Beyond Language Barriers!

Here is a favorite picture that I want to share. It is one of my son conversing with his great-grandmother in Delhi, India. This was an amazing bond and sight to behold as each technically had no clue as to what the other was talking about. An almost four-year old chattering nineteen to dozen innocently in American-accented English to an almost hundred year old rather crusty lady who did not know a word of English and was almost blind and bed-ridden. "Mataji" as she was called ("Mata" means mother in Hindi and "ji" is a suffix that is added to show respect)was my ex's grandmother and lived at the bottom-level of his parents' home. Alone in a semi-independent unit at the mercy of the family servants to take care of her, Mataji was lonely and almost morbidly self-absorbed in her numerous medical ailments. She was not someone you messed with yet this is a story of how she became a cream-puff in the company of her great grandson who oblivious to his very austere and rather sad surroundings enthralled her with his baby fantasies...

Life got away with everyone and as is apt to happen, folks living in that house were caught up in their own affairs, so this lady would spend her time in prayers, her day brightened by brief visits from family and friends. (Note the pictures of the Hindu deities on the wall and the sill- it is typical of most Hindu homes to have their gods in their most-used living space.)

As is the story of most Indian immigrants, we tend to go back to the ancestral home regularly, taking our kids with us so that they get a chance to meet the family back home and also remain in touch with their roots. So in those years, we use to fly to India almost on an annual basis. Here on our first visit, my son would daily run down stairs, literally squat Indian-style on his great-grandmother's bed and prattle away with her about his little world in English. Being a first-generation American, he did not know a word of Hindi- India's main language or Punjabi our native dialect. Am not proud of the fact, but we had gotten used to conversing totally in English here in US - actually always did even back home in Delhi because English is the spoken language of the educated in the cosmpololitan cities. Obviously my son did not know Hindi at all. Today thanks to watching Hindi Bollywood movies with English sub-titles, he just knows enough to realize when he is being yelled at- funny how much more effective a scolding seems in your own native tongue.

Anyway lack of Hindi language skills not deter my son. He would narrate with emphatic gestures his Ninja Turtle escapades and she would listen to his childish voice prattling away - every now and then asking indulgently in Punjabi, anybody nearby as to what the heck was the child babbling. Didn't matter. That was a token question. Both the child and the great-grandmother understood each other in the language that counts - the language of familial bonds and love. Both were just content to be in each other's company...

Anyway let us head over to Candid Carrie's world and seeing what else is going on...

Yikes I have been tagged - Be a Sport and Play Along- Please!!!

This morning, I got a pleasant surprise from one of my new friends in the fascinating world of blogging, Sandi McBride, a very interesting writer whose blog I now visit daily to enjoy her candid views on life- a woman after my own heart. Calling me "intriguing" - I wonder why since I am so open- and wanting to know more about me, she tagged me with a meme.

Before I proceed further, let me list the rules. Thereafter, I will ponder over and write six random things about myself:

First things first, the rules:

1) Link to the person who tagged you.
2) Post the rules on your blog (copy and paste 1-6).
3) Write 6 random things about yourself (see below).
4) Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them.
5) Let each person know they have been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6) Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

Ok now on to six "interesting" aspects about myself-this is not as easy as I thought it would be. But what the heck-here goes:

1) Though I have been in the US for almost 23 years now, I am still straddling two worlds of American and Indian cultures especially as a single mom and a single woman. The cultural rules in both the roles are very different and I am still trying to find that fine balance. By the same token, I feel I have an interesting perspective on life since I have been exposed to both worlds. Yet, it hits me daily how at the end of the day, human nature is the same across global boundaries... Cliched I know but still so true!

2)I am a woman of passion - no not that type only, but I have a passion for life - I have to have a passion for whatever I do otherwise I don't deliver. It is an all or nothing approach. I am a strong woman who cares deeply for people and issues and therein lies my vulnerability to hurt and I never seem to learn. Regardless, I am not one for the faint-hearted man. In other words, I will not act like a coy damsel in distress or play games to get a man's attention. Yet I am female in the truest sense of the word but with a strong mind of her own - a study in contradictions. So the quest for the Unintimidated One continues... Is he out there is the million dollar question?

