Editorial Music & Arts Humour Short Story Musings Reflections Guest Column Book Review Voice It Art of Living Prev Issue Next Issue

A friend of mine who had just gone to the US for higher studies had sent me an email describing the "environment" over there to which I had sent some sort of a reply. It is more than a couple of years when this exchange took place so I can’t reconstruct both the emails word to word but shall attempt to do so at least with the contents. Also I shall refer to my friend as Z. The mails go thus.

hi GP,

   am ok here. miss everyone back home. in the process of making friends here. us is a great place though evythng gets done in time unlike in india, ppl don’t make excuses. Also streets are abs clean, no street dogs no cows on roads, traffic is orderly, no dust, no pollution. I like my univ 2. nice facilities u can get a comp whenever u want. plenty of entertainment here they regularly show movies here. u know what I like though unlike my hostel in Bombay we have water all day. u’ll like it here 2. but no place like home.

Bye
Z

Dear Z,

   I find your description of things over there extremely disturbing. In fact after considerable thought I have come to the conclusion that you are living in a truly awful place. Let me explain. To start with you so proudly boast about the fact that getting access to a computer is no problem there. How sad. Don’t you know that computer addiction is one of the biggest problems facing the current generation these days. What do the people out there want to do, turn everyone into a computer nerd? Look at the institutes here by keeping the student to computer ratio within balanced proportions they have assured that the chances of getting access to that wretched machine is less than the chances of India winning a test series against South Africa in South Africa. Sure shot way of ensuring that people don’t turn into geeks.

Also you mention about them showing you movies regularly. What sort of an educational environment is this? Do people come here to learn or enjoy? To me it seems that the situation is worse outside your campus. No animals on streets. How cruel. Outrageous in fact, how come all the animal freedom right associations allow this, perhaps they are not honest to their work. Things seem even worse though, what did you say the traffic is orderly? My dear fellow, chaos rather than order is the nature of this universe, what business do these Americans have in meddling with the laws of nature. There has to be a limit to the atrocities that man can commit otherwise nature shall seek its own revenge. Trying to bring order into a chaotic world is never good. And why is it that you are so relieved about the lack of dust and pollution, don’t you realize that by living in such an unhealthy environment your resistance against diseases is going to decrease? It seems to me that you have forgotten how to think logically. Let me cite another example, you are so happy that everything gets done on time. Fool, don’t you understand that if everything gets done on time and the facilities are excellent then you don’t have any excuse for not working. Whom do you plan to blame when something goes wrong? You have a serious problem, my friend and you need to sort it out.

Finally but not the least I hate the way you gloat about the lack of water scarcity. In my view you shall soon forget the true value of this scarce quantity. Anyone who does not understand the true value of things ends up as a spoilt brat. I fear the same is going to be with you. I am very sorry to see you in such a state. But what can I do being so far off I can do nothing except to sympathize with you. I’m unable to help you but fear not I shall pray for you.

No I would find such a place rather unsettling.

You are correct. There is no place like home.

Take care you really need to,
GP

View and Post comment on this article