Home and Away......

".......
pata nahi crazy kyun wilayt layi,
Punjab ich saariyaan kuwaariyaan.
Phool koi wilayt wala lay gaya,
hor chunta mai reh gaya kiyaariyaan......"

Firstly apologies if my Punjabi written above is not correct, but thats what I was able to make of a punjabi folk song that I heard a while ago. The rough translation by yours truly is written below for those who arent familiar with the language.

* dont know why crazy for foreign lands,
are all these maidens of Punjab.
The flower's been plucked by the man from foreign lands,
and I am left, picking at the flower bed....*

And I quote this song here today because this idea is whats been running thru my head - off and on......for a while now.

India, the developed nation full of educated females and (ahem!) decent boys... but you still come across a female every once in a while who just cant wait to get married to a guy from foreign lands and get away!! And I dont think this is the case with 'Punjabi' females alone...as stated by the song above - and although I am trying my best not to use the lyrics out of context, the idea still rings true for a lot of young adults in my homeland.

I'm not sure what irks me more -
* A Bollywood star flaunting a US of A flag shirt...
* A shaadi.com advert with prefered partner to hail from US of A or Inglaand or Canedda!
* A desi mom in India talking to her 3 year old in English and not feeding the kid his porridge till he says 'Yes, Mommy!' ..

I wonder......
-- Why dosen't the 'Bollywood' star wear the Indian flag shirt with just as much enthusiasm ? - *on a day when India is not playing a cricket match!*
-- Why the first preference of a possible mate from foreign? And will the girl compromise with a uneducated or useless foreign boy instead of an educated and self-sufficiant guy from next door?
-- What is going on here? Does 'Yes, Mommy!' make the kid more lovable or let the pompous 'Mommy' have another thing to brag about to her kitty friends?!

..................
I do not understand........

I admit that I wanted to study overseas since I was 14... it was the most exciting idea my teen head could comprehend! And I was proud of myself when I finally accomplished that dream three years later. But when I came here and met other Indians from my homeland, I realised that some had very different and some even totally wierd perceptions and views about India. And because intentionally or unintentionally I fall in the same category as them - I fear of being categorised as the 'females who cant get enough of foreign land!'

I am not practising what I preach.....
I am going to turn into them - even if I'm not like them just yet....

Is this the beginning of an identity crisis for me?! Are any of you out there in foreign lands facing a similar dilemma? Are you the people of my homeland thinking - what the hell is she complaining about? .......??