3) Related to the above, I am a straight shooter and often end up putting my foot in my mouth but do not hesitate to apologize if I inadvertently hurt someone's feelings. But if you ask for my opinion - you will get it- the good, the bad and the ugly-not unvarnished but as I see it! Essentially what you see is what you get. Actually, I will even say "sorry" many times even when I am not, just to keep peace. So unnecessary ego is not high up in my priorities, but harmony certainly is.

4) I love learning all the time not just in the structured classroom environment but from life. I am like a sponge and will pick up and retain information all the time. I grew up surrounded by books, more books and even more books. This soaking up of knowledge has been facilitated even more due to the fact that I have had a varied career path from a novice journalist- didn't last more than two months, to a high school teacher, to retail management, to a paralegal in the middle of huge corporate litigation, to finally a policy analyst- my niche... It has been both very trying and yet enriching.... So now I can dabble and pontificate a bit about the British constitutional history and why Charles I got beheaded, my own country India's freedom struggle under Gandhi, smoking and various carcinomas due to my work on tobacco litigation, retail marketing and why the stores are so annoying in terms of playing "jingle bells, jingle bells" as early as beginning of November, to whether those big power cables outside your homes are distribution or transmission wires and the politics of energy... Just enough potpourri of knowledge to keep pace and survive in the DC rat race!

5)I am very instinctive and have often stumped folks by my "predictions" which are essentially listening to your inner voice along with being acutely observant and perceptive, things that folks put way past me because I am on the surface so garrulous. They cannot imagine me that I am acutely listening or observing at the same time while I am breathlessly running together hundred words a minute especially when I am excited which is very often, so the world is easily fooled/astounded when I put forward my deductions that are pretty much on target. Does that make sense? Needless to say, I do talk to myself especially when I am agitated but I don't answer myself yet! Oh I even thought at one time I could get on the psychic hotlines for 50 cents a minute. Did not - just kidding!

6) I studied throughout in a Catholic school run by Irish-Italian nuns in New Delhi and since then have developed an abhorrence for rules in general and any kind of religious proselytizing. Actually, I have a serious problem with any kind of "holier than thou" or fundamentalist attitude in any sphere of life and believe in live and let live. As a Hindu, I am still trying to come to terms with this organized religion viewpoint because Christianity was not the main religion in India. Needless to say, I was a handful for the nuns in the all-girls Catholic school. Yet they loved me, the rebel child! I think they basically forgave me for all the pranks because I also delivered academically and most importantly because my dad paid through his nose for that education... I will write a post on those days at some point. In all seriousness, I owe the nuns for the academic discipline that has been an integral part of my life.

Ok, now it is my turn to send this meme to six other people who I sincerely hope will play along at whatever level they like. I have to admit this made me indulge in a bit of the introspection and soul-searching which is never a bad thing...

The six folks I am tagging are:

Carey-Sue, someone whom I have become very fond of, whose positive attitude despite so many life's challenges is something I try to emulate. A beautiful person inside and out, she is very easy to love.

Inger-Lis who is a very bright young mother of a two year old and whose views on life are refreshing in their honesty. There is something about her which resonates with me.

Cyclingred is the other name I am putting down here because his single-minded zealous advocacy of biking in a crazy metropolitan area like DC is something to be admired as is his sense of humor and interesting twist on the seemingly mundane things in life.

The other person I would like to tag is Bragger, she is a high school English teacher with a tremendous sense of humor and her writing takes me back to my own days as a high school history teacher. A very nice down to earth lady whose blog I visit daily.

I am thrilled to have recently discovered Moannie, a British lady who is a prolific writer. It is a real treat to read her blog. Her sense of humor reminds me as to how much I miss reading PG Wodehouse, the greatest humorist of all time. The British sense of humor in my opinion is truly unbeatable!

And last but certainly not the least, I would like to tag Elizabeth who seems to have a very rich and deep perspective on life for someone so young. She writes well and is very non-insular in her life approach being well versed with the works of many world philosophers.

I think I have covered all bases. I hope all those tagged will play along as it is always fun to know more about the folks who have become part of a blogging community...

