Long weekend phobia

In India i never faced such a crisis. There were few long weekends if not many, every year and no one ever bothered, they planned or they didnt, it was just a matter of choice. people who really want to visit some place will do it anyway, long weekend or no long weekend. 

But here in US it is slight different, call me less adventurous but yes, there are times i just wanna stay back home, read some book, watch some movies and get some quality sleep, those times my mind doesnt even bother if its a long weekend. anyway, point is, here, call it way of living, long weekend is nothing but festival, irrespective of the mood, everyone plans some or the other outing three months back and worst is not yet over, while they plan for their own, they keep asking each and everyone who they meet with the same bloody question ‘whats the plan for long weekend’ dare you answer ‘nothing’.

This phobia is really making me worried. because of incidents happened recently, i mean happening daily, just after the meeting, client shot ‘so whats the long weekend plan?’. in the washroom, while crushing the paper towel, ‘whats the plan for long weekend dude?’ near the coffee machine, everyone to everyone, ‘whats the plan mate for the long weekend?’ i have started asking myself, is it something wrong with me? probably.  

Coming weekend is a long weekend, as we are getting a holiday on Monday for labor day, so continuous three days leave from office, a really really long weekend, isn’t it? say yes. So all of them are busy planning for those three days. well to be true even i am involved in few of not so concrete plans. yeah, there is one for state park in Michigan city. other is to Starved rocks and the third plan is to visit Indiana dunes in Indiana. after all its long weekend.

So whats your plan for the long weekend?  

 

Incredible India !!

Indiana Dunes Lakeshore

There is nothing like a calm and peaceful time spent on the sands on a shore with cool breeze brushing through your body. Picture was taken on this weekend. 30 miles from Chicago downtown, Indiana Dunes national Lake shore.

American culture, Indian culture !!

Being an Indian staying in America, many a times i end up in a situation where i need to explain this. all wants to know what is the difference and are we better in any scenario? when i say no, simple debate is based on culture. look at them, they dont care of their parents, they get married so many times, they have kids without even marrying at all, some of them even dont get married and keep changing their partners. look at their cloths. look at their way of living. look look and look…

there was a dialog in movie ‘swades’ ‘jab hum muqabale me dabne lagte hain to hum apni sanskriti apni sabhyata ka naam lene lagte hain’ i find it really true. Indian culture is just a word of glory. i find it no way better than any other culture. we are still a bunch of followers. from childhood on wards we start shaping the mind of our children, follow this god, follow this religion, follow this guru, cow is our mother, beard is our symbol, turban is our pride, all such things are stuffed in our mind. there is no concept of natural selection. one when comes to an age where he can apply logic, he is already biased or say stubborn on the matter what is trained for.

the basic difference is, american culture is ‘Individual first’, they dont care about what other people think about them, they do what they like, what they love, what makes them happy. on the other hand  Indian culture is ‘society first’ your likes and dislikes get last preference. first you think about your religion, then your cast, then your relatives, then your parents, then your children and then if there is any possibility you can think about yourself.

I have seen a father driving BMW and the son working in subway, can this ever happen in India? i would say never. why? it was beautifully explained to me by a friend who is now planning to settle down in america permanently. he said, its simple, once the boy starts earning, he is free, he has his own life and his own way of living. he is free to decide his religion, his partner, his good and his bad. unlike in India, he has no responsibility towards his parents as well, same applies for his parents. One man is solely answerable only to himself. Now when you look the same scenario in India, one man has responsibility of his parents, his partner, his children and also if its a join family, his siblings.

Now which one is better? Indian, because in old age someone will be their to support you, bullshit. millions of people in India are abandoned by their children and all with hatred in heart. Ultimately its all about doing what you like, making your own choices, living life the way you want and above all living free. So its not the culture makes us feel great or feel low, its about how free you are.