This is something from my mail archives, a mail I wrote when I just reached Malaysia in October 2000, my first experience long away from my land. I tried to share with all my friends and got diverse replies also.
Hi,
This place is really very good.... and very neat to get settled... but I really miss the noisy streets of India,the crowdy railway stations... the my Indians sleeping at Second class waiting room.... the conductor who is about to fall down of the bus ( but he never).......the doordarshan 'Om Namah Shivay'...... the Festivals mood ...... the passion and the love to celebarate other religions festivals( we find 80% hindus in Camp at Christmus... and Saradars... mullas, and alll with hindus in Ganapati days)......even I miss the 'red pitchakari' at the corners of stare case ... I even miss the corruption here...... the love when we hear the 'Takat vatan ki hamase hai, himmat vatan ki hamse hai'...... the autovala who makes all efforts to cheat passengers........the sweet radio tunes of all panpatties, the Panipurri and bhel.... now I feel Lucas also makes a nice bhel because I do not get anything here ..........the people with sense of extrovertness ... the friends with whom I shared the morsels ... eaten the GulabJamun with single spoon ..... smoked single Cigarette ... made the maifils .... at IMDR street ... at Balgandharva bridge.... shared the dreams....shared happiness...... when I am staying at 13 th floor of a tall Condominium, I miss the chawls of Mumbai ....... I miss the slums ...... here I have purchased a camera with 115 mm zoom but missed to catch the
Indian beauty.... which I really missed...... I miss the Indian girls.... all here are Chinky -pinkies ...... I think I will go mad when I will return and see a girl in Saree..... I do not know how much chapaties('polya') I will eat if see them in plate ..... I may go crazy to see the a puran poli.... Mahimhalava.... sutarfenni.... sonpapadi.. gulabJamun... the Idali... the Chhole... Paneer Butter Masala.... the fresh Lussi at Dhaba.... .....etc. etc. along with a caring mother, Strict father, naughty brother, jovial sister, kind grand parents, sweet niece, helping friends,supporting relatives and ....and ... and ...and.................................
People say .... some things out of this unending list are bad.... but i say though are bad... they are Indian... and so of mine .... and these things may be good or bad but these make me miss my beloved country India. I will say these are the keyword for the definition of the land of black magic( I do not know wheather it is 'black or white' but it is mine ), the Sadhus, Soofies, Gurusahib .... these people really respect the Indians not because we are Indians but because we are from the land of Budhha.....
