Diwali in Houston!!!!

Winter was round the corner and days seemed to shorten. When Sameer had first come to US in August 2011, he used to get bewildered seeing a crimson sky well past 8pm. The United States, as they say, is the 'abode of plenty' and probably, sunshine was no exception. He recollected people back home saying, "the sun never sets in this country". October had set in and the chill on that Saturday morning was a pleasant break from the usual sultry days he had gone through. Simba was proudly showing off the addition to his 'hot-wheels' collection and Mansi was narrating instances pertaining to her office in the last few days, on Skype. Sameer's parents were watching silently, trying to catch up, once in a while, in between. It was the usual weekly routine that Sameer longed to engage in. He was up and in front of his laptop screen since 6am. With the chat over in a little less than 2hours, Sameer rushed for his shower to be in time to avail of the outing organized by the international students organization at the University.

 

For $10, the students were getting a city tour of Houston and a $5 lunch coupon at an ethnic food center. On the bus, Sameer found himself a place next to Wahid and they chatted about their families and life back in Hyderabad & Lahore, respectively. They talked about food back home too. Sameer shared recipes for Malabari Dry Mutton Pepper Fry and Sheer-Khorma while Wahid spoke about Biryani and Katlumma. Being a self-proclaimed foodie himself, Sameer couldn't help but schedule a dinner at home with home made Biryani and a chicken salan  in the ensuing week, with Wahid. During lunch, they treated themselves to Gyros (a Greek delite, which took a while for Sameer to pronounce correctly). The guide in the bus announced that one of the best Gyros in US was at Findley Market in Cincinnati, Ohio. While they indulged in innocuous chat, a few other students in the bus seemed to catch up with new friends through what seemed more of a glib. 

 

Students in the campus were enthused about Diwali, in the second week of October. The religious fervour had caught up and there seemed activities galore. On the day of Diwali, as Sameer sat brooding at his studio early in the morning, about how wonderful it would have been to be with Simba, Mansi, his parents and rest of the family back home, he was startled at the cell phone ringing. Who would it be at 7.30am in the morning? It was an unfamiliar number and Sameer received the call to discover Riya at the other end of the line. She wanted to know if he could reach college a little early since she would be there at 8.30am. It was Wednesday and the only class was at 10am. The issue for her was, she was uncomfortable being alone in college in traditional salwar kameez, all by herself. She was at the basement when Sameer reached college and interestingly, had two glass food containers with home-made Indian sweets (Kalakand and Sesame Laddoo). The sweets were too alluring to comply with Riya's strict instruction of 'not to touch' before end of class. He could care less when he actually defied her order and helped himself to a small piece of both sweets. After class, Sameer, Riya, Wahid, Pakhi, Kumar, Rima, Kashmira and Venkat headed to Deep's India Restaurant at Calhoun to gorge on Indian delicacies. On the way back to college, Sameer caught on Kashmira's blabber about cooking skills and helped himself to a forced invitation at her place for dinner on behalf of himself, Riya & Adarsh(Riya's husband). At the college, Anamika, whom Sameer had met through Riya, was waiting for both of them with some more home-made sweets. Sameer just couldn't ask for more, being away from home.

 

Both Riya and Anamika also planned to go to the temple with family in the evening. Though he mentioned he was keen to join them, Sameer was unsure of whether his presence would be an indiscreet invasion of either's private family moments. Just when he was contemplating reclusion, Riya asked him, "What are you going to do, being all alone at home today? Why don't you join me and Adarsh on our way back home, spend sometime there and then we all can leave for the temple". Needless to say, that was the best Sameer could have asked for. Sameer trudged into Riya's home for the first time. It felt good to catch up on an afternnon chat over tea and snacks. In the evening, after Puja at her house, Riya, Adarsh and Sameer headed for the temple. On the way they again caught up with a lot of discussion on Sameer's native place and Kerala in India. Back from the temple, Sameer and Riya headed for Kashmira's apartment while Adarsh headed out to meet a couple of his friends. They bid each other goodnight after a Diwali well spent in Houston, way beyond what Sameer had expected it would turn out to be.

