and bitching about life in the U.S.
For some nothing can be farther from truth, for the rest its life depicted in a quartet. In today's money crazy world a visit to the "onsite" location (not abroad) is considered a ticket to fame; a barometer of success - something akin to plum Govt. postings of yore. An Indian working in the software industry for a couple or more years without a trip in considered a dud. For many the very reason of joining the industry is also the same. Its a crazy obsession. Check out the Orkut profiles of few of them - career interest does include “Waiting for the free onsite trip".
This breed comprises those for whom a trip to a foreign location becomes a family prestige issue, a pride heirloom and god only knows what else. Certain categorically state that this improves their "marriageability" - with increased of dowry thrown in for added measure. So the fact remains that you have to visit US at least once.
But then everything is not a piece of cake. Temperature/Climate is the first problem. Certain areas are very cold. six months of winter pass off with the temperature rarely hitting the positive scale. Food is vastly different. A non-existent social life coupled with the fact that one does not know how to drive; plus saving money is the motive so traveling is out of question. Life acquires hellish qualities - my dear friend neither can you live with it nor without it.
First they will pester their bosses to send them to US or other locations.... bhejo bhejo bhejo ..... and when they are sent out here when the ground reality strikes them wapas lao, wapas lao is the mantra. That’s when the Bitching portion starts off. The problem is that a bulk of them have never stepped outside their house, never tasted any food other than rice and dal/sambar. So the first casualty out here is the food. They can’t eat the food out here. Carry their own food to the workplace and mange to permanently stink out the entire kitchen area. The Americans hate that but somehow they couldn’t care any less. Most of them cant speak a full sentence in English without stammering. Add to in the Tams,Tels, Mals and Kans (they form the bulk in the industry) have names that will make it to the Tongue-Twister hall of fame.
Believe me they have made themselves a butt of jokes in this country. And seriously it does not take much to enjoy life in this country or to earn respect of the people out here. Most have done it without trying to become American themselves. Neither is accent faking required, nor would you have to drink alcohol to earn that. My unit head spent a decade in this country, still a veggie and teetotaler, and still receives a "We Miss you" card every year from the CEO of the company for which he worked as a Vendor.
Firstly The life of an average Joe in the software engineer is a very restrictive one. His world is limited to JAVA, Mainframe, .Net and the like. Software Guy A meets Software Guy B what do they discuss: Evidently its got to be C#, VB, COBOL or CICS. That’s the beginning and end of their horizon. Or the discussion finally will divert to salary concerns and finally "onsite". With no creative hobby the guy is a wreck to start of with whose source of entertainment is Beer on Fridays..... Broaden your horizon, Get a hobby, get a life....
Secondly, Learn to drive, cook and live by yourself. Stop being a kid. Life will be a breeze if you are able to do these 3 things.
Thirdly, speak fluent English so that you be well understood and comprehended. Appreciate American sense of humor and throw in your one-liners once in a while. If a Yankee laughs at your joke - that’s it. Be confident in your work and show them you know what you are doing. Walk the talk....
Fourthly, stop being a stingy miser and travel around.
Finally, be flexible in your food habits and go slow on the chameli ka tel or nariyal tel. Man that stinks.....
Frankly our problem is that we can never be satisfied with what we have and where we are. Act as Ambassadors of the country and dont turn yourself into a butt of jokes.
Two U.S. Desis is a lunch group at work
Three U.S. Desis is a bitching session about the U.S.
Four U.S. Desis is four software guys, heating tamarind rice in the
office microwave, cooked that morning, in their shared one bedroom
apartment, and bitching about life in the U.S.
For some nothing can be farther from truth, for the rest its life depicted in a quartet. In today's money crazy world a visit to the "onsite" location (not abroad) is considered a ticket to fame; a barometer of success - something akin to plum Govt. postings of yore. An Indian working in the software industry for a couple or more years without a trip in considered a dud. For many the very reason of joining the industry is also the same. Its a crazy obsession. Check out the Orkut profiles of few of them - career interest does include “Waiting for the free onsite trip".
This breed comprises those for whom a trip to a foreign location becomes a family prestige issue, a pride heirloom and god only knows what else. Certain categorically state that this improves their "marriageability" - with increased of dowry thrown in for added measure. So the fact remains that you have to visit US at least once.
But then everything is not a piece of cake. Temperature/Climate is the first problem. Certain areas are very cold. six months of winter pass off with the temperature rarely hitting the positive scale. Food is vastly different. A non-existent social life coupled with the fact that one does not know how to drive; plus saving money is the motive so traveling is out of question. Life acquires hellish qualities - my dear friend neither can you live with it nor without it.
First they will pester their bosses to send them to US or other locations.... bhejo bhejo bhejo ..... and when they are sent out here when the ground reality strikes them wapas lao, wapas lao is the mantra. That’s when the Bitching portion starts off. The problem is that a bulk of them have never stepped outside their house, never tasted any food other than rice and dal/sambar. So the first casualty out here is the food. They can’t eat the food out here. Carry their own food to the workplace and mange to permanently stink out the entire kitchen area. The Americans hate that but somehow they couldn’t care any less. Most of them cant speak a full sentence in English without stammering. Add to in the Tams,Tels, Mals and Kans (they form the bulk in the industry) have names that will make it to the Tongue-Twister hall of fame.
Believe me they have made themselves a butt of jokes in this country. And seriously it does not take much to enjoy life in this country or to earn respect of the people out here. Most have done it without trying to become American themselves. Neither is accent faking required, nor would you have to drink alcohol to earn that. My unit head spent a decade in this country, still a veggie and teetotaler, and still receives a "We Miss you" card every year from the CEO of the company for which he worked as a Vendor.
Firstly The life of an average Joe in the software engineer is a very restrictive one. His world is limited to JAVA, Mainframe, .Net and the like. Software Guy A meets Software Guy B what do they discuss: Evidently its got to be C#, VB, COBOL or CICS. That’s the beginning and end of their horizon. Or the discussion finally will divert to salary concerns and finally "onsite". With no creative hobby the guy is a wreck to start of with whose source of entertainment is Beer on Fridays..... Broaden your horizon, Get a hobby, get a life....
Secondly, Learn to drive, cook and live by yourself. Stop being a kid. Life will be a breeze if you are able to do these 3 things.
Thirdly, speak fluent English so that you be well understood and comprehended. Appreciate American sense of humor and throw in your one-liners once in a while. If a Yankee laughs at your joke - that’s it. Be confident in your work and show them you know what you are doing. Walk the talk....
Fourthly, stop being a stingy miser and travel around.
Finally, be flexible in your food habits and go slow on the chameli ka tel or nariyal tel. Man that stinks.....
Frankly our problem is that we can never be satisfied with what we have and where we are. Act as Ambassadors of the country and dont turn yourself into a butt of jokes.
posted by shaun's world at
12:32 PM
1 Comments:
this one is amazing! wat sense of humour!!
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