I am walking down the road to office for the first time. Street name some damn Ave. As I step on the office pathway, I get a big grin from a person walking past me. Now what am I supposed to do. This is my first day in US ain’t it? How does this big huge gentleman know me… But I smile back just out of courtesy. Maybe he must have seen my photo somewhere. But where????
uff.. I enter the building and finally reach my floor and my desk with a sigh of relief wondering what did I do? Why is everyone recognizing me and smiling at me? Is my photo being put up on some kind of notice board or something with my name saying this is the new bakra from India?… I was like… OMG!!! So I go to one of my colleagues and ask him about this. He can’t control his laughter… He laughs for 5 min, putting me through the same kind of pain again but more intensified… One person I actually know is laughing… Once the expression of LOL stopped, he explains to me that this is very common in the US of A that people just smile at you and you are supposed to smile back. I was like.. Gosh.. Why??? There was no real answer you know… Courtesy, Chivalry, Culture..(So many C’s) came up as reasons… I thought what the F let me add another C to it.. This is some Chugiri (I hope you guys know this.. else mail me will tell you) that I have to do.. So I start to smile back at all people… Its kinda fun you know… You can smile and say Hi to any one… I mean.. Think of the times when you wanted to catch the smile of a pretty girl in the lift, and she doesn’t give you any damn ghaas… Welcome to US of A. You can smile at all those beautiful girls in the lift and they will smile back and more wish you a good day!!! So much for the Cgiri… I started enjoying… Flip side, yes you have smile at everyone… You will find people saying Namaste…You have to greet them too.. and you know none of them! Come on…Do we go and say “Yo Man, Howz you?” and all… No right…We just say “Hi”… then whats all this Namaste stuff… But I have to admit even though it’s awkward, it’s kind of good to see people try to understand our way of saying hi…
This was just one of the many surprises I have had here… These guys walk on the right, drive on the right etc etc.. That’s all ok… But then you know what, there is no Ground Floor here!!! That was a shocker you know… I come into the hotel to checkin late night at 12… The front desk guy gives me the key and all and says, your room is on the second floor.. Room 366… So I walk along with 2 huge bags and try to find a 2 storied building in vain… Finally the guy shows up and points at the direction of the room… Funny yeah but true…
I have learnt things quicker than I thought… I can drive in US, am practicing the floor system, trying to understand the maps here, also cultivating the habit of walking on the right(you walk on left and you will surely bump into someone!!!) and above all I am smiling at all the people I meet….
SMILE OK PLEASE!!!!