 

As he resigned to his IKEA Malm, Sameer was briskly summing up the day, mentally. He realized how valuable an inclusion and addition, Riya was to his life in Houston. From the first time he had met her, it had been just 3weeks. She did seem fiercely competitive. She meant business and surely lacked tolerance for nonsense. She could call a spade-a-spade looking into the other's eye. Yet she was very considerate and seemed highly sensitive to things that were close enough to mean something to her. True friends are difficult to come by and normally friends/friendship made in initial years in life usually fruition better.  Although still unsure, Sameer sensed that contrary to what she appeared initially, here was a friend who could possibly make a positive impact and big difference to him and his life in Houston.

Teamwork at Winton Woods!!!!

The blare of the airconditioner finally woke him up. Bleary eyed, Sameer stared outside expecting a resplendent scenery in Burnet Woods. What greeted him instead made his eyes goggle. It seemed to have rained the entire night and the day seemed to be all set for many more rounds of scattered showers. It was Tuesday, 20th September, 2011 and as part of the orientation program, he was required to be in Winton Woods for a day of outdoor activity with his groupmates. The buses taking all students and faculty to this place was scheduled to leave from the circle outside main lobby of the C.H.L.College of Business at 8am. With barely 5min to start, Sameer managed to secure his seat on one of the buses. He was still conversant with the "IST" modus operandi. Except for Pakhi, he didn't recognize the others in the group. Incidentally, another group had already completed the same excercise on 19th and one more was slated to go through the rigor on 21st. With loud thunderclaps in the backdrop and streaks of lightening in the distant firmament, the stage was yet again set for a threnody of his drowning zest.

 

Winton woods resembled a usual Indian circus set. There were ropes dangling everywhere and instructors dressed as acrobats and trapeze artists were roaming around. When he tried to share his thoughts with a fellow student, prompt came the response, "Do you mean it resembles Cirque du Soliel"? Not sure of how to respond, Sameer beat a hasty retreat.There were huge rings lying on the ground and Sameer shuddered at the idea of having to perform hula hoop excercises with his overtly prominent waist and paunch. Soon enough they were ushered into the adjacent ground for some aerobics and then into the woods with different obstacle courses which they, as a group, were required to clear to reach their arbitrary destination. One of the excercises required 15 people to be huddled together in a spider web (made by rope), having enclosures of various sizes spun on it. The condition was, all the members had to position themselves in the web without touching the rope. They could touch or hold each other. The idea was to propagate the concept of teamwork (Together Each Achieved More). During another such course, Sameer noticed a sprightly young lad, trying all ends up to scale a large wall. Sameer recognized him as Wahid, the guy who had introduced himself in class as, "I am from Pakistan and I am not a terrorist".

 

Two of the earliest friends that Sameer had made at the college was Scott Drew & the sole Korean in class, Steve (his real name was Yon Won). Once during lunch at the Tardyman University Center, when Sameer was talking about their newfound classmates, Scott had mentioned to him, "Time will prove, who your real friends are"!!!! It was almost a week since then. Overall the day was a lot of fun but even with as much physical proximity as was required during each of the obstacles/events,  Sameer was still looking to add on to his list of 'real friends'. Although gregarious in nature himself, Sameer realized that 'proximity' in real sense, had more depth in mental attachment than physical nearness. The 2nd half of the day was spent in a group excercise with Helena and the way back home was spent in getting to know Rima, who seemed to be tensed on the course offerings in Qualitative Analysis, at the college. 

 

Without much fanfare, the classes finally started on Thursday, 22nd September at 10am. It was the 'Leadership & Organization' class. Dr. Klaterberg in his usual jovial self, walked into room 107 and introduced himself. The rest of the session was spent in each student introducing himself/herself. At the end of class, Dr. K'berg announced that he would form smaller teams amongst the students in the class for various group activities. It was to be his first formal group in college and like many others, he too hoped to be grouped with atleast manageable, if not like-minded people. Like anybody else, Sameer too believed in "1st impression being the best impression" and the fact that 1st group (in general like 1st love, 1st job) would remain permanently etched on his mind and life. Finally, when the names were announced, Sameer was taken aback to see Riya's name prominently displayed in the group where he belonged. The others were Corwin, Brendon & Ruhan. He didn't know what to expect. He wasn't sure of how the team-bonding would evolve. It was pointless to conclude anything since he didn't know any of them, but going by his 1st day experience, at least one of the members had all the potential of landing him in troubled waters or giving him a torrid time. As he headed down to the basement for their 1st team meeting for an ensuing presentation in class, Sameer kept his fingers crossed. Only time could say, to ensure his worth in this team, would it be a struggle to prove or an experience of 'dream come true'!! 

