Cab 72

Another interesting persona and another interesting anecdote.

There are very few cab drivers with whom I'm in conversation during my 20 min journey from home to office. The cab driver who came to pick me up yesterday was one of those with whom I had not struck a conversation as yet.

He came to US around 4 years back from Sudan. Came here for studies (@San Jose) did his degree in Electrical Engineering, which according to him was more theoretical than practical. Somehow he did get a job but unfortunately he was laid off in 2009. Later he moved to Columbus, OH and then joined OSU again studying for Computer Science. Along with his studies he also drives a cab that is leased. He goes offline for few hours in the afternoon and attends his classes. When he is not driving , he is studying. He carries his books along with him at all times.

For the money part, he likes driving the cab better than his previous job that was working as a tech support with Verizon. That didn't pay him much. The cab he drives right now is leased, but he still saves in a lot of money. According to him, though the cash inflow is good, the cash outflow is equally good. There is a struggle to save money with cash as compared to paychecks.

This was all quite interesting, as I have been in a service line for a decade now and I do see the benefits of having a secure pay, saving and a regular cash inflow. I wonder the struggle other people make in saving the money they earn. I prefer the service line also because it brings in a sense of security and I'm not jittery about the fact how will I manage the next day. I guess these are all different learnings of life.

I am thankful for what all I have and the guidance I have received from my loved ones around me o make me this stable.

Love you all!

Cab 799

I have been taking a cab for 4.5 months now. It's a one way ride just from home to office. Evening Dhruv picks me up. Everyday I learn something new and interesting from these cab drivers. 

Today I got another new person to take me to office. Cab 799. He was around  50+ in age. We generally started talking, which route to take. He asked me what do I do and I said "I work in the IT field". On which he said, "I should have known. Most Indians work in the IT field." He further went on asking which part of the country did I belong to and my answer was North. On which he concluded that most of the times he has seen South Indians in the IT field and on conversation with them it has come out that they find that North Indians do not study till Masters. They just come here study till Bachelor's and get into the Government Services.

I asked him a similar question where did he belong to on which he replied Afghanistan and to what brought him here, he said Education.  He's done major in Horticulture, then moved to Agriculture, then changed his career to Networking and now drives a Cab. 

Interesting! 

I was not much surprised 'cause he is the second person I've met who has done such a variety of things. Why he changed? He did not like sedentary jobs. Simple!

We kept conversing further and he told me about his son who's quite intelligent but refuses to study as he finds study will get him no further. If his dad drives a cab even after a Master's what good would study get him.  He was also of the notion that I should go back to my home country to bring up my kids and family. 'Cause here life is too easy and there is a lot of money. Kids do not understand what the real essence of education is, how valuable money is and how difficult life is.

They see all the luxurious and tend to go dull, slow and lazy.

This whole conversation was quite thought provocative. We or my generation only sees the luxury of this life. We are in fact blinded by all this glitter that we forget to work hard. We enjoy the easy and relaxed life. Is changing a country the solution. I don't think so! It's the values that parents imbibe in kids. It's how you raise your kids and how you portray yourself in front of them.

1000 Horses

A 1000 horses! Yes, it took me a 1000 horses to pull myself up again.

Going through this feeling for the past 1.5 years. Every month there's a new hope and every month it is shattered. 

But, I won't give up. And right now I can scream on top of my voice so that He hears it. I'm not giving up. I know you have something good stored in for me and You have laid out the best plans for me. I will wait.

But, I need to say this! I'm human. I will cry, I will scream, I will say "Why Me"! But, I will not give up.

I will fight and get through this phase of my life. I know there is light somewhere close by!

Just be there please. Help me, get through this!


A small poem to summarize it all:

Zidagi Hai To Khwab Hain,

Khwab Hai To Manzilain Hain,

Manzilain Hai To Faasle Hain,

Faasle Hai To Raaste Hain,

Raaste Hai To Mushkilain Hain,

Mushkilain Hain To Hausla Hain,

Hausla Hai To Vishwas Hai,

Kyonki Fighter Hamesha Jeet-ta Hai.

Where's the "Glow" gone?

I was talking to Dhruv the other day and I said, "Somehow my recent photos do not show any glow on my face. I wonder why?" I look back at my travel photos from San Francisco, Maine, Paris and Rome and I feel happiness from within. But, when I look at my photos from IIFA, Miami, Smoky Mountains, and Grand Canyon, I feel am lacking the spirit. 

So what's changed?

I know that from my initial photos, I was newly married, I was working, I was in India at a particular moment and I knew I would be in India at some point of time.

And now, I left the job and came here to join Dhruv, I had a year's stint to be at home, I moved out of India, I started working but not quite satisfied (which ideally I should).

Why am I lacking that glow? I'm definitely not SAD, but I think I'm not that HAPPY even. There is so much anxiety in my mind. Uncertainty of what's going to happen next? Wait, to get back to India and settle down. Longing to have a respectable job where I feel some accomplishments and satisfaction.

This again is a part of life, everyone has their ups and downs. I'm in that phase where I feel it's not up but it's definitely not down. Being not in the job was one of the "down-phase" for me. So, I've definitely come up on that.

I guess I will have to bring in more positivism to my outlook and perception on how I things. I need to learn to appreciate things around myself. 

Hope I get the "Glow" back!!