This is for people who intend to know about life in everyday America. Everyone knows about New York and L.A., but the real and majority of Americans live in suburban America and shanty small/old towns. I have learned a lot of things here in spite of this being a small town, or especially because this is a small town. The naivety, arrogance and ignorance exist in most small towns not just in America, but around the world. The difference however is that these small towns have almost anything a human could possible need. I believe that this exposure to the “real” America has changed my views on most things. It has been an extremely hard, but valuable lesson. The reason I write this however is not to brag about what I learnt, but to share the different view of America most people seldom know of. I plan on writing this in small series if people like it. Of course, you can suggest topics that I should write about. There is also another important reason why I am sharing these experiences, and I am not sure if you will like this one.
Reading through some of the reviews on this site, I realized that some of the genuinely spectacular reviews here are ethnocentric, and naïve. This is by no means meant to disparage anyone. I fully realize that I was the very same way until I came here, and my experiences and leanings here changed my perspectives and helped broaden my horizons and also be more realistic. I know not everyone has a chance to study or stay abroad, but I hope some of the things I share here will be a helpful in getting a virtual idea of life outside that of your own. I’ll also try to make this entertaining to read. You can also request me to write on topics you would like to know, and I’ll try my best to do that.
An American Experience – The First Day in Winona
I came here, to the Unites States in December 1999, when I was a little over 19 years old. Here I was in the middle of a snowstorm with temperatures unheard of in most parts of India, standing in town of 30, 000 people or so. I took a train from St. Paul, the capital of Minnesota, to come to this college town of Winona and was dumbfounded at the size of this town, and not to mention, the train station, which by no means was bigger than 300 square feet. Snow was blowing from every possible direction, and all I could see was a world immersed in white. Everything looked white, and not to mention it was freezing cold. The first thing I said to myself was, “ What on earth was I thinking(when I decided to come here)!”
There was not a single person in sight anywhere. Where are all the people? Any given day in India you would find thousands, if not millions of people on the road. Then it dawned on me that there were only 30k people or so in this town. I knew I was in for trouble; there was no one on the roads, and everything was so heavily clad in snow for me to distinguish anything. There I was, a stupid little Indian with no clue as to where to go.
Of course someone came to my rescue, and a haughty Indian dumped me in the University guesthouse. I was informed that I had arrived early, and that I was on my own to do whatever I wanted. So, the smart person that I was, I decided to go grab something to eat. After all, I was starving, and the cold just made me hungrier. Then all of a sudden I realized I didn’t know where I was supposed to go for food. Worse, if I left I didn’t know how to get back. But then again, I had always been good at finding things out in new places, and it was all an adventure. So I made the grandiose mistake of venturing out in search of food. Oh boy did I find food. Walking in that snow which was over a foot high, for what seemed liked endless hours, I eventually found a small fast food joint. Oh jolly, was I proud. But then came the next challenge – what did I want to eat. After looking at all the grotesque looking foods, I finally decided on something and ordered. I swear it took me over an hour to finish eating that monstrosity of a thing. I ate it not because I was hungry, but because I had paid over 300 rupees for that garbage. I knew I was doomed. All I wanted now was get back to my damn place and go sleep.
Well, lets see what happened over the time when I was having my wonderful feast. The weather gods were generous enough and dumped probably another foot of snow(or so it seemed at that time), the sun had already set, and it was hardly 4.30. Couldn’t be better. If there were hardly any people on the roads when I came in, there was absolutely no one now. So much about asking someone for directions. But, in the falling snow and darkness I did find my way through. Lets just not talk about how long it took, shall we?
I opened the guesthouse, went in and was happy to have the whole house to myself. I could at least sleep well without any disturbances I though. Well, well, well…what do I realize when I finally come into the house? Simple. My legs are frozen, I cant feel my fingers, my ears are just about to burst with pain, and my nose couldn’t be more discolored. What am I supposed to do, put myself in a microwave and press defrost?
Oh the good old days.
(to be cont’d.)