Once a Desi. Always a Desi.

Desi Confused by America

May 13, 2009 By: amreekandesi Category: American Dream, Videos 16 Comments →

Came across this fascinating video.

This is the story of Tripthi, an Indian girl who gets married to this NRI.

When she comes to New York, her Americanized husband starts feeling uncomfortable about her FOB-iness. Then when she tries adapting to a western lifestyle, he expects a traditional Indian wife. Eventually, after being shown a middle finger, he realizes his idiocy, and all is well.

That’s the way it is with us Indian dudes. We want to live here, but marry back home.

There are many cultural differences between India and America, and it can take time for newbies to adjust to the new lifestyle. Then there are people who can lose themselves in their new lives and look down upon others who aren’t as Americanized sophisticated.

All it takes is a look back at the days when you were in those shoes, and an open heart that accepts people for who they are, regardless of whether they know how to operate a dishwasher or not.

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Its a Small World

December 18, 2008 By: amreekandesi Category: American Dream, Short Stories 18 Comments →

You stupid FOB. Who the hell asked you to come to this country? You dumbasses from India take away from all the hard work we put into getting accepted in this country. You stink. Your India stinks.

Akhil kept listening as AJ lashed out at his Indianness.

AJ was Indian. Kind of. His real name was Ajay and he was born to parents who had left India over 30 years back. He was an American citizen. He despised the link to India. It kept him down. It was stopping his progress. He was smarter than most kids his age, but he was exotic. Never really there. As much as he hated the expression, he was an American Born Confused Desi. An ABCD. Akhil, on the other hand, was a FOB.

Akhil and AJ were roommates. They were attending the masters program in Computer Science at the University of South California, and destiny university housing had put them in the same room. Akhil considered himself as an ambassador of India. AJ hated everything Indian. Clearly there wasn’t much love between the two.

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Sadda Vicky

December 13, 2007 By: amreekandesi Category: Happenings, Indians We Love 5 Comments →

Sadda Vicky… are baba apna Vikram Pandit.

You don’t know him? He just became the CEO of Citi Group, known in Industry circles affectionately as Shiti Group.

shitigroup.jpg

Another Indian does the country proud! haha…its funny when the media just jumps in on the achievements of Indians wherever they are. But then, at least he is a real Indian. Born in India, came to the US for his studies, and been blazing his way across the ranks over the past decades.
A real Indian, unlike Bobby who was also the toast of India till a few months back, albeit his giving up his Indian name, Indian religion, Indian accent (Oh well..he was never a FOB; always had that peculiar ABCD accent. Never mind).

Going back to Vicky. He’s famous for becoming MD in record time at Morgan (Stanley). He is also famous for starting his own hedge-fund. Recently he became famous when Shiti bought his fund with the sole intention of getting him to come on board. Of course, now he is their chief executive.

How do you – a common man celebrate promotions? A dinner? A cruise vacation?
How does a wall street CEO celebrate? By plonking down 18 million for a 10 (yes, Ten) bedroom apartment in one of the hottest part of Manhattan.

Vicky might be the first Indian CEO on wall street, but he certainly isn’t the only Indian biggie. Indian people in senior management are not uncommon. Indian MDs (Managing Directors) are a dime a dozen.

Doesn’t the chest just swell with Pride? We are proud of you Vicky.

F.O.B.

November 09, 2007 By: amreekandesi Category: Akhil, Short Stories 16 Comments →

Akhil was two months old in America. He was a FOB (Fresh Off the Boat). Even though he flew in from NewDelhi. No Boat involved.

All Indians around him, even the ones who had been in the US for years were FOBs. They would remain so till, well, forever. Along the way, they would get married, and have kids. Their kids would be ABDs (American Born Confused Desi). But they would be FOBs forever. Anyway, this is about our favorite DBD (ABD – American + Desi = DBD). Akhil.

Akhil was a 24 year old software engineer. He chucked his well paying tech job to come over to the US to get his masters degree. All paid for by the university. He was after all, a bright kid.

fob.jpg

His flight to cross the proverbial seven seas stopped over in Paris. A starving Akhil went to get a coffee and was horrified to find a cup of coffee priced at 4 dollars. 200 rupees!!! There was no way he was going to drink that. Then he found his new friend from the flight – a fellow to-be-FOB who agreed to share the coffee. And Akhil had the costliest half cup of coffee of his life. Yet.

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