Smile With Knowledge

EVERY ROCK HAS A ROSE LINING

from the Chapter - The Ordeal at Amsterdam

Already delayed at the point of origin, having missed a connecting flight, required to spend another night in an interim hotel in a foreign country, and now this! It was as if destiny was preparing him well for this journey of unknowns that he had embarked upon. As if all this was not enough, the officials then put Gyana in a closed room and asked him to wait there until they had verified his paperwork. As Gyana sat in the room alone and looked at the single window with bars, it felt like being in a jail, waiting to be rescued from suspicion. Will they be able to verify his paperwork and identity? Will they do it in a timely manner to enable him to continue with his travel plans? What will happen if they are not able to verify the documents? A multitude of questions played havoc on his mind, with no answers in sight.

from the Chapter - Settling Down For a Thrilling Ride

On one occasion, Dr. Lee asked Gyana to accompany him on a project trip to New Orleans. They rode together in the professor’s car and went about their business meeting with the client at New Orleans. At the end of the day, Dr. Lee suggested stopping by a bar to get a drink. With not much flexibility to say anything, Gyana accompanied his professor into one of the bars. While they sat at a table and Dr. Lee ordered drinks, Gyana was already feeling uncomfortable with the ambience of the place.

As he sat there quietly and patiently waiting for his professor to finish drinking, so they could leave, he noticed that there were skimpily clad girls dancing on the floor. The situation was tense, and Gyana was not sure what to do. All he knew was that it was not a place meant for him, and he desperately wanted to leave. Having politely asked his professor about returning back, he realized that his professor was in no mood to leave the festivities at that time. On the contrary, Dr. Lee seemed irritated at Gyana for not having a good time. Gyana knew he had to do something on his own.

from the Chapter - The Adventures of Summer

But sometimes, students had to settle for jobs in the campus cafeterias where they could be helping in the kitchen, with the serving of food, or even with the cleaning of dirty dishes. It was this job that Indian students often dreaded, but willingly accepted, when they were left with no other choice. It was especially difficult for the typical Indian Brahmins (those belonging to the upper caste in the social ladder), when they had to brace themselves for cleaning dishes that had contained beef which is considered an absolute no no for the vegetarians.

from the Chapter - Back to School

While globalization has changed the equation considerably in the current times, it was but hard to avoid the many experiences one had during those times with the average American who seemed stiff and hesitant to welcome an Indian foreigner into their fold, unless the latter modified their outward behavior and conversational skills to fit into the American mindset. It is because of this discriminatory behavior, that many weak minded Indians found solace in transforming themselves—at least superficially—to adapt to the new culture. Apart from picking up the American accent to make themselves more understandable, some Indians also changed their nicknames, or at least shortened their addressed names to sound more American. So, a Harischandra would become a Harry, a Ghanshyam became a Sam and so on.

from the Chapter - Hand in hand in Aggieland

Textbooks were expensive, and even at that time in 1991, each book could cost anywhere between $30 and $70, which was a hefty sum for below-the-poverty-line international students……

In the absence of a luxurious paycheck, a photocopied version for oneself was the practical way to go, than buying an original published copy for one’s own use. But these photocopied books came at a price too. Though costing about a third of the original book price, the effort it needed to get it done was quite an adventure in itself.

To read more about such an exciting and wonderful journey of two souls, please buy the book from