If there is any other country in the world in which I would have considered settling down it would be the United States of America. And this is not just blind adoration. It is not for the dollars, business opportunities, or jobs, but it is for the inherent goodness that I found in the hearts of the American people.
America baiters or America haters would take issue with me and deny this, but they are welcome to their own opinion. I am giving mine based on my own experiences there. It was not that I did not meet bad Americans. I did. But the good people there overwhelmingly outnumbered the bad.
Maybe I was in a protective environment at Harvard University and met only special professors and students, academics. I found them all to be extremely good. But I am not referring to them when I speak of the good Americans.
When I was in my last year of my Ph.D in Physics, I received an ominous phone call that my mother was very ill and possibly on her deathbed. I had to rush to London where my parents were residing at the time.
At Harvard, where I was teaching as well, my senior told me that he would correct the examination papers on my behalf. At Harvard Project Physics, where I was working, they came forward and gave me whatever salary was my due till date.
My professor said to me: "Priya, I know how you must be feeling. I felt the same way when my mother was sick!"
I rushed from Boston to New York to catch the flight to London. There was just one last flight left on that day. I was dismayed when I saw the long line of people before me waiting to get tickets on the flight. I knew that before I could get to the ticket counter the flight would be full and there would be no tickets left.
I spoke to the person at the end of the line and told him my mother was very ill which was why I appeared so despondent. The man was a New Yorker, who I was told were generally rude people, but to my surprise he passed the word down the long queue. It appeared as if everyone was saying : "His mother is sick! His mother is sick!"
Much before I knew what was happening, the person who was the first at the counter had given up his place and offered it to me!!
Even as I purchased my ticket with profuse gratitude to the gentleman, he said to me: "I hope your mother gets well!!"
I arrived in London just in time to meet my mother before she closed her eyes forever.
Her last words to me were:"Oh, Priya! You have come! This happiness will remain with me forever.."
Now will people understand why I love the Americans so much?
America baiters or America haters would take issue with me and deny this, but they are welcome to their own opinion. I am giving mine based on my own experiences there. It was not that I did not meet bad Americans. I did. But the good people there overwhelmingly outnumbered the bad.
Maybe I was in a protective environment at Harvard University and met only special professors and students, academics. I found them all to be extremely good. But I am not referring to them when I speak of the good Americans.
When I was in my last year of my Ph.D in Physics, I received an ominous phone call that my mother was very ill and possibly on her deathbed. I had to rush to London where my parents were residing at the time.
At Harvard, where I was teaching as well, my senior told me that he would correct the examination papers on my behalf. At Harvard Project Physics, where I was working, they came forward and gave me whatever salary was my due till date.
My professor said to me: "Priya, I know how you must be feeling. I felt the same way when my mother was sick!"
I rushed from Boston to New York to catch the flight to London. There was just one last flight left on that day. I was dismayed when I saw the long line of people before me waiting to get tickets on the flight. I knew that before I could get to the ticket counter the flight would be full and there would be no tickets left.
I spoke to the person at the end of the line and told him my mother was very ill which was why I appeared so despondent. The man was a New Yorker, who I was told were generally rude people, but to my surprise he passed the word down the long queue. It appeared as if everyone was saying : "His mother is sick! His mother is sick!"
Much before I knew what was happening, the person who was the first at the counter had given up his place and offered it to me!!
Even as I purchased my ticket with profuse gratitude to the gentleman, he said to me: "I hope your mother gets well!!"
I arrived in London just in time to meet my mother before she closed her eyes forever.
Her last words to me were:"Oh, Priya! You have come! This happiness will remain with me forever.."
Now will people understand why I love the Americans so much?
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