Eagles, the Band that Never Dies!!!! A Trip Down Memory Lane...

This past Thursday, I attended the Eagles concert in DC. And it was a mind-blowing experience. There must have been thousands of middle-aged Americans including me who went totally berserk when the the well-suited Eagles sang "Lying Eyes," "Hotel California," "Take it Easy," and other greatest hits. Of course, having a great dinner with a margarita and great company certainly made it even more so! I am eternally grateful to my friend, Bruce, for asking me out to this concert because it was a once in a lifetime experience!

There were a few kids in their pre-teens who had clearly been dragged under duress by their over-excited parents because my friend and I visibly cringed and ruefully grinned when we heard disgusted remarks from them to the effect of "look at those dweebs". These unflattering comments were muttered spontaneously as the sight of the mostly in their forties and older crowd swaying and singng along to the tune of songs like "One of these nights". That sight was a bit much for their young Britney Spear-ridden souls. Don Henley and his peers well into their late middle age probably were dinosaurs for these youngsters but who cares!

For me, listening to the Eagles took me back to my years growing up back home in New Delhi. It was amazing how we the younger Delhites were so up to speed with the Western music in the seventies and the eighties. Some how, we were able to get the latest cassettes (CDs etc came later) from our friends and family in US.

Attending a college music festival in Delhi University during my undergrad days when yes university students had their bands and would perform the latest Western music in university competitions.

I remember how my younger brother and I used to regularly pester our older brother, who was here in the US at the time, studying for his doctorate at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, to send us the latest music from the US. Over the years, he sent us the latest albums by the SuperTramp, Doors, the Beatles, America, the Eagles and on and on. Seriously between all of us friends studying at the Delhi University, we had covered almost all the genres of music from Broadway musicals, to classical, the the blues and Classic rock...

One person would get a new album and the rest of us would make copies of the same. I still have vivid memories of how my late younger brother and I pooled our pocket money to buy the latest Akai Stereo system which drove our father nuts. He a lover of Western classical music had no patience at all for this loud "monkey" music as he termed it.


Here my friend and I are dancing to a Donna Summer song. It was not unusual for girlfriends to just get up and start dancing to a peppy number.

Being almost the youngest of seven siblings, I was exposed to different generational music over the years. The oldest three brothers would hum along tunelessly and painfully to songs like "Hang down your head Tom Dooley", "Lipstick on your collar", the Polka dot bikini number and Elvis Presley hits etc. Nowhere was the generation gap between the oldest and youngest sibling more evident as from the choice of music in our bustling home.

Here is a picture that I barely salvaged of an older brother sporting the Elvis look. He drove us nuts with his awful rendition of Presleys numbers... Mercifully, he stopped short of those hip gyrations! Ashok is the only brother who lives in Delhi now.

The All India Radio used to have slots of time dedicated to Western Music both classical and pop and the popular comperes would dedicate songs at the requests of the callers something on the lines of "To the pretty girl in the red blouse from the captain of the college cricket team" or just plain messages like wishing someone Happy Birthday etc etc. I recall the program was called, "Date with you." Interestingly though dating was not the norm in India, there were no such inhibitions with respect to music.

The student parties at universities played the latest disco music from here and Motown was well known... I vividly recall how "Lying Eyes' by the Eagles became the number associated with loooooong slow dances... Yes slow dances were there, but were considered a big no no unless you were going "steady" with your partner. Generally, dances without body contact were considered respectable and the norm.

I would be remiss if I did not mention that Indian cities in my time also had discos which played the latest Western music with the works including strobe lights. I was allowed to go to the disco heavily chaperoned by older brothers on such occasions like New Year's. Things have changed now and I got a culture shock when I saw my younger female cousins dolling up in late evenings to head to the disco to dance the night away in their chauffeur driven cars... The number of discotheques in Delhi have increased manifold and there are sophisticated nightclubs or pubs with dance floors and music situated in luxurious five-star hotels...

