We vs We - Home and Away

To start with the brain drain phenomenon had been something most Indian and Chinese boys and girls had written tons of essays on. The best of them grow up to study abroad and settle far from their homeland. Now this cannot be considered as brain drain it needs to be categorised as academic advancement. Alarming numbers are coming out from various studies which shows majority of the youth wants to settle in other countries than where they are born. This also can be understood as a global citizen concept which allows mobility across the planet earth. 

Most men and women in their 30s who missed the first bus to settle abroad in their 20s are either waiting for the next bus to Europe or America or partly upset on their inability to move due to the commitments back home as in taking care of old and ailing parents. This blog has no intent to stress any negativity on people who had made the choice and in turn appreciates the ones that understood the importance of having inflation proof investments which need hard cash available when they are still young. 

Parking money aside which cannot be matched by any means. Let’s try to understand the humane aspect a bit more closer. We need to acknowledge the fact that developed countries provide better life quality, better roads, better food quality, free education, free healthcare, free water, free air and everything that we in developing countries demand the government sitting in our living rooms citing examples from the western world whom we considers bestern world.

Same as a football club which plays and behaves differently home and away, we humans too give different results home and away. Is it fan effect or bad examples, needs to be debated more? Back in a world which is considered backward or still developing which we don’t know for how long it would remain in the ever developing youth, we are not okay with most things and indulges in ceaseless complaints. 

The same we who is okay to spit on our roads protects the sanctity of other countries on streets. We are okay to throw stones on street dogs here while we feed and gains ownership by adopting in other countries. We complain paying for TV channels but okay to pay humongous cost to even license TV operations. We complain about bad roads but are the first ones to get our labourers cut open government roads to put the lines and connections we want. We love to eat at home even if it’s same dal chawal for years to save money thinking of getting rich but back here in developing country our palette demand food from different continents every other day. We admire houses coloured in black and white but despises them back home having lack of colour. Only enjoys bread and blandness while at west, but relishes only spicy food while at home. Ready to pay any amount of tax and demand nothing but visa validity while back home challenges every initiative to bring tax transparency with no real intent. Citizens of developing countries are so adaptive that we start celebrating all the festivals of land we travel to without even knowing it’s meaning. We want to be integrated, we work on being included in the society which is a very positive factor which helps future immigrants receiving a warmer welcome. However we stop celebrating festivals of our homelands often questioning the logic and gain behind them. Once again are we the same person home and away?

Most of us becomes photographers and owns a DSLR while abroad. Most of us becomes travellers and loves to wander. Ready to take any risk and adventure to see places. Most of us picks up local sports and supports clubs and college leagues. Most of us starts morning walk or jogging and owns a cycle. Most of us are fine with using public transport and has no complaints even if it is available only in the frequency once in two hours. Most of us love to make a picnic with friends on a Sunday. Many turn church goers and religious. Open their world to complete strangers with intent to make best friends  and welcome neighbour’s home happily. Religiously tolerant and want an inclusive culture while abroad and part of a large minority elsewhere. Ready to try any kind of food when abroad while showing their intolerance to jeera, ajwain and coconut often dividing north from south of India. Once again are we the same person home and away?

Often in India, we are too impatient even in a movie ticket queue. No time to wait for traffic signals. Don’t like sharing a table with a stranger. Have complaints about a co-passenger snoring. Don’t mind taking large credits with huge interest rates. Want to drive the longest sedans and buy houses beyond means. Want to spend plastic money and shop online only if possible even without seeing or feeling a product. Not ready to even give up a seat in metro to an old woman who needs it more. And suddenly when abroad we turn into messiah. Once again are we the same person home and away?

Even though we could argue it all day and share on the difference money can make in our lives and it’s quality. We do need to peep into our brains. The satanic effect research says it could be the effect of society or people or groups around us which makes us behave differently. We often forget we are also part of the society we build wherever we are. It would be a good approach to bring the best part of the bestern world and learn from it and assimilate it to our culture to make it what we are looking for while we are at it. There is no intent to compare or categorise any culture superior or inferior however it’s admitted that we need to have more cultural collaborations as we groom into newer civilisations beyond the national boundaries. The change we need is not in country or place but in us to understand that part of us which can make wherever we are a better place for our fellow citizens to live in and in turn contribute to the thinning of those fine lines that makes us desire to be elsewhere life long sympathising with ourselves on the buses missed and flights lost for that one move.