Of Ohio State, Columbus and Chennai

I’m living a countdown. With every night I come one day closer to leaving for college. The college isn’t a hundred or even thousand miles away, but ten thousand; a different country. Right now the full enormity hasn’t sunk in. It’s exciting, fun even with the shopping and all, but its also a bit confusing. I don’t have many qualms about traveling or moving on. I have changed more schools than most people change cell phones during their entire lives. I’m a Hindu but I love chili (ground beef) just as any Texan or bacon as any English. I guess my problem comes more from the fear or uncertainty after leaving the country than anything else.

This time next month I’ll be in my dorm at Ohio State. I would have met more than a hundred new people. The prospects exciting but there are so many nuances that keep on bothering me. I’ll be taking an AT&T connection with a hi-fi LG Smart-phone, which apparently won’t have wireless. To get a wireless in the US I need to take a separate data plan, despite the fact that I can use the free wireless network on campus. Another thing is the way prices keep changing from one day to another; they just won’t keep still!
The good things are well obvious. Cheap food at good ol’ MacDonald’s and excellent infrastructure (high speed internet, transport the works). The people are obviously the biggest cause of worry. What are mid western Americans like? The internet tells me that they have the best of both east and west coasters but seeing is believing, right?

Finally there is the fear of a patriot that my feelings towards this country might change. I am a modernist and I favor Globalism over nationalism and yet as a person there can be but one home. India has lots to grow, a long way to go and lot of work to get there. I want to be a part of this journey, granted as I am a privileged position by birth. Maybe the beginning of a strong overture to globalism will be amongst co operation between nations like the United States and India. The research, innovation in the states can help the poor of India. India with its technical skill, large market and innovation to serve the masses might be a valuable target for the US industries. To close at the last point, about innovation to serve the masses, it always has been India’s challenge to produce at high quantity and low cost. America can derive tremendous benefit should it chose to work with India on this.
As for me (includes other people who bother reading more than text books), I wonder if I can be the middle man. An Indian, I will be educated in the west to become a global human being. I become global not through the degree at Ohio state but by remembering all that I have seen and heard here (India) and all that I will learn there. I know the problems of the world, I have the know how to fix them. Let’s work!