So New Delhi and India's big cities have been keeping pace with the Western music culture. Rock music was introduced in India in the 60s and 70s. Remember the Beatles visited India and brought their music with them. Later on in late 70s and eighties, there started a fusion of Indian and Western music. Now there are many Indian rock bands and the momentum has been quietly growing with the introduction of MTV in India in the early 90s. The influence and the intermingling of the Western and Indian culture is very evident in many songs where instruments from both cultures have been used like the sitar in the Beatles song and the Western drums etc in many Bollywood numbers.


Check out this video of Indian Rock (Punjabi): Bombay Rockers ft. Overseas - Ari Ari

Of course, like everything else, things have changed completely. Due to globalization, the kids back home are all into Ipods etc. just like the kids here but what the folks back home do miss are live concerts by legends like the Eagles. Remember we are only talking western music here as Indian music concerts by the artistes are of course ubiquitous...

No Legs Please - We are Indian!!

The seemingly mundane picture above is not really so! It was taken within the first few months of my arrival in the US. This picture along with others, few of which I am sharing here caused a big tizzy with my in-laws back home in New Delhi. See below for context...

India in the eighties believed in very traditional attire for the women as shown below. Generally women from genteel families wear such attire on a regular basis:

Here yours truly is with her close friend, Malini currently visiting US,in a silk tunic and pants attire (salwar-Kameez) with a scarf which is supposed be provide extra modesty. Modesty is key and skin exposure is very limited. Indian fabrics generally handwoven are of unbelievable beauty and rich colors...

Or

Here I am in a sari or six yards of material gracefully swathed around the figure which allows a nice waistline to be seen or hidden depending on the challenges to the figure with a brief peek at the cleavage depending on how you want the loose end of the sari to drape around you. Believe me, we Indian women can be very innovative depending on a number of factors. I have to say, we become very adept at walking very fast in this attire... It is considered rightfully so one of the most elegant attires in the world because one can do a lot with it, but that is not the point here.



Or at the most, they dressed like this:

Jeans were fine as long as they were not skintight. Indian girls back home were very creative in combining the Western attire with Indian jewelry like anklets so as not to lose their rich ethnic traditions in the process... The overall impact was quite feminine.

The above pictures of me in the traditional Indian attire indicate how my extremely conservative and orthodox former mother-in-law remembered me when I left India for the US. If she had her way, I would be just wearing my sari. My ex's family was a very traditional with a male-dominated set-up where my over-bearing mother-in-law ruled the homefront and her rule rather her command was you wore only a sari and that too with your head covered as a sign of respect for the elders at home. Of course, I never wore my jeans in my in-laws home. Are you kidding me!!!! Extremely stifled in my new home, I used to revert to my own identity with a vengeance when I came back to my parents' place while waiting for my visa to join my new husband in the US.

Anyway after I arrived in the US, I felt in my element in terms of being very comfortable in my own skin and completely adopted Western attire on a daily basis. It was not too much of a transition because I grew up in a family that was way ahead of the times in India, where high premium was paid to education and career regardless of whether you were a son or a daughter and there were no real taboos on attire etc. I grew up as a regular tomboy who competed with my six brothers on every level, intellectual or physical, the latter often to my dismay.

So in my characteristic enthusiasm, I started sending these pictures back home from US to show how "with it" I was - how well adapted. I had no clue at all in my naivete how I was agitating my mother-in-law by sending these pictures back home.
I think till this point, she was fine with my bundled look because no skin was showing...

But hell, you as a woman did NOT NOT show your legs once you were an adult or rather a teenager. Strangely displaying legs was a BIG NO NO! This picture shows me with my two brothers in California-I lost the one immediately next to me to leukemia last year. He was here in the US as a doctoral student at that time. This picture of me in shorts along with the first one at the top caused an uproar in Delhi. I on the other hand was thrilled to discover "LEGS" that were so unnaturally pale the first time I exposed them. Needless to say, it was a blissful feeling of freedom... Of course, my dear brothers probably egged me on to send on all those pictures-I was always the kid sister who was set up...


and you certainly did not show so much skin as I was doing so in my sun-dress while pregnant... First my LEGs, now my shoulders and no scarf for modesty-that was it!!!! I was doomed.


My in-laws certainly were not amused by my Americanization! I did love my red hat!