1st Day at College!!!!

Sameer hit the snooze button when the wake-up alarm on the mobile phone went off a second time. It was 6am. In two hours he was required to be at the business school in his chosen University in Houston. It was 12th of September 2011, the first day of a week-long orientation program before the classes for MBA (class of 2012) started from 22nd. With eyes wide open and his gaze fixed on the ceiling, Sameer lay on the airbed for a while. His thoughts seemed numb to envisage the days proceedings. Starting the day with a shower was a usual practice even back in Hyderabad. He quickly helped himself to two slices of toast and a cup of tea. In the next 45 minutes, dressed in formal shirt and trousers with black shoes, Sameer was trotting across Proshop Av. and Martin Luther King Dr.

 

By 7.25am, Sameer was at the main lobby of the C.H.L. College of Business. It was only a 7-minute walk from his residence. Students thronged the main passageway. There were a few grown-ups (than usual) in the multitude, like him. His eyes were eagerly searching for the first approachable person to start a conversation. Being a face in the crowd, for once, seemed to be an uninteresting proposition. Suddenly, he saw a girl closing in on him. She soon stopped short and seated herself at the wooden bench nearby. Her smile was more than a welcome respite for Sameer to approach her and introduce himself. She identified herself as Sonali and coincidentally from Hyderabad, the same place as where Sameer belonged. They soon started a converstaion and headed together to room 112, the beautifully done auditorium at the business school. Sameer was dazed by what he saw inside. A large room with scores of neatly arranged seats overlooking the well, large visual monitors hung from above with speakers to aid the back row audience, state-of-the-art LEDs lit the stairway and two huge screens dangled at the front to relay AV presentations. Swarm of students seemed to make headway to the seats farthest from the dias. Sameer and Sonali too joined the melee and were ushered into the middle on the 3rd row from the rear. The file of faculty members standing in front made for an interesting spectacle. Sameer was sitting like a jitterbug amongst 80odd students, caught up more in trying to identify the Indian students in the various rows. However, all he could pick were arrays of heads with black or blonde hair.

 

The dean, David Zerkowsky initiated the program with a customary welcome speech and announced how the ensuing days would unfold. This was followed by a detailed address by Dr.Videsh Chari, the Associate Dean. All along, the program director, Dr. Dheeler seemed busy trying to fix audio problems with the mic or co-ordinating with support staff on the catering arrangements. He was actively involved in one-on-one interactions with students too. Each student was also handed over a folder with details of each days schedule for the next 7 days. Sameer was impressed to note they would have free lunch, each of the 7days.

 

After lunch, Sameer had to make do with a different place to sit. He was cursing himself on having turned up late and losing the place he was seated on, prior to lunch. As speakers changed places on the dias, Sameer's roving eyes suddenly stopped at a girl seated just in front of him. Seemingly jovial and mingling with others with a studied silence, she seemed to be the only student in the program from Turkey. After grappling with 'yes' or 'no' for sometime, to say hi to her, Sameer mustered enough courage to call out, at the behest of curiosity. "Hi, I am Sameer". To ensure a generous measure on the 1st impression he would have made, Sameer added, "I am in the MBA program and come with a work experience of 15years in MNCs". Startled a bit, she turned back and replied, "Oh hi! I am Riya from Mumbai but in Houston with my husband for more than 4years now". She returned back to listening to the speaker again and Sameer was disgusted at the cold shoulder she imparted on the start of conversation he had provided to latch on to. A little later, however, she again turned back and asked, "So, what made you choose Houston". Not to be outdone, the 'smart' reply that Sameer could gather himself to provide her was, "Well the college website mentioned, it was amongst the top 10 in USA in terms of ROI". On this reply, the grimace on her face made Sameer squirm. He could sense something was amiss. The brief interaction was enough for Sameer to vow to stay clear of Riya, if he was to ensure himself of not being outdone, in future. Yes, she had all the elements of proving to be more than a handful to deal with.

