Ingress Into The Land Of The Free (And The Home Of The Brave)

It was a cold rainy evening when I first set foot in the United States of America. I couldn’t bend down and kiss the soil as popularized by the late pope because of the long umbilical cord that is the passage which connects the airplane doors to the gates. After waiting in line at the immigration desks to go through all the processes, I finally found myself pushing the trolley with my bags out of the terminal.

I could not find my cousin outside as he promised. So the alternative is to call him up on the phone. Now I need some quarters to use the payphone but all I have is a bunch of singles. I go to the shop in the terminal to get some change and learn the first lesson. I need to buy something for the cashier to open the register. Now I make my land mark first contribution to the United States economy by buying a pack of Lays potato chips. I’d always remember that: the pack of Lays. That was triggered by the fact that it is the cheapest item that I could find and also because that is a familiar brand for me from back where I am from.

Anyway, with the coins that I got, I tried calling up my cousin and in no time he was taking me to where the car was parked. The car is an Acura. Well, Acura what? I have been an auto enthusiast for a long time, and a subscriber to two auto magazines for years but I still couldn’t recognize the brand. I can’t be blamed because in India, the car brands available are predominantly European. Welcome to American cars, buddy. That was lesson two.

One thing that I was the least bothered was the switching of sides on road. Coming from the British style driving on the ‘wrong’ (Americans put it that way, as opposed to ‘right’) side of the road, I could barely notice it. Maybe the familiarization came from playing GTA 3 and Vice City for long hours, driving around Liberty City as well as Vice City speeding, stealing and building a kingdom of crime. The change became apparent only when I started driving. And no, it was not the side of the road that confounded me; it was which direction to look for the rear view mirrors.

When we came into the city, it became clear that the landscape bears a startling resemblance to the one that I know from the GTA. There was no car stealing or casual shooting though.

So the life set in at the new home, a new country in which I have no experience other than reading books and watching Hollywood movies. It was a new beginning: like being born again. Only difference is that when you were born, you had about twenty years of time to learn how to live. Here I was like a fish out of water. I had to learn a lot of things; things that are taken to be granted. Like getting groceries, ordering food at restaurants. First time I went to buy a burger, in the very first week, I was stumped by the question: “Here or To Go?” Or to take the city bus or the subway.

Next I had to learn about the money, the bank notes were all of the same size, unlike in other countries, making it difficult for a newbie. It took more time to figure out coins. Quarter: I knew. Nickel: It is written, five cents. Cent was easy. The ‘dime’ baffled me for a long time. Nothing said about how much it is worth. And it is the smallest of all coins. The Americans defied all logic when they designed the coins. Really!

Having told all these, the language barrier was the major obstacle in the first few days. Or rather, I should call it the accent barrier. First, I have to understand what other people are saying. No amount of watching Hollywood blockbusters prepared me for the real deal. The Midwestern accent and the Chicago drawl were far from comprehensible for me at the time. The other side of the same barrier is making others understand what I am talking about.

Furthermore, the educational system that I encountered here was freer and more autonomous and more result oriented than the one I was familiar with. It took some time before I could assimilate myself in to school. Even the word ‘school’ is significant. Here it is an engineering school rather than a college. A ‘course’ was called a ‘class’ where I came from. And the course, as I knew it was a ‘program’.

Another thing that I was eagerly awaiting was the infamous ‘Chicago Winter’. Coming from the tropics, I had to experience snow first hand. I remember the first day when there were some flurries and light snow which melted off soon. I went to the deck and grabbed the snow in my hands. When it really snowed, with the full fury, I woke up to find the outer world blanketed in white. I put on my jacket and boots and went for a long walk in the ankle deep snow. I still cherish walking in fresh snow: the deeper, the better. The only thing I missed on that day was to make a snow angel with my arms. I’m sorry folks, I did not know about that tradition. Despite of all warnings, I must say, I enjoyed the winter thoroughly, especially the ice skating in Millennium Park and the only regret is that I could not make the most of it. I promise myself now to take on the next winter with a more focused and serious fashion.

Finally, all I can say is that I fared well during the first days in the US. I should be thanking my cousins, friends, seniors and all others who reached out to help me when I was in this new and unfamiliar environment. Just when I am thinking about it, now I realize the vast strides that I have made from that cold rainy day. And I appreciate how much help and support that I received to achieve the same. I would be grateful to all those people and I will pay you back by helping other fresh ones off the boat, to find their moorings and be comfortable with the life here.