Years later, I still chuckle at the hysterical call I got from my normally gentle mother in the middle of the day which means it was very late at night in Delhi as Delhi is ten and a half hours ahead. Both my parents were very frazzled. Mother kept repeating rhetorically at this point as to what was I smoking or rather what had possessed me to keep sending these pictures to my mother-in-law of all the people. Mother was mad and very anxious that I was rocking the proverbial marital boat by scandalizing my mother-in-law who had ultimately gone beserk and called mom agitatedly telling her that her daughter was Americanized to the point of running around semi-naked- Ok naked-splendour is what she proclaimed! Mother was being tactful. And wisely so, I may add.

Mom of course didn't buy it and knew that the woman was exaggerating but those were the days of a new marriage and Indian mothers would always tell their daughters to give in for the sake of peace at home. Mother also knew that her independent in spirit daughter was very analytical, not to mention very rebellious, who would defiantly send the MIL more pictures just to make a point... And you know what I almost sent her the one of me in my swim-suit but refrained only because that might have caused mom-in-law to go apoplectic and cause more drama back home as she lived too close to my family home...

Of course at the end of the day, my ex was a product of that environment. As they say, coming events cast their shadow... I still marvel at how two people from the same culture can be worlds apart due to different values and upbringing...

Anyway it has all changed dramatically back home but it was totally a different world at the time I left. Now Indian women are very westernized, especially the younger generation... Just check Bollywood, but take that too with a grain, rather a fist, of salt as that film world reality can be exaggerated to the point of being unreal...

Enough said, let us just head over to Candid Carrie's Friday Foto Fiesta for some fun...

The Bird Has Certainly Flown the Coop!!!!!

I have been an empty-nester for almost two years now and my son is a sophomore in college only a couple of hours away at UVA. However each time he comes home to visit, I go through a hard time bidding him good-bye.

They grow so fast!

Having come from a culture where children live home with their parents well into their adulthood and often even after they marry, assuming there are no financial and space constraints, it is very hard for me to accept that my son who is a first generation American has essentially flown the coop once he left for college. The difference between the teenagers growing up in India and the teenagers here in US in terms of independence is quite startling. The kids back home are rather over-protected and sheltered whereas here the young men and women are are exactly that-young adults at eighteen -confident and able to live on their own even if their parents are in the same town.

Sigh! It seems only yesterday that he was such a baby -where have all the years gone!

The kids here are well adept at holding jobs and working in the outside world at a young age whereas one of the major cultural differences between the American setup and the Indian culture is that Indian parents assume full financial responsibility for their children till they are able to establish their own careers. In total contrast in the US, a grown man or woman here living with his parents without an ostensibly valid reason would be generally considered a "loser" or a social misfit. Nothing could be further from the truth back home though I have to say things are changing there too...

Reaching the age of eighteen is no hallmark of adulthood in my native India as nothing really changes and children continue to live with their parents. If the parents are financially secure, there is no pressure on the children to find summer jobs or part-time jobs etc. Actually unless they are truly in dire straits, the Indian parents even if somewhat financially strapped would find it unthinkable to expect their high school children find jobs or employment. They would rather deprive themselves instead. What the parents really want their children to do is to focus on their academics, enjoy their childhood and take advantage of the parental support to prepare themselves for good careers. In other words, parental expectations are limited to demanding excellence in academics and respecting the family traditions and rules. The family home is the home of the offspring and the parental influence continues well into their adult lives. As I explained in my earlier article, multi-generational families are the norm in India's culture though the nuclear families of husband -wife and kids are increasingly becoming more common.




Our basset hound who considers my son the leader of the pack, takes his leaving for college even harder than I do.

I recall growing up with my six brothers in our family home, even though the house was bursting at the seams with so many of us. The only time, I recall my older brothers leaving home was when they went to college or found jobs out of town, but they always came back. One of my brothers lived with my parents in our family home though in an independent unit within the house till he moved out to accommodate his expanding family needs. I lived with my parents till I got married and arrived here.


