blistering weather.. and facts!!

Ok I am confused. Right when I thought that the heat in Dubai cannot get any worse, it’s like a smack right on the head! With the official ‘ vacation’ time drawing a close and people scurrying back from their vacation spots, the weather cycle seems to have hit the pause button as summer seems to be having no intentions of moving on and paving the way for it’s much more popular and well liked compatriot – WINTER.

Bearing the tag of being an NRI is one which has to be borne with the perfect mix of humility and patriotism. Humility, because you have to be prepared to listen to statements like “Wow!! So you may not be used to buying anything Indian eh?” and counter these with answers that drips with modesty. The moment you commit the grave mistake of showing your pals a new gadget that you bought from the Gulf, rest assured you will be asked how much did it cost ( rupees wise) and your normally slow brain when it comes to currency and conversion is forced to work at a rate that will even please Einstein! And post - conversion, if the cost that you had spent on your new gadget adds up to a forbidding amount, again be prepared for raised eyebrows which actually imply “Man how rich are you??”

Now this is a tricky moment. If you thought that the best reaction that will help you to squeeze your way through is by smiling and admitting that it did cost you quite a buck, you might as well clear your throat to start singing Akon’s ‘ I am so looonneellyyy’, with all your friends long gone. Instead the best reaction would be to feign ignorance and guilt for buying such an expensive gadget. This will reaffirm the faith of your ‘loved’ ones that you are indeed a modest and very Indian NRI.

Towards the end of my course, as expected I was bombarded by questions about whether I would stay back in India or come back to Dubai. When I admitted to the latter rather apologetically, many were truly nice enough to give me very informative and on - the - spot -worked - on speeches about ‘brain drain’, ‘being patriotic’.. well you get the picture. Here’s where the must - have element of patriotism just might come in handy.

I guess what I am driving at is that gone are those days when people used to scramble on top of each other to get a visa to the Middle East. With the IT boom in India, many can boast of fat pay checks and not even having to spend a wandering thought to going abroad to earn their livelihood. Suddenly, everyone is talking about the wonder that is India. But what makes my forehead crumble is that admist this new found wealth, many do not realise that in the 80’s and 90’s, a set of youngsters had to leave their loved ones and country, in the hope of a better future to the Gulf. They have immensely contributed to the accumulated wealth in India. So why the step motherly attitude towards them?