Flying back to the land of serfs and servants.

Ok, I finally did it. Everything working like clockwork and if all goes well, I should be back home in the next six hours. (Currently, I am 36,000 feet in the air!)
I am returning back to India in style. Air India, the national carrier, and for the record, the lousiest airline in 2007 (I haven't flown Biman, but I think Air India might just beat Biman!)

So, anyways, here I am flying on Air India, and since I have nothing to do, am doing what Indians excel at- bhat, gup-shup, adda. Indians have an opinion on everything and what's more love to share it with you. They love to know what's going on in the neighbour's house and air their opinions on human behavioral norms. Well, a civilization as old as ours, can be trusted to revel in the human element!
Conversations with strangers can be strange and if you tell them that you are killing the American dream and returning to the motherland for good, you better be prepared to hear a mouthful. SO, here goes a commentary on some insights I got from my caring neighbors.

A green-card holder middle-aged lady running a motel in California:
"Returning to India?? Are you nuts? I am tearing the world apart, trying to get a green-card for my daughter (Why her daughter did not get a green-card, though the mother did is a question best answered by the Gods of Immigration and Naturalization Services of the United States of America. We'll take that up some other time please!) and you!! Well, nothing like the luxury of maids and servants in India, but returning back to India for that! Well, well, well!

Elderly parents visiting their son in the US:
"My son doesn't like it here as well. Good that you are returning back! In the US, you gotta do everything yourself! No maids/servants!"

Well, there were a lot of reasons for me to head back to India,but servants and maids never really figured in any one of them. But what do you know? The next uncle/aunty who asks me WHY is going to get exactly what he/she wants - "No servants in the US."