 

The day was finally over with Dr. Dheeler dividing the entire batch into 8 teams of 9 students each.They were called Posse teams and Sameer was part of team 8. He was thrilled to see an Indian name among the team members. She was Pakhi. With a sullen silence and serious facial expressions, she seemed least approachable. On his way back home, Sameer tried hard to recollect atleast one thing about the day's proceedings, which would inspire him to go back the next day. With heavy steps, pangs of distress and infinite discomfort, he re-assured and convinced himself to wait for day 2, atleast for another free lunch, if not for anything else.

 

 

An Ogre called Solitude

The trauma of coping with a strange mental distress arising out of bidding adieu to Sarika and family coupled with the anxiety of expected solitary existence in new surroundings and amidst unknown people, was more than a handful for Sameer. He was writhing in a typical discomfort, hitherto unknown. Pramit called up in the morning on 10th Sept. to confirm that he would be at the Houston airport to receive Sameer and also take him to his studio. The Delta airlines flight from Minneapolis was at 2pm CST. Sarika, Sharat & Janki saw off Sameer near the check-in counter and promised to wait till he crossed the security check cordon.

 

At the check-in counter, Sameer's request for an aisle seat was turned down. The flight seemed to be overbooked and the ground staff exuded a strange hauteur. His backpack and carry-on were overflowing with homemade titbits given by Sarika, to last a couple of weeks without cooking. As he passed through the body scanner, a security staff signalled at Sameer to pause and step aside. Sameer could gauge that the steel bangle (kara) he was wearing, was the centerpoint of attention. After the usual frisking, the security personnel asked him about the kara. He wanted to know whether it could be discarded to which Sameer's reply was a firm 'no'. A little perplexed, the stout policeman pointed at a secluded corner for Sameer to go and stand while he went and fetched his superior. Most of the other passengers while completing their usual formalities, would gape at Sameer, some of which were more than a mere passing glance. Some looked aghast while some stared with a wilful frown. Although a routine security procedure at other places, a probable xenophobia for the stout policeman ensured a harrowing and embarassing experience for Sameer. To be finally done without having to open the kara and walk away waving to his loved ones who were all the while standing near the visitors lobby with bated breath, was like more than experiencing zephyr, for him.

 

The flight was on time and true to his words Pramit's was the first call, as soon as Sameer switched on his mobile phone at Houston. Pramit wanted to inform him that he would be there in 20minutes. As he waited for Pramit, Sameer could see many other new students, mostly international, making a beeline for the airport shuttle service for the complimentary drop to uptown, as arranged by the University.

 

Enroute to the studio at 3239 Proshop Av., Sameer & Pramit stopped by at Kroger to pick a 6-pack of Budweiser beer along with saltine pretzels. The apartment resembled a dungeon located at level 1 and overlooking the Burnet woods at the rear. A large sliding glass door was the only means of separation from the outer world. As soon as they entered the apartment, to his utter dismay, Sameer realized that the scheduled delivery from IKEA had gone astray. Pramit informed him that it was rescheduled for the next week. Fortunately, Pramit had brought along an air bag to suffice for the bed. As they rested themselves on the carpeted floor, uncorking their budweiser bottles and munching pretzels, Pramit shared a few interesting nuances of American life along with his and Priti's student life in Dakota. Life in US could be stereotype, especially if both the husband and wife were working. All they would get for themselves is Saturday & Sunday, most of which would be spent in unwinding, which meant doing household chores, catching up with friends or cooking for the ensuing week. Sameer realized that by spending almost the entire Saturday with him, Pramit was actually losing out on a big chunk of his routine family time. Pramit left at 7pm.

