A New World

Today, as I sit on a couch in the middle of the night in what would have been the middle of the day in my Old World , I realised what they meant for the very first time what they meant when they called this the New World .

Larger than life

Being in the US of A is like being in a new world . In fact it is like being in another world. The first thing that strikes you is the bigness. Everything here is like larger than life – the people, the cars, the food and even the appliances. Believe it or not:

• I can’t do the washing because I can’t reach out into the dryer unless I use a step stool!
• Likewise, I can’t jump into bed which is so high and so soft that I have to dive into it and hope to land in.

Left is right

Except for a few countries particularly those who were colonised by the Old Country, most cars drive on the left . But for me who comes from the right , this is a totally new road altogether. Not only is the traffic moving in the other direction but it is moving so fast! All those huge big monster trucks going at what seems high speed has me literally holding on to my seat belt.

No front side and back

And navigating those endless roads ! That’s another story. I wonder how people did it in the days before GPS. With no people to ask directions , how did they manage to find any place with 123, Main , Busy Town 12345.

With street addresses being so precise , it’s hard to figure out if 123 is in Building 1 , or if 123 is a Post Office Box . How I wish there’d be more precise indications like “opposite the bakery ” or “behind the hospital ” . These markers may sound redundant but are definitely make navigating much easier .

And those empty roads

I never thought I’d miss those crowds of people that  seem to crawl out of  every crack in Mumbai. But yes, in a mere week ,I’m already beginning to feel intimidated by those houses that seem empty , the streets that are empty and the silence that fills it all .

Time zones and New Worlds

It’s not only my circadian rhythm that is in another time zone but my entire word has turned upside down.

But isn’t that what happens to anyone who leaves his Time Zone and Old world? 

I seem to be lost somewhere but I’m trying to share this with #MondayMusings by #Write Tribe but can’t seem to find the Linky anywhere!!