Yesterday (August 15th) was Indian Independence Day. Its only the third year I've been in the US on this day, but it is the first, that I've felt so foreign here. Oddly enough, it was because I was in the midst of a huge crowd of Indians at Penns Landing, where there's an annual independence day celebration, complete with musical and dance performances, food, clothing and jewellery stalls, and massive, milling crowds of Indians on a hot summer afternoon, just overlooking the sea, to add to the Elliots Beach like atmosphere.
And yet, I've never felt so little at home. I could talk about the strangeness of being in one country, and celebrating another's independence, of people, who have chosen to live here, change their citizenship, sing (or make their children sing) about another land. Its not hypocrisy... there's no reason you can't call two places home... but its just a little strange. Its a dichotomy that many of us, will have to make our peace with at some point.
As for me, I found comfort, but no answers, when I came home and listened to 'Vaishhav Jan To"
2 comments:
So i have finally forced myself to start reading "The life of Pi" by Yann Martel..ever read that one?
I read that one a long time ago... good book, if a little strange... and depressing, naturally
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