 

The eerie silence was more than a resounding shrill. Sameer was never used to this. The woods staring stark just beyond the glass pane did very little to soothe him. Luggage & other articles strewn all around, resembling his truncated life away from Mansi & Simba, added to the mayhem. Crouched on the airbed, Sameer seemed more than lost. He was too drained out mentally and the physical exhaustion urged him to skip dinner, the first of probably many such, in days to come. Soon enough he was lying on the airbed, in pitch dark with ocassional shrieks of his drunk neighbor from the adjoining apartment for company. However hard he tried, sleep was a distant proposition. Even Sameer didn't realize when he slipped into a deep slumber well past midnight. It was 8.30am when the ring on his mobile phone woke him up. Mansi was on the line to ask him to log into skype. There was so much to catch up on. Sameer was eager to see and hear from her and Simba. He would also get to chat with his parents. With utmost zeal, he pulled out his new laptop, gifted by Sarika, to log in. As he typed in his username and password, Sameer realized the solace and happiness he derived from even virtually connecting with his dearest ones, more so because he was unsure of how soon he could see them again in flesh and blood.

 

 

Discovering the Twin Cities!!!!

"Water with no ice", is what Sameer barely managed to mumble to the lady taking the order for  breakfast at The Original Pancake House at Eden Prairie, Minneapolis. It was barely 2 days since he had been in the state of 10000 lakes and Sameer was at this hugely popular joint for brunch, with Sarika & Sharat. Janki was at New Horizon, the daycare that she attended. Since he had hardly eaten out in US, he wan't too conversant with the customary interactions in such places. He heaved a sigh of relief when Sarika pointed out that 'Egg Benedict' would be a good choice, to opt for. The waitron returned to take the orders and not to be outdone this time, Sameer added hash browns & coffee with Sarika's selection for him. His protuberant paunch waited as impatiently as him to unleash the session of gluttony. With lots of care and effort to maintain etiquette,  Sameer indulged in binge eating. Within an hour, he was back in the car with Sarika and Sharat, but this time, heavily gasping for breath.

It was Wednesday and Sarika & Sharat had taken off from work to show Sameer around the twin cities. Even Janki got a rare break from going to daycare on a weekday. While parking in front of the Minnesota State Capitol in St.Paul, Sharat seemed to hover around the parking meter a trifle longer than expected. Sameer felt amused when he was told by his rarely gullible brother-in-law that the meter had available waiting time of 45 minutes and he was pondering whether to add a few quarters at all. "Got to learn a lot from him", Sameer thought. The day was well spent with sights of Guthrie Theater, Lake Calhoun and the old Pillsbury factory which was damaged in an inferno, many years back. Sharat also took him around the R&D center at his workplace, where he had started his career in US. It was an awesome locale on the banks of river Mississippi. Sarika showed him around the University of Minnesota and the School of Public Health, where she studied for two years. The names of best students for each year since inception were engraved on metal plates, which together, resembled a mammoth salver.  It was a big moment of pride for Sameer to see Sarika's name engraved with 2 other students for the year 2008. A brief stopover near Bloomington (at Sarika's workplace) was followed by a sumptuous dinner of sage-roasted chicken with asparagus & roasted potatoes with diavola sauce at Macaroni Grill at Edina and washed down with Pinot Noir. Being a foodie himself and with the surge of hunger at its zenith, this was bliss for Sameer. He felt a deep urge to vouch for Italian as the best cuisine in the world.

Before leaving for work on Thursday, Sarika asked Sameer to look up on his University website to figure out what books he needed to order online or procure from stores for the 1st quarter of the program. It sounded too boring and arduous a task, especially after the merriment of the last couple of days. Unwillingly, he promised to take a look on 'one-stop center', just to be spared of her reprimand, when she returned in the evening. With his sister and her family around, Sameer was having a great time, especially in not being reminded of the boredom he envisaged to go through, once back in Houston in his studio, all by himself. It would be a new world for him. Unknown surroundings, unfamiliar people and worst, the feeling of being in class with students, many of whom were fresh out of school and a lot younger than him. How would they take to him? How would he cope with the studies and assignments? As soon as he would be alone, his thoughts would drift to these worrisome fears. These concerns would make him meander towards misanthropy. The die was cast. Only time and experience could unveil what was in store. With bated breath and an eerie restlessness, Sameer waited for Saturday, the 10th of September, 2011. That was the day when he would be headed back to Houston, to start the orientation from Monday, the 12th. That would also be the day, when he would see and get to know some new people, be it on the dais as faculty or in his class as batch mates or probably beside him as dear chums. 

Tears of Joy!!!!

