The strangeness of return
Balle balle, Bombay to L.A.:
It took me three days of work just to exit India (foreigner registration, converting rupees to dollars 10K at a time, filling out two pages of forms and having my passport photocopied). In contrast, in London they converted the remainder in seven minutes flat without even asking for ID. The immigration guy in L.A. must’ve scanned my passport, but I don’t remember him even opening it. In Bombay I got shaken down by customs last year; in L.A. I waltzed through the green channel with four large packages.
The roads are wide and the cars are fast. Everything’s smooth and sleek, like upgrading your software. There’s a lady curling her eyelashes at 70 miles per hour.
The L.A. burbs are featureless, a texture-for-infrastructure tradeoff. We’ll trade you street vendors for sealed roads. Where are all the people?
The bills are so strange. Green and all the same size. How do you tell them apart?
Stop converting prices into rupees. Everything’s such a ripoff, you’ll only give yourself a heart attack.
Huntington Beach is ghostly, like a neutron bomb went off. What happened to the humans?
After a year in India, I’m craving great Mexican food.
After the garba we grab beer and nachos at a TGIF. I’m the only one in a fancy kurta. I pretend not to speak English.
I used to eat at a California pizza place in Bandra twice a week and became friends with the owner. The caterer at this L.A. wedding turns out to be his brother.
Ahh, to brush your teeth again without bottled water.
I spy a couple at the baraat who hail from Chembur. We group-miss Bombay for half an hour.
on Monday, April 23rd, 2007, 9:20 pm in Bombay, Food, Musings, Travel › 
Email this
› 
Facebook this
› 
Reddit this
› Link
› Reader links
I don’t know what you’re missing, but I’m missing it too.
you were supposed to come by n see me before you left :(
i can’t wait to go back… but i don’t want to leave either ….
so, are you back for good?
“The roads are wide and the cars are fast. Everything’s smooth and sleek, like upgrading your software.” This shows that you reached States..:) Good one and I hope difference like this will make you remember India.
Chembur to Compton. That’s quite a journey.
Do you miss the cacophony of car/auto/truck horns? Not having to use bottled water is wonderful. What’s just as wonderful is the ready access to public toilets (ahem, RESTrooms, actually).
You left out the reliable, inexpensive broadband… ;-)
I was supposed to do lots of things before I left, A. :(
I’m thankful for the quiet in the morning. The koyals and crows are fine, but I don’t miss the rick bleating at all.
Seriously, I had better broadband at the hotel the first day I arrived than at home in Bombay all year.
welcome back, stateside-Vij!
When I got back from India, last time, i strangely missed the loud morning wake-up call of the local Laughing Club. While i was there, I found them ridiculous and made fun of them regularly… but on returning home, I actually missed the sound in the mornings because at least I’d start the day with a smirk or smile.
welcome back to high-speed internet.
I just flew back from my 7 day trip to Delhi.
The first thing I always notice is that it is so QUIET here.
aaahh orange county.
welcome back!
Have you bitten into any cold, crispy, crunchy salads with a layer of golden, grilled chicken on top and dressing on the side and warm apples and roasted walnuts yet? Lord, can’t wait!
i have three words for you: malai kulfi gelato. :-P
I’m still peeved you have short changed your own home town. Come back to Berkeley and have a pear gelato –the roads are narrow and the cars are bike, but the broadband is fast.