Those were wonderful years in Delhi when I was a single high school teacher coming home after school to home-cooked meals and afternoon naps. I continued to follow the family rules without feeling stifled or missing privacy. Rather the bonds within the family were very strong. Here I am being greeted by my nephew and niece living in my parents' home in New Delhi.


Here we are a bunch of school teachers in New Delhi having fun, single and living with our parents and that was the norm.

Today it is interesting to watch the interplay of the two almost diametrically opposed cultures in the Indian-American children like my son born and brought up here. He is for all intents and purposes an all-American kid as in having his own space and privacy in my home but he is still not allowed to flout the rules and traditions that I have maintained from back home in India. It is not easy- I grant you that and it is a constant struggle to maintain that fine balance because kids here are very self-assured and know how to fend and more importantly think for themselves. So one has to tread carefully to blend the two value sets as seamlessly as possibly so as not put the child in a position of choosing one or the other because that is not healthy either and can lead to emotional issues stemming from lack of roots in either world...

Fortunately the Indian-American parents like me are trying to go with the flow. Every now and then I will get mad at my free-talking son, but then force myself to remember that kids here are taught to freely express their opinions and that that is not "talking back" as we were programmed to think in our days... Many of my Indian-American friends young daughters who are professionals are living in the same city but in their own places. The parents have made peace. The trick is to remember that American culture is individualistic and teaches the children to be extremely independent and this has to be balanced with the Indian cultural norms of togetherness which on the other hand can be quite smothering. Frankly, I think our Indian-American kids are actually getting the best of both worlds - I truly believe that and now I just need to- as they say here - get with the program, get a life and let go!

Anyway enough of reminiscing and philosophizing, it is time to head to Candid Carrie Friday Foto Fiesta and check what's happening there... Follow me!

The Aftermath: More Reflections...

I am finally sitting down with my cherished cup of tea and enjoying solitude with my faithful canine at my feet. It has been a wonderful day of pure joy and wonder at the immense strides the nation has taken with the election of Barack Obama, undoubtedly a phenomenon who has swept away the last racial barrier in the American socio-political setup. I sincerely believe that.

While on a more mundane level, I am feeling tremendous sense of relief that the election is finally over and that my mailbox is not full of so much junk mail,that my voicemail is empty of those annoying robotic messages and that I can now unashamedly resink into the mindless pleasure of watching shows like Grey's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives, I am still in awe of the fact that I have been a part of a cathartic moment in this country - the magnitude of which cannot be elaborated enough.

My black friends have run the gamut of emotions from pure joy, to painful memories but most of all euphoria at seeing one of their own achieve such stupendous success. The barrier has been broken forever... As someone originally from India which witnessed naked racism under British imperialistic rule and which is still battling certain dysfunctional social mindsets, I can totally relate to the raw emotion that I witnessed today and frankly felt myself. In fact, I was taken aback at the unexpected surge of emotion that overwhelmed me when I heard the news of the Obama win. But now the time has come for everyone to deliver. The mantra of "change" cannot be relegated to mere election rhetoric, but real work has to begin and begin immediately. No question about that.

Now that the excitement has died down, the reality of the monumental challenges before the new President-elect is hitting everyone. It will not be a cake-walk for Obama, our 44th President. Bipartisanship will be key to moving the country forward. The economic crisis, promotion of energy independence, war against Iraq and terrorism and healthcare are all huge policy items that are not partisan issues but American issues. Cliched but so true. While he will be able to accomplish more due to increased number of Democrats in both the Senate and the House, the key to Obama's success will be in his ability to compromise and constantly perform the balancing act. In other words, he will have to govern from the middle.

The election campaign has also demonstrated that the US social fabric has changed and there are many ethnicities that are playing pivotal role in the socio-political setup and that the political messages have to be tailored accordingly. The new generation of voters, the middle class and the emerging minority of nonwhite voters have to be taken into account. Undoubtedly, the GOP has to start revisiting and reevaluating its approach on many levels. In other words, diversity is a reality in the US and the sooner that fact is accepted, the sooner we can have real progress.

The role of the youth in this election and the innovative use of internet in motivating masses have taken the art of campaigning to another level. The internet is being looked at further by the transition team as a leadership tool for the new President-beyond the innovative campaign technology. Needless to say, the success of the 21st century technologies will now be emulated by the world which has been watching this entire process for months. Globalization is certainly real.

