Sympathy wave for American NRIs after bail out plan
Indians often get pessimistic, overdefensive and overcritical about the state of affairs in India. As a NRI settled in America, I have over the years, passed judgement on what ails India right from roads, overpopulation, lack of civic sense, pollution, corruption, and a hundred other issues that I feel qualified to pontificate upon.
For the last year or so, I have been on the receiving end. On my visits to India, friends who have typically sponged off me have even offered to foot the bill at Udipi restaurants. Recently, when the bill came for two masala dosas, mini idlis and filter coffees at Kamath, in Secunderabad, my classmate (Akin to Scrooge before the reformation)fought for the bill saying,
"No, Ravi. Please. I understand...the dollar has fallen so badly."
I was pretty shook up that the bloke had offered to pay, (An event akin to rain in the Sahara Desert or the Thar desert)...I said weakly, "It is not that bad out in the US. We manage."
"I insist," said my friend. "What are friends for? - A friend in need is a friend indeed."
I glanced at the bill: it was for 180 rupees. I offered, "Let us go fifty-fifty."
"No!" shouted the bloke heroically, asthough he was planning on saving my life. (This bloke, by the way is the same guy who almost got us tossed out of a Chinese restaurant in my student days, for using up two full bottles of Kissan Ketchup for a paltry order of one plate of veggie cutlets.)
Coming back to today's events:
Now that the Bailout plan has failed to pass US Congress, and the market's nose dived 770 points, and due to Einstein's fourth law that states "Bad news travels faster than lightning," I am reluctant to call friends and family in India. Who knows? ...Maybe they are starting up a charity fund drive for their NRI friends in the US.
Posted at 06:37PM Sep 29, 2008 by ravi in General | Comments[0]