It seemed a little busier than usual. At the Houston airport, cabs and airport shuttles seemed to make a beeline to drop off passengers. En route to Columbus, a city in Colorado county 74 miles west of Houston, Priti, Pramit and Avik dropped off Sameer at Terminal A with hugs and best wishes for a good time at Minneapolis. People around him fiddling with smart phones to gauge directions and information were a new experience for Sameer. He couldn't fathom the need for a mobile phone beyond the basic functions of calling and text messaging. Having spent almost half a week in the US was adequate for him to understand that his simple 2G mobile phone was truly 2nd generation in terms of features as compared to a PDA. It was a trifle late by the time Sameer managed to follow overhead glow-sign boards and reach the Delta Airlines check-in counter. Having stared at the self-check in kiosks for a while in order to figure out how to proceed, Sameer decided to queue up behind the nearest person headed for the counters. Yet again, he was made to stare stark at the necessity of being smart enough to be self-sufficient. In the past, he had talked many a times about the need for being adept, confident and proficient in their individual skill sets, to his subordinates. In his heart, he vowed to walk the talk in future, as he inched closer to the Delta staff for assistance in obtaining a boarding pass. 

Sameer was startled when the in-flight executive announced, "welcome on board your flight to Hawaii. I am Maria, your personal assistant and janitor for the next two hours". Sameer twitched and twirled in his firmly fastened seat belts, wanting to point out that his destination wasn't Hawaii. Better sense and calm prevailed on him when he noticed the wry smile on Maria's face. Even the passengers were highly amused and although momentary, she was an instant celebrity. Her smartness overawed Sameer a little bit. He was sure of deflating the charm and pleasantly infectious aura she had infused among the passengers, with his honest attempt at a fake accent, which was all but US English. Although thirsty for water, Sameer decided to keep quiet. As the aircraft detached itself from the jet-way connector, all that Sameer could think of was meeting Janki.  

It was a little over an hour before he sensed that the descent to the flight had begun. As the aircraft gained proximity to ground, Sameer looked out of the window to discover the niche of scenic splendor that the state of Minnesota had carved for itself. No wonder it was known as the state of 10000 lakes. Maria was a benchmark for any great employee. She seemed to like her job so much that she could elevate it to exemplary levels in customer service with effortless ease. Sameer made it a point to make it known while thanking her as he deplaned. 

As soon as he stepped out, Sameer reached for his mobile. Having switched it on, he dialed Sarika's number and she reassured him that they were waiting at the greeting point in Lindbergh Terminal. The excitement to meet them was palpable as Sameer hopped onto the train on LRT to reach terminal 1. All the while he wondered about Janki. How would she take to him? Would he be an amiable company or reason for 'stranger anxiety' for her. Did she resemble her parents or anybody else in the family, in appearance? For a moment he was speechless when he saw a tiny little girl, perched on her father's folded arm glaring at something irrelevant and faraway, through the corner of her eye. Sameer couldn't miss that stare for anything under the Sun. It was the 'signature' glance/stare that Sarika used to have, when a child herself. He couldn't decide whether to call it Janki's thoughts in yonder or nature's genetic wonder. For Sameer it seemed a glaring semblance with the little sister he had grown up with. A tight huddle and embrace with the three of them was too little to exude the warmth and feel of happiness that Sameer was going through at that time. As they settled down in the car, Sameer could sense both Sarika and Sharat raring to ask him about his journey, his days in isolation from family, the brevity of his decision, the difficulties he envisaged and so on. He was startled, when Sharat impatiently turned around from the driver's seat and subtly asked with an elusive smile, "how in the world did you put on as much weight. Sorry to say, but you look bizarre" . As the car entered Bloomington en-route to their home in Eden Prairie, for a moment, Sameer wished he could take the same flight back to Houston and better still, to Hyderabad in India. Sharat parked the car in the garage and they all stepped into the house. Suddenly, the two of them with Janki on their lap started singing the birthday song to Sameer. Sarika removed the cover on the dining table to reveal a large and beautiful pineapple cake with "Happy Birthday Mama" inscribed in icing. It was a birthday cake for her brother, she had baked, on behalf of Janki. As she and  Sharat wished him, and Janki thrust a large block of cake into Sameer's mouth, the least he wanted to do was hold back his tears of joy!!!