Onwards to becoming an American!
I just feel like I should write something today. In exactly 12 hours, I will have taken my oath of allegiance to United States of America and will officially become an American citizen. The idea of not requiring a visa to visit majority of countries is something I’m looking forward to getting used to. I’m not sad to lose my Indian citizenship because I never understood what it meant to me. I left India when I had just turned 18, so I’ve never even voted before. (Ah-ha and to think I will be able to vote this historic election!!) Neither have I taken an interest in Indian politics. The only thing that makes me a teeny bit sad is that now I will require a visa to enter my own country 
but its a price worth paying 
I am a realist and this citizenship isn’t just presenting me with a passport to the world, but also opening up doors for my significant other who I have seen struggle for the last four years with his H1-B visa situation. Not being able to leave USA for the last 4 years for the fear of not being able to come back, being stuck in an insipid job that sucked the life out of his dreams and just the misery of not being able to believe that ‘anything is possible.’….. I will never know what its like to be in that situation, but boy, am I glad it will change!
It is ridiculous and immature to question my allegiance to either India or USA or ask me what I feel like. I feel ecstatic, stupid. And incredibly proud to have India in my heart and America on my mind (and my passport!)
But just tonight, I will indulge my irrational-self and go to bed with my Indian passport in hand. Tomorrow, it will become a relic, a thing of past, of no intrinsic value but still priceless to me.
Welcome to America, BabEy!
12/08/2008 at 10:31 am Permalink
Congratulations. Characteristically, the gratification is instant for you with the USA’s gold rush in the olympics.
02/09/2008 at 9:11 am Permalink
Jinal,
I love your writing style and I love your passion towards what you do (I am uncomfortable calling it “advertising” for some odd reasons I’d rather not list here. It is comments section, after all).
Manoj shared your blog with me and I have spent my Tuesday lunch hour going over all of your latest posts and I feel the need to comment on each section but time does not permit me to do so! sigh.
So here goes,
- I think you are where most of us want to be but are not. I’m not talking about the physical visa here.
- You are a great writer and I am sure you must bring your alchemy to the table, time and again
- I detest conformity and your philosophy makes you rebel against the conform police and I am glad someone (read:you) is standing up for what she really believes in. Truly. Unlike most of us who choose to get lost in a linear 9-5 life, twittering away about our weekend plans.
I am not usually a bullet point person but today is an exception.
Your blog didn’t just give me an hours worth of thoughtful thoughts (sorry,could not help myself) but gave me a lot of musings to consider while I drive back home today.Musings that might change my life.