There are many lessons and insights to be gleaned from this election saga and one could write a tome on the never-ending analytical post-mortem. So I will stop now because I want to further digest this indisputably transcendent moment not only in the history of US, but worldwide because it has the potential to motivate and energize folks through the message that with hardwork, intelligence, and steadfast faith and vision, they can overcome similar odds in their own socio-political environments. For the American child, the historic significance of Obama's victory cannot be overstated. It sends a message, loud and clear, to think big and to aspire for the American dream which is now certainly within his or her reach... The sky is the limit now!

The World is watching - Just Some Random Musings of an Indian-American

Tonight is going to be a long night. To be honest, I have been sleep-deprived for many nights now because I am hooked on CNN and MSNBC for constant election coverage. Since I became a US citizen in 1991, I have taken my civic duty very seriously and voted in every US election. But I am surely echoing the sentiments of many when I say that today was certainly a historic day. In all the years I have been settled here, I have never witnessed such high emotions over the elections. Indeed the most expensive campaign in US history!

As is the story of most immigrants, we also tend to keep in touch with reactions and developments back home. Folks in India have been captivated by the US elections along with the rest of the world. Almost every Indian middle class family back home has a relative based in US and is very upto speed with the events here. Basically, Indian love politics as is reflected in the numerous editorials in India's leading newspapers who along with the rest of the world are watching in fascination the election campaign of a black candidate and two mavericks!

The Indian-Americans who are currently in their native India for business or whatever reason have also sent in their votes from abroad via absentee ballots.

Whereas those Indians who have lived in US at some point and seen the impact of political volunteerism are trying to encourage the Indian youth to engage in the political process as done by Obama i.e national youth vote mobilization.

Other Indians back home are anxiously watching the events due to business implications because many US companies have presence in India.

Obama is a big hit in India especially the university campuses where the students are very on top of international events and don't just find Obama charismatic but are very focused on his policies and world view.

Now here is an interesting thing, despite Obama's lack of enthusiasm for outsourcing work to India's Silicone valley or the city of Bangalore, some of the Information Technology professionals in the Indian city of Bangalore are canvassing relatives and friends in the US to vote for Obama and have managed to collect a sizeable amount in Indian rupees to send to Obama's election fund. Apparently they believe Obama will build better and more strategic ties with India as President.

With respect to the Indian-American, currently there are approximately 2.7 million fellow Indian-Americans in the US out of a total U.S. population of approximately 300 million-one of the fastest growing ethnic populations and also one of the most highly educated among America's ethnic groups. Having achieved tremendous economic success, the Indian professionals are exercising increasing influence in the US political arena as was evident in the Democratic Convention. Apparently, 60% of the Indian-Americans are registered Democrats because Indians tend to inherently feel more inclined towards the Democratic party because of its image of being more open to diversity and for its position on issues like immigration, civil rights, foreign policy, and education.

Of course, President Bush's pro-India policies have swung many educated Indians to vote Republican. A prominent Indian Republican is Bobby Jindal the first Indian- American Governor of Louisiana. Bottom-line, India and US currently have an excellent relationship which neither Obama or McCain want to rock. As after all India is world's largest democracy and a growing economic power whose cooperation is essential to promote and maintain stability in the Asian region.

The Indian-American Democrats have provided overwhelming support to Barack Obama. They also support Biden as a choice for Vice-President because Biden the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations was a strong advocate of the US-India Nuclear deal. Hillary Clinton who raised about 5 million during the primary had a natural advantage in terms of Indian support since her constituency in New York has the strongest Indian-American base coupled with the fact that she has strong ties with India. All that has changed now and most of Hillary supporters are actively behind Obama who had to start from a scratch to win over the Indians in US.

And now it's time for me to check the results of the polls and watch history being made... After all it is only one more long night!

NEWS FLASH: with tears in my eyes, I write this

PRESIDENT OBAMA CLAIMS HISTORIC VICTORY-the American people have certainly spoken!!!

I don't think I will be sleeping at all tonight- GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!