A curious post under "Missed Connections" in Craigslist Bangalore left me rather bemused.
"To the non-resident Indian I just saw this evening around 7:30 pm. sorry I didn't say hi. I'm the other NRI you saw this evening. I think we were both surprised. Are you working, living, visting?"
I used to live in Bangalore at a time when the hordes in Silicon Valley were selling homes, deserting their fancy cars in airport parking lots and scurrying homewards for jobs. NRIs abounded aplenty but I don't recollect them being branded with visible signs that called out to their displaced diaspora status.
Interestingly, the young college kids looked like they would have blended in perfectly well with NYC or Chicago cityscapes. Not to say that they looked out of place in Bangalore either.
Have to wonder if lately that has changed and the government of India has mandated an 'N' tattooed on the forehead of "NRIs" in lieu of extended tax holidays , PIO card and the like. Too bad for me that I haven't kept up with the news. For some reason "Imperial Hubris" comes to mind reading this CL post.
Comments
I had to comment. till last evening I was not aware of what Craiglist was and was suitably illuminated yesterday at a party. met some fun people and had some surpisingly good conversations about money , music and passions...
as well as how the internet connects unlikey folks...
and here is a blog celebrating the same....woah!! Now see, you could not have known I had that conversation...
I guess its just the hangover...