Restrospective

What a change the last 12 months have inflicted on my mind, soul and body!! I have tried to come to terms with a culture, who designs I was little aware of, notwithstanding all the globalisation and modernization and westernization of the third world hullabaloo, of which I was never a partaker; and on a more physical note, my face now sports way too many pimples than it previously did; and my brain jingles with far too many Bollywood songs that previously! :) But most importantly, I have realized, or at least I think I do, what makes the US so much different from the world, or rather, the community and the environment I was brought up in. I guess my wonder and amazement and intrigue that I have experienced from time to time since last august, has more to do with the kind of upbringing I have been fortunate (or in some respects, not so much) to have. Had I grown up in some posh suburb of Mumbai or Bangalore, or for that matter, some elite neighbourhood of Kolkata, I am pretty sure, I wouldn't have gaped at half the things I have been over the last year. But, it was too bad that I was brought up in an area where the mean age of the residents was probably around 50 and attended a school which was meant more for children from middle class families than anyone else, let alone spending half my leisure with my grandparents, in whose company I seldom experienced a "generation gap" which most teenagers of my generation are prone to. No wonder i grew up to be a fish out of water in most social gatherings where the mean age of the participants was close to mine; and no wonder that I was not accustomed to the Westernized lifestyle that lot of my affluent friends led. One trivial example might be that I didn't own a pair of jeans until I was 16, and my first trip to Pantaloons, which is usually one of the standard retail favourites with most young folks, was in Class 11, thanks to a gift voucher I received from an aunt on account of my board exam. results. I did not know what my friends were talking about half the time, when the topic was entertainment, because I was always infinitely more interested in sports, which tends to be not a very appealing subject for girls. I did not have cable T.V., which is why my entertainment I.Q. was always hilariously low. And yet, after all that, it was I, the classic-Hindi movie loving (derived from my father, who instilled in me the love for Hemant-asha-mahendra kapoor and the goldies of yore), cricket-fanatic, western-pop-musically-challenged nerd that ended up in the land of Kanye and Kitchen Garden, while the Kanye-loving folks went to the places (read J.U./ISI) I hankered for all through my last few years in high school. An epic irony......

Right from the inception of my sojourn in Berkeley, I have felt the "culture shock" that is a standard component of the life every undergrad. leaving his/her over-protective parental canopy to pursue an education in the land of opportunites. Starting from the low-necklines and shorts that are as short as you can imagine, to the public display of emotions, everything that seems to be a virtual taboo back home, seems to be a normal way of life here. Not all aspects of the shock are negative though. There are certain amazing things too...like the organization and meticulousness that accompanies every task here. Every thing seems to run perfectly, every item of amenity seems to come in abundance; the dining halls serve piles of food (people waste in piles too); you feel spoilt for choice in a grocery store; any class that you take comes with tons of resources; in the library where I work, instructions for every staff member is well documented! After all America isn't the superpower for nothing!

The question which most intrigues me however, is American's harrowing obsession (almost to th point where it starts getting really really sickening) with certain pet social issues: unisex marriage, abortion rights and gun-possession rights. My Political science class this summer has served brilliantly to enhance the intensity of my amazement! Having come from a country, where ensuring the basic means of subsistence becomes the political priority (in theory of course, certainly not in practice), I am totally stunned to find that the positions taken on these sensitve social issues that I outlined above become extremely important in ascertaining a candidate's election chances. In India, no one gives a damn about your opinion on abortion rights...maybe some do, but they constitute only the top 1% of the society: the elite! The general mass is too preoccupied with other things to think much about abortion. In the US however, supporting abortion is sure to ruin your chances in the conservative section of the society. I guess, this fundamental difference in political priorities, and campaign rhetoric stems from the fact that we after all, are a 3rd world nation and the US is a giant superpower. People here can afford two square meals per day, if not anything else.....and this very comfort makes them a little more concerned about social issues than the average Indian who goes hungry every other day. A filled belly is definitely more conducive to intellectual high-ended thinking; an empty stomach constricts the scope of thinking into a single issue: FOOD!

The Pandemonium called North American Bengali Conference

Bengalis have always borne the dubious distinction of being a terribly self-centred race..and they aptly lived up to the notoriety at the recently concluded North American Bengali Conference (2-5 July 2009), NABC in short, fondly known as Banga Sammelan to the "Bongs" worldwide! I had the "honour" of attending the event as one uninitiated into "NRI public relation-skills" and so, came away far more disappointed than a seasoned "Banga Sammelan hopper", at the same old story of mismanagement and confusion reigning supreme, as is typical of most Bengali cultural shows and ceremonies! I do not harbour any ill feelings against my own community; but it is certainly no exaggeration to say that one would expect a little more professionalism from a host of very established and talented individuals who were entrusted with the organisation and management of this mess; and yet these are the people who hold some of the most prestigious positions in some of the most esteemed companies in the Silicon Valley. I wonder what the reason for this apparently inexplicable anomaly is.

The unprofessionalism was glaringly evident right from the moment we stepped into the huge lobby of the San Jose McEnery Convention Centre. There was no one to be seen at the reception for registration, and I am pretty sure no one would have bothered even if we had headed staright upstairs without caring to sign in. After a patient wait, when a man finally showed up (probably to shoo us off for being courteous enough to wait for registrationp; at least his face did not betray any other emotion other than one of terrible annoyance), there was a lot of confusion as he tried to look up our names in the computer. When the passes ultimately got ready, the man discovered that he had run out of both the lanyard as well as the plastic covers for the passes. Consequently, we had to make do with just the small pieces of loose paper. More enquiries from us for a map of the building and a schedule of the events met with a deeper frown as we were informed that all those were to arrive at 2 p.m. in the afternoon; and we did not feel like reminding him that it was half past two already.

The food on the first day too proved to be as good as the people organising the whole event. The only thing worth mentioning here was that the caterer kept running out of Chicken in the thing that was apparently "Chicken Biriyani"; and so most people had to be content with the Aloo from Aloo Dum. The consequence was that the following day, we carried with ourselves a massive bag full of supplies (which ranged from Masala Chai in a therm. to Sandwiches with Guacamole spread and even Mac and Cheese for the little Nino), and had a much better meal (both in terms of convenience and taste; convenience because we could munch away happily as we watched Shaan, instead of having to scurry for the elusive chicken and rice; and taste , most obviously because, Sumididi is a most wonderful cook, to whom the ruddy people of Swagat caterers turn deathly pale in comparison)!

On the concluding day, after a host of "upcoming talent" in the Bengali music industry had triumphantly managed to put the crowd in a deep slumber, Shaan and the musical wonder Anwesha Dutta Gupta brought the asleep masses back to life. There is no point lamenting that the modern generation is becoming increasingly inclined towards western and Indi-pop culture. This is a pretty inevitable consequence of the poor quality of music that our very own bengali musicians are producing most diligently, year after year, without the slightest desire to innovate or improve. The bengali music industry is fast approaching doomsday....it is actually surprising to see it still breathing!