Social life in America

5th September,2013

My Dear Kush,

Now ,we have spent more than two months and have visited many areas , including big cities like New York and Washington. I have watched the demography more closely ; therefore, I may comment more accurately than before. 

 

In country towns like Sharon , it is only vehicles which we witness; no doubt we can see a few persons moving on bicycle or running on foot- always using footpath-but this is occasionally.  .

When we visited tourist places like Philadelphia or Washington there are many tourists on these  places ,they are moving on foot  with big gatherings . you will see "Ghoda buaggi" also . Even I have observed one cycle rickshaw , pulled by an American but only for showing surrounding sites. At Washington , near White House , we observed some Americans using a one man driver, which is man drive with four small wheels but running without electric or gas , it moves by tilting the handle and environment friendly therefore used by some enthusiasts for roaming in city-though standing without sitting arrangement . There are many museums -important one was Air space museum, nearby is Art museum and one History museum. There is a National monument and no building in Washington can be higher than this national monument- appreciate the national feeling !

But when you enter in New York city, all our ideas about America shatters. There are high risers every where, buildings showing glass and stones . In the ground floor , you are having a shop or restaurant etc and above are the apartments .Though its a costly affair to live in New York Even stay in a hotel for one night costs a minimum of 500-1000  dollars .  Really ,it was just our Mumbai or Delhi; the difference in the city is having squares of buildings and roads are more wide; there are no small lanes. On road sides you will see lines of cars . Here also foot path is used by small traders ,selling photographs, paintings, some food items ,tourist reservations etc but the difference is there is wide space on the footpath for moving the public. As per American standards , the city is dirty (as we can see some scattered papers etc at public places ) but by Indian standards, it is more clean.

In the Rutherford square and   elsewhere we observed persons sitting like India. There is great rush of persons moving here and there , perhaps a great number is tourists. There are not only cars but also many tourist buses - where chairs are arranged on bus-roof also for watching the city.

I am sure those  Indians  coming on international tours may not appreciate much difference by visiting New York or Washington ,as neither these buildings are single story made of wood nor they are observing only vehicles with no person on road. Even these cities are lacking market places like that of Sharon .I may watch New York photos where small shops are all where like India.

Among birds, we observed pigeons and sparrows but crows or vultures could not be seen. Though more than 80% families are maintaining pet animals, you will hardly see any one moving with their dogs; even less than seen in India. This is mainly, as we maintain dogs as a status symbol while here they are more closely related to them. Moreover, there are fines for misdoings and pet animals are not allowed at many places; whereas there are no such rules in our country.   

It appears that a gap of knowledge or misunderstanding exists on both side of people. Some Americans consider Indians ill mannered or India with old notions ; similarly we have many wrong notions. Of course , there is some cultural difference exists which lead to presume so many wrong things.

We presume that as soon as child assumes 16 years of age, she is free ; neither parents care for their children.  All this is far from truth. Its true that they ask the children to earn  and become independent- but it does not mean delinking all the relations.  We have seen the family moving with their children and very much caring  them. They are taking their children for tours. Even we observed, perhaps with some surprise , a family consisting of a young boy of about 10 years age, his mother, father and  his grand mother- the whole family was enjoying and  roaming Hudson river where we boarded cruise for Liberty statute and a war museum. Yes the difference is in their mixing. There , in a restaurant , an American girl came out and lit a cigarette ; shortly two American boys came-  she welcomed the one by a formal hug while other shake hands showing the difference of relations. This is not to that extend that we cultivate wrong motions about the society. Your mausi was telling that here parents are conducting marriages of  their daughters and worried for this celebrations ;though there is no dowry, yet the marriage expenses are not less as there are more expenses on engagement ring , bride dress, party and photographs ; it comes about one lakh dollars ; so is the cost of university education which come about forty thousands dollars per year; those who are interested to pursue university education, the child will take loan and will pay after wards- neither children nor parents feel any thing unusual in such action. Likewise, your mausi also feels uncomfortable when some one, in a party, introduces as ex-wife of his father etc Another big difference is that Americans don't like much noise; if you are living in an apartment, you may hear a type of warning ,if you are making noise or you may get letters, in this respect. They are in habit of reading which is very common and is seen in all; this is the reason why here even town libraries are so good and you can burrow a number of books , also CD (including of films ), unlike to our place.   Contrary to your perception, they go early to bed at about 7 or latest by 9 PM while we Indians have the habit of late sleeping. No doubt they are very laborious ,as they start doing all the work on their own hands from the beginning while we depend on others ,even for small works. On holidays , you will observe them doing some home work, also in the garden trimming the grass.      

As we are living here for more than two months and I am watching more closely this society, I may say that most of society openness and other utterances are media creations - and all this is since only such photographs, films , stories are saleable in Asian countries. 
With love and affection,