I would always remain in India for the pleasure of being a cricket fan
Iam a hardcore sports fan and I follow at least a dozen sports religiously. Some of them include basketball, American football and baseball – sports which are not too popular in India but have a cult following in the US. The internet and EPSN/Star gives me my full dose of these sports- although I could consume some more. I miss talking and discussing these sports with another fan. I have pained friends, family and colleagues in the US – trying to somehow get this craving satisfied. Alas, my attempts have not met with any success.
One way of solving this problem is to move to the US. Today, it’s not too difficult to do so either. And, along with the pleasures of talking NBA, will come what most NRIs and NRI-aspirants call a better lifestyle. You can rid yourself of all the trouble that comes with living in India today.
So, far I have resisted the urge to do so. And have done so, quite comfortably, without getting into any kind of dilemma. I grew up in a large joint family and even though I stay far away in Chennai, I keep meeting family and generally stay in touch regularly. I have a decent job and live comfortably, even though I feel a little more money could make life even better. I benefit from being part of one of the most vibrant economies in the world- which creates exciting opportunities for me and as of now, is also giving me ‘job satisfaction’, what ever that is. I have actually started enjoying shouting at the helpless customer care executives ( nice way to vent out your anger) and have even figured out ways to tackle dictatorial banks and telecom companies (recently, I got Tata Indicom, SBI cards and ICICI bank to reverse charges). I absolutely enjoy the fact that only well-qualified people get hefty salaries in this country, and the rest have trouble making ends meet – allowing me to employ an army of people to do different stuff for me. I have developed enough immunity, touchwood, to handle all the dirt that the paani-puri vendor can mix. What’s more, with movie torrents, I can download and watch any movie I want to and the faster broadband ensures the process doesn’t get on my nerves.
That’s a lot of reasons. Enough to settle any debate about moving abroad? No, not when you are missing all the sports stuff. A move would land you in sporting Neverland. Think about it. Tough to beat that one, right? Well, not quite.
I have not had internet connection at home for the last 5 days and have been missing out on all the NBA and NFL action. But, guess what? I haven’t bothered to check ESPN.com in office. Not, even during lunch. I have been getting up early to catch the cricket action in Australia, checking the score a zillion times during the day and rushing home to catch the highlights program. I have been talking, chatting (as in gtalk) and texting cricket. Iam a hopeless cricket fan all over again. I have been praying for an annual India-Australia series. And, calling for the selectors to be whipped in public every time they even think of dropping Laxman. I have been shadow batting once again. I love my cricket and even a call from Michael Jordan is not going to move me.
Very well. But can’t you do this in America as well. They also have live cricket telecast. You can chat and text cricket as much as you like and also have the option of falling back on the NBA , once the Indians start playing Kenya and Bangladesh.
But, can you talk cricket to your Tamil-speaking dhobi (the guy who irons my clothes), even if they had dhobis in the US, as he watches Laxman caress another Mitchell Johnson delivery to the fence. HE says, “Laxman very good”. Perhaps, the only non-Tamil words he knows. And I don’t know a single word of Tamil by the way!!!
Can you start an impromptu cricket talk with the geeky developer who sits in the adjoining cubicle and hasn’t even smiled at you in the 5 months you have been in this office; forget having had a civilized conversation. India have just taken the lead and you are dying to share your joy with someone. In India you have help close at hand and You don’t have to call your cricket-loving, Indian friend 3 time zones away!!!
The broadband connection will be repaired this Saturday (else I have another chance to have a go at Tata Indicom). I miss the NBA talk but I can’t do without cricket as it is lived in India.
1 comment:
Nice one dude ... today when the whole country is agitated and is threatening to rise up as one against the gross injustice of y'day, every other country would be gaping in awe at the spectre of national integration that they see, for such a silly "gentleman's game" (if any one can call it that, still?!). The mind's eye wanders to that moment high up in the Himalayas when I came upon a villager sleeping by a window ledge at a hut between Gaumukh and Gangotri. Given that he had the pocket radio on, from where one could hear the stutter of radio static, I queried the score - his response was to the point ... "Tendulkar ne century bana diya"! Where else in the world boss ... but here ... can this be found ...!
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